Aster hiding in the Amsonia There comes a time in the fall when every gardener who gardens in a climate with a true winter season with snow and ice and, well, winter, must decide. Cut down those seed heads on the perennials and grasses or leave them standing thru the winter. The proponents of leaving the perennials alone for the winter point out that many of those seeds are food for the birds. Plus, all those perennials, even stripped of bloom and leaf, add that oft-spoken of … [Read more...] about Every gardener must decide: Cut Back or Leave Standing
seeds
Selection Sunday, Our thoughts turn to gardening
I bought and planted violas. It's Selection Sunday, when college basketball teams find out if they've been chosen to play in the NCAA tournament, and our thoughts turn to gardening, as they always do. This is to be expected, what with everyone talking about seeding and who will get which seed in the tournament. What gardener wouldn't immediately think about their seed stash and which seeds they are going to start indoors and which seeds they are going to sow outdoors? By now, most gardeners … [Read more...] about Selection Sunday, Our thoughts turn to gardening
Sowing Seeds
There’s nothing wrong with sowing the same seeds you’ve always sown, as long as you are happy getting the same results. And there is nothing wrong with the same results. Gardeners, people, gain comfort from sameness. Sameness is our anchor, allowing us to stay safely close to the shores we’re familiar with. But what if we just once decided to sow different seeds, casting sameness aside and lifting up the anchor to let ourselves drift to another shore? Would we see something there that … [Read more...] about Sowing Seeds
A Look Over My Shoulder As I Order Seeds
Got my seeds ordered. Ordered them all this evening, from five different seed companies. My first order was confirmed with an email at 9:44 pm EST. I'd guess I started ordering at 9:15 pm or so. The last order was confirmed at 11:15 pm. Other order confirmation times in between were 10:17 pm, 10:35 pm, and 10:58 pm. (Fascinating information, isn't it?) As you can see, the amount of time I spent on each website did vary a little bit, depending on what I was there for. I pulled up the … [Read more...] about A Look Over My Shoulder As I Order Seeds
Seed Giveaway for St. Valentine’s Day
On this St. Valentine's Day, when all our thoughts turn to love, I'm excited to pass along my love of gardening and seed sowing by teaming up with Nature's Crossroads, Earth-Friendly Seeds for Midwest Gardeners, to give away six packets of seeds to one reader, chosen by random drawing. After all, there is no better way to share one's love of gardening than to give someone a little plant or a packet of seeds so they can start their own garden. You may be moved by this holiday of love to select … [Read more...] about Seed Giveaway for St. Valentine’s Day
Seed Buying Advice
Have you ordered your seeds yet? Or are you still pondering upon a stack of seed catalogs, asking yourself questions like… How many milligrams are in an ounce, as you try to compare two packets of seeds that aren’t labeled with the same unit of measure, so you can figure out which one is the better deal? Is ‘French Breakfast’ a better radish then ‘Cherry Belle’, as you try to choose the one variety of radish you will grow in your garden this year? Will you be able to find all those … [Read more...] about Seed Buying Advice
