Garden

[Susan Louise]

Anyone plan on starting soon? And if so, what will you be sowing? 

I usually start the last week of January. I have been going through seed catalogs today to see if I want to try anything new this year...

I thought I'd share a fun pic...A Goldfinch checking out one of our hummingbirds last Fall 

[hoosieroriginal]

Beautiful picture - makes me want spring to get here now!  I planted quite a few seeds directly in pots last year and had great success - saved a ton of money too!

[Ms X]

What a beautiful picture, Susan Louise.  I used to do this and am thinking of doing it again this year, as my schedule is better recently.  One year I scattered Foxy Foxglove seeds (they flower the first year, unlike most foxgloves) in my yard and ended up with 70!!! beautiful plants in my 20 x 20 backyard.  It looked like something out of a fairy tale.  That year I had my kitchen updated, and the carpenter, who was skilled and creative beyond imagination, set up his table and saw in the middle of my garden.  I've neglected my small property in recent years, but I just got a catalog from Select Seeds and am planning to start up again with the indoor seed starting.

Thanks for the inspiration.

[Susan Louise]

@hoosieroriginal Thank you! I'm longing for Spring too...

The older I get, the less I enjoy wintertime. I miss being able to sit on our porch...enjoy the birds singing, with a cup of coffee and reading a book too

[Susan Louise]

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@Ms X wrote:

What a beautiful picture, Susan Louise.  I used to do this and am thinking of doing it again this year, as my schedule is better recently.  One year I scattered Foxy Foxglove seeds (they flower the first year, unlike most foxgloves) in my yard and ended up with 70!!! beautiful plants in my 20 x 20 backyard.  It looked like something out of a fairy tale.  That year I had my kitchen updated, and the carpenter, who was skilled and creative beyond imagination, set up his table and saw in the middle of my garden.  I've neglected my small property in recent years, but I just got a catalog from Select Seeds and am planning to start up again with the indoor seed starting.

Thanks for the inspiration.

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@Ms X  Thank you and glad to help...Please post pics of your gardens later this year...would love to see them!!!  

[hoosieroriginal]

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@Susan Louise wrote:

@hoosieroriginal Thank you! I'm longing for Spring too...

The older I get, the less I enjoy wintertime. I miss being able to sit on our porch...enjoy the birds singing, with a cup of coffee and reading a book too

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@Susan Louise - hopefully we will have a short winter - I so enjoy being outside working in the yard with the dogs. 

[Ms X]

Funny that I've always been totally a summer person and a hater of Northeastern winters.  Last year, with its record snowfall where I live, somehow made me like winter as well.  I so enjoyed the slower pace, the beautiful snow cover, and I don't know what.  This year, the El Nina?? is bringing warm air to the East Coast and we've had NO BIG SNOW STORMS YET.  We've missed nearly a month out of three of snow storms so far, mind you!  It's nice to get a break, but I wouldn't mind a blizzard or two either.

[gardenman]

I'll be starting seeds in February. It'll be mostly impatiens, some salvias, dahlberg daisies, lobelias, and thunbergias.

[Susan Louise]

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@gardenman wrote:

I'll be starting seeds in February. It'll be mostly impatiens, some salvias, dahlberg daisies, lobelias, and thunbergias.

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@gardenman That's a great list of plants!

Which Salvias do you grow from seeds?

The Salvias we grow from seeds are Subrotunda, Stan Dreamsicle, Lady in Red, and Coral Nymph... 

We do add other Salvias in the gardens, but unfortunately they can't be grown from seeds. They can be grown from cuttings, but that is one thing I can't be bothered with. It's much cheaper for us to buy those Salvias instead of keeping grow lights on in the basement for 6-8 months instead of just the 2-3 months before planting.

[gardenman]

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@Susan Louise wrote:

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@gardenman wrote:

I'll be starting seeds in February. It'll be mostly impatiens, some salvias, dahlberg daisies, lobelias, and thunbergias.

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@gardenman That's a great list of plants!

Which Salvias do you grow from seeds?

The Salvias we grow from seeds are Subrotunda, Stan Dreamsicle, Lady in Red, and Coral Nymph... 

We do add other Salvias in the gardens, but unfortunately they can't be grown from seeds. They can be grown from cuttings, but that is one thing I can't be bothered with. It's much cheaper for us to buy those Salvias instead of keeping grow lights on in the basement for 6-8 months instead of just the 2-3 months before planting.

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I plant the red salvias to keep our local hummingbirds happy. The variety usually comes down to whatever seeds I can find locally in stores. I order most of my seeds through HPS seeds, but their seeds come in large quantities which isn't typically a problem as I save extra seeds to use another year. Salvia seeds however have a one year lifespan, so buying extra is just a waste. I always buy some seeds locally anyway as I can't help myself when I'm around a seed display in a store.