WS'ing with cub scouts

I was thinking about doing a winter sowing project with my son's cub scout den. Can you guys recommend some flowers that are almost sure to germinate? (we are in zone 6).

Thanks!
Pam

What fun!

In addition to "almost sure to germinate," look for plants that will bloom their first year (half-hardy annuals, and a few -- but not most -- perennials).

If the kids do gallon milk jug containers, they might do as my nieces and nephew did last year and plant 2 or 3 kinds of seed in a container (be sure to pick ones with different-looking foliage!)... that way, something is bound to do well. If you're winter sowing a lot of things, single containers are the way to go because of different germination times, etc., but for a kid experiment I'd definitely do combos.

One of my favorites is Yellow Ox-Eye or False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra). It will bloom the first year from WS seed, and it just gets bigger (and taller!) the next year. There's a photo of it at the bottom of my WS article from last Groundhog's Day: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/585/ I can offer you seeds of this one. Given how well they "volunteer" in my garden, chives and garlic chives should do well in WS containers (I think I've got extra garlic chives in my stash). Also, I've had good luck growing Love in a Puff by WS (vine with pretty foliage and really cute seeds in balloon-pods... and yes, I've got extra seeds from 2007 for these that should be just fine).

I've also listed some of the most successful half-hardy and tender annuals for winter sowing in another article (http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/959/) , but I'd suggest waiting until March to sow those. I've got mixed morning glory and 'Wild Cherry' tomatoes, if you'd like to try those.

Oh, and I've also got a big pack of medium-leaf chives on the way that I could share. I think they'll bloom pink rather than the white of the garlic chives. I figure something like chives would be fun to include since they can be nibbled (at least by kids who don't hate onions LOL).

What age are the boys? Last year I grew seeds with my son's Wolf den (2nd grade) but we grew them indoors. Lowes sold small greenhouse kids with 8 of those peat pellets. That is not my ideal way to start seeds but little boys and potting soil inside seemed like a sure disaster. I grabbed a handful of perennial and annual seeds and let each boy pick one. My own son liked to see his zinnias out in the garden. That son has dropped out of scouts, but this year I have another boy starting up as a Tiger (1st grade). I think I might go for the same indoor project again.

- Brent

That sounds like a great idea, Brent! It has the advantage of not requiring *quite* as much patience as winter sowing... although by spring, when they'd half-forgotten about them, my nieces/nephew were thrilled to report the first green sprouts in their containers! One said look, it worked! it worked! I can't believe it! and got a withering glance from an older sister who said, of course it worked -- Aunt Jill said it would! LOL

Bachelor buttons sound ideal for a bunch of little boys. Besides the masculine name, they should sprout and flower early and are probably about the easiest plant to grow.

Karen