Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

 The holidays are now behind us and the seed catalogs are arriving daily in my mailbox, My thoughts these days are turning to what I want to grow from seed this year for the garden.   Many gardeners love to grow from seed.  It can be so rewarding to plant a tiny seed and delight in the plant it becomes.  As farmers it is amazing how a small kernel of corn or a bean seed can produce so much and provide a livelihood as well. I'm not one for starting seeds indoors although many gardeners thoroughly enjoy this process.  I get too busy and neglect them.  My preferred methods are direct sowing and winter sowing.  There are some seeds that are just so easy to direct sow.  For instance zinnias, cosmos, marigolds and many vegetables.  Winter sowing is a process of growing from seed started in mini greenhouses and set out in the snow or early spring to sprout when the time is right.  The mini greenhouses can be anything such as milk jugs, 2 liter soda bottles etc. To learn more about this easy method of growing from seed check out the winter sowing forum on GardenWeb by clicking  here .  I don't get into like some of the people over there but before I know it I have around 20 jugs of seedlings. Every year I like to try a few new things.  Some are so successful and become favorites that my garden needs every year.  Others are duds.  Annuals from seed are a great way to change things up in the garden from year to year.   Many of these plants aren't found at your local nursery.  The only way to get them is to grow them yourself.

Zinnias in the potager grown just for cutting.

Celosia

Zinnias, salvia and castor beans in the red garden.

Euphorbia marginata aka Snow on the mountain

Angelica gigas

Salvia argentea

Celosia 'Pink parfait'

Marigolds are traditional in potagers.  Behind is dinosaur kale and bronze fennel.

These little zinnias are so sweet.

Amaranthus and a castor bean.

I grew these guava colored zinnias for my son's wedding rehearsal supper.  I had them in blue Ball jars on the tables.

How fun is a 12' tall sunflower in my granddaughter's Secret Garden?

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Castor beans make such a statement.  I've grown purple, red, green and these green with a red stem.

Cardoon

Between a rock and a hard place

I'm sure you've all seen the tree growing out of the side of a mountain and wondered how it could possibly grow there. If you tried to grow it there it would be nearly impossible.  I sometimes think the same thing about some of the plants in my garden.  There are some plants that I give the most fertile spot in the garden and tend them lovingly and still they don't thrive.  Then there are the plants that grow in my rock walls.  I don't plant them there, they just find a spot with a bit of soil and grow happily without any help from the gardener.  You can't help but love these carefree, happy little plants.  Here are just a few of my cliff dwellers.

Pulsatilla

Dicentra eximia

Dianthus

Japanese Painted Fern

Viola Koreana

Salvia Purple Knockout

I do admit to planting these.  They seem happiest when growing in the cracks though.

 

Both the dianthus and lamium planted themselves working quite well with the heurchera.

Dwarf Goatsbeard  Aruncus aethusifolius

Bringing the garden indoors

Flower arrangements are a wonderful way to bring the garden indoors.  Who doesn't love getting a bouquet of flowers?  I truly enjoy creating with flowers. Early in the morning is the best time to cut flowers and what an enjoyable time to spend in the garden, wandering around trying to decide which flowers are in their prime.  Once I've decided on the flowers, I go into the potting shed and select a container, basket or vase from an extensive collection for the chosen blooms.  

Just gathered and waiting to be arranged.

#1                                                           Finished product.

#2                                                              Each arrangement has it's own personality.

                       #3

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                      #6

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                                                                      Outdoor potting and arranging table.

                    #13

                        

                      #14

The last two are fall arrangements with flowers that will dry.  I'd encourage you to cut some flowers, foliage, branches or anything else you find in your garden.  You can use just about anything in your arrangement and just about anything for the container.  Get creative, bring a piece of your garden indoors and enjoy!

I'd love to know which one is your favorite!

Bloom Day August 15, 2012

At this time of the year I have lots of annuals blooming.  I actually use very few bedding plants.  Most are grown from seed or overwintered as cuttings.  I like the taller plants you get when growing from seeds compared to purchased bedding plants.  

Celosia 'Pink Parfait'

I grew these zinnias to use at my son's wedding.  Their color is guava.

  

Red salvia and red zinnias in the red bed.

Clematis 'Duchess of Albany'

I just love 'Pretty Much Picasso'

One annual I buy each year is salvia 'Queen Victoria Blue'  here it mingles with blue oat grass and hosta 'Sum & Substance'

Clematis 'Arabella' hasn't stopped blooming since spring.

Euphorbia marginata

Lots of lamium.

Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy

Hydrangea 'Limelight'

Salvia 'Black and Blue' along with a small celosia.

Lot of zinnias in the garden. I thought this basket of veggies and flowers from the Potager looked so pretty.