What are you doing to feed the gardener inside of you?

Yesterday Ric and I went to a local Hobby Greenhouse Assoc. meeting. Buttoneer belongs to this group and invited me to attend as her guest. Although we don’t have a greenhouse right now, we do have the makings of one stored in our barn. You know one of those down the road projects. Yesterday’s speaker talked about raised bed gardening and his wife brought a lot of very good food that was made with their organically grown veggies. There was veggie soup, salsa, cupcakes made with red beets and raspberry tea.
They had handouts that included tips for raised bed gardening, some favorite recipes and some fun reading. I met some very nice people who loved to talk about their greenhouses and plants, a real wealth of information. They as many other gardeners also like share their plants. The Assoc. sells raffle tickets 4 for $1.00 and they raffle off plants that members bring to the meetings. We got $2 worth and won 2 plants. Buttoneer won a few too and graciously offered one of her winning tickets to Ric. We came home with a Hawaiian Spider plant that Buttoneer grew and 2 Orchids Maxillaria Tenuifolia and an Oncidium. These are my first Orchids. After the meeting we along with several others were invited back to Buttoneers home to see her greenhouse. Unfortunately we couldn’t go yesterday but hope to visit another day. When Ric and I got home we spent a little time in the back yard looking at the area where we will one day put the greenhouse and doing a little planning and dreaming. All in all it was a wonderful morning and really helped to feed the gardener inside of me. What have you been doing to feed the gardener inside of you?


This message was edited Jan 6, 2008 2:40 PM

Hi Holly, glad you started this thread. I am experimenting with trying to germinate flower seeds by using a whjite polymer that swells up with water & becomes sort of a gel. (normally, these are mixed with potting soil & when you water, they swell up and keep the soil moist longer) Will let you know how I make out. I have been walking outside & looking for flower seeds I might have missed when I was collecting them, and trying to get ideas of what to grow where. I am also collecting magazines from seed companies as they are coming out now. I am retiring next year & hope to be able to do more than I am now, with the garden, with my crafts, with my greenhouse & with Daves Garden. Let's hear from more people on this subject. BTW, local gardening clubs are a wonderful way to fix the winter blahs.

well, reading Daves five times a day. does that count?
Leafing thru the seed catalog, contemplating when to start poppy seed. Wishing I could 'grow' bedroom curtains, altho I do like sewing. My inner gardener has much competition from my outer mommy/wife/daughter.

Winter sowing! A great variety of seeds can be sown via this method, plus it saves a lot of $$$ too!!

I just got a booklet on Winter Sowing - eager to try it out!

I'm going to the 3rd Annual Washington Gardener Mag. Seed Exchange on 1/26 at Brookside Gardens - hoping to get many seeds to experiment with.

Tell me about the Washington Gardener Mag Seed Exchange. Sounds very interesting. Thanks.

I've got six flats of seeds sown and under lights in my cellar, and some others out in my potting shed using the Deno method ... and am trying a little bit of Winter Sowing as well (Himalayan Blue Poppies, which I'm not holding my breath for).

Wrightie, Seeds already! I've been thinking about that my self. I did very well with Pansies last year and they were the first thing I started. Of course you have to germinate them cold, that's not going to happen this week. LOL What's the Deno method?

Hi Holly! Check out this thread to learn more about this method - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/566356/

Wrightie, good luck with your blue poppies; I hope they germinate and bloom for you. I haven't tried them as we get so warm and humid here, but those poppies always look so lovely in the pix.

Buttoneer - here is a link to the Seed Exchange info:
http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/WG-SE2008.pdf

Holly what do you think about this Washington Gardener seed swap? Let me know. Maybe we could double up & carpool to save gas. Let me know & thanks. Amy, maybe you could tell us if it's a mad rush or an organized one-by-one lineup to get seeds. 125 people. Would you have enough time (30 minutes) to get seeds? Don't know if I will go but it sounds tempting.

Buttoneer, I'm under the impression that it is a very organized sort of swap ... but I'm basing it on what I had read about it when they did it their first year. I still have not participated in it myself, so I'm not certain if I'm right or not.

Buttoneer, I really don't have that many seeds to swap. Think I'll be taking what I have to Critters.

It is very organized and well-behaved. You turn in your seeds as you register - the staff checks for invasives plants andcorrect labeling - then puts them out by subject tables (like "Edibles") while the speakers talk - then snack break and networking time - then we all get to go grab some seeds in shifts and sit down - then do it again - then again - until all are gone. Usually there are a LOT of seeds left and we all open and divide our packs and trade amongst ourselves too - so don't remember anyone not ending up with the seeds we wanted.

Plus there are so many seeds in the goody bags (donated by Burpee and such) that by the swap time, I'm pretty set already! I'm seed-greedy though - taking more than I can use - but I'm also good about sharing my seedlings with all at my garden club's plant exchanges in the spring. Can;t waitto go to my first Dave's Garden exchange!