Specialty Gardening: Join Us! Seed Swap Seed Starting & Conversation #3, 1 by tabasco

tabasco wrote:
Everyone is getting very creative on their seed starting techniques!

Last year I had all kinds of coffee filters taped to my front parlor (sunny) windows with seeds waiting to germinate. The neighbors wanted to know what the heck was going on and my kids said I couldn't do it this year...boo hoo!

I think Norm Deno's germinating methods (coffee filter/paper towel method) are fun and good to know about for the home gardener--really simplifies and demystifies some seeds that are a bit challenging and boils it down to 'seed starting for dummies' which is about my kind of gardening!

For those who are lurking and want to know more, here is a little run down on Deno's book and thoughts on germinating: http://www.frogswell.com/sowingthedenoway.htm

I also have American Horticultural Society's (DK Publishing) book on 'Propagation' which is a nice all round source on how to multiply your plants too which someone on DG recommended to me. It doesn't cover wintersowing, though, which I think is a key method for people like me.

About the daffs--what a neat photo of your daffs and tulips with the buddha! So springlike and just the tonic I need for this cold morning! Some of my early ones are about 4 inches out of the ground and I think they will bloom in late March--maybe 'Jack Snipe'--Illoquin will know the names of the early ones--she is very into the daffs and ADS.

I have a few Siberian Iris in yellow including the old 'butter and sugar' (is that the name of it?) and several others. A couple years back I really got into them and ordered about 30 kinds from Ensata Gardens...some have perished but others seemed to have thrived and work well in our changeable spring climates.

I planted Eremurus 2 years ago and some never returned because I crowded them out with summer over plantings, so I replant eremurus every fall. My neighbors love them, and I like them with the bearded iris, too...White camassias would do well here if I would refrain from overwatering them in the summer (again I over-plant the area with summer bloomers) and if the chipmunks and voles/moles didn't bother them. I thought they were pretty with the peonies and clematis.

Here is a nice cottage with a garden--not mine, but a nice one! I can dream, can't I?!!