I wasn't planning for a big winter this year...

14 years ago

I sowed so many plants last winter, I really thought this winter I would take it easy. But over the summer, I've expanded the gardens and taken out more lawn. I suspect I'll be sowing just as many containers as I did last year. Maybe more.

What are you anticipating? It is only 3.5 months until the official unofficial start date, Dec 21.

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Comments (23)

ontheteam
14 years ago
Yeah, I have been saving milk jugs and juice bottles and 2 liters since June.
daisydawnny
14 years ago
Oh I have big plans for this years Winter Sowing, I have been saving milk jugs, buying seeds and potting mix. Wondering how to use the GH as a walk in container.
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Hey guys... just reading that poem makes me cry again. I still cry every day. It's really hard when you're by yourself at night. I miss Danny. I made a shrine to him in my room. It's been a few months now and though the pain isn't... as consuming, it's still with me all the time. The time we had together, his youthful eyes and laughter, they haunt me, you know. It's still not right that we are here "enjoying" life and it is over for him, so young, so full of potential. I keep wondering why it has to be this way. And why he couldn't have been pulled out of the water, why those boys who were with him don't care about us, because they never call. I keep wishing I was old enough to start a family, that my ex boyfriend was a good man so I could give into his pressure to go home. But my path is set.... it's so strange but in the aftermath I see clear evidence that we (mom and I) are doing as God intends, that he has plans for us and taking my brothers away are part of the plan. For my mother at least, no clearer evidence could have been presented that God is here and He does care. My mom was devastated to be here, after her head cleared. She quit her well paying corporate job to slave away for my vengeful, tyrannical father. Things were not looking good - on top of the grief she had to suffer his abuse to pay the bills. She was depressed and felt she made a huge mistake in the wake of the grief. I felt bad b/c I insisted that God wanted us here, to help my Dad (before he betrayed us) to be where Dan was, to be in this small town away from the city, away from my ex bf. I prayed and I really thought we were doing the right thing. Even at the worst I encouraged her that somehow, God would come through - I could feel it. And He did. Out of a pool of 462 applicants in a town of 50,000, *my mother* was chosen to be the business manager/instructor for the only scuba diving school in the entire area. Her new job is about as awesome as they come. 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lgslgs
14 years ago
I will be doing very little winter sowing this year and I plan on NOT counting containers this year. :)

I'll probably do at most 100 containers. Just extra gaillardias and plain old regular echinaceas to fill in some garden spots where I currently have some annuals that won't get invited back next year. And maybe some more butterfly bushes.

Most of my sowing will be direct sowing or spring sowing a few tender annuals. Not because I've given up on WSing - just because it worked so well there just isn't going to be a lot of room for more plants.

Lynda
auntyara
14 years ago
100 containers!!!
That's cutting it down?
KIDS! drink more milk! Mommy's way behind.
I've got around 10 jugs so far. and I thought I was going to be so prepared this time lol
this will be my second year WS and it's the 1st time I'm not depressed that fall is coming :)
thanks WS
Laura
ontheteam
14 years ago
I can lend you a few kids..actually one teen ager should do the trick...

I think 1/2 my 1st msg got lost in cyber space... I got container...it's probably gong to to be 100..and I all ready got the seeds to go in em all...

I am working on the soil now..and i honestly hope to fill them in Oct Nov. DH was NOT happy with the mess I made last winter in the house..
drippy
14 years ago
Well...it depends on whether I'm out of limbo or not. Since I've been in the process of moving since April 2008, I cut WS way back, and have been going through WS withdrawal all year. I HOPE to have a yard by winter time, and the chance to make up for it. I'm hoping to get back to 1000 this year - this past year was pretty much a wash.
auntyara
14 years ago
drippy,
I hope that was a type o
1000 ? are you serious?
KIDS! invite lots of friends over! Hurry!
LOL
Laura
tiffy_z5_6_can
14 years ago
Drippy? A type 0 on the number 1000? I think not... I know better... I anticipate containers over that mark should she settle before winter, which I hope you do. :O) All the best in finding the ultimate humble abode Kim!!
kqcrna
14 years ago
Yes, good luck Kim.

I have to cut waayyyy back on sowing, my beds are way too stuffed now. I've spent days trying to thin out/cut back/yank/transplant current plants in only one bed. Many more beds yet to go. I want half the number of plants in the same amount of space next year.

Karen
tepelus
14 years ago
I'll be winter sowing daylily seeds mostly, and a few seeds I've collected this year from plants I already have to cram the beds so full I won't have to weed! The daylilies are from my own crosses, and I made quite a few. Some of the seeds don't look viable, so they'll get tossed. The fun part will be making a new bed for them next year. I like to plant, but I hate making new beds.

Karen
lgslgs
14 years ago
Laura - that 100 for next year IS cutting it down. Last year I stopped counting after 3600 something. (No typo - I just decided to do 10 years worth of WS all at once and get it done with.)

Lynda
drippy
14 years ago
Laura, no typo - Tiffy & Karen know me pretty well. Ideally, I'd like to WS one of everything that grows on the planet, and I'm a long way from that - sounds like Lynda is closer! (My kinda gardener, Lynda!) I currently have @ 2000 different varieties (probably a goodly number are snapdragons, LOL), and my wish list grows longer all the time. And, I collect wildflower seeds everywhere I go as well.

I give away a lot of the babies, and my philosophy is, if you run out of space, move! (or buy a farm)
auntyara
14 years ago
3600!!!
holy cow!!
I'm totally out of my league!
Please tell me their is a kinder garden WS forum!
You girls just burst my bubble LOL!
Laura
3600!!!
I can't even picture that!
and people tell me I have a wild imagination!
3600!!! OMG
you go girl!!!
lgslgs
14 years ago
Wow Drippy - one of each? You've got me beat.

I sowed a few hundred types but then weeded out underperformers. Long term my gardens will be only about 100 types of plant with large numbers ( 100 - 3000 plants each) of my favorites. I might start with named cultivars but then seed save, sow and cull until I end up with versions that I like best and that like growing here.

With one hundred good types I can trust to bloom their heads off, I'm not all that interested anymore in trying all of the other sorts that might be out there. I'm really into doing all of the work once, getting it over with, and then sitting on the porch for the next 50 years admiring it. :)

My philosophy was, dig out the garden you want for the next 50 years, fill it up, see what grows well and learn to love it, and then get lazy. Of course we already did have the farm and were sure we weren't moving again before I started digging that garden!

Lynda (Drippy's opposite, sort of)
mnwsgal
14 years ago
Like Karen, I need to thin gardens this next year and rework some others to move plants out of holding beds.

My plan is to sow mostly annuals in 2010, yeah, I know I said the same thing for 2009. That didn't happen, LOL.
sandysgardens
14 years ago
This will be my 5th winter to winter sow and have learned to prep early. I've been prepping milk jugs all spring/summer/and now fall for this coming winter. I have 250+ milk jugs and lots of other types of containers ready/prepped so far and will continue doing right through winter. I got laughed at by John just last week when I said I probably had enough milk jugs ready.

Also have learned to have lots of potting mix bought and in the basement before winter sets in. Have been slowing buying large bags through the summer when they've been on sale. First year got caught having to try to find some mid winter when I ran out, so make sure you have more than you think you'll need. Also learned to keep inside so it's not frozen from being in garage. I hate having to wait for the potting mix to unthaw.

I do mostly perennials. I grow for my yard (running out of space), the yard at the cabin, cabin neighbors yard, both sisters yards, moms yard, and those I sneek plants into around the neighborhood.

I've decided I would rather try to have too much ready, if that's possible, so it doesn't become hectic trying to find containers, soil etc, when it's suppose to be a fun time when winter sowing. Also my family doesn't enjoy it when I run around like a mad women trying to find containers, seeds, soil, etc.

Sandy
albertar
14 years ago
I am totally loving this thread, wonderful to see Kim aka Drippy posting again, I really hope she finds a home and yard soon. I know I will be WS'ng again, but what and where to put anything has gotten beyond me, LOL. The beds are full to the max now.

Alberta
pitimpinai
14 years ago
That's lot of containers, folks. :-D
You have forgotten the moaning and groaning from planting out those seedlings already? Oh, mine. :-)

I sowed only about 50 containers last winter. This winter, I will probably sow about 100. :-D

Just yesterday my next door neighbor told me she is enjoying the flowers and veggies I planted in her garden so much that she is thinking of expanding the flower beds. Hooray!! :-D She takes them to work, gives them to friends, etc.... It took her nearly 18 years to let me play in her yard. lol.

I have been scattering extra seeds in my garden as they ripen too: Rudbeckia, Lychnis, Feverfew, Larkspur, Aquiligea, .....

Token, email me your address. I have Rudbeckia seeds for you. :-)
gardencrazy
14 years ago
Well I bought lots of new seeds of plants that I have never tried before and I am bumming some too:) and I created 3 new border beds this summer that are just waiting to be filled next spring. So I thought I had big plans until I saw some of your numbers!

Note to self: see if neighbor will plow up holding beds. buy more pro-mix.

I do have my co-workers trained. They brought in containers all summer. Now my little greenhouse is waist deep in jugs. haha
auntyara
14 years ago
pitimpinai,
I played in my neighbors yard about 5 yrs ago,
Poor thing was sooo overwhelmed she never invited me back
( to her garden that is) or so she calls it. (SNOB ALERT)
This girl buys a flat of petunias, plops then in a wheel barrel full of dirt, still in the flat, mind you and they look fantastic!
I hate her LOL
the irises I gave her look great too. she doesn't water anything. How does she do it? who cares, she's a sweet thing. But she hates dirt imagine that. LOL
Laura
ljpother
14 years ago
I'm going to be using my walk-in container (unheated greenhouse). I'm planning on getting the trays set up and will plant when they thaw, February/March. I'll put in water for passive heat when the risk of it freezing is over, April.

I'm going to focus on annuals -- this year I only started as many as I normally buy (6-9 of each). When I was planting them I realized that I could afford to grow many more and had space for them. Cosmos, four o'clock, marigolds, morning glory and alysum will be the core. I'll add a few veggies and perennials.
disneynut1977 ~ Melissa
14 years ago
I won't be doing alot this year. Just a few here and there. 1 3cuf bag of potting soil should do it. I am gonna try the freezer bag with laundry clips though. I saw it on Trudi's WS site and the milkjugs were taking over in my garage, so out they went last night to the recycles.

Alot of the seed packets I have are the mixed large packets from Botanical Interest's. I'm just gonna sprinkle them over the garden in spots and lightly ruffle my mulch.

Melissa1977
karendee
14 years ago
wow, I feel like a slacker....

I plan to plant lots this year. I hit about 150 last year in my first ws season. I have collected and bought so many seeds though... OOPS

I also have not begun collecting new containers. Time to start saving them in the basement.

I have at least one area I would like to remove lawn by the street so I need lots of coverage.

I told myself more perenials this year but I have bought and collected more annuals. oops again
I guess I need to get seed shoping, oh darn

Karen

I wasn't planning for a big winter this year...

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