Great pleasures from a seed person

13 years ago

Some of the great pleasures in my garden:

1. Finding out that a new plant, I love, reseeds freely.

2. Finding a plant from a seed I planted years ago which suddenly came up.

3. Trying to determine what a new plant is that I have no clue where it came from and hoping it is not some new weed.

4. Finding out that a new technique increased germination for a seed type.

5. Planting seeds that I thought would be hard to germinate and have them all come up. (I have at least 500 petunia seedlings this year; had 3 last year.)

6. Waitng to see the result of a cross pollination experiment.

7. Ending up with a new plant that everyone comments about.

8. Finding seeds on a plant that seldom, if ever, produces seed. (Found 6 hips at a commerical site where many Knockouts are grown. The Knockout website says Knockouts seldom produce hips.)

9. Have a plant grow from seed that is not suppose to be grown in my climate zone.

Finding a new plant variety grown from seed that resists the bugs and diseases in my garden.
and #1 ... successful germination.

Have any great pleasures from seed growing?

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Comments (4)

susanzone5 (NY)
13 years ago
One winter I decided not to start seeds indoors because I'd been doing it for so long (10 traysful, under lights) and it got tedious. Well that was a lesson learned! I will always love seed starting because of what I found out about myself.
1- It costs a fortune to buy already started plants.
2- Winter is so much more satisfying when I'm tending to my seedlings everyday.
3- I can have any kind of flowers and food I want if I grow them myself from seed.
bugbite
Original Author
13 years ago
susanzone5,
Thanks for the post. I can relate completely.
Regarding point 1 & 3: I often get my seeds from a site for commerical growers. The seed wholesalers discuss many seeds in terms of how the small plants will show in a time "window" at the nursery. They may not be the best for our garden, but they show well during a specific time window at the nursery.
The ones that do well in the landscape are marketed differently to different growers, as are the field grown flowers sold for the cut flower industry. You say they "cost a fortune". And we may not even be getting the best varieties for our gardens. Seems that my best plants from seed can take awhile to take off and they would never pass the test for a quick show at the nursery.
Nice hearing from you,
Bob
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terrene
13 years ago
I am a "seed person" too! Here's a few examples of great pleasures for me:

- Enjoying the numerous assorted seedlings that sprout in mature gardens

- stumbling on little seedling "surprises"

- Seeing the first green seed leaves show up!

- Appreciating the genetic diversity amongst your seedlings, some are taller, some shorter, some plants bloom earlier than others

- Finding an interesting or unique seedling and anticipating what it could mature into!

- Collecting seed on a mild and sunny September or October out in the wild, and enjoying the company of the birds or an occasional late season butterfly

- collecting extra and sharing seeds with others

- scattering a little native seed, such as common milkweed Asclepias syriaca along wild field edges, hoping to cultivate more Monarch habitat!

And there are many more, too numerous to list!
bugbite
Original Author
13 years ago
Terrene,
Wonderful post. I could visualize and enjoy each point you made.
Thanks!