For new folks who aren't sure this works

12 years ago

I was a newbie last year but I was certain this would work after reading all the old posts. Still, there's no way to describe how excited I was when I saw these:

Penstemon 'Mystica' (seeds received in trade)

{{gwi:453514}}

Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes'

{{gwi:453515}}

Buddleia/butterfly bush (bloomed 1st year from seed)

{{gwi:453516}}

Adenophora/ladybells

{{gwi:453517}}

Astilbe (seeds harvested from my own plants)

{{gwi:453518}}

Geum 'Blazing Sunset'

{{gwi:453519}}

Double pink hollyhock (bloomed three times its first year)

{{gwi:453520}}

Trollius ledebouri/Chinese globeflower (seeds harvested from my own plants)

{{gwi:453521}}

Lupine

{{gwi:453522}}

Sow your seeds on the solstice. Trust this method. You will not believe your eyes once the green wave rolls in.

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Comments (35)

pippi21
12 years ago
Would you please come to Md. and do my plant markers? Just joking butYour handwriting/printing is so beautiful! I know I've complimented you on this before but it is rare that one sees good penmanship anymore. Are those mini-blind markers or plastic knives?
gardenunusual
12 years ago
I just sowed a bunch yesterday, they are sitting in the fridge till Tuesday. I hope that's okay?
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gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
gardenunusual - why are they sitting in the 'fridge? That's the "winter" part of winter sowing. Put them outside in the cold, they'll be fine. I sowed the trollius in the photo above on December 13 last year and set them out but when I learned about milk jugs, I transferred them from the deli salad bar container to a milk jug so they'd have more room for both top growth & roots.

pippi21 - I don't use plastic knives or mini-blinds. I get the labels 1,000 at a time from DP Industries in Maine.
cab321
12 years ago
How exciting! I can't wait to see my sprouts this spring.
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
See that lupine sprout in the picture above? Here's what it looked like in September:

{{gwi:361018}}
roper2008
12 years ago
For a newbie last year you did a great job. I tried for the first time
last year and it didn't work out to well. Going to try again. I have a
feeling it's going to go well this time. I'm going to get the paint pen
that you use on your markers.

Linda
PVick
12 years ago
A great testament to the efficacy of Winter Sowing! Good job!

Thanks, gardenweed!

PV
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
I remember having so many doubts last year but between Token's cottage garden photos and the folks I met through GardenWeb, I made it through February until I saw my first sprout in March. The rest, as they say, is history.

Here's something else to make believers out of folks who've never tried it. While it still has some filling in to do, the full sun area behind my garage went from this:

{{gwi:431402}}

to this:

{{gwi:431403}}

{{gwi:390904}}

from May to September despite the fact that NO RAIN fell from the day the project began until October. With one or two exceptions, everything was winter sown this year.
:
gardenunusual
12 years ago
Beautiful, gardenweed! Growing from seed really is special, seeing the plant from sometimes a microscopic seed become this gorgeous plant is awe inspiring.

To answer the question, I put mine in the fridge to as not to shock them too much from being inside to freezing. I wasn't sure if I should officially wait 'til Tuesday, being the winter solstice, and all. I am relieved I can move them outside!
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
Good for you! They're better off outside. You will be so amazed at how healthy & robust winter sown plants are.

Any containers winter sowed before December 21 can't be counted in the Zone Wars. The Zone Wars begin on the solstice and end on May 1st. Only those containers winter sown between 12/21 & 5/1 are counted so the 5 deli salad containers I set out last December 13 weren't counted in the Zone Wars but they were counted in my 458 jug total for the year.
gardenunusual
12 years ago
So would mine count being they are not outside? If not, I'll plant some Tuesday and pah tis cipate. I have some seed I was saving in case these don't sprout, but what the hey, I'll get more next year!
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
I'll pass that one to those with more experience but at a guess I'd say they wouldn't count because you "got your hands dirty" before 12/21. I helped a friend in another zone winter sow her first time last March and when I asked on this forum if I could count those containers, the answer was, "If you got your hands dirty, they count!!!"
gardenunusual
12 years ago
Love it!
jodie74
12 years ago
GREAT pics, GREAT handwriting, GREAT walkway!!!

I LOVE BEFORE & AFTER PICS!!!!

I hope to have some of my own next year.... ;)
Jodie
wendy2shoes
12 years ago
My very best before/after pics (1st year) Put the bottles out to where I thought they should go (ha!)
{{gwi:351774}}

What the bed looked like in the summer..
{{gwi:258667}}

Those were the days, man. Everything was so pristine and pure. Now I have shasta daisy that has decided it really needs to be 5 feet tall, coreopsis is a thug, ripped out the globe thistle (ugly), etc etc.

{{gwi:453525}}

My perennials need a spanking now! Big overhaul next spring! The beauty of wintersowing is, all mistakes can be corrected, with a bit of digging out, rearranging, and replanting!

It's all a learning curve, and anything is better than grass. Wintersowing makes it all affordable. All my perennial splits go off to good homes..it's a win win situation.
gardenunusual
12 years ago
That's out of control! I love working with a blank slate.
jodie74
12 years ago
OMG!!!! I just DRAGGED my hubby to the computer to show him your pics cause your "meandering-curvy" beds is EXACTLY what I envision for MY YARD!!! You can click on my page & I have a link to pics of my horrid yard!! :( The good news is that it's a blank slate ready to be turned into something beautiful- LIKE YOURS!!!!

I will be hauling in TONS of dirt this spring to make my beds & I am WS'ing close to 500 jugs... give or take a 100. ;)

I was thrilled to show my hubby pics of what was in my head but couldn't get him to envision.... NOW HE GETS IT!!! LOL

BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Peace & love,
Jodie
terryj09
12 years ago
Thanks to all for the inspiring photos and encouragement. I have been trying to grow sweet violets from seed for the last few years with no success, but after reading through Trudi's fantastic wintersowing FAQs, I finally understand what I need to do! I can't wait for the solstice--count me in!
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
terryj09 - welcome to the winter sowing forum and the most fun you've ever had during the long, cold, dark months of January & February. You won't look back once you see your first sprout! Winter sowing will change the way you garden. Last year (my first) I was gifted with so many wonderful perennial seeds from the generous folks on this forum, my final tally was 458 milk jugs. Since just about ALL of them produced sprouts, I was one busy gardener right up until Thanksgiving. This year I hope to grow enough to stuff the beds I spent so much time prepping this past summer.

Again, glad you decided to jump in and join the madness!
jodie74
12 years ago
Gardeneed & wendy2shoes- Just curious, when you planted out, what sort of spacing did you leave in between plants? About 1-2 feet perhaps? I want a nice filled in look but not stuffed, overflowing... Is there a general "rule of thumb" for spacing or did you take the time to research spacing for ALL OF YOUR WS JUGS? I thought about planting "checkerboard" style. Like this
X.....X
....X...
X.....X
countrycarolyn
12 years ago
I researched all of the info and made a spread sheet to know what kinda of spacing to allow. Though that doesn't take into count reseeds.
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
You'll see references on this forum to "plunk 'n run" and "hunk o'seedlings." Basically I just dug holes and planted stuff with very little design involved. The main struggle was to keep everything watered with the awful drought that lasted from June to October.

If I remember correctly, Token suggested a while back to reduce by 2/3 the spacing recommended in the perennial catalogs so if they say to plant tall phlox 24" apart, he cuts it down to 8." He also said for the most impact, perennials should be planted in groups of three at an angle to the path or walkway. I'm not there yet but hope to get there eventually which is why I don't have photos to share like Wendy's!! (;-p) Token was aiming for a cottage garden look so you may have to adjust to suit what pleases YOU.
ladyrose65
12 years ago
WOW! Those pictures are Great! The "I'm a Believer" Song keeps going thru my head. I'm going to order some more Seeds!!!

This was great. Because after seeing my frozen dirt. I became skeptical.

Which question is for the zone war!
I can't believe the Bieannuals bloomed first year! Totally Psyched!!!!!
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
Okay, a little more eye candy for anyone still on the fence...

These were all winter sown this year:

Lychnis chalcedonica/Maltese cross

Eschscholzia/California poppy
{{gwi:212035}}

Alcea rosea/dwarf pink hollyhock
{{gwi:361016}}

Alyssum
{{gwi:361017}}

Lupine
{{gwi:361018}}

Gaura lindheimeri/wandflower
{{gwi:194528}}

Alcea rosea/single hollyhock
{{gwi:199146}}

Agastache rupestris/sunset hyssop
{{gwi:283544}}

Nasturtium
{{gwi:361019}}

Mallow 'Vulcan'
{{gwi:361020}}
ladyrose65
12 years ago
This is truly ENABLING!!
roper2008
12 years ago
Wendy, your out of control perennials look pretty good to me. Like
you said just a little rearranging. Your garden is beautiful.
Garedenweed, that Mallow 'vulcan' is lovely. Might have to put that
on my wish list.

Linda
jodie74
12 years ago
I just LOVE your eye candy!! ;) You did a FANTASTIC job on your walkway too!

Seriously, you take some really beautiful pics!! I am so excited to WS yet so nervous tht somehow I'm gonna mess it up & it won't work for me! LOL

Jodie
gardenunusual
12 years ago
Those pics are reassuring. And, I figure that if mine don't come up there is always more seeds!!! I think gardening is a form of optimism.

Gorgeous!!!
livsauntieshel
12 years ago
Eileen- I have to tell you, the alyssum pics you've posted several times are super inspiring! I ordered 3 packs (more than 500 seeds) online, and they hadn't come by last weekend...and well...I bought more at my local nursery! Along with lupine..milkweed...4 o'clocks...etc etc! You are a total enabler, but I love it! Keep it coming!
countrycarolyn
12 years ago
You will love the alyssum!! I didn't realize till mid summer when they had managed to become a significant clump that little plant has a wonderful fragrance.
gardenunusual
12 years ago
Alyssum is awesome! I tossed the seeds under my front step, by midsummer I sheared them down half size and they came back! They smell so lovely. I find that when I was shopping for flowers in the nursery, they always looked leggy to me. Much better growing them myself.
roper2008
12 years ago
I love alyssum too. Smells really nice. I put a couple plants
in a hanging basket and it bloomed a long time. These were
not wintersown. What kind of alyssum is that you have gardenweed?

{{gwi:453530}}
gardenweed_z6a
Original Author
12 years ago
roper2008 - I winter sowed A. 'Royal Carpet' & 'Rosie O'Day' both from commercial seed packs. I think I must have planted seedlings from each together since I got both purple flowers & white. They bloomed non-stop right up to Thanksgiving with zero care & zero water--it didn't rain here from June to October 23 except for a few drips from a T-storm in July and I only watered the perennials planted near them. After enjoying them the whole growing season, I'm going to plant LOTS more this time!

I checked my notes--I WS alyssum on March 13, got first sprout March 27. First bloom on 6/14. They're buried under oak leaves at the moment but I won't be surprised if they self-seeded.
virginialily
12 years ago
Thanks for sharing all those pictures!! They are beautiful, just beautiful. I hope I will have some pictures for you next year, this is all very motivating, thanks a lot !!
ladyrose65
12 years ago
Roper2008, those are beautiful pictures!

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