This Forum! Where no one thinks I'm nuts....well, not totally nuts, anyway, if I sow hundreds of containers.

Alison

Alison, I sure as heck don't think you're nuts! Well, not totally nuts, anyway :)

What I like best about WS is cool new varieties - I would never be able to afford all the different plants I've tried. Now someday, I will probably get down to deciding what's tried and true - but in the meantime, I'm still trying out a lot of new stuff.

The freedom to fail. The freedom to change your mind. The freedom to try plants in places that will suprise you one way or another.

The thrill of victory and not so much agony of defeat.

And, you guys!

So many things!

1. Something to do during that time of the year.

2. The ability to plant huge sweeps of the same thing, and, as Carrie said, have backups waiting in the wings to keep the sweeps fresh.

3. My favorite, the ability to make new display beds and then go "shopping" through my nursery beds and pot ghetto to pull out mature specimens for the new beds.

4. The Forum. No politics, no discord, and no trolls. Just a smiling happy place to talk gardening.

Easy.... the ability to successfully grow something other than green beans from seed...

Ditto the above comments! This forum has been the only reason I have been successful. I knew NOTHING about gardening two years ago. I confused annuals with perennials hardly knew a name of a plant, and with the guidance of this forum I am learning so much. I HOPE that I can somehow learn to make the beds look like some of yours. You post the most beautiful pictures and I am still trying to make this happen. I think in time I will be successful. That is my goal. I just want to thank you all so much for all the help you give time and time again. I do not contribute much to the forum with advice, etc. for which I feel badly that I do not, but at this point in my gardening experience your better off not getting advice from me. (smile) Thanks again for all your continued support!

It really work. I had my doughts, but when I had more plants, then time, I knew it was a sucess. Like Donn said "it gives you something to do at that time of year". Everyone here has been a big help with getting me through the winter months, and for that my DH thanks you.
Jennie

Not having the shelf & light set up in my living room & pampering 200 plants just to get 20 spindly survivors!
M

The ease of it. It's fast and doesn't take up a lot of space like starting seeds in the greenhouse does. Granted a hundred or so milk jugs takes up room but I can set them on the corner of the deck. It's not like having loads of seed trays taking up space on the greenhouse tables. Not only that but once sown I can almost ignore them until they start to germinate.
Karyn

a. this forum
b. not hearing hub complain about fungus gnats
c. no loss of surface area, which is already nil
d. it gives my neighbors something legit to gossip about for once. LOL.

I am so excited about this winter. I missed on the last two winters, and I have dozens of milk jugs and bags of dirt ready!

2 things - both already mentioned:

1. - getting my hands in the dirt during the winter (not itchy fingers w-a-i-t-i-n-g for spring);
2. - the almost free plants from seeds.

the promise ... the hope ... the success ...

Yeah...what you all said. Especially Bakemom.

I have so many flowers in my yard this year. That wouldn't have happened without wintersowing. I'm not made of money!! And it gives me so much confidence as a gardener to finally be able to work with seeds! Always before I tried planting them out in place and they would dry out or whatever. It didn't work. I thought I really had a secret "brown thumb" and that my gardening was sort of bogus. (Yeah....I need to make an appointment with my therapist.) But really.

Now, I can buy seeds for something besides the pretty picture on the front. I...(really, ME)...I can grow plants from seeds!

Last winter (my first for official WS) what I loved best were the dreams of summer it gave me - the wild anticipation I felt.

I can't even begin to imagine how many times I'd go out, look at all the jugs, and think to myself, "Wow, if only half of these come up...!" It's magic!

The forum. People are unbelievably kind to one another, and after all, most of us have never met. We're nice to new people, and welcome them into the circle. We share gardening advice, experience, knowledge, seeds and plants. If I don't check in for a few days, something is missing. I feel like I know the regulars. And I consider you friends. You know who you are.

The resulting plants are like icing on the cake.

Karen

So true - this forum is so unusually nice, genuinely nice that I am proud to be a part of it.

Karen - you make a great point about how nice we all are to the newbies - I know how wonderful I felt the first time I joined.

Carrie

The ability to change my beds at a whim!
The ability to pull plants out I don't like without guilt!
Mostly knowing all of you :D

Vera

.... all of your photos - especially you, vera - you keep us posted constantly with all kinds of interesting flowers I've never ever heard of!

Carrie

I agree with what everyone has said - all fantastic reasons why I LOVE WinterSowing but the two that really stand out are

1 - the friends I have met on here - we may only chat here but the support, information, advice and general comradarie are far better than any garden book, magazine that I have read or garden show that I have watched - I thank you all for everything

2 - inexpensive plants - this summer has REALLY brought to home just how much I will depend on WSing this winter. I have lost so much due to drought - Thank goodness replacements are a seed packet plus a milk jug away.....

Lynne

The hope that someday we will be able to complete our Men's Calendar! Somehow we never get past organizing six months.

sigh.

Speaking of our Man Calendar and trolls.... wheres MIMS?

Oh yeah, the question... what do I like MOST? Knowing that I have access to almost any kind of seed or plant I could ever want thru the kindness of folks in this forum. It makes me feel incredibly RICH! Sort of like having my own virtual greenhouse.

And if I haven't said it lately, thanks y'all.... ;)

I love this forum, you get all sorts f gardening info.

I can rip apart and redo my garden whenever I feel like--which is yearly, this year it was six beds that were redone, but that's become the norm for me. Rip out and redo--because I can ;-)

Slowly I am finding permanence in some of the plants because I love them so much, WS gives me the ability to try so many varieties that I know I can't find the money for if I were to have to buy plants. The best of the best get to stay and I don't bat an eye if I rip out the rest--I'll just plant a new batch of seedlings.

T

Everything except for one self created problem. I have ran out of room. Couple years ago I was looking to buy a rider mower, now I am looking for a smaller weed/eater.
jim

Getting to try so many wonderful tomato varieties. It is a wonderful way to start tomato seedlings. Was shocked to see how cold hard they seedlings were. Just not having to harden off seedlings was a wonderful tool for me. I still have some plants of the perennials from seeds traded from others. Alot more to try and things to learn.

ML

The idea that I am now a GARDENER!

When I first found this forum, six years ago, I had just started growing a couple of tomato plants and maybe a marigold or two, from seeds started on a sunny windowsill inside. That was the best I thought I could do, with only a terrrace to grow on (and not too many sunny windowsills).

Then I found wintersowing, and WOW! I could grow plants from seed, outside! Fantabulous! What could I lose - a few seeds?

Well, I've lost nothing! And gained a great garden - even if it's a bit overcrowded out there. Who cares? I did it!

And best of all, I've gained a ton of friends all over the country - heck, all over the world - that I most likely would never have "met" otherwise. I love it!

WS ROCKS!

PV

1. Most of the plants LIVE!:
1. Before WSing I really did kill things. My thumb was brown in more ways than one(lol). Anyone looking at my garden beds would not know it.

2. Variety and Cheap Experimentation:
I can have things that aren't sold in Garden Centers locally, and-- like Carrie said-- I can try new plants and not get in a tizzy (with a broke-bank) if they don't work. Cheap experimentation (and for that, I have a Gardenia, a Bay Laurel plant-- and strawberry plants for the price of the fuzzy throwaways left after eating the edible ones from a grocery store purchase.)

3. What it teaches me about plants and nature-- due to WSing, I actually sowed some seeds indoors successfully, because WSing gave me a rewarding and simple way to learn about a plants needs. So if I find a tropical I must have, I'm not so hesitant to say, well, sure, I can try sowing that (cuz I can always Spring or Summer Sow it if it doesn't work inside!). More options for success!! :-)

Linda

For me the thing I like most is it gets me through the cabin fever winter time blahs... I also go out and just look at the containers and imagine what it is gonna be like come spring time.. the great advice I always get from the wonderful people in the forums.. I may not post alot but I am definitly reading up on advice!!
Happy Gardening and May all Our Containers Be Fruitful!!
Kathy

I can actually look forward to winter now! I like this and I haven't even started doing it yet!

I agree with all of you and that's what I love the most... all of you and your generous hearts and helpful advice. You've all given me the abillity to plant and plant and plant! Thanks Trudi for starting this phenomenon, and thank all of "US" who have become family!

glo

All of the above, as well as the fact that when I go to the garden centers my wintersown babies look much healthier than their greenhouse grown plants.