Comments on: Sow happy http://blog.blithewold.org/annuals/sow-happy/ a garden journal about public garden maintenance, seasonal tasks, garden events, stories about gardening, volunteers, flowers, bugs and wildlife Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:23:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Blackswampgirl Kim http://blog.blithewold.org/annuals/sow-happy/comment-page-1/#comment-3534 Blackswampgirl Kim Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:47:34 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/annuals/sow-happy/#comment-3534 I have a couple of prolific self-sowers: bronze fennel, 'Hopi Red Dye' amaranth, and atriplex hortensis var. rubra. I sometimes curse the bronze fennel for being tough to see (and thus pull out) when it's young, but overall these three don't bother me too much. The fennel smells nice while you're pulling it, and the young leaves of the amaranth and mountain spinach are edible, so I snack while I pull them out from places they aren't wanted. :) I don't bother saving seeds from any of these, because I like to see where they are going to come up year after year. <em>Kim, I never thought about leaving a trail of snackable seedlings in the garden - it's genius! A perfect way to stay energized while weeding. We have a couple of bronze fennels that come up through the gravel in our container bed - we leave them up for the swallowtails and it's amazing that fennel hasn't taken over the Display Garden by now. And I would think the only reason to save seeds from prolific self sowers is to share them with friends! -kris</em> I have a couple of prolific self-sowers: bronze fennel, ‘Hopi Red Dye’ amaranth, and atriplex hortensis var. rubra. I sometimes curse the bronze fennel for being tough to see (and thus pull out) when it’s young, but overall these three don’t bother me too much. The fennel smells nice while you’re pulling it, and the young leaves of the amaranth and mountain spinach are edible, so I snack while I pull them out from places they aren’t wanted. :)

I don’t bother saving seeds from any of these, because I like to see where they are going to come up year after year.

Kim, I never thought about leaving a trail of snackable seedlings in the garden – it’s genius! A perfect way to stay energized while weeding. We have a couple of bronze fennels that come up through the gravel in our container bed – we leave them up for the swallowtails and it’s amazing that fennel hasn’t taken over the Display Garden by now. And I would think the only reason to save seeds from prolific self sowers is to share them with friends! -kris

]]> By: Digital Flower http://blog.blithewold.org/annuals/sow-happy/comment-page-1/#comment-3532 Digital Flower Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:45:36 +0000 http://www.blithewold.org/blog/annuals/sow-happy/#comment-3532 Always a delicate balance on the self seeders. It seems you have to clean their clock sometimes. I grow some Marigolds, Cosmos, Celosia and a few others from seed each year. It beats mulching and looks good. The Marigolds you have to buy each year as it seems some of the hybrids are sterile. Alyssum is nice to direct sow and will usually come back for a few years in the same area. I often collect seed from perennials and biennials and sow them in blank areas or the edges of the garden. If you can find your seed wholesale you get a lot more compared to the packets. <em>DF, I never thought about seeding down Alyssum but Gail sows that in her own garden - a mid july sowing makes a beautiful carpet nowish - perfect! And you're right about wholesale - we get most of our seeds from retail catalogs though and with the exception of zinnias maybe, don't usually need huge quantities. -kris</em> Always a delicate balance on the self seeders. It seems you have to clean their clock sometimes. I grow some Marigolds, Cosmos, Celosia and a few others from seed each year. It beats mulching and looks good. The Marigolds you have to buy each year as it seems some of the hybrids are sterile. Alyssum is nice to direct sow and will usually come back for a few years in the same area. I often collect seed from perennials and biennials and sow them in blank areas or the edges of the garden. If you can find your seed wholesale you get a lot more compared to the packets.

DF, I never thought about seeding down Alyssum but Gail sows that in her own garden – a mid july sowing makes a beautiful carpet nowish – perfect! And you’re right about wholesale – we get most of our seeds from retail catalogs though and with the exception of zinnias maybe, don’t usually need huge quantities. -kris

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