Yesterday I sat down and sorted my garden seeds and then decided I was a little short in the flower department and so I ordered 8,000 foxglove seeds, 6,000 Oriental poppy seeds and 1,250 Shasta daisy seeds from TheGardeningWorld on Etsy. 😉 Now, I think I have enough.
The only plants I anticipate buying from the nursery this year will be a boatload of blue hydrangeas for the front and back of the house and then some {2,500} bulbs later in the year to plant in the fall.
I got out my sticky notes and put my seeds in order of when they need to be planted and whether I need to start them indoors or out. As usual, I think I’m most excited about growing tomatoes and peppers again this year. I so LOVE a tomato fresh from the garden.
I started lavender seeds a few weeks ago in the refrigerator but so far nothing has popped up. But that’s pretty normal as they usually take anywhere from 30 -60 days to emerge.
The other seedlings I’ve started this year are hanging out in their mini greenhouses in the family room.
The onions and chives are starting to pop up.
I’m not sure why I started so many chives… Maybe I had a chive border in mind when I planted them? Who knows, all I know is they won’t go to waste.
The purple coneflowers are starting to poke through the soil as well. I think I’ll plant those along with the Shasta daisies out by the mailbox this summer. I’ve always liked that combination… coneflowers and daisies. White and purple is such a pretty color combination.
And last but not least… the flat of petunias I started two weeks ago are emerging as well.
I planted the same seeds last year in the backyard and was shocked at how prolific they were.
Summer. It’s just around the corner. Have you figured out what you’ll be planting this year? Will you be trying any new varieties? Curious minds want to know. 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, stay warm.
~Mavis
Mary says
Please share what brand of trays and seed starter cups you use. Looks like you have great success with them!
Mavis Butterfield says
I use the Jiffy greenhouse with 72 peat pellets in them. They are $6.99 at Home Depot.
BARBARA says
I use them too with great success
Peggy says
I am looking forward to gardening this year. More raised beds and less in ground gardening. I bought lots more flower seeds than normal and chose some beautiful vine ones for arches hubby is making for around the garden.
Amy S says
I just got done potting up some alliums that had sprouted. I presprout them on paper towels and then gently move the sprouts to potting mix once I know they’re viable. This saves me from wasting potting mix. The seeds are old and alliums don’t have a reputation for high germination rates when they’re old. So far that has proven true. Garlic chives, a bunching onion, and a red onion have germinated but the older bunching onions and white onion have not. I will give the seeds a few more days before pitching them out into the compost. We don’t use a lot of onions, so I am fine with a small harvest. However, if I am going to plant onions in 2022 then I will absolutely need to buy new seeds.
Carole says
Mavis, a while back you were kind enough to share the brand of greenhouse you had in WA. I loved it and was finally ready to order one. Sadly, those have been discontinued. No replacement on the horizon. In fact, that company only had two different ones available, and not much hope for the future. Sad, still looking for options. I have not started my seeds yet. I usually start mine outside after Valentines Day. We will see, weather forecast iffy at best. I use a plastic tub and those little peat pots you are using as well. I never have had luck with coneflowers though.
Gigi says
I’m planning on purchasing a prebuilt one from Yoder. The prices were about $3900 for and 8×12 in Indiana
Mel says
I ordered my seeds, but they haven’t all arrived yet. I still need to order some seedlings from Etsy because I decided only to start tomatoes from seed this year (cuts the months of tending grow lights in half for me if I buy peppers online, and our house is really too cold for them).
We’re trying out new tomato varieties in addition to keeping old favorites, and we’re trying lots of new bean varieties because we had great luck with them last year. I have purple sprouting broccoli growing through 5 inches of snow right now (it loves the cold), so we’ll harvest that in March and April before swapping them out for tomatoes.
I don’t have good luck with jiffy pellets for some reason, but I discovered silicone seed starting trays last year, and those work great for me. I love being able to toss them in the dishwasher at the end of the season.
And I’m so jealous of the chives! They’re my favorite, but I had to rip out my onion chives in order to stop a hostile takeover by garlic chives, so I’m starting from scratch this year.
Katie says
I know almost nothing about gardening… why thousands of seeds? Do you have room for that many plants? Or do you only expect a portion of them to grow (bloom?) so you buy extra?
Mavis Butterfield says
I bought extra because I have no idea how many will bloom. Also, an entire field of foxglove would be lovely for the bees and birds.
Leslie Moss says
Has anyone watched this or tried this method of harvesting tomato seeds? Watch at about minute 18 and on. I used to live in France and EVERYONE in the country has a garden because food is expensive there. I didn’t know that seeds were expensive there however. Anyway, let me know if anyone has tried to harvest seeds this way. I want to know .
Leslie Moss says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJsJ2nBeSY&t=1554s
Here’s the link to watch
Linda Practical Parsimony says
That link was a cooking show.
Karen says
Yes, I collect tomato seeds as he showed as well or on a paper towel. I love the greenhouse! There are lots of old châteaux for sale at reasonable prices. Imagine heating such a big house!
Karen says
Leslie, can you post the link? I live in France and the food isn’t that expensive in my area. The life style is more traditional here and gardening is a means to be more self-sufficient, have contact with the land, fruit and veg. I’m a member of the Syndicat des Arboriculteurs which was started nationwide years ago to promote self-sufficiency; they also teach courses in fruit tree and fruit bush trimming, and make apple juice from members’ apples. Normally, before Covid, we would have an annual fruit and veg show with members donating produce for a tombola, with members cooking a dinner and bringing homemade cakes. I was thinking of starting a free seed exchange after Covid, again to promote gardening.
Helen Yee says
What I usually when I slice tomato for salad I will take out all the seeds and put it in paper towel and let it dry and sprinkle in a pot of soil.
Diane says
I noticed that that you sow thickly in each pellet. Do you thin them down to one or two seedlings as they get bigger or do you just plop the whole pellet in the soil and let the strongest fight it out?
Mavis Butterfield says
Most things I thin out {like the petunias and the coneflowers once they get a little taller} but the chives, I’ll leave those alone.
sharon says
I would love some tips on planting petunias. Nervous my first time and I heard they were difficult.
Nancy Kirkpatrick says
I grew petunias from seed when I was in 4th grade. My dad was teaching me how to prep the soil, plant seeds, thin them properly, etc. They were beautiful as a whole patch of just petunias. They also need deadheading. I don’t find them difficult to grow, but they do take proper soil prep and tending. Not a seed you can toss and forget about.
Kathy Rouleau says
I take a toothpick, dip the end in water, touch it to one petunia seed, having sprinkled out a few on a white paper. I then touch the toothpick to dampened pitting soil, and the seed will stick to the soil.
I use this method with all really small seeds, in fact any seed small enough that it will pick up this way. Larger seeds are too heavy.
This way I don’t lose any if the tiny seeds, and if I’ve planted several in one cell they’re spaced well enough so I can separate easily as I grow. But with new seed I put just one seed in each small cell. I grow under 4 ft shop lights, supported at the ends (mostly with books) and raise slowly as needed. Geo lights aren’t necessary, and shop lights are much cheaper. Keep just 34 inches from the soil surface.
Kathy Rouleau says
That was potting soil and gro lights aren’t needed. Sorry for the typos
Kathy rouleau says
3 to 4 inches from the seeds and then the plants, Not 34 inches!
diana mach says
Did you ever try winter sowing? I do it and it works great!!
Linda Practical Parsimony says
I plant King Alfred type daffodils and Purple Prince petunias together in the fall. One will bloom first and then the other and they are mixed. Then the first flower goes and the other dominates. I don’t plant in rows, just mix indiscriminately. It is beautiful.
sandy says
Where do you order your bulbs from? I am in So California-and would like to order tons.
Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
Van Engelen they are online.
Sandy says
Thanks!!
Nan says
I was always told foxglove was poisonous and to not plant. Maybe an ole wife’s tale. Anyhow I do love wild flowers. I used to throw out a lot of cosmos seeds and they’d bloom all summer long.
Linda T says
Foxglove is a beautiful plant but all parts of it are poisonous. The plant is used to make Digitalis, a heart drug. Wear gloves and I’d be uber-careful if you have small kids or pets who get chewy. My dog nearly died chewing on hydrangea.
Tiffany Nash says
I am sooooo jealous. I won’t be gardening this year because we are selling the house and moving into an RV (5th wheel). Perhaps after living in it for awhile I will be able to do some pot gardening…