I am winter sowing quite a few things this year: alchemilla erythropoda, allium cernuum, crocosmia, aubrieta, 'Apricot Sprite' agastache (might not overwinter for me), and 'Blue Glow' echinops bannaticus.

No, I never do. I try a few annuals from seed, the easier ones like Alyssum, marigolds etc. I am not a patient gardener by any means, and I'd rather buy the bigger plant than wait a few years for it to grow!

Jen

I'm winter-sowing, and I thought I wasn't doing too many perennials, but now that I've gotten started, I'm doing more than I thought!

several agastaches
several alliums
several columbines
amsonia
alstromeria
baptisia leucantha
astrantia
armeria
catananche caerula
cephalophora
a couple of mums (incl. Charm Early Fashion Mix)
centranthus
coreopsis
cirsium
several dianthus
several delphiniums
a couple of echinaceas
several feverfews
doronicum (although conflicting info as to whether this is perennial or annual)
eryngium (sp? - eryngum??)
gaillardia
helenium
liatris
knautia
ratibida
platycodon
phlomis
rudbeckia (again, perennial or annual???)
veronica
viola
trifolium rubens

Like I said, a few more than I thought, lol!

:)
Dee

Kevin, meant to ask - do you pinch your seed-grown mums the first year? I'm growing these for market, for fall sales, and I'm wondering if I should pinch or let them grow this first year - but I don't want them to bloom in June, lol!

Thanks,
Dee

I'm doing Snow on the Mountain, Rose campion, variegated Honesty,and an apricot colored foxglove.

Dee

I've never grown this particular variety of mum before, but if it behaves like others I've grown I will pinch it at some point. It's kind of amazing how fast these can grow. In the past I've had full sized mum plants by fall. I hope these behave the same way.

(looks like you have it bad)

Kevin

Let's see, I'm winter sowing:

Campanula carpatica (a blue dwarf trailing kind)
Shasta daisy 'Alaska'
Roses (seeds from my 'Othello' plant)
Acanthus spinosus (a real long shot, from a plant in my yard)
Toad lilies (from my 'Miyazaki Hybrids' plants)
Alpine strawberry 'Ruegen'
Oriental poppies
Clematis (seed from my 'General Sikorski', another long shot)
Dianthus 'Victoriana'
Potentilla 'Melton Fire'
Columbine
Monarda 'Cambridge Scarlet'
Lilac (seed from my 'Wonderblue/Little Boy Blue' plant)
Hosta (four kinds, seed from a wonderful lady on the daylily forum who also grows amazing hosta)

I might still sow a few more perennials, but I'm moving on to hardy annuals now too. I've had good success winter sowing perennials, so I'm doing more this year than in the past two years together.

Laurel

I'm with tjsangel. I've never even considered perennials from seed; I have a hard enough time waiting for the Bluestone plants to grow up!

Besides being impatient, I really don't have the space to deal with seed-starting. I did start annuals from seed a few times in our last house, but this one isn't suited for it.

This year more annuals than in the past, though I'm trying some perennials as well:

delphinium 'Belladonna'
delphinium zalil (or 'Zalil') - don't really know what this one is and it looks like germination rates for the seeds may not be great.
valerian
an unknown anemone from a friend's garden
acer griseum (not expecting a lot here, either)
cornus florida
a dark purple-foliaged maple from a neighbor's yard
several different foxgloves (d. purpurea varieties)
exochorda macrantha from my own shrub 'The Bride' - if I get any sprouts, they'll got to the MAG swap
echinops ritro
campanula americana
styrax japonica

Hi,
I had such great success last year with winter sowing them, I'm doing a lot more. I'm up to 49 varieties of perennials (and a few vines too) planted out in bottles so far. Some of the things I've sown are:
Adlumia fungosa
Various Agastache
Anchusa azurea
Various Clematis species
Various Campanula species
Various Geranium species
Various Penstemon species
Dictamus Albus
Caryopteris divaricata
Delphiniums
Lathyrus vernus
Trachelium caeruleum
Rodgersia
I could go on, lol. Anyway, most everything I winter sow is plants that will come true from seed. Now, I can spend my money on cultivars that won't come true : )
Oh, and some plants will grow and bloom the first year like agastache.
Remy

I start annuals and vegetables from seeds, but rarely perennials. I've done it in the past, but truth be told I'm just too darn impatient to wait until at least the following season to see any action out in the garden.

I'm starting whatever I got from the North American Rock Garden Society annual Seed Exchange. And whatever I get from the second-round exchange through same. And lots of "leftovers" from last year.

Among them: Aconitum spp., Anemone spp., Kniphofia spp., Moraea spp., Lilium spp., Astralagus spp. (Astragalus? I don't remember...), Begonia spp., Heuchera spp., Aquilegia spp., Viola spp., Paeonia spp., Helleborus spp., Hosta spp., and lord knows what else. That's not counting all the seedlings from last year living in assorted pots in need of transplantation.

Most of the things I am starting from seeds are herbs, peppers, and a few annuals. There were several perennials that I wanted, and I am trying to save a few dollars by starting as many from seed as I can.

Agastache rupestris
Asclepias tuberosa
Kniphofia uvaria
Verbascum 'Southern Charm'
Heuchera 'Palace Purple'

The rest of what I wanted I couldn't find seeds for and ordered plants instead.

I have heard the Kniphofia usually doesn't bloom until the 2nd or 3rd year, and I know the Agastache will probably bloom it's first year. Anyone know about the Asclepias or the Verbascum? I don't really care if the Heuchera blooms or not, mainly interested in it for foliage interest.

highalt, I winter sowed asclepias tuberosa last year. Of the 6 plants I ended up with, the 2 in the backyard bloomed (they got full on all day sun and some neglect) and the 3 in the front yard didn't (at least 6 hours of sun and more fussing than the others). So if you're WSing them I'd say you have a 50-50 chance! :)

(Yes, I'm bad at math, but that should have said "Of the 5 plants I ended up with..." lol.)

When I've done asclepias, they've bloomed the first year, but on small plants.

I think the Verbascum 'Southern Charm' also bloomed the first year, but it's been a while. I know I didn't like it and ended up yanking it the second year.

Kevin

Until I learned to winter sow I had very little success with growing from seed. Now sky is my limit. This year I am concentrating more on natives- and I mean in in wide spectrum- native to China, Japan etc. is on my list as well as native to US. Lots and lots of plants I am growing can not be obtained by any other means but growing from seeds. I have shady garden and there are so many plants that might grow well for me. Yes , it takes time. No, it is not difficult. I love to see my plants grow.

Have wintersowed the following perennials :D
Columbine (2 types)
Anise Hyssop
Phlox paniculata
Dicentra spectablis
Veronica spicata
Penstemon 'Huskers Red'
Aster laevis (Smooth Blue Aster)
Liatris
Purple Prairie Clover
Thyme 'Magic Carpet'
Daylily
Daisy
Stachys bizantina
New England Aster
Oriental Poppy
Germanium 'Biokovo'
Blue Sea Holly
Hyssopus officinalis
Verbena hastata
Canadian Milkvetch
Hardy Hibiscus
Winecup
Canna

Thanks, Kevin, for that info on the mums. Yes, I suppose I do have it bad - worse than I thought, when I saw my list above, lol! Glad to see there are others though too!

:)
Dee

I am winter sowing a lot more than planned:

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis)
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Purple Love Grass (Egrostis spectabilis - not yet - will sow it next month)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Native White Baptisia (Baptisia leucantha)
Helenium - a few red ones
Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
VA Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) - hope this one grows. I really want a whole lot more.

Hmm- what else? Can't remember. :-)

The Prairie Smoke is a great plant. I love the name of this one because that's just what the seed heads look like.

K

I usually buy a few packets of perennial seed but then never plant them. Does that count?
Actually every now and then I get some perennial seeds into the ground in late summer. They sprout when the rain comes and have no trouble overwintering and then taking off the following spring.

I tend to wintersow things I want and can't get cheaply. Hardy Hisbiscus was a wonderful discovery last year, so I have two different kinds sowed now. Blackberry Lily is another favorite.