I think it is wonderful for you to do this workshop and I know it will be a success. How many people do you think will be attending? Where do you pull your source of people interested? Just word of mouth here on this and DG? Don't forget to post over on HGTV gardening websites. Might have some interested over there. Good Luck! Hope you have some pics to show us here on this board.

I have done Winter Sowing presentations for my own garden club and last month I did it for another garden club. Now I have been requested to do a third presentation in a "make and take" format and it is scheduled for Jan 12th. I saved up enough milk jugs to take along. It is a small group and they will provide the potting soil and seeds and duck tape. People have been very interested and it goes over especially well because it is such a thrifty and "green" type of project.It's fun to spread the word!
Joann

Hi Pippi,
Our garden club has an e-newsletter and people tell friends as you can bring guests. There is also a blog on a community garden website where I can post. Thanks for your idea on other places to post on gardenweb, I will do that as we get closer. We also have a plant swap in my area every spring and I will be posting that info in March. No idea on how many will attend but my guess would be 35-50 people. I'm very glad I saved my notes from the previous workshops. Also have a big tri-fold display board with pictures I have stored and that will be used. It is such fun to get people "jazzed" about winter sowing.
Tina

I've offered to help a local elementary school with their garden. Last year they received a $1000 grant from the state's Make NC Beautiful campaign. They spent most of it on soil and benches. I tried to explain the wintersowing method, but they wanted instant gratification. They bought a lot of annuals and watched them die in the summer heat.

This fall and winter, I've tried to explain the process to customers that come into the store looking for seeds. They don't believe me when I say you can do all this outside. I've even invited them over to see my containers and gardens. The few that accepted the invite think I'm nuts. I guess I'll have to bring them back in June to show them the fruits of my labors.

There are so many people who refuse to believe that this method works. Even long time gardeners are confused by the process. They are so used to starting seeds indoors, using sterile medium, and hardening off their seedlings with minimal results. They don't understand that the further you remove the process from the natural way it works, the more likely you are to have problems.

Hi Tom,
Do you work in a garden center? That would be a dangerous job for me, I would never bring home a paycheck:)
You are right about convincing people that this method works. I found my display board is very helpful as they see pictures of the whole process all the way to the plants being in the actual garden.
Was just clearing out some stuff in my basement seed area and found 8 unopened under the bed plastic blanket storage bags. I have had good luck with those in the past so will use those this year.
Carrie is a long time long distance WSing friend of mine and she speaks very highly of you. She is such a dear and until finding WSing she didn't think she could grow from seed. I know you have seen her many gardens, filled with WSown flowers. That should make a believer of anyone. And now you are filling your beds with WSown flowers. The world is getting prettier all the time, thanks to both of you for helping that process along.
Tina

Tina, I am presenting a workshop this coming week at the library I work at. (I have organized a year-long series of gardening programs there, and this will be one of them. I've gotten speakers for the others, but I will be presenting this one.) I've done it several times before at the library, and once for the local garden club.

Most people can't really believe that this method will work, but I always have a hands-on program, so they go home with sown containers. Even if they don't do any more, they at least have those two containers to provide proof, lol.

Funny thing - it seemed to me that of all audience attendees, the members of the garden club seemed least inclined to try this... too set in their ways, maybe?

:)
Dee

I'll second what Tina said. Tom, the before and after photos of your yard went a long way toward convincing me that WS works. That envelope full of seed packs you sent me helped motivate me too! ;-p
My neighbors are long-time gardeners--vegetables, flowers and trees--they're giving WS a shot this year based on my raving about it. She even planted a half dozen containers! At first she was only going to "try" one. They're both committed to recycling and reusing so this method jives with many of their goals.
I volunteer with a local beautification committee and am looking forward to sharing this method with them come warmer weather. I think they'll take to it like ducks to water.
I'm trying to photo-document the process step-by-step as a way to share how it's done for when I get questions.
Eileen

My experience in presenting the concept to garden clubs in my area has been quite positive and fun. I make jokes about the tools I use - soldering iron, hacksaw, drill, etc., and the containers too. I bring photos and show them sprouts in snow covered containers with their covers off and the result of those plants in the summer going 'Ta Da!!' and 'Voila!!'. (I often forget to cover some early sprouts back up and we ineveitably have snow, but they survive.) They think I'm funny so that is good. :O)

One of my biggest naysayers decided to try it last year and reported to our garden club that he had so many sprouts and plants he didn't know what to do with them. I always ask clubs which I've been to before if they tried it and it's surprising - well, not really - how many success and actual attempts were made.

I like doing this. I bring everything in a garbage bag and pretend I just picked up garbage on my way into the meeting. Then I start taking the goodies out and we have fun!! I also bring loads of seeds from my gardens and nothing is left when I go to leave.

You are so right Tiffy, they do respond to humor and I use it too. Held up a big round plastic bakery cake container once and said "Can you believe my friend actually threw this out after her party!" They howled. I also talk about raiding the neighbors recycling bins for containers and they giggle over that too. It is interesting that the established gardeners sometimes won't try it, the reason you sited is correct and I also think many of them have established gardens and don't see the need of many new plants. Shoot, I rip out stuff to put in new stuff all the time. I liked the post on this forum where a woman said she used to grow under lights but got sick of dampening off and weak plants so she tried WSing and now loves it. We just have to convert people a little at a time. I'll keep trying and so will you.
Thanks for your input.
Tina

One of my jobs is teaching at a local community garden. I have taught WS there for about 6 years now - all the seed sowing classes I teach are based on Trudi's method of sowing in recyclables. I did a first "general" class last month. This month I begin "specifics" we do herbs, then move on to veggies, vines... (we sow everything right in the class for take home).
One of the best illustrations for us is that all the gardening team WS right at the garden for the annual spring plant sale and for planting the garden. So up on one of the tables are hundreds of jugs sitting there doing their thing. Everyone always asks about them and right beside them are the greenhouses...sitting (empty except for all the winter sowing supplies stacked inside...). The day staff there teach the children and volunteers this method. Everyone is always blown away how it "works".
I ran a local garden center a few years ago, and my seed rep was for Botanical Interests. She made sure that we had seeds ALL YEAR. Fresh seed goes out in late October for the 2010 season and that is really handy. The store I worked in gets all stocked up with supplies so I can send my students there. So it pays to get a good relationship with an nursery or a hardware store or somewhere that can order supplies and you can send your folks there.

The place I worked for still gets all that business!

GGG

When is your workshop? Is it the first Thurs in Feb? My mom belongs to the Shawnee Garden Club, although she can't really garden anymore due to severe arthritis. I'd love to go if I could work it out in my schedule. I'm excited, but a little nervous about WS!!

GGG, I love it that you are teaching your community the benefits of winter sowing and gardening in general. Find it amusing that the green house is now a storage shed. Like the fact that your garden center is catering to your need for seed, everyone benefits.
roselane, I have sent you a personal e-mail about the WSing class in Feb. You are invited! I am pleased you live so close.
Tina

Tina,
I'm going to be teaching a class on wintersowing at the end of Jan. for the Rochester Civic Garden Center Seed Swap. I was just looking at the site to link it, and it said that is on National Seed Swap Day. I had no clue there was a National Seed Swap Day! Why isn't this like big like Christmas here on GW?!, lol.
I'm going to demonstrate making a container out of a soda pop bottle plus show other containers. I'm going to discuss everything to be successful at it like good soil, etc. I'm going to discuss timing of seeds like hardy perennials first, perennials that don't need chilling second, etc.
I'm also going to make handouts with the main points and the web addresses for here and wintersown.
I'm bringing lots of seeds from leftover from the NARGS seed exchange from my local chapter so everyone can take home perennial seed to sow.
I sure hope they believe me and go home and try. Thank for the picture tip. I'll have to bring some photos.

Joann,
I need to remember to use that it is a green project.

Tiffy,
I sure hope they find me funny.

GGG,
Thanks for pointing out about a place to buy seeds and dirt! I'll contact the nursery owner I know. It is a win win for them if I mention to go there.

In case anyone is near Rochester, check out the link.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: RCGC Seed Swap

Tina, where are your workshops held? I'm very interested, but I think we're too far apart :-(
I'm in St. John (Stafford county), about 2 hours west of Wichita *sigh*

I'm so envious of all of you, getting to teach others something you are so passionate about...I used to teach scrapbooking classes at Michael's Arts & Crafts when I lived on the east coast, and I sure do miss being able to help people learn how to find their creative "voice".

And Remy, if your class is anything like the lovely seeds you sent me recently, I'd be front and center--thank you SO much for a great ordering experience!

Susan in Kansas
(who should be filling jugs right now, ha!)

Any of you have a fact sheet or flyer I can have a copy of I AM going to use it to recruit ppl at work to help grow plants for the charity sale.

Hi Susan,
My winter sowing workshop will be in Shawnee on February 4th, 7:00 P.M. Shawnee is on the west side of the Kansas City metro. You sure are welcome to come if you want to drive this far. If you could get a carload of gardeners I'll invite you all and you can make an event of it.
Tina

Susan,
Thanks : )
Remy

Ladies, if you make a relationship with your local store, you may also be asked to teach a class there! I will still teach if enough people ask for classes. I negotiate with the store for the "fee" for the class - if they have organics I need, I trade for them. Perhaps some seeds, or some soil. Even a very good annual percentage discount..and sometimes ALL of it (which is basically what I get) - I also offer consultation "hours" in peak business. As soon as weather warms up I go in and have advertised question hours for customers - they can bring me a container and ask me when to plant them, or any other question about growing plants from seeds. I book an hour or two and the store can sell quite a bit of stuff during that time. The regular staff help the folks with the supplies they need (that's how I get an annual discount).

GGG, I'm a bit confused - what do you mean by "store"? Are you talking garden center? Nursery? Grocery store, lol?

Thanks!
:)
Dee

For me it's a hardware store. For you it could be somewhere completely different. Wherever they stock seed and soil and allow you to spread the word!

As always, so glad for all the inspiring threads in this forum!

I have been trying to think of a way to combine my love for gardening, winter sowing, nutrition, environmental education, community action, and kids. One thought I have been toying with since the beginning of this school year is to create a school fund raising event through winter sowing.

With the help of this thread, my thoughts are turning more toward "community raising" through winter sowing.

I think a local nursery I frequent, who also have pics of my WS process and ask questions whenever I come in, might be willing to host a winter sowing with kids/families event. An extra influx of customers/visibility might be of interest to the owner.

I'm feeling a bit giddy at the moment thinking that I might be able to pull this together in 4-6 weeks. Might this be possible? Hmmmmm . . . Could a school plant sale eventually be an outcome for the 2010-11 school year with continued thought, planning, and preparation? (Sounds like all of the ingredients for successful winter sowing to me!)

cheers,
Norabelle

I think a school plant sale with WSown plants would be great! And I think the workshop for kids/parents at your local nursery would be a great way for the nursery to get business. Let us know how it all turns out.
Tina

Thank you, Tina, for the inspiration! I am still in the brainstorming period, but I am excited about putting this idea into action. :)

cheers,
Norabelle