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What happy surprises have you had this WS year?

17 years ago

Figured the "Russian Sage" I had sown in February was never going to sprout, almost everything else that was fresh seed has some signs of sprouting for weeks already now. Picked up the almost dried up container (being left for dead, it wasn't getting my attention...) and there are 4 tiny sprouts in there!

Nancy

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Comments (13)

lovelycherry
17 years ago
Finding out how much I enjoy gardening.
We moved to this house two years ago. The women before me tried to grow roses.. in a places where they shouldn't have been.
I removed them all.

I now am working on growing things that fit the soil conditions here on Long Island.
I don't have money for plants and WS has allowed me to have plants I wouldn't ever have tried.

You all are an inspiration to me.
cherry
lindakimy
17 years ago
I've been surprised by how the little tiny sprouts take off after a week or so in the ground. It is AMAZING! I put them out - teeninsy little things - and say a (hopeless, frankly) prayer and gently water...and all of a sudden BAZOOM!! They grow like gangbusters! Wow. I sure hope they keep it up and make it through our deadly summer. I've got a lot of perennials out there that probably won't bloom this year. Guess I'll move 'em around for next year (BTW...should I do that in the fall or next spring??). I sure hope these babies keep on with this astounding growth rate. It is soooooooo satisfying!
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ws is sooo a wesome!!!! how happy would you bee????
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Comments (8)
your welcome!! when we came out hubs was like, i wish we could turn back time, heh!!! me too til they get to the talk back and not listening stage!! LOL even diapers don't bother me!! i breed stubborness!! LOL so noooo wayyyyy!! LOL and my kiddo's, i taught them to have a mind of their own, much to well!! LOL ***big, huge sigh*** LOL one tired mommy!!! talla is only almost 6 but let me tell ya, this girl is like a 13 yr old!! i am so afraid!! ya know when thay say be afraid!! very afraid!!! with this one they meant it!! LOL she thinks like 3-4 steps ahead!! LOL she has it made up in her mind what she's gonna do to her hubs when he fights with her and things like this, i'm like what????????? ummmmm talla, your not even 6 yet, be a kid, ya know she has 6 kids, and is married to a husband named bruno. (a dogs name) LOL okayyyy LOL or a bouncer but he only goes to interviews, LOL she's very smart!! my niece is very alert!! both actually, i havent seen anna YET, LOL but did ya notice, both are marie's?? LOL
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A Zone 5 WS Tomato Surprise
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Comments (6)
I planted my tomatoes in styrofoam cups, stuck a stick in each one and covered with a plastic baggie. The stick kept the baggie from smothering the sprouts. I didn't have a tray to put the cups in, so I semi-buried them in a bed so that they wouldn't blow away. I planted 2 seeds in each cup, 2 cups of each variety. My germination was spotty. That Brandywine plant is fantastic and I had to cull its cup-companion. But neither of the seeds in the other cup sprouted. I thought I'd treated every cup in the same way. northerner_on, we have about 135 frost free days here. I just started gardening last year and was looking at blogs for inspiration. Initially I was really disappointed in myself for not being as far along as fellow Zone 5-ers from around then country. This spring it hit me - some Zone 5-ers have growing seasons that are weeks longer than mine! Now I can't understand why Zone is so important for vegetable gardening.
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What are you going to WS next year?
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Comments (3)
I am growing almost all native perennials this year. I have many successes, but am trying to determine why the failures occurred. I suspect that some of my containers got too wet, despite multiple drainage holes in the bottom. This happened with the large pop bottles. I think the holes on the bottom needed to be bigger. Also, the air circulation was poor, so these containers had the most "green stuff" on the soil surface. Overall, I wasn't impressed with using pop bottles, even though some people use only these containers. Other salad containers I tried were too shallow and the starter medium was always either too dry or too wet. So much for those. I've had the best luck with those black plastic trays with clear lids (from Canadian Tire) that hold four multi-cell inserts. I punch holes all over them, both tops and bottoms, and use 2 pieces of green twist-tie wire to hold them closed (so the lids don't blow off).
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Do you have any "surprise seedlings" this year?
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Comments (21)
Sultry, I wonder if your crazy squash is a natural hybrid that is especially vigorous--do you have a photo? It sounds quite hilarious. I only get the random sunflower, courtesy of the birds and their black oil sunflower seeds I provide. You are so lucky to get those butterfly friendly plants to reseed for you. Wanton, I would love to see photos of these wonderful plants you mention. We just don't have the rain to support such neat displays. Our main displays on the draw below are huge swaths of blue flax which appears again and again if we get the slightest bit of precipitation. I grow a few of these in my flower beds. Katob, how wonderful you get some free hydrangeas. No way would that nice gift appear in my desert flower beds. I am jealous. Campanula, I would love to see photos of the tiny seedlings you describe, and I am utterly unfamiliar with--I know you don't post photos much, though. Below is one of my reseeded Red Rocks penstemon--really looks like a red rock, doesn't it. Also some randomly reseeded snapdragons amidst planted ones, and others that have come back from last year, which is a regular occurrence. And finally another photo of my striped semi double rudbeckia (it makes great bouquets) that has hybrized from my plain ones, along with a second type of striped rudbeckia, a single that isn't so dramatic. Diane
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new_in_texas
17 years ago
The fact that it even worked!
I had planned all last summer to WS in the winter, but life happened and I didn't get around to it. I think it was the end of March or early April of this year that I finally found some time. I only did about 11 containers 'just in case' and all of them have sprouted.
This winter, I'm making sure I have the time.
tosser
17 years ago
I've been happily surprised that so many of the old seeds I sowed grew. It's amazing!
mo_girl
17 years ago
My main surprise is finding out I can grow things from seed :)

I'm particularly excited about my canterbury bells, hollyhocks, foxglove camelot rose, scotch heather, tomatoes, lavender, and nasturtium. This week I got my first flowers (aside from alyssum) on a nasturtium plant.
SusanC
17 years ago
Last year, I used the soil from unsprouted/partially sprouted containers to top off the plants on my deck. I now have a snapdragon blooming in a begonia's pot, a tiny feverfew plant keeping a rocoto pepper company and two Iris foetidissima plants in with an Ambridge Rose.
laperouse
17 years ago
Firstly, as someone else said, that it worked so WELL!!! Secondly, that I was able to sprout Crambe cordifolia at first try - only two sprouts, but with that plant that's about all you need considering the size of it!

Marianne
lblack61
17 years ago
The container of Coral Bells "Purple Palace" that didn't sprout last year was dumped in the area where I wanted it to be if it sprouted. And now, this year, its coming up in that area. One cute little roundish, irridescent purple leaf caught my eye while I was weeding :-)).
Strategic dumping...remember that. If it don't sprout this year, do a strategic dump. Nest year, it might surprise you.

Linda
mudinmyshorts
17 years ago
I've the exact same experience as lblack only with yellow columbine. I have a single healthy plant that threw a bloom today of a very pleasant lemon yellow hue. The plant could only have come from the tray of failed seed I dumped there last year. It's a nice surprise and now I have a source of fresh seed to grwo some more of these lovelies.
laurelin
16 years ago
I'm delighted at how well WSing worked for my daylily seeds - I started hybridizing my own in earnest last year. I started some indoors over the winter, and winter sowed the rest. The winter sown ones are more robust and healthier, no doubt about it. I'll be WSing them all from now on.

Laurel
carrie630
16 years ago
Never did nasturtiums before. I was attracted to them because most of you reported that they thrive on neglect... those are the plants I like! LOL

Carrie
wendy2shoes
16 years ago
Stuff that has always come through for me was disappointing ..echinacea, asters, larkspur ..(I have about 30 two litres with nothing happening)..not giving up, just moved them to the side of the shed where I can't see them.
However, I have Catalpa sprouts, datura going like gangbusters, Peruvian corn (grows 15 feet tall, I swiped a cob from a municipal park). Seems like the normally difficult germinators did o.k., and old faithfulls suffered this spring. Just my 2 cents.
strouper2
16 years ago
How strong one little sprout can be! I've broken off hunks of Marigolds and Asters where one small sprout gets hung out usually with no dirt and only roots but I've said hey what do I have to lose the worst that happens is that it dies anyway, so I plant it. Well every time this one little sprout has made it. In fact, knock on wood, I don't think that I've lost any of my new sprouts yet and lets hope that these little sprouts only get stronger and better.

Strouper

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