Can anybody suggest annuals that will grow quickly-ish from seed? I am in New York City (7b?) and have a garden in back but will not be doing my usual plant shopping at the Greenmarket and local plant stores (of course). I want to order online and could use recommendations for good place from which to order seeds. I have gro-lights at home I use just because my house is shady (to keep houseplants happy) but I can put seeds under there too. Also -- MUST I order e.g. perlite to start seeds? (would prefer to keep away from lots of boxes and bags, which is why I don't want to order plants either -- just want seeds this year) or can I just put some garden soil in containers with some fertilizer (I have lots of all that in my garden) to start seeds? I'm really looking for flowers, not vegetables (my garden doesn't do vegetables so well, pretty shady). So, for examples of seeds, how about: pansies? impatiens? (boring, but...)... what other annuals? THANKS so much for advice!!

Liz, if you want something that vines, I'd recommend "Cardinal Flower Vine" -- though have not tried them in shady conditions. Fast growing climber with bright red flowers ... a favorite for hummers.

Any suggestion for a place to order seeds and sterile potting mix from? I know I can go to the Big Guys like Home Depot, but how about a small business that could use support? thanks

Liz:

Fruition Seeds is an outstanding small seed farm located upstate near me in the Finger Lakes. They have a wonderful variety of seeds that are regionally adapted for success in the northeast, and all manner of growing supplies (including starter mix) as well. Their shipments are running on a bit of a delay given the current situation, but their quality and customer service can’t be beat:

https://www.fruitionseeds.com/

I have an "appointment" this afternoon at my favorite local nursery! They are restricting onsite shoppers by scheduling appointment times and limiting the number of people actually on the grounds at any given time. I need potting supplies and some seeds and I could have called in an order for pick up (or delivery) but I wanted to peruse the seed racks myself. And I have to admit I am going through a little bit of new plant withdrawal :-) It will be a welcome break - and hopefully a safe one as well - from being stuck at home for the last 3 weeks!

Liz, I also do much buying from Swallowtail Garden Seeds. They sell a large number of "nonstandard" seeds, often varieties I see at nurseries for sale, but not at any other seed site. It's a great source for hard-to-find seeds. But, beware that some of the new varieties have few seeds per package, so be sure to look at the seeds per package. Select Seeds and Renee's Garden Seeds are also dependable sources, and they will often have more seeds per package, as well, although not quite the selection compared to Swallowtail. All three of those vendors have significantly more seeds to choose from than stores.

sah, thanks for the Fruition tip. I'll check them out for future buying!

Other good seed suppliers:

- Stokes Seeds

- Johnny's

- Territorial

- John Scheeper's

As of this week, Johnny's is no longer taking new orders for home growers, and is only fulfilling commercial orders. They said any existing orders for home growers from before the policy went into place will be fulfilled.

Oddly enough for the first time in many years I put in a second round of seed orders for this season- back in January. Not because of C-19, but because I ordered the first round of seed earlier than usual. Wanted to do a second round to pick up the seeds that weren't in stock yet that early. And also was getting good enough with growing microgreens that I wanted to put in a order to Johnny's for big packets of seed. Glad I did then.

In mid Feb met up with MIL for a bit of lunch then we wandered the adjacent garden center a bit- they often have little indoor plants a bit year round, and it was around time for them to have their seed racks out. Renee's and Botanical Interests- picked up a few packets of random that otherwise wasn't worth it to order + shipping.

Then today I was out to the stores again for the first time in weeks. Needed a couple foodstuffs, and was out of liquid iodine. Found the iodine at our little dollar store. Along with their little rack of seeds, already marked down and well picked over. Picked up a couple handfuls of various that I wasn't really thinking about back in January, but in light of things thinking about having seed for now. green onions, regular carrots, some beets and radish. Most of my current seed stock there is getting a bit old and wanted a fresher stock on hand. Banana peppers- I thought I had seed but turned out I didn't. Some flowers. Probably my largest single off the rack seed purchase in a long time.

Usually my habit this time of year would have been to hit a goodly handful of places that sell seed locally, big stores and small. A packet or two here or there. But haven't gone out like that. So one big purchase this time of the in person buying of seed.

While my early seed ordering and such didn't change my buying pattern... my walk abouts for seed stopped and I did just buy up what all I wanted at once.

It was kind of funny. As picked over as that rack was, the okra slot was still completely full and untouched.

Otherwise, this is a bit of a grow out year for a lot of stuff for me with perennials. Grooming and some cleanup on what beds I already got. Still planning on the start up of some new raised beds out back.

Wow, glad I placed my seed orders on-time this year -- this usually means January for me, although occasionally I procrastinate and don't get orders in until early February. I did buy a good handful of Botanical Interests seeds off the rack in February, the local nursery was having 40% seeds, and they have quite a few things I wanted, can't beat the price for quality seed. The only thing I had trouble with was Fortex pole bean seeds -- Johnny's was on backorder, then when I checked back I noticed they were completely sold out of all quantities so I figured I wouldn't have the order fulfilled. Luckily, I was able to locate them through The Natural Gardening Co -- received them today.

What I realized I need as I was cleaning up the veggie garden this afternoon is straw. I think the nursery that is attached to the market I frequent carries straw -- at least I hope they do, because every other place that might have it is out. Although, maybe the feed stores would have some.

Well, again -- I'm thinking a good thing that might come out of this bizarre situation is it is sparking an interest in people to grow things.

I bought 5 different kinds of nasturtium seeds at the nursery today!! I rarely grow anything from seed other than sweet peas. Don't have the patience or the room and I have a pretty short list of annuals I would consider adding to my garden. And whatever veggies I grow are from starts, not seeds.

But nasturtiums are such bright, happy and easy to grow plants, I always have a pot or two going in summer, again from starts....don't need that many :-) But then when checking the seed racks today, I was smitten by the selection! 'Black Velvet' and 'Peach Melba' from Botanical Interests and 'Phoenix' (with feathered petal edges), 'Amazon Jewel' and 'Cherries Jubilee' from Renee's Garden. Gonna plant 'em this weekend!

Don't have the space to grow much from seed. I do have seeds from last year's Cardinal Climber -- far more than I need for my little balcony.

Have toyed now and then of trying a few sunflowers on my balcony, but suspect the winds would snap them in two once they got any real size on them.

Have never been successful with nasturiums.

Don’t forget nasturtiums are wholly edible as well as pretty.

Well, GG, you inspired me to pull out some "Empress of India" nasturtium seeds I had :0). Was going to move some ajania to a spot by the front walkway, but I forgot I have variegated iris there (I. pallida variegata) so changed my mind once I saw those re-appear a few weeks ago -- would be too much variegation. The nasturtium will be a beautiful foil for the iris.

Nasturtium salad

I placed most of my perennial orders on-line in the winter already. Pittsburgh's May Market a gardening booth event will be cancelled and that is disappointing. Have not missed it in like 15 years...and I would have bought stuff there for sure.

Paul -- Pretty! What does nasturtium taste like? I've read it is peppery.

"That Woman From Michigan" (LOL!) extended the stay at home mandate and tightened it to require that stores with garden/plant areas rope it off. Paint, too. Too bad it wasn't yesterday -- DH bought stain and stained some interior doors and I now*hate* how they look (but I do have to take at least partial blame -- I asked him to do it!).

Unfortunately, I started placing my hosta orders in early Jan after the alphabet was done. I have been laid up waiting for a hip replacement which was supposed to happen on April 6th, haha! It's been cancelled now and rescheduled for end of May---tentatively----just in time for me to go outside and plant all that I ordered!!! ARGGGGG! I will not order more hostas, but we will be doing a container vegetable garden so will be ordering or buying plants for that. Thank God I have a neighbor who I have employed for years now to help me in the yard/garden. I'll be relying on him more than usual this year.

I'm glad I made that big seed purchase when I did. Garden centers and supplies like seeds have been shut down till the end of the month.

Garden centers here are essential business and have been selling curb pick up throughout the shutdown. The week before Easter I picked up a bowl of pansies at the local grocery where I shop every two weeks at 5:30 a.m since it is open 24 hrs. and there are few other people around. Was also able to pick up some potting mix there to start tomato seeds.

They also sell seeds. Now you have me thinking of buying some nasturtium seeds to plant in a pot on the deck.

Bush bean seeds were ordered early and have already arrived.

I air dry seeds from my pole beans each year for the next year's crop.

I drove past my bulk soil place and they were open. I was really glad to see that. Garden stores aRE MORE essential than liqueur stores and gun stores in my way of looking at things. HD and Lowes don't have roma beans or rattlesnake green beans which are the variety that I need. I think I will drive to the next town and they have a hardware store/feed store/nursery with a display of Renee's Seeds. I got my tomatoes from the Natural Gardener in Austin in right before they shut down there. The Governor has left it up to the counties and towns the decision wether to close up or stay open. My zipcode (and it is a 30 x30 mile area ) has one person sick. Many counties not on the IH35 population strip are case free so there is no need for them to shut down.

Austin has 800 cases but other areas in Travis county have 1 0r 2 cases and they are holding at that. We are closed down but I see some people doing work arounds. I am in the this is an over reaction camp. I think there should be different reactions for different areas. I think I will hook up my trailer and get 2 tons of dirt and compost. I was out buying plywood for building projects. I am not going to sit still. I will continue the best I can and do what they ask wear my mask & gloves; stay away from crowds and no parties. I helped a lung compromised woman prepare for some movers that are coming by on Tomorrow. I asked her what she wanted from me in protective gear. I wore a mask but gloves wear not asked for. The stuff will be in boxes for a month or more. She has a non contagious tuberculosis bacterial infection.

I think this will be a new way of life for us all with gloves, masks and social distancing. It is the only way for us all in crowded cities like mine to coexist until there is a vaccine for us.
I agree that garden centers are a necessity for all people everywhere. It is a wonderful rewarding hobby. I winter sowed many seeds here and I have some veggies to direct sow when it is time. I was happy to have the seed already. I have big box stores open but I don’t want to go anywhere except for meds and food.
When the curve starts going the other way here we will be cautiously optimistic. I think we will be home for some time.
I am so sad for anyone who has lost a family member from this virus. Such an isolated death for their people to live through.

I am wondering how the nuts and bolts of thie nursery "curb side pick-up" will work as the season progresses. I am just looking ahead....with the incredible variety of summer annuals, almost no "brick and mortar" nurseries that I have seen in the past have had a detailed catalogue for such plants i.e. annuals. That's gotta change if one is to be able to accurately make an (on-line) order?

For those of you much further south, with the gardening season for annuals much further along it simply can't work just phoning in an order of...say for example

• 10 variegated geraniums with the pink flower
• 5 "Persian Shield" (Strobilanthes dyerianus)
• 6 Proven Winner lantanas "Berry Blend"

How will/does it work for your area?

Home depot and lowes king Feed and some garden centers are open due to they are attached to feed stores and hardware stores. They do not close off the areas. It is crazy that illinois closed them and paint departments off. It is a lot easier to social distance in them than the NYC subway.

Rouge, i also wonder how my greenhouse will handle that also. It is usually wall to wall flats. The isles are only one person wide. I like to pick out my own perennials and veg plants. Maybe they will spread the flats out among the different greenhouses on the farm instead of just the one. I guess I will see in a few weeks.

Since garden centers are shut down here, and I'm not very likely to get out to the big towns any time soon to try hitting the farm stores that may or may not have sets...

I ordered onion sets online for the first time. Usually I pick some up either at a local center or a farm store when in the big towns around this time of year.

Lovely to see some familiar names on here - I have not been in a great while. This is a very interesting thread!! So much shut down, and small local businesses struggling to set up shopping online. This is quite the learning curve. I have been able to get most of my seeds at grocery stores and Walmart. I am worried about tomato plants and such - that will be hard without doing a little browsing. We are being discouraged from driving to the next town, to keep from spreading it. My concern is that here community gardens have been deemed non-essential. This will prevent many without their own space from growing food. Take care all - nice to 'see' you.

Thankfully, nurseries are still open here in TN. I have been pretty careful due to the diabetes and asthma...was planning on not going anymore after a few well-spaced runs several weeks ago.

However, a nursery offered to replace a dying blueberry when I asked what happened to it. I didn’t want to turn that down! I went to two nurseries within 5 minutes of each other and came home with so many plants! Employees at both places were very careful, as well as the patrons. I am very excited b/c I was seriously missing my normal NC farmers’ market run this time of year and didn’t think I would find a similar place. Turns out between these two nurseries and a few online orders plus my winter-sowed plants and seed orders, I am good to go! :)

Community gardens non essential!!! That's crazy. When Russias the ecconomy shut down in the 1990's it was their system of small tiny garden plots that kept people fed. it was a much more developed system than the community garden plots of the US but many many people there have small plots that they garden and it is essential not a hobby. Still; sadly 1.5 million excess death happened because of the shut down of their industrial core. Life expectancy went from upper 70's to 59 (men more than women) That is what I am afraid of. There are many ways to die when you are poor. The fact that we are doing this for a cold that is has not through data proven more deadly than a beverage year of the common flu makes me really puzzled. All their models have been proven wrong by "the order of magnitude". I just talked to a doctor last night at our neighborhood meeting (yes we were misbehaving) and he is in full agreement. There are some extrapolations made from the blanket testing of all pregnant women giving birth in the NYC; NJ; Con (NY metro area) area had found that 15% were infected and 89% were asymptomatic. This sampling if spread over the entire area would mean that2 million were infected in the northeast densely populated area and the the death toll was .02% not 2% or 8% off the infected as some people's models are projecting. There is some larger random testing studies coming from the EU that corroborate thais also. I refuse to be manufactured into a fearful stay at home cowering in place human. This is good news and the papers are not reporting it. Only doomsday projections are click bate.I am a mostly cowering in place person right now but I do not do this willingly and I won't be doing this for long unless the need becomes apparent to my eyes and not some far off Fauci proclaimed model. I will join those in Ohio out in the streets protesting it.

We are talking here about the difference in our shopping practices for plants during this epidemic. It is not so much that we want anything closed or shut down by a virus. I am following what is asked of us here by our mayor. I will garden as usual with hopefully some extra plants to share with family. I am in agreement that I love that fact that more families are going out in their yards and planting a garden too. One center that I shop at has emailed that they are open so that is great for me. If my winter sown plants don’t show than I have a nice place to shop. I am sure they will be smart and spread the plants out in the center and help their customers to stay safe. We are in this to keep the elderly and the ones who can catch this virus safe from an awful alone death if possible.

I was heart broken when my bi annual plant swap was closed . Since then we have completed are swap individually on the sly.

Completely agree with you, Wantonamara. I am in the this is a complete and utter over-reaction that is destroying lives in ways other than a sickness from which most are recovering camp.

Nice haul, TNflowerlover!

Happy to say the company I ordered onion starts from confirmed they will ship at the end of the month- right on time for my garden.

I've been using a lot more red onions lately, so opted to get yellow, white and red onion combo pack. Looking forward to growing red onions for the first time this year.

And that's a great bunch of plants TNflowerlover, good show!

So I kept my nursery "appointment" of a couple of weeks ago. I was one of maybe 5 customers on a 7 acre site and even with a number of employees working and stocking, it was easy to social distance and browse without concern of overt infection. I collected the seeds I wanted, checked out the new stock, enjoyed tables of pansies, primulas and early blooming annuals and ordered my potting supplies, which were loaded for me.

Now all I have to do is figure out how this little old lady schlepps 5, 40+ pound bags of potting soils and supplies out of the back of my car and down a steep 100 foot pathway to my garden when all I have is a collapsible grocery cart and a wheelbarrow with a flat tire!!

Happily, local greenhouses have been deemed essential in Minnesota. I have three local greenhouses who gets the lions share of my business for the past 25 years. If they offer curbside service - great. I have my lists ready. If not I will pick a cold rainy/snowy day and get there when the doors open. I always buy my annuals well in advance of Mother’s Day up here in zone 3a and schlepp them in and out.

I live in Central Texas. I used to be quite rural, but the cities are exploding with people moving here, so I now have closer buying options. Unfortunately, smaller nurseries closed up when Covid-19 showed up, but home improvement stores are considered essential businesses, so I picked up some garden supplies from one of those. I just do some container gardening for vegetables that I prefer really fresh, and I've only added a couple of new vegetables. I still have to pot up some hanging baskets for my front porch, and I haven't decided what plant to fill them with yet. I haven't really changed my gardening I suppose, but I am wearing a mask when I go out.

The difference I see between garden purchases at big box (Lowe's, Home Depot) stores and independent garden businesses around here (NJ) is the availability of curbside pick up at the independent places. This is not a thing at Lowe's or Home Depot. Also, big box stores (from what I read in the newspaper, under the headline, "Is Mulch Essential?"), are way more crowded. I did a drive by of a small local place and there was no one there. Also, (if you are in NJ), a great place called "Plant Detectives" quickly put together an online list to facilitate curbside service. So, besides the fact that it's great to support small, independent garden centers (they have the unique stuff, right?), it seems like a better way to avoid lots of close contact, so it's a win-win.

wantonamara, I have not been not much of a vegetable grower. In fact, last year I grew none. With our income completely gone now I'm wishing I had invested in seeds and food plots! I'm going to be sure to do that as much as I can this year and make preparations for future years.

Of course, after the planting we have to make sure we eat the stuff, which for some reason seems to be a challenge. It's the reason I haven't delved into vegetables much. Maybe it's because our summers are the busiest season of all for us? Not sure. We eat vegetables, but my husband is the cook and eats what inspires him and not what we have. In the past, our fresh vegetables were not eaten like they should have been.

We were talking about Texas this week. Rumor is you all might be the first ones to open up your economy, which would actually be helpful as far as data collection. Even though some find this uncomfortable, it's the variations in responses that give us the most knowledge in the end. I don't know if I ever mentioned what a sweet older lady up here said to me the first time we were introduced. She said, "Hi, I'm <name>, from the

Great-State-of-Texas-the-only-state-that-was-a-sovereign-nation-before-it-was-a-state." Totally cracked me up!

Up here now we can't buy any of it -- the garden areas of the big boxes and large superstores are now closed down too. DH knows of someone who got a $1000 ticket for trying to buy mulch. No grass cutting either (unless DIY), although some municipalities are refusing to enforce that.

That is a funny intro. Some of us have an oversized pride of place. Obviously she forgot about Hawaii a sovereign country victimized by a bloodless coop exercised by the use navy manipulated by American plantation owners. oops I am getting Of topic. Well I am off to a liquor store to get some ever clear to mix some shellac flakes then off to Ace Hardware to get some compost and roma bean seeds. I will be pickling and freezing some beans hopefully.

"Up here now we can't buy any of it -- the garden areas of the big boxes and large superstores are now closed down too "

@mxk3: That's because our governor is a moron.

The difference I see between garden purchases at big box (Lowe's, Home Depot) stores and independent garden businesses around here (NJ) is the availability of curbside pick up at the independent places. This is not a thing at Lowe's or Home Depot. Also, big box stores (from what I read in the newspaper, under the headline, "Is Mulch Essential?"), are way more crowded.

Yesterday the sheriff here raided Lowe's for lack of social distancing and served a notice to stay closed until a health-and-safety plan had been approved by the county. By this morning a plan had been approved--it is essentially the company-wide plan announced weeks ago, but with an explicit limit on the number of customers inside the store at one time.

That store has curbside pickup, but not for the garden-center items I need. I had already planned to expand vegetable and cutting-flower plantings, and because of thin, rocky soil almost all of my gardening is in raised beds. Thus, I need soil mix for the raised beds, which is not available for curbside pickup even though they have plenty. The reason seems to be that it can't be shipped, and the ordering process is the same for both shipping and pickup.

The independent store that I rely on for hard-to-find things doesn't officially offer curbside pickup, but I'm fairly confident that if I order and pay over the phone, they'll be happy to load everything in the back of my car anyway.

The independent garden center was happy to arrange curbside pickup. This company has been in business here for 140 years.

Pretty! What does nasturtium taste like? I've read it is peppery.

I missed this post before, but it's an interesting question. Yes, it is peppery, similar to watercress, and that is why the common name of Tropaeolum is nasturtium: the scientific name of watercress is Nasturtium officinale. "Officinale" in a plant name indicates that the plant has, or was thought to have, a medicinal use.

Do you know the novel Outlander, or the television series derived from it? In Outlander, the main character, Claire, is a 20th-century nurse who finds herself suddenly in 18th-century Scotland. At one point she treats a sick person with oil of nasturtium. A question arose about whether nasturtium (Tropaeolum), being an American plant, was available in Scotland at that time. At the author's request, I looked into it. It's most likely that the reference was to N. officinale, a European plant that grows in Britain, but it turns out that Tropaeolum was introduced into England in the 17th century and so could certainly have been available in Scotland in the 18th.

Replying to my own post: I have an order pending with Graceful Gardens that is supposed to be picked up at the Ithaca farmer's market. I don't know whether it will be operating when the order is ready for pickup, but I know for sure that I won't be going there. I am hoping that they will allow me to pick it up at the nursery (not ordinarily allowed).

Amanda at Graceful Gardens emailed today. They are not going to the farmer's market either, and are requesting pickup at the nursery. On the arranged day, they'll box up the order and place it in the barn for unattended pickup.

Interesting read about Scotland and nasturtium. Very glad told us this tidbit and also came back answered your own question. Enjoy your new plants when you get them.

" but it turns out that Tropaeolum was introduced into England in the 17th century and so could certainly have been available in Scotland in the 18th."

Doesn't really surprise me. There were quite a few American natives that did not become popular in America until after they had first become popular in the UK.