I was looking for some material, small stones for a terrarium, that may have been stashed away in a very seldom looked in nook. A very deep shelf that holds a lot of seed starting paraphernalia. Pots, trays, seed starting pellets and all sorts of goodies. The further back on the shelf the further back in time. I recognized stuff I had long forgotten. Then I came across a pot, its contents were like a time capsule from 29 years ago, 1984. In it were ideas and choices as well as hopes long forgotten. What were your garden hopes and dreams 29 years ago. My mind was refreshed as I looked through the packets of seeds, their flowers probably lost among the other projects that tugged at my time during the early years of home ownership. Placed in a pot and put on the shelf, other items soon pushed them back into the dark recesses to be forgotten. This summer I will start a special tray of seeds and see if anything survived the long journey into the future. 29 years is a long time but it isn't often I get to experiment with time. Stay tuned. 29 years ago ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) Jerry P.S. Move over H.G. Wells, I have my own time machine.
I'll be intrigued to know which seeds, if any, germinate for you. Wouldn't it be great if they all did? Maybe I should clean out our shed as I'm sure I could take a trip back in time too if I made the effort. Goodness knows what's lurking in the dark recesses of days gone by. By the way did you find those small stones for a terrarium that you were looking for originally?
Eileen, the stones are still elusive, I have large ones but I am fussy and want small ones. The terrarium is a precursor to the Wardian case. I will make a small one at first as I told the head interior decorator my grand idea and she said, "UGH??" The large one is on hold. :-( I think Ward got away with his large case because he sent it to Australia and the cases were not seen in his house again until two years later. Jerry P.S. I may be forced to make another trip to the garden center for stones and more stuff.
Jerry any excuse to visit a garden centre is a good one. I prefer small pebbles in a terrarium too as the large ones simply never look as good.
What a pretty collection of flowers. I once read that poppy seeds could hold dormant for 100 yrs. Don't know if I believe it, but some did pop up when I turned some sod after we'd been here for 30 years and I had never grown any. Have no idea about the ones you have. It will be fun to see if any grow. Your trip back in time helped me remember those early years when the yard was new to us. I double dug the garden beds. Can't believe I lifted all that sod. The process of having lifted sod, dug 6-8 inches down, cut the sod from the next patch, laid the sod in upside down, dug again laying the dirt over the sod from the previous hole, then repeated the process over and over until I had 5 or 6 beds (4'x8'). Calendula and columbine were two of the early flowers to enter the garden 30 years ago and never left. Only because they reseed themselves. Shasta daisies, have come and gone over the years since then. :-D
Well Jerry I was 9 when you were seed shopping... Slim chances we may have met at that kinda shop back then. Would you say your "taste" has changed over the years?
What a remarkable posting, Jerry. ....Your own Time Machine. What a pleasure that must have been, finding that little time capsule. I can imagine that whether or not to open the seed packs and plant them or not would be a dilemma. Saved as they are, they are sort of like museum items. Anyway--very good posting.
I too am curious about which one's will sprout. Good luck with the latest experiment (and terrarium).
Fingers crossed Jerry,..i hope all of the packets produce at least a few seedlings,..last year i found a sealed pack of seeds i was given in 2004,..a friend had a creeper with similar blooms to a cigar plant,..he collected seeds back in 2004 and i never got the opportunity to sow any until last year,..lo and behold there were seedlings,..one survived the winter and is thriving at present,..it will be a case of someone please ID this shortly.
