We came from here -- http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1120514/
Are you getting your gardens prepared for spring??
Collecting seeds ??
whatcha been up to?
Seed Swap & Chat #60 winding down, preparing for winter
I always keep my seeds in the fridge that's why I'd love to clean them all out for the swaps but I never get them all out would love to get down to just one gal. bag instead of five or six or more and some sandwich bags in there I have them in the crisper and on the sides of the doors I've got hibiscus, monk's hood from last year in ice cubes that I forgot to pitch out and poppy seeds in the freezer I really need to check the ice cube holder and see what is in there might be something else too that I forgot I put in there I know I only have half a container to hold ice cubes the rest is seeds :)
I'm glad poppies have a long shelf life I've been trying to collect them for a few years now aiming to pitch them out but next year is going to be the year where I don't plant so many annuals in the side yard like I did last year. I always think there is going to be one more snow to pitch the poppy seeds and there isn't or either there isn't enough to cover them to keep the birds from getting them.
Huggergirl do a search on here where it says to search forums and you should find a list of to dos in the winter I know they had a thread on here for that somewhere.
OK Lea ... back to the Monkshood.
I found the seeds you gave me last year.... *sigh* forgot to sow them....
so what is this about ice cubes? Do i freeze them for the winter than just toss them out in the garden??
That's what I read somewhere Terese but thing is they say they aren't viable the next year and I didn't get any seeds off of mine this year think I lost them to the drought :(
Next time if there is though I'm filling the tray up half way then putting seeds in and filling it up the rest of the way after half of it freezes I read that was a better way to do it.
Well, i can always try it. Maybe I'll go out and stick some in the soil and just see what happens.
sometimes it's just TOO many SEEDS and NOT enough TIME.
I hear ya girl lol
oh yea... and you give me MORE. ROFLMAO
Right back at ya LOL Hey want are friends for if not to drive each other crazy wouldn't want you to get bored!
you betcha!!
LOL
Thanks lebug,Ive read bout the ice cube thing ,umm remember reading it,dont remember how to do it !!!
Managed to time mine perfectly finally last year, right before our only snow that accumulated much of anything! Got great germination, though I thought they'd never bloom! It gets so hot so fast here, and I always thing the poppies should be blooming before that, but I guess they don't know the heats coming, and somehow they make it through it.
I wonder if anyone got any germination out of the Monk's Hood seeds I sent out last year :)
huggergirl, just fill your ice cube tray half way put the seeds in with it then let it freeze and then fill it up the rest of the way that way the seeds won't dry out cause when I put my seeds in the ice cubes they floated to the top therefore leaving them at the top to dry out.
Lea, I think I had one or two monkshood germinate - can't remember if I planted them or where they went. Still have some seeds left from last year. Guess I'll just toss them into my monkshood patch if they might not be good. I don't think I had any germination from ones I planted in place in the yard.
I've got some seed pods forming from a new one - "cloudy", I think, and another. I'll put some seeds in your piggy bucket if I get them on time. I don't think I'll list them because there are too many whole hog oinkers and I won't have very many seeds. I don't know what happened to the seeds of my earlier bloomers - maybe there weren't any.
Ah did you WS them then guess you did Sharon, thanks for the other seeds they won't be wasted I think you know that ;) Sure appreciate them. Mine are usually making seeds right now I went down to check the plants out in my over weeded shade garden down there and they were all brown :(
I think I'lll try WS the ones I have in the fridge from last year but don't have much confidense in them germinating it's worth a shot though.
hmmm, Terese my seeds seem to be getting up there too LOL But how can you turn down such great seeds!
Lea, I think the ones that germinated were in a w/s container. The ones I planted directly in the ground last fall (that didn't germinate) were from my own plants and some I got in trade that I guess were from the season before. My pods are still green, but if I remember right they don't take all that long to turn brown - I hope.
Good to see you too Lea! I've been busy one of my girls started 1st grade this year... so that's made me a bit busier with homework and other extra things that school brings. I have been trying to get all my holiday stuff done. I'm sick of getting stressed at the last minute so I am trying to be done by Thanksgiving this year. I planted a bunch of spring bulbs and already ordered some seeds that I really want to try for next year.. Things I haven't been able to get in spring a couple years now due to them selling out. Figure I'd get em while they were freshly harvested! : ) I unfortunately haven't had time to collect seeds and anything tender is probably done for while most others probably already fell on the ground... Probably won't be in the seed swap this year. I have no where left to plant the stuff I am planning on starting as it is, so it is probably better this way. : )
Terese did you tell me where to go for more information on wsing ? I looked back didnt see it ?? Thanks Tamara
here is one -- the WS forum here on DH http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coldsow/all/
here is a really good one for newbies to Ws'ing.... wintersown.org
the forum on DG, read the stickies. we put a lot of work into collecting a lot of the good info that was in that forum a few yrs back.
Sharon I've been checking my monk's hood off and on in hopes to just see some green but nothing we have finally been getting rain but a little too late :( It's raining here off and on for four days now (now it does).
OH Meredith your in big trouble now you'll be so busy with the little one in school lol
Last year I said I wasn't going to get in the swap and this year lol It takes so much time but I do enjoy it seeing little piggies rootin and snortin lol And that yearly thang of having seeds all over the place out of control just wouldn't know what to do with a nice and tidy house LOL You could still drop in and tell us how you are doing :)
Did you read when Fairy1004 had a baby? I got on her for not being around this year and she was pregnant LOL Oh so pregnant LOL
Lea, I do think I'll get some seeds - on the other hand, don't want to jinx them. I can always send you some separate if they're not ready on time.
I just collected some seeds from a really lovely hydrangea called "blau doneau". It's a smaller one (at least I hope it stays that way) with bright mixed blue to purplish flowers. I can't believe how teeny the seeds are, to turn into a bush. Let me know if you want some of those too. I don't think I'll be listing either on the piggy swap.
I would think it would take forever for a hydrangea to grow from seed do you know Sharon :) I was thinking of saving some of mine earlier this year but didn't.
I can send postage if you have to send them seperate but I bet they finish before time to send seeds in.
Today is a day to go into the lady's that has all the Rescue cats and help her out someitmes I wonder why I'm doing this in the winter lol I hate cold mornings!
Lea, no need to send postage. I take it you're not interested in the hydrangea, then?
Please don't say it's winter yet! You do it because you're a very nice person.
Thanks Sharon :) No don't think I want to try and grow one of those hydrangeas it probably wouldn't be full grown and blooming till I was six ft. under :)
No I do it because she has 100 cats from rescuing them and no one to help her it takes us almost three hours going non stop cleaning litter boxes and such I just can't imagine her doing it all by herself she does have another girl that helps a few days a week so it's not like an every day thing. I thought she had three 'cat houses' Ha! A 'cat house' LOL But she has four plus two rooms in her house dedicated to them and they aren't small houses either, quite interesting really :) I'm sitting here on my rear most of the time I can give some time up and not wear this living room chair out now that the swap has slowed down I'm just not a morning person :)
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family, friends, & good food :)
ants
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a wonderful day with family and friends and a safe one 8-)
Happy Thanksgiving!! : )
wow - this thread certainly had died....
I was "out back" working on clean up and moving plants... and i think my Penstemon Red Rocks died!!
**sniff sniff**
thankfully i had more seeds. I have 2 WS containers of them going ... hopefully I'll get a few more plants. It really is so pretty.
Terese mine hasn't come up yet either maybe it's just too early for them yet I have the tall penstemon out back and they aren't up yet either I hope they come up!
Well bad news Terese, I forgot about my red rocks on the other side yard it's been showing about all winter and it's still there think I lost the one on the other side of the porch and the back yard too :(
It's just been too dry in the summers I guess for them to survive the summer, where the other two were they didn't get much watering the last two summers.
I planted a seedling to a perennial geranium last year and it's not back yet either but my Jester's Jacket geranium is growing like crazy so guess I lost that one too :(
Lea -- mine were some 'dry sticks' and when wiggled, they were loose and the roots came out... there is still some left - but i dont have high hopes.
Hey -- have you 'seen' Veronica/Indynanny lately?? looked for her too on the "cube" but can't find her.
I hope she's OK.
No haven't been on as much as you well know :) I noticed before I stopped being on so much she wasn't around think I even wrote her to see if she was alright she's kind of accident prone I think so I hope she is alright.
It's so beautiful here wanting to get outside so bad and cleaning house for my grandson to come should be out getting my hands dirty lol Getting ready to go out now though :))
I think I still have her address... maybe i'll write her a letter.
Hey guys! Haven't been on here in ages. Finally upgraded from Benadryl to Allegra, and was able to get out side and clean up a bit today! It's like 80 degrees here and sunny. A little hot, but SO nice to be out! I've got a lot more to do, but getting inspired now. Might have to still try to start some seeds. I'd about given up for the year, but maybe I can still do some :) Started organizing my seeds some more, and a few just about jumped out at me that I MUST try soon! (mostly the ones from you guys) Well, if I don't get them planted, I'll at least aim to be the best organized gardener ever for next season, so that NOTHING can interfere with my planting!
Hi everyone - nice to see some cottage gardeners surface here now that spring has arrived.
Kelly - don't give up on starting seeds this year - we have until at least through June to start seeds to make seedlings that will have enough time to dig their roots into the ground by this coming winter's alternate freezing and thawing that otherwise heaves these babies up above the ground.
I'm behind in seed starting too. So many things to repair here - wall and deer barricades damage and a pond we cleaned that involved moving big rocks to hold racoon-proofing wire in place and a tree for a neighbor's fireplace that can take sizes too big for us - lots of Spring Chicken to-dos never intended for those of us in the decrepit senior citizen crowd. We have done these things in recent weeks in tiny bites, with humongous periods of just recouperating. reeeaallllllly hate getting old grrr.
Oof, Over and Out - lol
karen
Uggg - we've been having burst of snow flurries today...
I still have a lot of sowing to do.
Karen -- it's so good to see you again.
kelly -- hope that alegra helps keep the allergies at bay... i'll get the "Pollen Dust" one in May... it's horrid. One thing i hate about living in a Pine forest. Hope work is keeping you busy - but not too busy that you can't garden.
It must be awful to have allergies I feel lucky because I don't dad started having problems in his 70's so I guess there is always a chance in life that you may get them living in the Ohio Valley is a bad place for allergies too a lot of people have them here.
Karren nice to see you can't wait till I get to start those morning glories almost started them just the other day and know they would really get out of hand if I started them this early lol
Kelly hate it that you couldn't start all those seeds this year but envy you too I've been trying to cut down on seeds so I could tweak my beds they really need it but seem to find myself just trying to get all of those seedlings in the ground and no time to tweak! If there just wasn't so much temptation in these swaps lol
I was getting ready for spring the weather was so nice for quite a while went around dividing perennials like crazy just knew there wasn't anymore winter here then reality hit! We got snow yesterday all day and that cold air about 30 degrees bringing me back to my senses!
Sorry, I haven't contributed much lately. It has been a hard miserable fall and winter. I just spent 3 days in the hosp, had back surgery on my lower spine. When it heals, then I have surgery on the neck. Oh boy, I can't wait.
So obviously, I haven't done anything with my seeds yet. I cannot bend over for several weeks, so that makes it rather hard to work in my gardens.
MY DIL and one of her friends came over the day before my surgery and helped me pull weeds and clean up one of the flower beds. Tomorrow, I am hiring the neighbor's 17 yo granddaughter to come help me. We'll see how that works out. I don't even know what some of the things are - weeds or plants!