I have bought seed after seed this year, Spring is going to be such a big adventure with all the seeds I bought or traded. Not wanting to push next summer but I can' wait to see what blooms. I traded a lot with Canada, then bought off E-bay, met a Romanian and traded only this week lol I had 10 days holiday in Tenerife and went outlooking for seed..hahahaa Seed swaps are big business now. Have fun and enjoy your swaps.
Kate I hope you'll take lots of photographs of your seeds when they begin grow and flower for you next year. I'm still amazed,, after all these years, by what beautiful blooms come from just a tiny seed.
hey kate, why wait for spring? for the first time i tried 'winter sowing' last December and it worked great. i planted flowers and herbs! you plant seeds in pots and containers of all sorts, with dirt or potting soil, and put out in the snow. they come up on their own when the weather's warmed up! can't remember if we've posted about this before, but here's a link with some info... http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/How_to_Winter_Sow.html
Well there is a story about that Bunkie. I love the old fashioned Marigolds (orange daisy type) and wanted to get ahead pretty quickly last year. I am afraid nature had other ideas.Those early sowings never showed...that was in january early febuary. I got onto the supplier because I was fast running out of seed (two packs almost used) They advised trying in a week or so which I did in march and they sprouted just fine. I was worried because I knew from having an allottment previously that seed can be 'blind'. I like your idea and may try to sow some winter stock ready for spring. I would have thought they would rot though as we are talking about six months in compost! Eileen, I hope I get some great flowers from some cuttings I brought back..now there is a challenge. From 80degrees to 12degrees has to be some miracle...and survive snow and ice to come lolol
yes daisybean, i tried it for the first time last year and it worked wonderfully! i had beautiful carnations, petunias, snapdragons, etc... in the gardens and lots of herbs that i transplanted once spring was here. all did beautifully. i think i might try some veggies this December. that's a sad story kate, but with a happy ending! the idea, the way i understand it, about the winter sowing is that the seeds you place in the pots freeze, then thaw, then freeze, then thaw on and off as the weather cools and warms, and rains and snows, then, somehow, they know when to sprout. it's like those plants/seeds that go through the cold stratification process before they develop i think. and it really works! a couple containers didn't sprout, but i did have old seed in them. it sure saves on room and it keeps a gardener buzy during the winter months!
Ok Bunkie, In England today and towards the weekend we are to get some good sunny days. I am not challenging your theory which sounds fantastic, one I will be trying. Sunny oct/nov days now with warmth What then because they will sprout? The frost would blacken the baby leaves, will they come back? Do we wait till say december to be sure?
Seed Swaps I've never done a seed swap before, but what a great gardeners' delight that would be! Recently, a local newspaper article made note of a nearby seed swap, so there's certainly a lot of interest out there. And winter sowing is a great idea. Here in Wisconsin, the winters are SO cold! Lady Jane
Hi Lady-Jane, Oh seed swaps are great fun apart from bringing in much needed cash if done as a community swap. its a while since I swapped seed my last being with Canada.I have sent a friendly seed to Romania, someone had aquired a garden and had very little to put in it. Recently sent a date palm, and two other seed samples to another member here. This weekend I gave a date Palm to a neighbour, I have one left to try for myself. Its my very first year even looking for seed to swap from my plants, not even sure what the seeds will look like lol. Here is a site I found on seed i.d. http://theseedsite.co.uk/seedpods.html
bunkie thanks for the winter sowing idea. can't wait to see how that does. Sounds like a great way to get good sized seedlings early.
Right Bunkie, Be it on your head :-D Bought a new seed tray and cover, also some of those pellets you water and they grow before your eyes. You put in seed then it does not disturb the roots when its germinated. You plant the whole thiing outdoors in the soil. (pellet) So I thought I would do some seed sowing this week and put the pellets and seed in the seed tray outside. Its a trial!
