Time to sow seeds.

Summer melted away. It happened overnight, I guess. The daily temperatures have been moved down considerably for the next 10 days. Yesterday, we were still flirting with 90 all week. Today, it rained. About 2pm, the bottom fell out. It came a good soaking rain for over an hour. It's been raining on and off since. More in the forecast tonight means that the soil will be damp enough, deep enough for my fall crops. We've got a monthly accumulation now of nearly 8 inches of rain. Most of that has come in the past week. I'm a very happy camper. I might even sow some cilantro seeds. How optimistic is that?



So that's where we stand. With nighttime temperatures in the 60s, seeds that like those cooler conditions will germinate. Tomorrow, I need to prepare a couple pots for my cabbage, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. I'll probably direct sow my spinach. The last of the tomatoes may be pulled too. I've already got 15 quarts in the freezer from my mom & dad. There's another 15 waiting for me when I go home again. I'm set for the winter.

It's 73 degrees and spitting rain. Maybe I should sow some coneflowers too.

Seed production and collection.

In my yard, everything is open pollinated. The bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies spread pollen from flower to flower. There's no telling what mix you might get from year to year. This is most evident in the black eyed susans. Early spring bloomers have started releasing their seed pods. Some have already been scattered around the yard. Some will be collected for trading. Most will be returned to the soil just before it rains for next year's plants.

Sweet Williams. I'm sending most of these to the backyard, especially the pink and white crape myrtle bed which needs some early color.



Columbines have already produced a lot of seed. Sown fresh, they will germinate this year and probably bloom next spring. I'm filling mostly shady spots with these plants.



Peonies. I've never grown peonies from seed, but I know it's possible. I might wintersow them, in summer.



Red Hot Pokers. There are a LOT of seeds on these two plants. I'll probably collect them instead of scattering them. People love these plants that start out looking like fine blades of grass. It takes 2 years for blooms from seed. Year three is where mine are now.



Poppies. I'll scatter them as soon as they are ripe. They'll germinate when it's time.



Mountain bluet seeds are hard to collect. These seedlings are beneath the current plants. Once they get a little size to them, I'll move them around this fall to areas that still need spring color. The parent plants need to be cut back soon.



Dusty Miller has just started to bloom. Planted in the fall of 2009, these plants have gotten huge. The blooms float about 2 feet above the soil. If I remember, the seeds are like dust.



Grown from scattered seeds, the annual Monarda citriodora is one of my favorites. After it blooms, it can be cut back for a repeat bloom. I did this twice last summer. The seeds are collected by shaking the spent blooms over a container.



Speaking to Cameron at Defining Your Home Garden, I've decided to scatter seeds as soon as they ripen. This seems the most natural method as it's what happens when there's no gardener present. Nature takes care of enough seeds to create a new crop each year. I'll save a few seeds just in case. You never know what could happen over the winter.

It's currently 81 degrees and pouring rain. Heavy thunderstorms are about to move through the area. The rain is expected to last a few hours.

Winter lasted 3 months.

Our first heavy frost of the winter was December 5, 2009. It was late in coming. We had a light frost in October, but nothing took much notice. If the forecast holds, our last frost of this year will be March 9, 2010. That's just over 3 months of winter. I'm not holding my breath just yet. I've seen snow in April. Our average last frost date is April 15.



Today, I'm going to piddle about the yard a bit. I might cut the grass again and do some more weeding and edging. My real plans focus on the gully and seed scattering. Farmers Almanac proclaims today and tomorrow as the best days to start seed and flowerbeds. I'll be doing just that in the gully.

Last summer, I collected cosmos seeds from all my orange and sometimes yellow blooming plants. I'll be scattering these seeds in the area where the ivy and periwinkle have been trampled hauling firewood all winter. I have no doubt some of them will be taken by the birds. Others will fail to sprout for whatever reason. But some should take hold and germinate before the ivy recovers the area. I've also got Forget Me Not seeds for the back side of the perennial bed. I used the weed eater last week to remove many of the winter weeds and give me a little access to the soil there. They'll enjoy the shady nature of that space and should bloom until the heat of summer takes them out. They reseed readily once established. Cosmos do too.

Other plans include moving the tiny maples I marked with pink tape last fall. I chose saplings with brilliant orange or yellow foliage. They're just beginning to bud right now, so moving them shouldn't cause too much stress. It's still wet back there, but the red maples can handle a bit of water.

Finally, I'm going to do what I've been wanting done for several years. In the Wild, the area between my yard and the neighbor's plot, I've got large clumps of daffodils that never bloom. I intend to dig these out today, scattering bulbs in the perennial bed, the shrub border, and along the back of the house where I've neglected planting anything for spring color. It's probably not the best time to move daffodils, but I've got nothing to lose. These clumps need the attention.











I figure I'll get at least another 100 bulbs from these, maybe more. If time allows, I might possibly consider maybe scraping some paint from the trim on the north side of the house, preparing it for the paint I need to apply soon. I'm still unsure about how to handle painting the South side, where the ridgeline is 3 stories off the ground.

It's 39 degrees this morning. The high today should be in the mid 70s. There is also laundry to do.

A Rainy Night in Georgia

It's coming. I'll move the overwintered plants outside again this morning. They should enjoy the rain after several months of tap water.

I went back downstairs last night and sowed more seeds. I've done petunias, marigolds, Pride of Barbados, Pineapple sage, Coral Nymph, and others I can't recall right now. I'm going to sort through the seed box this morning for direct sowing candidates. I still have lots of rudbeckia seeds, butterfly bush seeds, tons of cosmos and zinnias. Those last two will need to wait until mid April, but the rudbeckia can go out now. I'll scatter them here and there where soil is actually showing, mostly in the perennial bed.

It's 52 degrees. The high today should reach the mid 60s again. Yesterday, we hit 72. Rain in the forecast for the next 4 days with the heaviest coming on Thursday.

9:06am - Maybe it was just the exhaustion of yesterday, but I got the urge to get some things done before work this morning. Adding to the already trashy nature of the yard, I set up another rack for my annuals. I only need this for about 5 weeks. After that, the hoophouse, the racks, everything will disappear into the garage leaving only flowers and blooms. I can't wait. I hate this part. Maybe I should try to scrounge lumber for free to build a greenhouse this fall.



The seeds I sowed last night.



Covered in plastic, the rain shouldn't disturb the seeds too much. It'll also provide some warmth when the sun returns next week. There are slits in the plastic allowing air and rain to reach the seedlings.



The plant rack is back outside. I hope I can leave it out for a few days. The overnight lows should be in the 50s this week through Sunday. On the top shelf are eight containers of calla lilies I got for a quarter a piece. They were part of the Valentine's Day promotion at work. My boss made me a deal.



I finally potted up the nine pussywillows. Two are red or black, I'm not sure. Seven are giant white. They will eventually be planted along the stream in the gully, providing some quick cover for the birds that like to bathe and drink there. The cats have been roaming that area too often lately.



I'm off to work now. It's 52 and cloudy. Sprinkles of rain have come and gone this morning.

The Weatherman Who Cried Wolf

For the second time in as many weeks, the weathermen around here have been completely giddy about the impending doom coming towards us in the form of snow. Two weeks ago, we were supposed to get a half inch of the stuff. It didn't even rain. Yesterday, they predicted an inch of sleet, ice, and snow. It rained all day, the temperature hovering around 37. This morning, the clouds are screaming past trying to make way for the sunshine they claim we'll see this afternoon. It's 34 degrees. Walking in the yard is like walking over a septic field. There's actually standing water in the front yard. I've never seen that in the two and a half years I've lived here. The rain gauge collected an inch of the wet stuff.

In the basement, the last fire has been built in the tiny wood heater. My parents are on their way. If all goes well, the house will be warm and toasty this evening. I've got plans to split more firewood this afternoon.

Before work yesterday, I finished 100 containers for wintersowing.



Because I'm cheap, I buy broken bags of dirt from the store at half price. The rules are about to change, I'm told. Instead of a small hole, the bags will have to be nearly torn open in order to get that sort of discount in the coming year. We'll see. The soil I bought is $1.29/bag at regular price. I sifted it using the method I've shown before.

Straight from the bag.



The Leftovers.



Perlite added for drainage.



Each container is filled with roughly 3-4" of the sifted soil. When moist, it's the consistency of a gooey chocolate brownie. mmmm, brownies.



On Monday, I'll sow my seeds. Until my parents arrive, I'm going to package up some of the 50 kinds of seeds I'm sending out to one lucky winner over at the GardenWeb wintersowing forum. If they email me with the correct answers to the questions I've asked, their names will be placed in a recycled milk jug. I'll pull one name from the jug and send all 50 packs of seeds to the winner. I've got way too many seeds. Trudi, the woman who started this wintersowing idea, gave me her blessing. All the answers can be found at wintersown.org. I've got 12 names in the jug right now. The contest ends Monday night. The seeds will be shipped out on Tuesday. If you're a member of gardenweb, feel free to enter. If you're not, sign up for a free account. It's a great forum to discuss anything garden related.

I can see blue skies. I'm going to get another cup of coffee.

A new acquisition.

It came from a trade for brugmansias. Clerodendrum thomsoniae, or Bleeding Heart Vine. When received, it was just a few cuttings wrapped in moist paper towel shoved into a ziplock bag. I wasn't worried. I stuck it in the cloner on December 6, the day after it arrived. I left it overnight in water to revive the limp leaves.





I'm very excited about this one. And as is usually the case, the trade was offered not because I was looking for it, but because I had something she wanted.

Mom called twice yesterday. She has some good news. My dad found an old wood heater at my cousin's house. He said I could have it. Not knowing the condition, he will check it out this evening and possibly bring it up on Saturday. The little heater in the basement has done a good job, but the fire only lasts a few hours before burning itself out. The "new" heater, if it's usable, should keep a fire all night since it holds a lot more wood. I'll spend the weekend splitting wood.

Tonight, I have plans to sort my new seeds from the swap. I've got a couple dozen new packages. Some are seeds I already have, but in new colors and varieties. It's like Christmas. Speaking of seeds, at the store yesterday, five pallets stacked 8' tall were seen in Receiving. Next year's seeds are here. With Christmas almost gone from the shelves, they'll start putting them out this morning. We also received a new shipment of houseplants. I spent 6 hours spreading them around the greenhouse. It's so lush now. I wish I had the ability to grow houseplants. I tend to forget about them and they die from neglect. Yet I can keep all my plants in the basement alive for 4 months. Go figure.

The forecast today calls for cooler temperatures, possibly reaching 50 degrees. It's currently sunny and 25, up from an overnight low of 21. Tomorrow, sleet, snow, and ice with a high of 33. The plants in the basement have been given a drink of water mixed with rooting solution. Some of them will be moved out to the hoophouse if we get a few warm days next week.

The hoophouse is done

I've got the hoophouse closed up. Carla came over this morning to help me move some of the larger logs for splitting. We got another 4 wheelbarrows done. Then we moved to the hoophouse and enclosed it with 6mil builder's plastic. A 10' x 25' sheet was just enough. I still need to trim about 12" from the other end.



The seed swap is also complete. I'll drop them by the Post Office on the way to work.



I am so glad that's over. Sixty-three participants sent 20 or more packs of seeds and private trades. Many days of sorting seeds had my vision going blurry at one point. But it's done. At least until they ask me to do it again next year. I'm not sure about that one yet.

It's partly sunny today, finally. It's 42 degrees.

Fog

I awoke to a dark and dreary morning. The fog rolled in late last night. It should burn off by noon. The rain gauge had collected only 1/2" of precipitation in the last 24 hours. More rain is in the forecast after midnight tonight. The high today should reach the upper 50s. It's 37 and chilly.

The seed swap is still not finished. I've got another 10 envelopes to go. There are lots of seeds left. As I seal them all, I'll be stuffing them with extras. I really hope to get them all in the mail by Wednesday. Everyone's been very patient. I know what it's like waiting and waiting. Lots of wish lists have been filled. So there's that.

Saturday morning seed sorting.

I finally got my seeds organized last night. It was an exciting Friday night, let me tell you. I use a plastic filing box with hanging file folders to alphabetize my seeds. I'll sort through them after the swap seeds are mailed out, pulling the best candidates for wintersowing first. Direct sown seeds will be divided up based on the beds they'll go in, when they'll be sown, and varieties. I've been given lots of cosmos and zinnias from the swap. There's already a bag of poppy seeds I plan to sow today ahead of the rain/frozen stuff we're expecting tonight.

With all my seeds sorted, it's scary how many different kinds of plants I'm intending to grow this winter and next spring. I started counting with the A's and stopped when I got through the C folder. I had already reached 200 packs. I can't possibly sow all these seeds in containers like I did last year. I thought I was going overboard then. Turns out I sowed over 800 individual containers from 9 ounce styrofoam cups to lasagna pans. This year, I plan to try something different. Carla's returning my bandsaw on Sunday. I've got my parents and sister saving 2-liter bottles. I've got an idea.

In the garden, I plan to sow the seeds directly. I'll make a new hole, fill it with potting mix, and sow the seeds. They'll be covered using a cloche made from the top of the two liter containers. Yes, it will look tacky for the next couple of months as the seeds are protected by the bottle tops. No, I don't care. By mid June, I'll have forgotten all about that as the seeds turn into blooming flowers. It's the only way I can imagine getting all these new plants in the garden without having to transplant. Cutting out two steps in the process seems the most logical.

It's 34 degrees now, up from an overnight low of 24. On my way to the mailbox this morning, I noticed the Black and Blue salvia finally bit the dust. I hope it comes back. I've been told not to cut it down until spring. Water can get into the stems and cause the crown to rot.

I'm going to see a man about an old wood heater today on my way to the family Christmas dinner. It's a little over an hour's drive each way. I'm hoping the rain and slush holds off until I get home. I need to pick up coffee and cat food on the way too.

12:25pm - The kitchen is caulked. Aside from wiping down all the walls, it's ready to be painted as far as I am concerned. It's not perfect, nor will anything in this 63 year old house be. I've still got some details to finish, some quarter round to install, etc. I'll get to that in my own time just like everything else. I doubt I'll do any painting this weekend. I've got to finish other things first.

Also potted up two Honeycomb buddleia, a couple rooted lavender cuttings, some more lantana (either white or purple), and one Salvia leucantha cutting that had grown one long stringy root. Various other buddleia also got potted. I watered with transplant solution and will hope for the best.

If the rain holds off tomorrow, I'll be installing the plastic on the hoophouse and finishing the seed swap. I've run out of room on the light rack. Some things like rosemary and well rooted Miss Huff lantana can handle being outside for the winter. I may lose some foliage on those really cold nights, but overall, they should survive. Cotoneaster can also be moved out there freeing up a lot of space.

Seeds are the future.

I've been sorting seeds for the Winterswap I'm hosting. GardenWebbers sent me at least 20 packs of seed, plus side trades, and extras. There are more than 60 participants. I've got a lot of seeds in my house at the moment. These are the ones meant to be swapped in the open market based on their wish lists.



I've realized something during all this, my second swap. Each little plastic baggie, paper envelope, handmade package, etc, all contain the possibility of future plants. Given sometimes less than perfect conditions, they still manage to germinate, grow, bloom, set seed, and either die or continue the cycle next year producing even more possibilities for life. All the philosophy of why I grow things from seed aside, it's a very inexpensive way to get a lot of plants for very little money.

Cottage gardens started out as food gardens. Then plants were passed from neighbor to neighbor and from town to town. With the help of the US Postal service, we can now send seeds across the country and back in a matter of days. Things that grew in my garden this year will be sprouting in a few months in places like Weddington, NC, Somers, CT, and Walnut Grove, MO. I really enjoy sharing my successes with other gardeners and spreading some of their beloved plants to mine. Did I mention that it's cheap?

More importantly, I've come to realize that there are a lot of plants out there I've never seen before. I'll be sowing seeds of some of these hoping to add them to my collection. I don't know how they'll do in our heat and humidity or our three weeks of actual winter weather in late February. Some are frost tender, others hardy to Alaska and the near tundra. Some plants wilt at the idea of humidity while others stand up to near drought conditions and beyond. Where to plant them all is a big concern. Fortunately, I have the space and the inclination to do it. I love watching the cycle of plants from seed to seed. Some plants even become compost added to the top of the garden in spring to help their future generations thrive.

It's just something I enjoy and find interesting. I really hate having to give back all these seeds. I think I'll keep a few. Maybe next year I'll have even more seeds to offer up to those just starting out or looking to grow something different.

Another frosty morning

It's 32 degrees and clear.



Last night, after dinner, I spent some time sorting and organizing my seeds for next year. 17 days from now, it'll be time to wintersow again. Some were purchased, some were trades, many were collected. In no particular order...

gazania
salvia subrotunda
Double red bee balm
shell pea vine
Yvonne's salvia
Castor Bean - red
Anise hyssop "Golden Jubilee"
Mexican Hat
Rudbeckia hirta - yellow
Myrrh
Sunflower
Marigold "Cottage Red"
Cosmos "Sensation White"
Zinnia "Chippendale Daisy"
Straightneck squash
Rudbeckia "Prairie Sun"
Zinnia mix
Cosmos sulphureus
Golden Wax beans
Melampodium
Red Texas Star Hibiscus
Achillea "Summer Past"
Tuber vervain
Drummond phlox
Lobelia cardinalis
Cosmos "Single Sensation" mixed
Monarda bergamo
Disco Belle Hibiscus Mix
Sunflower "Chianti Hybrid"
Painted Daisy
Agastache "Apricot Sprite"
Lilacs
Adonis aestivalis
Verbascum "Milkshake"
Petunia mix
Dutchman's pipe vine
Salvia coccinea "purple"
Asclepias tuberosa - orange
California Poppy mix
Amaranthus "Autumn Pallet"
Pampas Grass
Unknown - "Carla's yard"
Pea "Sugar Daddy"
Salvia coccinea "Coral Nymph"
Datura inoxia
Sunflower "Red Sun"
Queen Anne's Lace
Cleome
Nicotiana - white
Bee balm "Pink petite"
Rudbeckia hirta "Cherry Brandy" collected
Coreopsis "Mahogany midget"
Yellow Milkweed
Four O'clocks - pink
Agastache mix
Laura Bush petunia
Calycanthus floridus
Solid White hibiscus
Pride of Barbados
Hyacinth Bean - white
The other red hibiscus
Asclepias Incarnata - pink
Datura - triple yellow
globe basil
Giant Red Amaranthus
Morning Glory - blue/purple
Gaillardia - red/orange/yellow
Blue milkweed
Four O'clock - white
Penstemon "Husker Red"
Coleus "Sunset"
Hyssop
Pineapple Sage
Castor Bean - green
Rudbeckia hirta - browns
Cosmos "Double click"
Salvia "Augusta Duelberg"
Plectranthus "Silver Shield"
Alstroemeria
Castor Bean - purple
Okra "Clemson Spineless"
Cosmos "Sensation"
Zinnia Dahlia California
Siberian Wallflower
Creeping Thyme
Hosta - variegated
Cosmos "Seashell"
Mealy Blue Sage
Morning Glory - Light blue
Tomatoes - Marion, Purple Cherokee, Green Zebra, Yellow Jubilee, Purple Krim, Yellow Pear, German Johnson, Brandywine Yellow, Rutgers, Roma, Striped German, Hawaiian Pineapple

I need more dirt.

Hibernating

It's 52 degrees and mostly cloudy. The wind picked up overnight. The rain is coming. By 2pm, we should be soaking in it. By sunset, it will have moved on ushering in cooler temperatures for the rest of the week. A fire will have to be built this evening in the basement heater.

I've got a few chores I'm working on today. I'm doing laundry. The dishes are done. I'm planning to sweep and maybe mop the hardwoods before heading to work. Since Thursday, I've had this odd pain in my lower back. I'm not even sure what I did to cause it. I just remember waking up on Thanksgiving Day with it. I'm trying to give it some healing time when I'm not at the store. The heaviest thing I've lifted all morning was the coffee pot.

The sun is a lot like me today. It wants to come out, but the clouds are keeping it inside.



Some things from around the yard:

Oakleaf Hydrangea



Snowball viburnum



Sedum. Just three feet away, the frost has killed another to the ground.



Under lights in the basement, the pineapple sage is trying to bloom.



I'm packaging two sets of cuttings from the brugmansias to mail out today. I've also got two seed trade packages to send out. I'm still waiting on one thing before mailing a large package to Austin, TX. I'm hoping it will be ready in another week.

I've got two more days of work before my two days off. I've got no plans for those days. Rain on Wednesday, sunny and cooler on Thursday, I'll probably spend most of my time sorting seeds and thinking about next year. I could work on the kitchen. Then again, I could just stay in bed and watch some movies.

4:37pm - The rain we were supposed to get broke up and gave us just a smattering of moisture. It's humid and sticky at 57 degrees. The clouds should clear out with the wind later tonight.

When I was leaving for work, I spotted something. I ran back inside to get the camera.



Last December, this camellia was blooming. I assumed then that it was a C. japonica. It was also much redder last year. Methinks it needs some acid. I'm not going to remove the oak leaves this year and I will fertilize next spring.

It's gonna rain.

Unless something drastic happens in the next 2 hours, we're gonna get wet. The storms are moving in a straight line from Atlanta through Charlotte and on to Raleigh. After a week of promises, Mother Nature is finally going to deliver. The red clover in the meadow garden will enjoy the rain.



Before work yesterday, I scattered Flanders poppy seeds, blue larkspur, more echinacea, and several other varieties I've now forgotten. I'm hoping we don't tear things up too bad this weekend as we work on the dead oak tree out back. I'm ready to no longer see that monster laying there.

7:42pm - 1/4" of rain today. The high temperature got into the mid 60s and started dropping shortly after lunch. It's 55 degrees and drizzling. Dinner tonight, beef stew over rice with lots of potatoes, carrots, and corn. I make it much like momma does, but with some thickening to make it stick.

Dinner music:









and others.

Camellias, seeds, and cutting back.

It's a beautiful day. At 81 degrees, there's a nice breeze that keeps it from being too hot. The humidity has dropped significantly too. This morning, it was 58 when I left for work at 5:45am. I was actually chilly for a brief moment.

In the garden, I chopped back some of the coreopsis Full Moon. I hope to divide them again next spring. I turned one plant into 12 this past year. I now know they need full sun to remain upright and not flop. Lots of new growth around the base.



When I bought the house, this camellia was over 20' tall. You can see the big mass of green in this photo on the left. Yes, that was the backyard when I first saw the house.



Last year I tried to kill it completely. This year, I've let it regrow. Here it is today. It has pink single blooms all winter. I should have been more kind in my pruning.



Another butchered camellia is beneath the oak tree near the perennial bed. I first noticed this variation on one stem a few weeks ago. It's grown a little since then, and now I'm sure it's a variegation and not just from lack of water or disease. I'm hoping it blooms this winter. I'll be setting my sights on propagating this sport sometime in the near future. Imagine, a variegated camellia. In my yard. Heaven.





One of the three clumps of orange cosmos I've collected so far. Every day for the past week I've been gathering seeds from the rose garden plants. I'll be using these in my "meadow" garden next spring.



Another meadow candidate, salvia subrotunda. There are lots of tiny seeds still inside their shells. If I knew the proper terminology, I still wouldn't remember it.



Mauney's, a feed mill across from the high school on 52N, sold me 5lbs of crimson clover seeds. They've been inoculated against something so they're bright pink. That pen sticking out of them is used for scale. It's a hefty bag. Once the tree is removed from the back yard, I'll break up what soil I can and toss these out. They should put down some nice roots this winter and give me some organic matter to sow my seeds on in the spring.



Time to spend a few more hours in the kitchen. I hope to get the sanding done and install some beadboard. I hate plaster.

5:51pm - I was wrong about the variegation. Thanks Nell.

The most common fungal disease of camellia is known as virus variegation. The leaves have yellow or light green streaks. There is no cure, and the plant can live with the virus.

Seeds.

It's past time to collect some of the seeds in my garden. When I get home this afternoon, I'll pull on some long pants to protect against the skeeters and get busy in the perennial bed. Just a sample of what needs to be harvested:

Castor bean


Yvonne's salvia (S. splendens)


Salvia subrotunda


Brown rudbekcia hirta


Cherry Brandy rudbeckia


The brugs are about to bloom again. Right around the full moon.



The cabbage I planted yesterday got more water from the sprinkler this morning.



It's 70 degrees. Overnight it dipped into the low 50s. Should reach the mid-80s by 3pm. Sunny, nice.