Winter Sowing Update #4: Columbines

Columbine 'Green Apples'

Back in January, I winter sowed four packets of columbines. It was my second attempt at starting columbines from seed. An earlier half-hearted attempt had failed-- I had basically just scattered the seed in a shady area of the garden in mid-summer, and therefore hadn't been too surprised when nothing sprouted. Still, I felt I had nothing to lose by giving them a second shot using a different method-- especially since the seed was acquired on sale!

On the whole, the columbines did very well, allowing for my own mistakes. All four packets sprouted (two of those under adverse conditions that later killed the seedlings), but I'm happy with the resulting plants. They probably won't bloom until next year, but right now they're green and healthy and the foliage has its own woodland charm.

What I learned from the columbines: avoid using containers with precut slits. The two varieties that didn't make it had been planted in strawberry containers with long slits all along the sides. They had better depth than any of the other containers I used, but the slits caused them to dry out any time our cloud cover broke. Since underwatering is one of my famous gardening peccadillos, this proved fatal to my 'Nora Barlow' and 'Magpie' seedlings. I will try again next year while I enjoy 'Green Apples' (above) and my Rocky Mountain columbines. For reference, here's a photo of the Rocky Mountain seedlings back in April at Flickr.

This should be the last of my winter sowing updates for the year, so I'll close with a round-up, listed in order of germination time from shortest to longest:

Pansy 'Swiss Giants' mix - 24 days to germination
Pansy 'Super Chalon Giants' mix - 24 days to germination
Delphinium 'Blue Bird' - 39 days to germination
Larkspur 'Giant Imperial' mix - 39 days to germination
Columbine 'Green Apples' - 64 days to germination
Columbine 'Magpie' - 78 days to germination (bad container)
Columbine 'Nora Barlow' - 109 days to germination (bad container)
Rocky Mountain columbine - 64 days to germination
Hellebores - never germinated
Primroses - never germinated

I still have hopes for the hellebores, which have apparently been known to take over 365 days to germinate, and so I've been keeping that container watered. On the other hand, I've given up on the primroses. They're supposed to germinate within a reasonable time frame, which makes me worry for next year since I've purchased some P. auricula seed and would really like to see something come of it. I guess there's nothing to do but read up over the winter before giving it a shot.

So there you have it! I've been happy with my winter sowing project and will definitely use this method again next year. I have a new experimental setup in mind, which I plan to finalize over the fall and early winter, so expect to hear more on that front in January.

Winter Sowing Update #3: Pansies

Pansy ('Super Chalon Giants' mix)

Of all my winter sown seedlings, the pansies gave me the most insight about the pros and cons of my winter sowing methods. The seeds were planted back in January, and the seedlings languished far too long in their flats before being hastily plugged into a layer of bark mulch in April. (Not to mention that in between, they were accidentally baked in their trays-- twice-- which killed off about 75% of the original quantity). By all rights, these plants probably should have been healthy and blooming back in late spring, but instead, it took them until mid-August to recover.

What I learned: 1) Pansies are easy to germinate via winter sowing, and seeds can be sowed thinly, provided they're relatively fresh, 2) but the seedlings have zero tolerance for the slightest bit of direct sunlight under plastic, and 3) one-and-a-half inches of soil just isn't enough!

Hindsight aside, the germination rate on these seeds was fantastic, and they're putting on a nice show now as the hydrangeas are fading. The two varieties I planted were 'Super Chalon Giants' mix (above, and at Flickr here and here) and 'Swiss Giants' mix. Despite the hardships I put them through, my $2 investment for two sale packets of seed paid off in over $40 worth of plants-- ordinary bedding pansies may only cost $1 - $2 each, but the cost can add up, and there are many unique varieties available from seed, all easy to grow.

Next year, I'll be more careful with my seedlings, and will plan on enjoying these colorful (and edible!) blooms from spring into early winter.

Diurnality (or: August and Everything After)

The cucumber stands alone

One of the sad facts about gardening in the Pacific Northwest is that while the days turn gloriously long in the weeks leading up to the summer solstice, our precious hours of sunlight decrease rapidly over July and August. Right now, I'm harvesting crazy amounts of vegetables, but everything seems to be losing its lushness. As soon as I remove a few yellowing leaves from the tomatoes, twice as many spring back in their place.

My books reassure me that this is normal. I spent the last few summers agonizing over powdery mildew and decreasing productivity, but this year, I'm prepared to accept the inevitable. I water the garden, pluck out the ripe produce, bring it indoors, and then run back to pluck out the dead foliage and toss it into the yard waste bin (Would I throw powdery mildew into my compost pile? I think not).

Other observations:

1) Next year, I need to do more to keep my cucumbers and beans healthy-- although I have the right number of plants, they ended up shaded by the excess rhubarb, and they're just not producing very well.

2) The 'Tromboncino' squash vines, on the other hand, pumped out seven healthy squash. That number may sound low, considering that I had three plants, but one of those squash was thirty-two inches long!

3) 'Sunburst' pattypan has proven to be a consistent performer, as its AAS award would suggest; it's my third year growing it, and I always look forward to it (especially picked small, halved, steamed, and tossed with herb butter).

4) The okra never really materialized (I have six stunted plants and one okra pod so far), but that's in part because the plants were overshadowed by the PUMPKINS! By fall, it looks like I will have five of them, and I'm really excited. They're gorgeously shaped, exceedingly large, and look like they'll start turning orange any day now.

5) Twelve tomato plants for a family of two is really TOO MANY TOMATOES! I'm growing seven varieties this year, and plan to do a special "tomato wrap-up" post later in the season, once the Brandywines, Green Zebras, and San Marzanos have ripened.

P.S. My dahlia madness has not abated, and the blooms are really starting to come into season. Have a look at a couple of the latest bouquets: Spartacus & Ruskin Marigold; Mystery Day, Joycie, & Sean C.

Winter Sowing Update #2: Delphinium 'Blue Bird'

Delphinium 'Blue Bird'

You may remember these delphiniums from back in March, when they were mere specks of green in a plastic deli rotisserie tray. Four months later, those tiny seedlings have turned into healthy plants-- almost 30 of them-- that are now sending up spires of these gorgeous blue-and-white flowers. I can't get the color in the photo just right-- it's much more vibrant in person.

I've always loved the name "delphinium," which sounds so much more elegant than the common name for the genus (larkspur). Getting prepared to post this photo gave me the opportunity to learn about the etymology, which I thought lovely: as it turns out, the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides saw dolphins in the shape of the flower buds, and named the plant "delphinion" accordingly. (The Latin name for the genus was later derived from the original Greek). Personally, I think of dolphins as graceful creatures, and wonder if Dioscorides found a kindred grace in the form of the delphinium. I believe I do.

On a less fanciful note, delphiniums are toxic to humans and animals, which is why they are not recommended for gardeners with pets or small children. Ingestion is likely to cause vomiting, respiratory and cardiac distress, motor system impairment, and in large quantities, death from asphyxia.

The moral of that morbid bit of trivia is (of course): enjoy your delphiniums in a vase, not on your dinner plate (like the one I used as a backdrop for this photo)!