Seeds

WINTER YOU HAVE OUR ATTENTION!

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Hello Winter, you have certainly decided to be record-breaking this year. This week I’ve heard from friends in southern states with record breaking snowfall and plummeting temps! The pictures don’t even look real! My big question now is how long will it last. Probably not too long in the southern states but up here — might be another thing! 😳🥶 This is that time of year that I tell Mr. G that it’s not coming back. Things are too cold and and too dead, it’s not coming back. He hands me a cup of coffee and says, “don’t worry, it always come back.” He’s the best. ……..Ahh spring, oh the miracle you are!! And you’ll be back in about 55 days.

You know who IS enjoying this weather? The birds. G has been keeping them well fed and they have rewarded us by their presence and thier song! SOOOO MANY. Look at this handsome guy…

Bluebirds routinely play in my Potting Shed window box. They are so precious! I hope they nest close by! Take a look…

WINTER SOWING 2025

During this kind of season I hear Mr. Rogers in my ear singing, 🎶”Let’s think of something to do while we’re waiting.”🎶 Anyone remember that one??

One super fun thing we get to do while we are waiting on spring is Winter Sowing!! 🥳

And, winter Sowing is happening here but honestly I was almost afraid to put anything outside. How cold is toooo cold!

Winter sowing truly is one of my favorite gardeny things. So little investment in time and material. It allows me to experiment more too! Each year I plant some seeds I’ve never tried before. If you are new to winter sowing or want to know what I have done in the past… check out another post here. 

NEW TO ME THIS YEAR…

(Links to companies provided.)

I’m trying some new colors of Nasturtiums – Tip Top Pink Blush and Cherry Rose Jewel.

Love Coneflowers and want a yellow one, so I’m trying a new variety to me Mellow Yellow.

Phlox Sugar Stars – such sweet colors

Onion: Yellow of Parma – Over the moon about this one! Confession, I have a thing about onions and they seem to be hard for me to grow. Thank’s Stef from Hooked and Rooted for the inspiration. Find her here.  https://www.youtube.com/@HookedandRooted

One of my favorites is Gomphrena and I’m trying some new colors: Lavender Lady, Raspberry Cream, Audray Purple Red, and Audray White. SO MANY. I may have to call this garden season the “Year of the Gomphrena”! Last year it did so well!!! This is a no fuss plant going strong from early summer to frost! I used them in so many arrangements and they dry beautifully.

Globosa Purple & a “pink” I don’t remember the name.
Loved them both!

Trying a new variety of Larkspur: Katy’s Picot Larkspur.

Trying a new Sweet Pea that someone recommended as fragrant and has loads of blooms but I can’t remember who – Jewels of Albion  This is a custom blend esclusive to Renee’s Gardens! Here’s what Renees has to say about it… “EXCLUSIVE – Our custom blended color palette of especially fragrant antique varieties offers both beautiful cool shades and plants with significantly more heat tolerance than other sweet pea varieties. You’ll have a succession in bloom with “Flora Norton” (pastel blue), “Lord Nelson” (deep blue), “Mrs. Collier” (creamy-white), “Lady Grisel Hamilton” (pastel lavender) and “Captain of the Blues” (mauve-blue). This lovely perfumed mix blooms on strong climbing vines that easily cover a trellis or fence.”


And finally, I am super excited about a new, exclusive Zinnia from Johnnys Seeds… Ballerina!! Have you seen it? Soooo pretty!

I’m sure there will be more to come. Do you have a recommendation for me?

GETTING TO KNOW YOU WALL

This week I started the 3rd annual GETTING TO KNOW YOU WALL.

I started doing this “wall” in my potting shed with info about new plants I’m adding to the garden or plants I added last year that I want to keep an eye out for. Since I have a very established garden, this is such a great help in determining just where I want to plant them in the garden. And, not to miss the ones I planted last year!

ROSE CHAT

It is almost time for ROSE CHAT 2025 and I am super excited! The lineup is stellar. So many wonderful rosy people will join me! If you missed it, here’s the ad from New Years. Newley added to this list is Dee Nash of Red Dirt Rambling. Looking forward to a wonderfully rosy year!

The February guests are Jason Croutch of Fraser Valley Rose Farm and Leon Ginenthal the owner of Der Rosenmeister Rose Nursery in New York.

Last year Jason joined me to talk about growing roses in containers. He had so many tips and tricks. LISTEN HERE

The last time Leon was with me we chatted about rambling roses, his garden is filled to the brim with these beauties and he had a great deal of advice and insight! LISTEN HERE

If you have cabin fever, there is a gorgeous video on YouTube of Leon’s amazing garden… check it out here. You can almost smell the roses!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

Friends, I hope you are safe and staying warm and have plenty of time to dream and plan! I know dreaming and planning is keeping me going! I’ve even found a new place for another arbor with roses!!! 🎉 Can you believe it!! More about that later. 

Until next time, sending warm wishes from the Potting Shed where everything is quite crowded but cozy and warm! Outside – not so much!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Peaches and Cream

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

First up… Happy New Year! Don’t you just love a fresh start! A clean slate to fill up! Time to start planning our next garden season in earnest!

PICTURE TIME!
I am so glad we have pictures! Especially in winter! While I pour over the pictures of last year, the memories of the varmints gets fainter and fainter. But not so faint that I didn’t ask Santa for a super duper sprayer. I plan to be excessively spraying of all those smelly things that make the varmints feel less at home!

The pictures prove it! We have so many good days. #grateful

JUST PEACHY!

Have you seen Pantone color of the year for 2024? It’s a beauty! Peach Fuzz… 

From Pantone…

PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It’s a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul. 

Read more from Pantone here.

I am in love with this color – especially in the garden! One of the reasons I love Mother of Pearl roses so much is that she goes peachy. Many call her pink/salmon but she’s definitely more peach than pink in my garden.

Here is Mother of Pearl with my very favorite peach rose  — Petite Peach 🍑…

REMINDER

Petite Peach 🍑 and so many other beauties will be available again at High Country Roses starting January 10! Don’t delay!  HighCountryRoses.com

CREAMINESS

It seems that I’m also falling in love with all the creamy colored roses this year. If the pictures don’t get you, the names just might. Here’s my creamy list…

CREAM VERANDA

Floribunda (Tim Hermann Kordes, Germany, 1997)

Beautiful picture from Heirloom Roses website!

A beautifully romantic rose with old fashioned quartered blooms in delicate shades of apricot. Flowers are lightly perfumed on a disease resistant, compact shrub. Performs well in hot climates. This variety is ideal for use in patio containers or can be used in landscapes where a low growing compact plant is desired.

TOP CREAM 

Hybrid Tea (Alain Meilland, France, 2021)

Beautfiul pic from High Country Roses (link) Website.

The large, old-fashioned blooms of this special rose harken back to an old cottage garden.  Flowers are extremely fragrant with notes of anise and earthy pear.  Its abundant petals are creamy white with an occasional light blush.  It exhibits excellent disease resistance and is a wonderful rose for cut floral arrangements. 

CHANTILLY CREAM

Hybrid Tea (Christian Bédard, United States, 2021)

Beautiful pic from High Country Roses (link) Website.

A classic hybrid tea featuring large (4″-5″), very full blooms and a strong citrus aroma.  Light yellow blended flowers are delicate yet stand up to the heat of summer without missing a beat.  Very strong resistance to such diseases as rose rush, downy mildew and powdery mildew.

Creama (Reminiscent Series)

Shrub / released by Proven Winners

Beautiful pic from Proven Winners (Link) website.

Not quite white and not quite yellow, Reminiscent® Crema shrub rose combines the best of all worlds with blooms the hue of fresh buttermilk. Each big, full bloom boasts a very high petal count and a delightful fragrance. The perfect choice for adding classic beauty to the landscape or flower garden! Clean, vigorous growth and foliage, with no deadheading required for continuous bloom. Disease Resistant / Long Blooming  / Heat Tolerant / Size: 2.5 X 2

Aren’t these just amazing!! Are you growing any of these? I’d love to hear how they are doing for you.

ROSE CHAT

The 2024 Rose Chat Season starts in February. We have some wonderfully rosy friends joining in! 

First up will be the amazing Gaye Hammond chatting about The History of Roses: America’s True Native Plant. Of course, Gaye will teach us but she will also entertain us! I can’t wait! Read more about Gaye here.

Winter is a good time to catch on chats you might have missed during the busy season! Here are four great chats! But there are so many more!!

GARDEN DESIGN TIPS & TRICKS: Michael Marriott and Paul Zimmerman
These two are the best in the business and generously gave us so many tips! Perfect for garden planning season!
(LISTEN HERE)

GRACE ROSE FARM: Gracie Poulson
Learn about the beautiful work of this farm and hear about oh so many beautiful roses!
(LISTEN HERE.)

MY TRIP TO ENGLAND
Kimberley Dean (The Rose Geek)
Kimberley shares how this trip changed her and her garden!
(LISTEN HERE)

GARDENS OF THE NORTHEAST:  Stephen Scanniello
Stephen uses his razor sharp wit and his incredible rose knowledge to tell the “story” behind the story and this podcast is full of them!!
(LISTEN HERE)

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

This week I potted up my White Geraniums (Maverick). My garden journal tells me that I planted the tiny seeds on December 13 and they germinated in three days!! Now 3 weeks later they are showing off those lovely leaves! Three of them grew so large in the broadcast seed tray that I potted them up to 4″ pots. They have a long away to go! I sure hope they do well!

I bought my seeds at Park Seed. I received 10 seeds and I have 10 plants!

Resting under the lights!

FROM PARK…

Maverick is an annual geranium, which is to say not a true geranium at all, but a pelargonium. 

They are a southern gardener’s salvation, thriving even in the sopping-wet humidity and searing heat of our summers. Other container plants look wilted even the same day you water them, but never Maverick. It’s compact, well-branched, large-flowered, and thoroughly agreeable to weather extremes. We wouldn’t want anything less for our terracotta pots and white window boxes.

Maverick is a very compact plant, reaching just 14 to 16 inches high (in full bloom) and nearly as wide. The foliage is large, softly lobed and creased, and bright green. It forms bushy rosettes beneath the flowering stems, which hold their giant spheres of blooms several inches above the rest of the plant.

I absolutely love, love, love annual geraniums (pelargoniums) and I think Thyme Out (my outdoor potting area) is just the place to have several white Mavericks!

One more thing…

Ever wonder about the origins of the geranium/pelargonium debate? Through the years I have heard many things. So, I asked the internet this week why pelargoniums are called geraniums and here’s what I found…

The name Pelargonium was first proposed by Johann Jacob Dillenius, a German botanist, in 1732 who described and illustrated seven species of geraniums from South Africa that are now classified as Pelargonium. Although it was Johannes Burman, who formally introduced the name pelargonium in 1738.

It was a simple mistake. Linnaeus thought the plants were close enough relatives to put both types in the genus Geranium. But Charles L’Héritier saw things differently and separated them into two genera in 1789. The change was widely accepted even back then and still holds today.

⭐️ And… we are still talking about it today. Right or wrong, some things just stick! Regardless of what we call them… they give us quintessential cottage garden beauty.

UP NEXT

The next fun winter projects around here will be planting Lisianthus and Winter Sowing. The extended forecast looks like we are going to have a bit of winter after all. What are you up to?

Until next time…

To make a great garden, one must have a great idea or a great opportunity.

Sir George Sitwell
Essay on the Making of Gardens (1909)

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: WINTER SOWING

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This is my third year using the Winter Sowing method and I am a huge fan. It is so simple, cheap and requires sooo little time. One of the big advantages is that there is no “hardening” off process. Those tiny miracles know when to germinate and they get tough during their time in the those “jug microclimates”.

Even though not all of the seeds I’ve sown have done well (most have), it’s incredibly fun to see what happens! I’ve found it to be a great return on a small investment.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2022…

For the first time last year I planted tomato seeds using the winter sowing method.

I put them outside in a jug on April 2, left them alone and had amazing plants in mid May ready to take their place in Mr. G’s driveway garden. The 3 varieties I planted were Gardener’s Delight, Steak Sandwich and Beefsteak.

I also planted the same seeds in the potting shed and put them under lights. The shed may be small but I have a great set up for seed starting. When it was time to plant the tomatoes outside I would have to say that the indoor plants had the advantage on uniformity and look but the tomatoes in the jugs where very hardy and ready to go and initially were out performing the ones shed grown. In the picture below, the tall ones were winter sown. In the end they all caught up with each other and performed very well giving Mr. G a bumper crop of tomatoes! All’s well that ends well!

MY 2023 WINTER SOWING LIST (so far)

  • Milkweed
  • Foxglove
  • Larkspur
  • Phacelia
  • Sweet Pea
  • Bachelor Buttons
  • Snapdragons
  • Strawflower
  • Orlaya
  • Yarrow
  • Scabiosa
  • Lavender (Munstead)
  • Poppies

These babies are already out in the elements… more to join them soon.

If you look closely you’ll see some wire fencing I have around them to protect from night marauders.

NEXT UP

In late March or early April, I plan to start several warm season flowers and veggies – especially tomatoes. I may even try Zinnias with this method even though direct seeding works very well.

For those who asked, these are the Zinnias I’m growing this year:

  • Queen Lime Red ⭐️ (Fav from last year!)
  • Queen Lime with Blush
  • Queen Lime Orange ⭐️ (Fav from last year!)
  • Giant Purple
  • Isabellina
  • Double Violet Queen
Queen Lime Red
Queen Lime Orange

SEED SOURCES

I buy seeds from everywhere … the Dollar Store, Rural King, Amazon, Esty, Big Box Stores, garden centers and all the usual online sources. Amazon is great to save a bit on delivery especially if you only want a couple of packets,

Fabulous online options…

LOCAL NOTE: FREE SEEDS will be one of the booths at the Hendricks Co. Master Gardeners annual spring event — Gardening for All Ages / April 29. Come join us for a day of garden fun! Event details here.

HOW TO…

If you are new to this process, below are the steps I take. There are numerous videos on YouTube where you can see this in action. Always note the growing zone of those doing the video to adjust for your zone growing needs. (I’m Zone 5b.)

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • Clear water or milk jugs cut around the middle preserving 2-3” by handle for hinge  (discard lids you won’t need them)
    • I’ve seen people use rotisserie chicken container, take-out containers and all kinds of drink containers. As long as there is room for them to grow, they drain well and light can penetrate – most any container would work. I love the jugs because they are not only sturdy, they have that built in hinge. The jugs are large so I often plant more than one variety per jug.
  • Potting Soil (Not seed starting mix.)
  • Duck Tape
  • Labels / Garden Marker
  • Seeds

SIMPLE STEPS:

  • Cut container and add 4-5 drain holes in bottom
  • Fill container to about 1″ below rim with pre-moistened potting soil.
  • Lightly tamp soil.
  • Plant seeds according to the direction on the packet. DO READ THE SEED PACKET! Some seeds need light to germinate (Snapdragons, poppies etc) so you do not want to cover those. Some need darkness (Larkspur, & Calendula  etc. ) and you will want to cover them well.
  • Once seeds are planted, mist the container well.
  • Add label inside the container! Use garden marker not a sharpie as they don’t last very well and if you are like me – you will not remember. Frankly many seedlings look the same! I tried using wooden popsicle sticks but they fade quickly or grow mold so I use plastic labels.
  • Secure the container with duck tape. I like to put the name on the duck tape and the date.
  • They are ready to go outside. I have them next to the potting shed where they are protected from wind and I can keep an eye on them. They also get plenty of sun but not full sun.
Sow seeds
Mist
Any garden marker will do!

The fun really begins when you see this…

Oh Happy Day!

Friends, if you are doing the winter sowing method, what has been your experience and what are you sowing this year? Have you done Zinnias or Cosmos?

For my cold weather friends, remember summer?


Until next time … happy gardening or happy garden planning!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Lisi and Me

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Prior to January 2022, all I knew about Lisianthus was that it was wonderful in arrangements, it was a favorite of my daughter who would be coming for a visit near the time of the first blooms and that I wanted to grow it. 

Many flower farmers advise not trying Lisianthus from seeds as it takes so very long and germination of seeds is sometimes tricky.

But, in the dark of January, I was up for the challenge. The long timeline didn’t bother me as I had plenty of time this winter to “baby” Lisi along.

  • Last September I bought Voyage Blue FI pelleted seeds from Johnny seeds. 
  • Jan 20: Scattered seeds in shallow trays (re-used carry out containers) on a bitter cold day! It was toasty warm in the Potting Shed.
  • Feb 3: Seeing a bit of green!
  • Feb 21: Some real growth happening.  I think every seed germinated!  
  • Mar 11: Potted up to Gardener’s Supply self watering trays. These are the best!
  • Apr 4:  Taking on some size now! Finally!
  • Apr 17: Time to start hardening off
  • May 7: Outside they went! Some to the cutting garden, some to the herb garden and a few scattered through the borders. The roots were unbelievable!

This plant is a true miracle to me in color alone — all of the white buds had me convinced the seeds had been mismarked and these were going to be white instead of purple. Truly they are white until they open to the glorious purple – with a tinge of white here and there! 

WILL I DO IT AGAIN?

Yes, if I have time!  However, we will most likely be doing more traveling next winter so I am looking for suppliers who have lisianthus plugs that non-professional growers can purchase. I  sure don’t want to be without these beautiful bokay game changers! Burpee had them this year and I have found a few sources on Etsy that had them too. As this season ends, we will know more what will be available next year. I won’t wait long to order though! And, I’ll have some seeds just in case!

ONE MORE THING: I will stake them next time! I did get a few staked and it helped so much to keep their long stems from flopping!

Here’s a bit more about Lisi: 

Eustoma, commonly known as lisianthus or prairie gentian, is a small genus of plants in the gentian family. They are native to warm regions of the southern United States, Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America.

From Better Homes and Gardens: Lisianthus, often favored by floral designers when an elegant flower is needed for an arrangement, it is the epitome of a classy, versatile flower. The ruffled petals and elegant buds come in many colors. The delicate-looking blooms are known for not only their beauty, but also their ability to hold up as a cut flower in a vase for up to two weeks or longer. (I AGREE!) Link to more info.

JAPANESE BEETLES UPDATE

Seeing fewer Japanese Beetles than last year for sure! There are enough of them to make a mess of the roses but not the “billions” I often see. Maybe the extreme weather conditions aggravated them. (Too wet followed by too dry.)  I sure hope they were aggravated as they sure “aggravate” me!!!

SOMETHING NEW: BLOOM THYME MINUTE

I have reprised my YOUTUBE Channel to share short videos of my garden that I am calling Bloom Thyme Minute where I take you on a virtual walk through my garden and we stop for “just a minute” so I can tell you about what we’re seeing. I think that as of today, there are 7 videos and more will be coming.

Here is the BLOOM THYME MINUTE for Vanessa Bell…

BLOOM THYME

The garden was so refreshed by the rain we had this week and the gardener is surely enjoying the cooler temps the rain brought with it. We won’t talk about the heat that’s coming back!

The Faun
Thomas E Edison
Creme de Cassis
Millennium alliums
Casablanca overtaking the neighborhood!
Vanessa Bell
All the Rage
Petit Prince
Put them all together and…
Bliss
Milena Fleur
Formosa Lily reaching for the sky

Friends, I hope you are having a wonderful week in the garden. Mr. G’s tomatoes are starting to come on and we can’t wait. There is simply nothing like that first BLT when we have homegrown tomatoes! G’s favorite is Steak Sandwich. I grow them from seeds as we never see them for sale. (Link) What are your favorite home grown tomatoes?

Until next time, I’ll leave you with this greatness…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Marching into March

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I have been away for a few days. I have seen beautiful things. I have been with beautiful people. I am refreshed. I am now very ready for spring. And with the weather we are having, I am tempted to do too much. High temps one day and low temps the next. There’s much to be said about March … In like a lion … out like a lamb. Yes, March is a jam-packed month… Calling us to spring forward, participate in March Madness (Indiana), beware the ides, don our green for St. Patrick, and usher in SPRING! 💐

BOOK GIVEAWAY 

On March 1st the winner of the GARDEN MAKER by Christie Purifoy was selected. Sherry Lewis, our winner, will be receiving her new book soon. Congratulations Sherry!

Thank you to all of you who shared your favorite book both on social media and the blog. I wish I could send each of you a copy of this delightful book. If you are interested, you can read more about it or purchase here. 

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

We are all winners with the great book ideas that came in! Several of you had the same favorites! Over the next few weeks, I will share some of the books you recommended.

TASHA TUDOR

Several mentioned Tasha Tudor books. Tasha is a very favorite of mine. She certainly lived life her way and inspired us with her journey. Although she was born in 1915, she chose to live a lifestyle of the early 1800s. Her garden is a legendary work of cottage garden art. These books are in short supply so best to buy them as used books. Often they can often be found on Amazon reasonably. If currently available, I provided a link. 

Tasha Tudor’s Garden by Tovah Martin

The Private World of Tasha Tudor by Richard Brown

The Tasha Tudor Cookbook by Tasha Tudor

ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION…

Empress of the Garden by Michael Shoup (Owner of Antique Rose Emporium)

Jolene Angelos shared…  “This is a very large book filled with beautiful photos, interesting facts, and histories of an array of roses.” 

I don’t have this particular book but I do have Mike’s book on Landscaping with Antique Roses and it is fabulous.  Link here.

ABOUT MIKE SHOUP

Mike Shoup has a deep and profound love of the rose. We chatted about his fascinating rose story on Rose Chat last year. I just love to hear him talk about roses! Did you know he did a Ted Talk about his rose story? I think you would enjoy the podcast!

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

ROSES THE ULTIMATE GARDEN PLANT with Mike Shoup

In this episode, Mike Shoup, author of several books and creator of the Antique Rose Emporium, takes us on a creative journey with roses and gives us their history and the ways they complement every garden. You can listen here.

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

As you know, I have several dahlias on order but I found 2 packs of Dahlia tubers at WalMart and 1 pack at Lowes that I couldn’t resist. They are potted up and doing very well. I couldn’t believe how quickly they sprouted. I also potted up one that I wintered over but so far no sprouts. I have much to learn about the overwintering process.

The Lisianthus I started a few weeks back were big enough this week to move up into individual pots. Look at those roots – even on the tiny ones. Fingers crossed these all make it through the rest of the seedling processes!

Tiny Lizianthus
Roots!
Baby Dahlias

I also have a new plant I am very excited about… an Easter cactus. I picked it up at a favorite local garden center, Country Harmony. There were so many beautiful plants there!

Easter Cactus… the blooms are just stuning

Friends, wherever you are I hope your days are filled with sunshine and all the excitement that March can bring to a gardener! We are on the home stretch now. SPRING IS SPRINGING!!

🌱🌸🌱💐🌱🌼🌱

Love this!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: SOWING, BOOKS, AND A GIVEAWAY

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Winter sowing has finally begun. Probably, like you, February is a month where my plans for the garden and the reality of summertime and energy clash.

Starting seeds inside under grow lights is extremely fun for me but, there is a lot of time between start to finish on that process and the end of that process gets a little tricky and requires the gardener to be very engaged.

So, in comes winter sowing! Seriously, it is a very easy and economical way to get a ton of seedlings up and ready for planting with minimal work for the gardener. Last year was the first time I tried it although so many of my fellow master gardeners raved about the process! At first, I was concerned that my garden would look “unsightly” with all those water jugs strewn about. But this year I am embracing the milk jug garden art even more than last year. Every time I see them I am giddy with anticipation of what is to come. If you’d like to know more about the Winter Sowing Method and what I did last year, read on here.

My cutting garden is the main focus of winter sowing. The cutting garden is a raised bed directly behind the herb garden that will be home to the dahlias I chatted about last week. In my “winter gardener’s dream state,” I see hundreds and hundreds of blooms to pick! Oh, did I forget to mention the zinnias? Well, I think they are getting a new space so there’s more room for them to be their best selves. 

IN THE WATER JUGS ARE…

  • Lavender
  • Bachelor Buttons
  • Candytuft
  • Delphinium
  • Daucus
  • Scabiosa
  • Verbena
  • Orlaya 
  • Nicotiana
  • Larkspur
  • Phacelia
  • Poppies
  • Foxgloves

If these all do well, I’ll have enough for the cutting garden and to add to the borders! A bit later in the season, I am going to try sowing tomatoes using this method. 

Potting day process looks like this…

Holes for drainage
Moisten Potting Soil
(Not seed starting mix)
Plant seeds, cover with vermiculite and water lightly
Tape with Duck tape / Adorn the garden

In other potting shed news, the basil and Lisianthus seeds are up and looking sooo sooo cute. 

REALITY CHECK: CRITTERS (or varmints as my dad would say)

We’ve talked about how all the critters from miles around showed up to have lunch – regularly. I have Mr. G working on some sort of easy to move around fencing so that my babies will have a better chance of survival against the cats, groundhogs, raccoons, o’possums, rabbits and deer. Yes, our critter cam caught all of them munching on my babies last year or in the case of the cats … having way too much fun scratching around – if you know what I mean. 😏

I also purchased several mesh wire wastebaskets (Link) to use as cloches for protecting small plants. I know my parsley will need extra help and the Daucus. Everyone loves anything in the carrot family!

BOOKS AND GARDENING

This quote says, “if you have a garden and library you have everything you need”. Well, that is isn’t quite true for me, however, books are a huge part of my gardening experience. 

In January I pull out some of my favorite books where the author takes a month-by-month approach. The best one is Rosemary Verey’s, A Country Woman’s Year. When I read her words, I am transformed to her time and place. And want to be where she is and meet who she meets and see what she sees.

Rosesmary’s words from “FEBRUARY”…

Philip Miller, gardener to the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries at the Botanic Garden at Chelsea, wrote in 1732 that December was the darkest month of the whole year. Adding up the hours of darkness I am sure he must be right but for me February is the most dreary month. We are almost at the end of the tunnel and perhaps it is the accumulation of dark days that do their best to get me down. Luckily they do not succeed as there are wonderful promises to come. Yesterday as I drove down Welch Way, a 200 year old lane near our village, I got out of my car to examine the nut trees. They grow on each side of the lane making a wonderful canopy, joining hands in the middle. At night, headlights full on, you feel as though you are driving through a magic tunnel.

Okay, who wants to join me for a trip to see the nut trees? 

Another author who has the ability to transform me with her words is Christie Purifoy. 

GARDEN MAKER … Growing a Life of Beauty & Wonder with Flowers

I liken her new book to walking at daybreak in the morning fog, coffee in hand to take in all the nuances of the quiet garden. Few things are more enchanting to me than foggy mornings. Christie’s book is filled with all the feels of an enchanting morning stroll with a friend where there’s endless time for garden talk.

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Garden friends, I would love to give one of you a copy of Christie’s book. Actually, I’d like to give all of you a copy but of course, I can’t do that. All you have to do to be added to the drawing is leave a comment below and share a favorite garden book. Deadline March 1. (US addresses only.)

A SNEAK PEEK INSIDE…

Thank you Christie for the beautiful garden journey you share with us through this beautiful book.

Friends, have a wonderful week, and don’t forget to leave a comment about your favorite book! Happy Valentine’s Day.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Don’t Wait!

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

One of the things this season of our world has taught me is don’t wait. 

Last year I experienced…  “Sold Out” on seeds and other garden supplies and shortages of ingredients for holiday favorites. From the look of the aisles in the grocery stores, I’m thinking waiting could be risky business. This week the grocery aisles were very skimpy. 😳

One ingredient that is absolutely necessary for our holiday meals is Pepperidge Farm Herb Classic Stuffing Mix. Following in the tradition of Mr. G’s mother … Our family “dressing” is a mixture of the Pepperidge Farm mix, dried bread, butter, broth, eggs, herbs, celery, and onion. This speaks “holiday” in our family like no other! 

Sometimes this mix is hard to find!  During the original COVID lockdown, I looked and looked and finally was able to order online! You can imagine my delight when last week our local Kroger had all I needed! Let’s say I bought plenty!!!

What food says “holiday” to you?

Getting ready
Just the right level of “dry”
Cooking with this guy is always a treat (son)
YUM!

DAHLIAS / SEEDS

In the spirit of not waiting, I have placed orders for Dahlias and seeds. #priorities 🙄 I didn’t want to see the “sold out” banner again. I am happy to report seeds are already here safe and sound and waiting their time to shine. Dahlias will come in the spring. ☑️ ☑️

DAHLIA ORDER … FROM SWAN ISLAND  

Swan Island was recommended to me by John Hefner. If you know John, you know that he and Donna have the most amazing garden filled with hundreds of roses and yes beautiful dahlias! There are so many beautiful ones to choose from. My greatest challenge is to NOT buy pink ones because I have so many pink roses.  💞 Here’s a link for Swan Island Don’t wait!

The dahlias below are on order and there are “only” a couple more I am still trying to find. ☑️

BLISS
CHARLOTTE MAE
DAY DREAMER
FRANK HOLMES
SHEER HEAVEN
CAFE AU LAIT

THE ROSE WITHOUT A NAME

The Rose Without a Name is a children’s book that shares the story of the Peggy Martin Rose. The book beautifully and thoughtfully weaves a story of hope from hurricane and devastation to rebirth and beauty. I can’t wait to read this book to my grandchildren. 

Read more about this book or purchase here.

HOW ROSES TOUCH OUR LIVES

Speaking of books, a good friend, Teresa Mosher, has written her second book, How Roses Touch our Lives. You can listen to her story of the book and of being a gardener of 40 years. (Pssst: She currently cares for and maintains 42 flower beds, around 200 roses, 1500 perennials, shrubs, and trees.😱) LISTEN HERE

Here is my beautiful friend standing in front of her beautiful rose
‘Perennial Blue’. She loves purple!

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

Sweet Drift
Savannah is trying to be 9′!
Grasses are so good this time of year
Garlic and Shallotts
Rose hips on Kazanlik (Damask)
Rose hips on The Generous Gardener (DA)
Beautiful visitor
Beautiful visitor
The Potting Shed Window Box is now dressed for the season.

COMING SOON

November is almost here. And, don’t judge us but that will usher in Christmas music season around here. Mr. G makes sure all our favorites fill the airwaves around here! And I bet if we listen closely, we will hear the sounds coming from a home in England that houses 4 little boys. We may be a house divided on how we feel about fall, but this family is a big fan of Christmas. Maybe not the commercial parts but definitely in the celebrating Christ’s birth with loads of family, friends, food, twinkle lights and watching “White Christmas”. Never too many twinkle lights or Bing!

DON’T WAIT

Yes, these days, if you need something it is best not to wait. Supplies for our everyday lives are important but this unpredictable season beckons us not to wait on other more important things too… to say what’s on our hearts … whether it’s You are special, I love you, I’m sorry or something in between. Don’t wait. 😘

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: It’s Not Too Early

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

It is definitely not too early to be thinking about what you will grow this spring and buying seeds. For me, now more than ever, keeping busy in the positive pursuit of spring is healing.

I keep remembering last year when it was so hard to get seeds and even plants due to the lockdown and also due to the number of people planting a garden – many for the very first time. Plants and seeds flew off the shelves and from the online stores.

Aren’t seeds just the most fascinating things. They do the miraculous. Most are very small yet they are packed with everything a plant needs! I doubt I will ever loose my fascination with the process. When you start plants from seeds, you have a front row seat to the miracle.

My front row seat last year …

I placed my first seed order in December to Renee’s Garden. I highly recommend Renee’s Garden as they have a great selection of seeds – many old fashion varieties and the seed packets are so pretty. Their website is full of how-to videos and fact sheets as well as recipes. My recent order was for sweet peas: Blue Celeste, Zinfandel, April in Paris and French Alouette Larkspur.

Larkspur is one of my very favorites However, it has not done well for me in recent years. Last year I did have one area where a few self seeded! That seems to be the key — if they self seed and make it through the winter they are strong and gorgeous. They love a good cold period…. If not toooo cold. Yesterday when I was walking in the garden I noticed that last year’s larkspur has self seeded and the area is thick with baby larkspur.

Our local Lowe’s already has their seeds in stock – the earliest I ever remember. I hope there is as much excitement about planting this year as there was last.

Another thing that does my heart good are these sweet boys. Here they are learning about seeds last year. As you can see, their momma is a very creative teacher. She’s been inspiring me her entire life.

If you want to know more about seeds, I have a book to recommend. My friend, Julie Thompson-Adolf’s beautiful book….

STARTING & SAVING SEEDS … grow the perfect vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers for your garden.

This book makes you want to grow all your plants from seeds and with Julie’s help we just might be able to do so! Each page is filled with beautiful images and helpful information … practical information … real gardener information. I particularly like the Trouble Shooting section and info on saving seeds. I always save a few but it is an area I want to do more of.

Whether you are a newbie at growing from seed or have been doing it for years, I think you will find this book inspirational and helpful. More book info here.

THE YEAR OF …

The National Garden Bureau is celebrating 100 years. Congratulations!

Each year the NGB selects one annual, one perennial, one bulb crop, one edible and one shrub as our “Year of the” crops. Plants are chosen because they are popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse, and versatile.

2021 NGB YEAR OF PLANTS…

Year of the Hibiscus
Year of the Garden Bean
Year of the Hyacinth
Year of the Monarda (Very excited about these!)
Year of the Sunflower

This year I am declaring the Bloom Thyme Cottage Garden Year Of…

BASIL

Yes, this year I am taking a new look at all varieties of basil due to a random purchase of a “new to me” basil. I bought it because it was available when others were sold out last spring. I don’t even remember it’s name. Oddly I don’t have the tag and I keep almost every tag. I believe it was a Thai basil. Needless to say, I will enjoy several varieties.

We used more basil last summer than ever before. We fell in love with a tomato salad and the “unnamed” basil was perfect in the salad.

I am preparing my Burpee order and have several basils on the list.

Proven Winners has new basil out that I hope to find … Amazel Basil. It is said to be resistant to powdery mildew (which would be so nice) and it’s sterile – meaning that the plant will continue to produce shoots and leaves and is less likely to lose its flavor when the flowers come.  More about Amazel Basil here.

Do you have a basil that you particularly like?

Here is the yummy Tomato Salad Recipe …

GARDEN JOURNALS

Several have asked me about garden journals. I have one that I can definitely recommend. I actually bought it last year but didn’t use it. The first quarter of 2020 I was super busy and traveling, then BOOM March came and lockdown came with it. I got busy in the garden but the journal somehow seemed too pretty to use with the current world vibe. BTW, I did keep an almost daily list of LIFE & GARDEN observations through all of 2020 and have started that again. Sort of a highlight and “lowlight” listing. When I look back, I can hardly believe some of the things I wrote. What a year.

A YEAR IN THE GARDEN … A GUIDED JOURNAL

This journal gives you practical spaces to create, plan and record but also encourages you to be a better observer of things around you and jot down your observations.

I am a self professed page layout snob. And I love the pages of the journal and the illustrations. It is soothing just to open. I love the prompts too. I am not waiting another year to use it. It is a go now. It’s on Amazon here.

Friends, thanks for joining me today. It has been a difficult week for us all. I find garden friends and garden work whether inside or out helps me better cope with the world around me and I am grateful.

I hope your garden world is comforting to you as you begin planning for what will come this spring. And for those of you in warmer places  – enjoy every minute in your garden. A special thanks to those who are sharing beautiful, colorful pictures on social media. You give us hope and bring us joy as we make our way through the grayness of winter and these tumultuous times.

Until next time…  be well and be safe. xo

Come to me, all who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Sometimes by Step

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Today is a Potting Shed Day and I am thinking about all the steps in our lives right now. We are carefully going through steps to avoid COVID-19:

  • Stay Home
  • Wash your hands
  • Don’t touch your face

I am also going through steps to see that my seedlings have the very best chance at making it into the garden to flourish.

All of these steps remind me of one of my all time favorite songs Sometimes by Step by Rich Mullins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAhw1Fq1ZLo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAhw1Fq1ZLo

Rich Mullins’ music is my go to music and has been since the release of SONGS in 1996. I have it blaring in the Potting Shed today. This is my go to music in good times, bad times and when I need an extra measure of closeness to our Creator. Every song speaks to me. Do you have music that speaks to you at a time like this – when a pandemic rages around us?

My job today is potting up my seedlings. Some have needed this for some time. 🤦‍♀️ 

Let me go back and tell you about my original plan as far as seeds were concerned back in January … Plant a few tomatoes, some zinnias and a few things for FUN!

Practically every day since the pandemic hit our daily life, I have pulled out more seeds. I am so thankful for my hoarding tendencies when it comes to plant containers and seeds. I bought a few things this winter but not what I would have bought if I had known. It is probably good to note that my last trip out before quarantine was not the grocery story – it was Lowes for a few extra seeds and pansies. I WISH I HAD BOUGHT TONS MORE! While on that Lowe’s run, I was caught by my daughter who called and asked where I was. I couldn’t lie. Her reaction was, I WANTED YOU ON QUARANTINE YESTERDAY – now go home! 🙄

Now that I’ve confessed all that, let’s get to the tasks for today. I’ll take you through my process since several have asked but know this – I have never done mass production before. Some of these STEPS are not tried and true because I am using what I have on  hand.  Thanks for going through this experiment with me. I’ll share reports later.

Click on an image to open the gallery…

My dirt drawer is the place!
So delicate… but ready for more space
New home…
So far so good…
Tools I use … Little trowel is just the best. It is at least 20 years old. Snips are for pruning out extras.
Another type of container is working well for the Nigella.
They are joined to the masses.
The beginning…
Seeds planted and prayed over!
Tomato seed germination – OH HAPPY DAY
Tomatoes today! Oh my….
There are still many steps to go and pitfalls to avoid before we are successful –  like damping-off and too much “outside” too soon. Damping-off is a real issue for me as I tend to over water – which I equate to over loving.

These are scary times friends, but we are learning so much from the experiences too. My son put on social media his thoughts on how we can emerge from this…

As I struggle with all of this – the virus, mandatory closings, the lock down.. I am trying to be hopeful. I am trying to see this as a precipice.

I want to think that we can emerge from this as…

  • people who slow down
  • people who are passionate about our local community
  • people who cook at home more often
  • people who support local restaurants and farmers
  • people who think about where our food and goods come from
  • people who garden
  • people who go on walks
  • people who communicate better with our friends and family
  • people who check in on our neighbors

Changing behaviors and routines is one of the hardest things, but they say it only takes 21 days – we happen to have been given a whole month.

Yes, we can turn the scary into blessings.

BLOOM THYME

There is a lot of Spring springing here. I’ll post pictures tomorrow on Bloom Thyme Friday.

Today I’ll close with another of my favorite Rich Mullins’ songs – While the Nations Rage …