Friday, March 21, 2008

Winter Sowing Update 3-21-08

Even though it's spring, it doesn't feel like it today. It's cold, but thankfully we aren't getting the snow the upper Midwest is getting.

I took a stroll around the soggy yard today to see if anything else was blooming besides my lone crocus, other than one other purple crocus, there isn't. I wasn't too disappointed though because I'd rather the blooms hold off just a little longer until it warms up so I can really enjoy them. I saw a lot of tulip, lily and daffodil sprouts coming up. Soon, it will really look and feel like spring!

This picture was taken spring 2007. I hope the pink tulips are as pretty this year.

I checked on my winter sowing containers on the patio and there are more sprouts. Here are the containers that have germinated so far:

#1- Foxglove, Candy Mountain
#2 & 3 -English poppy
#10 & 11- Cosmos
#17- Alyssum
#18- Gazania

I don't think I had ever made a complete listing, in one post, of what I had winter sowed, so here is my winter sowing list for 2008:

1- Foxglove, Candy Mountain
2 & 3- English Poppy
4- Foxglove Excelsior Mix
5- Blanketflower Gaillardia Aristata
6- Delphinium, Blue Bird
7- Delphinium, pacific Giants, Mixed color
8- Milkweed, Rose, Asclepias incarnata
9- Viola
10 & 11- Cosmos
12- Bellflower, Campanula carpatica -Blue
13- Lantana (This is just an experiment since I had plenty of seed. Considering this is zone 5, I doubt it will be successful.)
14- Columbine
15- Daisy Garden wildflower mix, (Black-eyed Susan, Blanket flower, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Shasta Daisy, Tricolor Chrysanthemum)
17 Alyssum
18 & 19 Gazania
20 & 23 Larkspur
21 Milkweed
22 Hollyhock
24 Ipomopsis Hummingbird mix
26 Butterfly bush
27 Malva

I'm missing numbers 16 and 25, I'm not sure what happened, I may have skipped the numbers or just forgotten to write down what I sowed.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Glad to hear that your seedlings are sprouting nicely and you have outdoor activity too. So do we...it's snowing again. NOT the kind of activity I'd like to be reporting on, mind you...

Gail said...

Wow! That is an impressive list. I am excited to see how they look in the garden.

gail
clay and limestone

Anonymous said...

This year is my first for planting tulips. (Don't know quite why). And I'm kind of disappointed. But then I bought the bulbs locally. I think I'll mail order next year.
Brenda

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Gosh Robin you have a long list of flowers sprouted in your winter sowing. I must try this next year. Poppies are a must have for me. I think the one I planted last year survived. I hope some of its seeds come up this spring too. I don't have good luck with poppies or at least I haven't up until now.

Diana said...

Robin - that's a beautiful Spring 2007 photo. It just exudes "Spring-ness." I so wish we could grow tulips here, or that I could. I just read an Austin blog from a gardener who has tulips blooming - so maybe it's me. In any case, yours were lovely. I am so impressed by your seed list. And to think I am babying and fretting over 6 seedlings. Literally. 6. 6. and 4 of those are the second attempt because I killed the first 4 when I took the cloche off! So I will happily watch your garden grow. Happy Easter.

Mary said...

Robin, it's best everything waits. What I have blooming got bitten last night - temps from 60 to 30 overnight. This happens too often! But at least we aren't living in a snow storm...

Your sowing update is really impressive. I can't wait to start planting again. A few more weeks...

Oh, those pink tulips are beautiful.

Mary

Amy said...

I just learned about winter sowing a few weeks ago (on several garden blogs). It sounds like a great way to start seeds. I'd really like to try this next winter!

Katarina said...

You've sewn a great amount of seeds, haven't you? -How pretty your garden will look in a few months... The pink tulips look great - I hope they'll come back as lovely this year...
Happy Easter!
/Katarina

The Giraffe Head Tree said...

Wow....I'm impressed by your list, Robin. Amazing! Now, I've some news for you - I've tagged you for a meme. Blame John at Born Again Bird Watcher! Go check out my blog for more information - Debi @ GHT!!! Can't wait to see what you share with us all...!

Kerri said...

Those tulips are glorious Robin! It's exciting to think of seeing them again soon, isn't it?
I'm glad to hear you've had some WS seeds sprouting. That's a nice long list. I'll be anxious to hear how successful you are with them all.
A very happy Easter to you! We have sunshine today, but chilly temps and a cold breeze.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Jodi, thanks for stopping by. I've enjoyed your recent blog post about blogging and I'm so glad you visit my blog.

Hi, Gail, I'm excited about seeing a yard full of blooms too.

Brenda, I didn't plant tulips when I lived in Alabama, they never came back up. I love being able to grow them here.

Lisa, just wait until I list what I have growing in the house! I hope those poppies make it. I've never grown them before.

Diana, keep trying. I wish I could figure out what is happening to your seedlings.

Mary, those spring frosts and freezes can be so disheartening. I hope we don't have spring blooms damaged this year.

Amy, this is my first year, I hope it really works. So far, so good.

Thank you Katarina, Happy Easter to you too.

Debi, I've already stopped by your blog. I'll have to give that one some thought.

Kerri, I hope you have a wonderful Easter too. I also hope it warms up soon for you, I'm so anxious to see your spring blooms.

garden girl said...

Robin, I'd never heard of winter sowing before - what a great idea! This is something to keep in mind for next year. I'll be watching with interest how your winter sown plants turn out.

Anonymous said...

I know you share lots of plants and help plant this crop around town. A lot of people must benefit from you generosity. Your neighbors and your friends love you. I might try a window box like this in the fall. It looks stunning. Please take pics this year of all the places you seeds end up.

Annie in Austin said...

Maybe it won't be too long until your pink tulips are actually blooming, Robin.

I'm relieved to know some of the plants are going elsewhere, after imagining you wandering frantically around the yard, looking for somewhere to plant all those seedlings ;-]

Annie at the Transplantable Rose