Last year I sowed some seeds from Frances William a friend had collected from hers..like Sierra I didnt know what to expect and sowed them all..lol..I had a multitude of babies and had to give alot away but they were large enough by late summer to plant out,they were about 4" across...savona

Yup, just like you two I didn't know how many to plant so I have a thick carpet of young hostas. They are seeds from Frances William and Elegans, from Laurie. Most of mine are somewhat smaller than your large one Laurie, and there are a lot just starting to come up.

Savona, was there much variation in leaf colour/pattern in your Frances William seedlings? I'm not sure what to expect but nothing looks variegated like Laurie's. (very nice BTW!)

Savona, I have 11 sprouts in the blue poppy bowl. If you would like some once they get a little bigger let me know. They are tiny little things so far. It seems like everyday now, more sprouts appear.

Sierra

Hey Sierra,

(Sorry I haven't emailed you back, been really busy.) Anyways, I wouldn't mind some poppy sprouts. I'll be down on Apr. 16 for a CT Scan and then again on May 9 to pick my Mom up from the airport and then again May 16 to bring her back. We'll have to get together a couple of those times. Let me know.

Syreeta

Thank you for the offer Sierra..I have a container of meconopsis grandis "wintersowed" in the greenhouse..I should know in the next few weeks if anything is going to sprout in it..if not and you have extra poppies still, I would love a couple :-) I will let you know soon and maybe I have something you would like and do a trade..savona

My boys were pretty happy yesterday as their thunbergia vines are coming up, along with the gazania 'Kontiki Stars and Stripes'.

And I see some teeny weenie sprouts coming in the snapdragon 'Peaches and Cream' container.

Hosta update: Littlest one in the bottom left of the above picture has dried up and died. :(

Hi Syreeta, Sure we can get together, we will have to talk closer to those dates....back to work here, and don't know what my schedule will be.

Hey Savona, sure let me know.

Sierra

I got a few more seeds planted on Saturday, a week later than planned - snapdragons, petunias, statice, and african daisy. Now I'm done until mid-April, when tomatoes and peppers go in.
Connie

Yesterday I indoor sowed...
ACHNATHERUM calamagrostis
LATHYRUS vernus

Heads up on Gardens North, keep your eye on the website in April for their annual seed sale, when all remaining
seed on the web site (exclusive of fresh-seed shipments) is half price for the month.
Sharon

Laurie, have your Peony seeds popped up yet? No germination for me yet.

This morning, I transplanted all the Daturas and after work I will transplant the Coleus into 3" squares.

April should be a busy month for sowing seeds for all of us.

Sharon

No Sharon, my peonies haven't sprouted yet either. Was it 3 months that they had to be kept warm, and then go into the fridge for awhile? If so, then mine won't go into the fridge until the end of the month.

Laurie, I just looked up Tom's site, it says Peonies have impervious seed coats. Shake in dry sharp sand or nick carefully with a file. Slow germinator - up to a year or more. Store seeds in layers of moist sand in the shade. Check seeds regularly in the spring, and sow them all as soon as radicles appear.

and then GN, says... Seed germinates after a long period of warm, then requires cold treatment for first leaf emergence.

So therefore, I threw them out with the wintersowers ;)

Sharon

You know Sharon, that sounds like a good idea! Let Mother Nature take care of 'em. I'll do that too once it warms up a little more than -18 overnight. With any luck that should be by May!lol

Today, I sowed indoors ....
Amaranthus caudatus Velvet Curtains
Amaranthus caudautus Love-Lies-Bleeding
Nicotiana ÂPerfume Deep PurpleÂ
Nicotiana x sanderae ÂFragrant CloudÂ
Pennisetum setaceum Fountain Grass (I did a batch a couple of months ago too)

Any new indoor sowings for you?

Sharon

I indoor sowed my Phlox drummondi Twinkle Mix a couple of days ago. I should go check how they're doing. Everything else is coming along nicely, although a few hostas seem to have died. I threw out the begonias that didn't sprout. Still holding a candle for the ligularia :0

I freaked the other day, I caught my puppies in the living room with a potted datura seedling, chewing on it. I thought they were going to get poisoned but I don't think they actually ate much of it and they were fine. Didn't even vomit or act funny. Phew! They're not allowed in the basement but they snuck down and found the datura.

It figures that your puppies would find the datura, Gil, among all the other plants. I'm glad they're okay!

I've done some indoor sowing in the past few weeks but never got around to reporting it. I've done:
Castor beans (only 2/8 came up)
Blue-eyed daisy
Nierembergia 'Mont Blanc'
White gazania (from a trade, none showed up) Gazania 'Kontiki Mix' (all germinated)
Nemesia 'Carnival Mix'
Nicotiana - green, rosy red, pale pink, 'Perfume', 'Perfume Mix' and 'Perfume Deep Purple'
Nigella hispanica

Just wanted to share something that my friend Cora told me she has done (she's lurked here, btw, but never posted. Hi Cora!) - she has her lights set up over their pool table and she draped an emergency blanket over them to reflect all the light back on to her trays. Interesting, eh? Maybe someday i can convince her to post and let us know how things worked out.

That is a good idea to use the emergency blanket. The more light the better. Hi Cora, don't be afraid to post here. We don't bite.:0)

Ok Gillian, what kind of tips do you have for planting the phlox? Depth, soil, light, dark, etc?? Glad to hear your pups were ok too. Datura makes for a nasty salad.:(

Hey Laurie, plant the phlox in darkness, with humidity, on or near the soil surface. Mine are not warm, just on the basement floor, but they have sprouted roots already. Interestingly, I planted half last year's seed and half fresh seed I collected in the fall. All the fresh seed has sprouted and none of the old seed yet. Not a coincidence, I'm guessing ;0) Anyone I sent seed to got fresh seed, BTW

Marcia, do you soak your Castor beans in warm water overnight before you sow them? This helps alot to get them sprouting.

Gil, thank goodness the puppies are ok.

Sharon

Sharon, i forgot completely to do that. I guess i'm used to winter sowing and just didn't think about it. I have some seeds left, so i'll soak them and see what happens.

Speaking of soaking, you sent me some seeds for Butterfly Peas. Am i right in assuming that these should be started indoors and soaked beforehand? I should have asked before just in case they had to be started earlier.

Found some seeds in town but no one had brachycome. However, we have to go back on Monday, so when dh is in the dentist, i'm going out to the nursery to see if they have any there. And i'll get to have a good wander around and sniff some moist soil! Yippee!

I seem to be a bit late this year with indoor seeding...I think I started a week or two earlier last year. It'll probably work out though, the way our spring is shaping up. Planting might be later this year.

Kochia
Millet 'Purple Majesty'
California Poppies 'Champagne and Roses'
California Poppies 'Buttermilk'
Viola 'Amber Kiss'
Pink Lavatera
Marigolds 'Orange Gem'
Marigolds 'Disco Mix'
Scented Stocks
Sweet Williams
Unknown Trollius
German Winter Thyme

Millet, Stocks and Kochia have all sprouted within 2-3 days! Ahhhhhh, what a feeling!

Yes Marcia, the Clitoria ternatea Butterfly Pea seeds benefit with an overnight soaking too.

Thats great Toots, don't let the Millet 'Purple Majesty' get root bound, they don't like that and will stunt their growth if you do so. Grow them in 5" pots before transplanting them out.

Just a warning, Kochia grows very fast ;)

Sharon

Sharon, LOL! I was so worried about starting those two because they're totally new to me and the millet seeds were so pricey I thought they muuust be a tough one...lets just say hubby wont be eating at the table this spring :^)

I planted the millet in about 3 1/2 inch newspaper pots.
Every seed germinated and I hate to pull one out, so maybe once they're off and running I'll split them (2 in each pot right now) and put each seedling into a bigger pot...do they seperate and transplant well?

Toots, I've always sowed each seed separate in their own pots, IÂm sure they will separate ok, just like any other ornamental grass, as long as you un-tease the roots apart carefully making sure you don't break off the crowns.

They do transplant ok into the garden but I have given up on this plant. IÂve tried 3 times and they just donÂt grow tall and majestic here like you see in catalogues. As well the wind just whips the leaves to shreds.
Maybe youÂll have better luck.

Sharon, I agree with you about the millet - I have also tried the 'Jester' with the same disappointing results. I'm going to experiment and plant some of the same seeds inside as well as outside to see what happens. So far I have planted inside:
Petunia - Blue Morn
Petunia - Purple Wave
Petunia - Silver Wave
Petunia - White Cascade
Phlox - Twinkle Mix
Coleus - Wizard Mix
Rudbeckia - Prairie Sun (I'll try some outdoors as well)
Rudbeckia - Cherokee Sunset (ditto)
Amaranthus - Magic Fountain Mix
Dahlia - Bishop's Children
Snapdragon - Light Pink Butterfly
Snapdragon - Orange Bi-color
Snapdragon - Purple Bi-color
Snapdragon - Deep Bronze Floral Showers
Snapdragon - White Floral Showers
Aster - Pink Tower (I'll try some asters outside)
Aster - Sea Shells
Aster - Starlight
Aster - Pom Pom
Aster - Lilliput
Mirabilis - Lime (will try outside as well)
Mirabilis - Broken Colors
Livingston Daisy
Brachycome - Bravo Mix
Gypsophila - Gypsy Deep Rose
Heliotrope - Marine
Bidens - Golden Eye
Gallardia - Sundance Bicolor
Alternanthera - Purple Knight
Lupine - Sunrise
Kniphofia - Flamenco
Elymus cinereus (I'll try the grasses outside as well)
Lagurus ovatus - Bunny Tails
Melica ciliata
Carex buchananii - Red Rooster
Stipa tenuissima
That's all for now but I will be sowing the faster growing ones next week.
Penny

Thanks Gillian for the tips on phlox. I'll have to get those going soon. And I guess I'd better get my castor beans soaking too.

Is it too early to start zinnias yet?

Laurie, last year I started zinnias on April 8 and they were perfect for planting out at the end of May. Wm Dam is a bit pokey sending me my backordered zinnia seed this year - as soon as they come in I'll be sowing them.

As to the Purple Millet - grow them on in good sized pots and don't be in a hurry to plant them out as they're finicky about cool temps. I've had the best luck with them in a more sheltered spot - as Sharon says, the leaves will tear in a windy area.

I spent yesterday transplanting asters and a few other things, and sowed a whole lot. I took the plunge and moved everything that's already been transplanted into the greenhouse yesterday. Last night got to -8C, and my little heater kept the inside at +10C.

Thanks Pudge. I just finished planting the phlox, so I'll get going on the zinnias and maybe do the salvia 'Mojito' while I'm at it.

Penny, looks like you were busy, nice flowers there!

Pudge, what kind of heater do you use?

Laurie, I started my Salvia 'Mojito' today, also red ones. I think they will look cool planted together, what do you think??

I also planted Gaillardia and Snaps. I was going to plant more but got lazy. More wintersowing tomorrow I think.

Mytime, it's a 1500 watt electric space heater w/oscillating fan, and my greenhouse is 8x12.

Thanks, Pudge. Is it ceramic, quartz, regular old electric?

Yep, just regular electric. 2 years ago we lined the interior of the greenhouse with plastic and taped (clear duct tape) the seams and anywhere that heat could escape or cold air could enter. This made quite a bit of difference in heating the greenhouse (wood frame covered with that rigid corrugated plastic). Prior to that, the heater could keep the inside only 10C warmer than outdoors.

Gillian, I think Mojito would go nicely with red. I also started some ornamental cabbage 'Oksana Mix' yesterday too. I sure hope we're about 6 weeks away from our last frost date......with the way the weather's been lately, who knows. At least now they're forecasting +16 and +18 for this weekend. Yahoo!!!

Everyone has been so busy!

All my seedlings in front of my livingroom window are coming along nicely -- Amaranthus 'Velvet Curtains', Impatiens, and various coleus. Quite a short list compared to most of you here! LOL

Just this morning I added one container of African Daisy 'African Moon'. I can't wait to see this one blooming because the pic on the packaging is sooooooo pretty!

I started African Daisy 'African Moon' this week, also. Hopefully I started it soon enough. I love Osteospermum in my deck boxes, and have always used soft yellow with other plants in coral and periwinkle. African Daisy 'African Moon' will be what I use to choose the other plants this year. Hopefully it's as pretty as it looks!

{{gwi:698742}}
Impatiens auricoma Jungle Gold

Look what's blooming today, not outdoors of course ;)

Sharon

Wow, very cool looking impatiens Sharon!

Very pretty Sharon. I'm going to have to try those next year. I have a few plants budded, Dianthus Supra Purple, Petunia Blue Morn and some Gazinia.
I have been pinching lots of buds off too. I want the plants to bush out.

Hey Gillian, I got phlox sprouts coming up! I guess I did the dance right!lol I've also got one sprout of the salvia 'Mojito' too. Zinnias came up in 1 day, and the ornamental cabbage was up in 2 days. Just waiting on the castor beans now.

Woo hoo! Good 4 you Laurie :0) My older phlox seed is sprouting now too, but nowhere near the rate of the new seed. I don't have any salvias up yet but it's only been a couple of days.

Sharon, wow that is a pretty impatiens. I have a pink penstemon blooming already too.

The pups got into the basement again last night and murdered two lupines and gave a penstemon a short haircut. $*% puppies.

Wow break out the sun glasses ,Sharon your impatiens is hot! I started fireworks dahlia seeds February 4th and the first one is now blooming..I'm kind of pleased with the colour :-)..savona
{{gwi:736830}}

I like it Savona!

Is that ever pretty , Savona!

Thanks for the purple millet tips everyone...I never would have thought it would be so sensitive to the wind. That may be a problemo in my garden :^( If they aren't likely to get too big they may end up in some half barrel planters so I can strategically place them out of the wind.

This is the first time growing this one, Supra Purple Dianthus. It has a nice scent too.

I really like your Fireworks dahlia, Savona.

Very nice Shelley, I can smell your Supra right thru my monitor, you're going to love this annual, it blooms all season and it loves the heat. I started some last year and was very pleased with so I just sowed some indoors the other day too. I think I will plant them all in my rock garden this year.

Sharon

I am really far behind this year. This week, I started 3 kinds of marigold, painted daisies, zulu and orange prince veniduim, 2 kinds of hollyhocks, cleome, alyssum, angel trumpet,calendula, godetia.

I also got a lot of transplanting done into cells and pots....still more to do. I also potted up the the bag of glads.....and the new acquisions that I bought this week.

Anything that was blooming or with buds, I pinched back.

Sierra

Well, I don't have anything blooming, but here's a couple of shots of what the greenhouse is holding. It's already full, and I have about another 15 flats yet to go in there. Hmmm...soon will be time to start hardening off the perennials and tougher annuals.

Nice to look at Pudge. My greenhouse won't be started up till next month.

I did get some organizing done with the light stands today. I also started 5 kinds of poppies and some white coneflowers.

Sierra