in photobucket ... copy the HTML code .. and paste it in the post ... if you see it on PREVIEW.. we will see it.. if not.. we wont ... no clue on the ID .. though the hairy flower stems make me think cyclamen ... 5 year old seed.. good luck with that .... ken Here is a link that might be useful: but the flowers sure dont

rhizo, "Just out of curiosity, what can Dave sow outside now? Anything?" I don't intentially practice Winter Sowing, but the Winter Sowing enthusiasts would probably answer your question by saying "everything". In the case of zinnias, Winter Sowing doesn't give you a very big headstart, maybe a week or two. You can get a month or more of headstart by sowing inside and setting the seedlings out. However, zinnia seeds can surprise you. When I was gardening in Maine, I had a lot of zinnias come up "volunteer" in the spring. Those zinnia seeds had wintered over and undoubtedly been frozen solid for a period of months, since that part of Maine had a frostline of about 4 feet and the soil was frozen solid for months at a time. Single-digit highs and sub-zero lows were common. A few of those wintered-over specimens were even good enough to become breeders in my amateur zinnia breeding program. ZM

poetmama, there are some excellent lists at the Wintersowing FAQ's page, including lists of hardy annuals ideal for wintersowing. Perennials can be sown now as well as hardy annuals. When I began wintersowing, I printed out Trudi's list of hardy annuals and kept it handy. I wouldn't wintersow half hardy annuals, but they can be spring sown. The term "half hardy perennial" usually means those of us in warmer zones can expect a plant to be perennial while in colder zones, such as yours, the plant won't perennialize. In the FAQ's, there are zone specific lists of perennials safe to wintersow. I'll include the link below~ Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersowing FAQ's

Weebay - the snow this year has been a pain, but temps are a lot warmer than last year. We really notice that since we have livestock. Even though February skipped it's usual thaw this year (which will make the monthly average look lower than normal) from November to now the temperatures are far more mild this year than last. Now the snow - yep, we have way more than we need this year! But between the snow cover and the gentle temperatures this winter you would not believe how many of my garden plants kept growing through the entire winter. In January I counted over 65 species in my flower garden that were actively growing. Should make for a pretty spring - if it ever gets here. Lynda