I CAN GROW THAT!

I know somebody described this in another thread.... the sensation of wandering among the perennial aisles of an expensive garden center and thinking "I can grow that... I can grow that, too." I saw 'Dame's Rocket', which I may have in fact sowed. LOL. DH keeps wanting to buy more perennials but he shows me things he likes and I can say "next year we should have 15 of those!" Alyssum saxatile, chives, other things I didn't plant this year but now feel confident that I could!

Do you, too, feel different, as though you've been changed?

xxx, Carrie

Yep...it sure makes it hard to purchase plants at $8 each. I used to come across "bargain" plants for $4 and get excited...now I think that for the price of 3 of those I can purchase a pack of seeds and a bag of potting soil and have plenty of plants for my own garden and plenty to share with others.

In years past I would purchase $60 worth of perennials and it would barely make a noticeable change in my garden. Now that same $60 yields 200-300 plants. Add a few hundred new perennials to your garden and you can sure tell the difference!!

- Brent

well, I have lots of perennials - but I still have to plant lots of them, and I don't know how many will survive - so I bought some perennials (half-price from Bluestone). They complete the fragrance garden - now I am free to do as I please with the rest. But what do I do with 20 carnation plants, 60 plus wallflowers, 40 or so delphiniums? etc.?

I am definitely a changed woman when it comes to buying (or not?!) plants. I'll walk through the garden center and say to myself:"Got that, and that, and that.... " and the nicest part of it all is that I now have plants and seeds of plants that I can only buy at specialist nurseries, costing an arm and a leg! Most of the plants I'll be planting out in summer is usually only seen in expensive gardening magazines. Not only will I have them in MY garden, but it would have cost me next to nothing, AND I would have enjoyed every second I spent looking after them.
I will never go back to buying plants. This is soooo much fun.

Elsa

Seandor, put them aside for me. I'll drag DH along with me if I have to.

Elsa, welcome! I only planted normal things this year. Next year, I'm done with normal, it's rare and exotic and shrubs and stuff. Congratulations on what you've accomplished!

xxx, Carrie

You got some, Carrie :-)

I feel the same way. Right now I am planning for next year.
I did my winter sowing late so I only have a few varieties, but I have so many coming along under lights too. An then there are all the seeds germinating now in coffee filters! Whoo Hoo! Life is sweet.

Next year, my driveway will be lined with Country Romance single hollyhocks, Banana Custard Verbascum, tall foxglove, and Canterbury bells (If I can squeeze them in.)

I have just ordered seeds of Olympian Verbascum which has huge candlelabrum branches of brilliant yellow flowers.
I will use them somewhere on my slope.

As most of you have said, it is so much fun looking through the plant departments of the box stores or nurseries and through all kinds of catalogs and thinking, "I can grow that, and it will bloom next year!" What wealth and gardening riches we have available to us. I am so greatful to Trudi for introducing me to WSing.

okay guys/gals...i have been reading reading reading about wsing....and keep thinking ...what is the catch?; or thinking....oh, it is too detailed and i don't want to jack with all the little plants.....too much to deal with....etc etc....; i am probably thinking ALL the things you guys did b4 you did the wintersowing....; so.....

what is the catch (grin)

is there alot of detail work?

why does this seem too good to be true?

Sticks,
Last year was my first year. I did not use containers deep enough or transplant soon enough, yet I have all kinds of plants from last year! It isn't really hard at all. Some people even do it in ziplock bags- how easy can you get?
What do you have to lose? a few seeds? Start planning your dream garden knowing you can make it come true. That's the most exciting part.

I had a blast winter sowing, it was a big success as far as I'm concerned. But it can be a lot of work depending on how you do it. I still have hundreds of seedlings to plant out or move into containers, which for me is kind of fussy work. Some of them I just plant in the HOS/ hunk o' seedlings method, but others I really try to plant every little seedling.
And the weather can throw you an unexpected curveball - spring was very dry here and I didn't have my new beds prepared for that reason. But that wasn't really a winter sowing issue.
Here's a thread about the 'hardships' of planting seedlings:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/718297/

If things go right this summer, next year I'll have hundreds (if not thousands) of Echinaceas, Heleniums, Bellflowers, Balloonflowers, Rudbeckias, Poppies, Geraniums, Daisies, Foxgloves, Caryopteris,etc., etc.
I'd hate to have to buy them all at a nursery! I'm cheap.

thanks for the great information...i am definitely thinking about it....:)

Sticks,
In Texas there aren't too many catches, except maybe you'll have to water them. The catch for me is that I can only plant perennials; annuals won't bloom in time for me.

xxx, Carrie

ah carrie....annuals wont bloom in time for your season??....; i so would die if i couldnt have as long of a planting season....i would think that perennials would take longer?

(I found out later) we're sowing most perennials to bloom next year! I sowed a lot of annuals, they came up, but they're so busy building strong root sytems that they're not anywhere near blooming. :>)

xxx, Carrie

wow....just learn something new everyday here:)

Exactly Carrie! I have these little bitty plants - then when I go to plant them, they have roots like they're trying to make their way to China! After a week or so in the garden, they really take off. I have petunias that were 1/4 the size of what I could buy in a nursery (man, I'm talking puny! But two weeks later, they are bigger than what I would have been able to buy 2 weeks ago.

I am going to plant snapdragons next - just as soon as this d_mn rain stops.

sean...when did you start self sowing the snaps?

Well, I winter sowed them in late march - but I just haven't got them planted yet :-) I bet I have 60 plants!

sean i am new to this....does ws mean you planted them in march? amazing...

Na - what it means is: in late march I cut off the bottom of a plastic milk jug, punched some holes in it, put some seed starting "dirt" in it, made sure the seed starter stuff was well dampened, threw in the snapdragon seeds (lots 'cause I didn't believe I could get anything to germinate), cut the bottom corners off of a one-gallon size zip-lock baggie, then placed this over the top of the milk carton. (Think mini-green house). Then put the lot on the front verandah (morning sun, afternoon shade). then I let them do their own thing. They germinated some time in April, I probably should have planted these out about two weeks ago. They are quite small, but have FABULOUS root systems, so I suspect they will do okay once they are in the garden. I expect I will have snaps later in the summer and fall.

Oh, it's SEE an door. Many people think it's Sean dor. :-)

durrrrr...sorry see; but that is so cool about the sowing thing!!!! will have to give it a try!!!!

claypa I am with you, I am cheap.

I love to do the seed starting in the GH, I started in Feb this year but I want to do the WS for next year in a hoop house maybe.

It's so nice to go out and "play" in the GH when it's cold outside.

It amazes me how I thought wintersowing was such a difficult thing to do. Once done, I wondered what was I so crazed about? Now I say that to newbies - don't think - just do.

I have prennials from 2005-06 winter blooming now, but I started my WS so late this year (early April) that many did not germinate. So now I am falling back on my old solution,
Summer Sowing inside under lights in 8 oz styrafoam cups.
I am having considerable success, but the ones that did not germinate would have probably germinated had I WS because of the temperature fluxations. I have grown double gold rudbeckia, echainacea, cerise achillea, 3 kinds of foxglove, 4 kinds of verbascum, an incredible number of hollyhocks, balloon flower, canterbury bells, several kinds of shastas, zinnias, and a few more things I can't call to mind right now. It's more of a pain in maintaining the cups, then in transplanting and putting the community pots (and loss does occur there sometimes,) but it's a good way to play catch up. NEXT YEAR it is Janurary of Feburary WS for me!

YOU CAN DO IT!

You bet - most of my new plants this year were stuff I started myself! Winter sowing rocks!

Seandor,

The delphinium you gave me (thank you!!!) - the stuff they're potted in seems too dense, like manure instead of fluffy dirt. And what kind did you say they were?

Thanks again!

xxxxx, Carrie

Hi Carrie, that's dirt from my backyard. sigh . . . . Well, it can't be too bad for them - they are growing like weeds now.


Here is the plantfile on the delphiniuim:

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/66637/

It's that, bluebird? I'm glad they're all growing! I just don't trust the dirt around here. Too much lead paint, asbestos, etc.

x, Carrie

Bluebird is okay?

Sure. Great. Do I have to stake them?

Well - not now - they're too little! But eventually - yeah. I have ordered seeds for this delphinium:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3676296

do you want some seeds when they arrive?

YES, I'm looking for "dwarf" plants. Please. Did I miss T&M's sale altogether?

Carrie

What does SEE-an-door mean or come from? So the bluebird does have to be staked, eventually?

Carrie

Well, it is a name I made up. When I really enjoy a book, I invent a character to be in the book. Seandor has existed since I read Lord of the Rings when I was 11. She is an incarnation of a seraphim - the highest order of angels, and the personification of perfect joy. - hence she cannot be killed, nor can she kill. For that reason, I am not allowed to use her in any RPG (role playing games), according to my daughter.

Essentially the same character was created for Harry Potter - only her name is Sara Finn.

Okay - I am a total geek - but I am seldom bored!

Yes - you missed T & M sale - though it was announced - twice. I bought seeds both times too! When the delphinium seeds come, I will mail you some - dmail me your address .

So you're an organice gardener, then Sea?

Carrie, There are a lot of dwarf delphiniums -- red and blue and white for the most part. The colors are right and beautiful.

Suzy

Alas, no Suzy. Were I to live on a several acres, I would be. But on a small city lot, I cannot control what happens in my neighbours yards - and their pests invade my space. So, when things get really bad, I have been known to resort to chemical warfare - but it is a last resort. Meanwhile, I squish aphids, and spray soapy water for mites.

So - Michaela has no problem killing bugs. lol BTW, I once saw a documentary where the current Dahli Lama swatted a mosquito. I figure if its okay for him, I don't have any problem killing bugs. :-)

Oh, I understand now, Michaela. My daughter Emma would er, groove with that. My real question is, will I have to stake these delphiniums you have given me when they grow up?

xxx, Carrie

Yep - they are Pacific Giants!

Suuzy, are they patriotic Delphinium, the red, white, and blue ones? LOL

xx, C