Bloom Thyme Friday: More Winter Sowing

Link | February 17, 2023February 16, 2023 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Yes, the winter experiment continues …

Here are the additional seeds I have added to the winter family tucked away in their mini greenhouses. The original list was on my last post… here.

Tall White Alyssum / grows to about 12″ / Baker Creek
Blue Star Columbine /grows to 24″ / Burpee
Kilimanjaro White Marigold / grows to 18″ / Botanical Interest
Nicotiana Lime Green (Last year’s seed)

Next sowing will be in April when I will start warm season seeds like tomatoes, zinnias, cosmos and such.

LOOKING BACK…

This is my third year doing the winter sowing method. There have been many successes and some failures but it is still such a fun project! Below is an assessment of the previous years…

✔️ Some germination
Ⅹ No Germination
⭐️ Outstanding Germination

2021…

Larkspur (French Alouette) ✔️
Delphinium (Magic Fountain) ✔️ (took an extra long time)
Lavender (Munstead) ✔️ (took an extra long time)
Ammi ⭐️
Sweet William (Double Blend) ⭐️

2022

Munstead Lavender ✔️
Bachelor Buttons (Cyanus Double) ⭐️
Strawflower (Tall Double Mix) ⭐️
Candytuft (Old Seed) Ⅹ
Delphinium (Magic Mountain) ✔️
Verbena Bonariensis ⭐️
Orlaya (White Lace) ✔️
Phacelia (Lacy) ✔️
Larkspur (White) Ⅹ
Poppies (Buttercream) Ⅹ
Foxgloves (Carousel Mix) ⭐️
Celosia Pink Champagne ⭐️
Scabiosa (Fama White) Ⅹ

SNAPDRAGONS

I have always loved snapdragons, my kids loved snapdragons and they’re not only beautiful in the garden but also a completely fabulous cut flower.

For several years I’ve found flats of little snapdragon seedlings for sale at Menards. Each year I was on pins and needles to see if that would have them again. Bonus: They were the tall “Rocket” variety I love in solid colors – both pink and white! PERFECT! It was risky to wait but I didn’t have to start from seed.

This year I have gone snapdragon crazy. Have you seen how many gorgeous ones are available from seed??? If they do well in the jugs, my cutting garden will be very happy. If they don’t — well I’ll be scampering back to Menards! Seriously, who am I kidding, I’ll head to Menards anyway for the basic white and pink ones! If you want some, you better get their early and often! They show up without warning.

Snapdragons I’ve been seduced by this year through seed catalogs and online sources:

ROSE CHAT

The lastest podcast to be released was my chat with Gaye Hammond on up-to-the-minute information on Rose Rosette Disease. Next will be Dr. David Byrne on The Research Journey of Sustainable Roses.

Coming in March there will be several released over the next few weeks as part of the SPRING FLING…

Here is a podcast player where they can be found…

NEW PLANTS FOR 2023 – Rose Chat Podcast

NEW PLANTS FOR 2023 – PROVEN WINNERS COLOR CHOICE Natalie Carmolli Public Relations Specialist for Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs Natalie Carmolli, public relations specialist for Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs is back for one of our favorite chats of the season… new roses as well as other new plants for our gardens! Proven Winners Website: https://www.provenwinners.com/ Proven Winners YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProvenWinnersYouTube ROSE CHAT TEAM: Executive Producer & On-Air Personality: Chris VanCleave – www.RedneckRosarian.com Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, television personality, speaker and advocate for the rose. Content Creator & On-Air Personality: Teresa Byington – www.TheGardenDiary.com Co-Host Teresa Byington promotes roses as an integral part of the landscape, as a Consulting Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer, and speaker. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to Rose Chat Podcast Updates: http://bit.ly/subscribeROSE

INDIANAPOLIS ROSE SOCIETY

Local friends, on Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30 pm the Indianapolis Rose Society will have it’s first in-person meeting of 2023. Your’s truly will be giving a program on English Cottage Gardens. Click here for details.

BLOOM THYME

There is only one bloom in my garden and it has come much earlier than previous years. Actually 3 weeks earlier than last year. The beautiful crocus. Welcome back!

BLOOMING INSIDE…

MOVING FROM BROWN TO GREEN

With the warmer temps and tons of rain, I am seeing more green than usual! Someone told me this week that we are on course for spring to arrive 3 weeks early. That is exactly how early my crocus are.

Even the evergreens are beginning to lose a bit of their bronze winter hue. Green is certainly welcome here. Yes, green is not only welcome as it speaks to the coming season — it is so peaceful and soothing. Reminds me of a favorite scripture…

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.³He restoreth my soul:

Psalm 23

Yes, green is very soothing and such a welcome sight but we won’t forget about winter. We know just how fickle it can be.

Friends, I would love to hear about seeds you are growing this year regardless of the method. And, what about snapdragons – thumbs up or down?

Until next time…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: WINTER SOWING

Link | January 20, 2023February 1, 2023 | 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

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.

The fun really begins when you see this…

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: SOWING, BOOKS, AND A GIVEAWAY

Link | February 11, 2022February 14, 2022 | 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…

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.)