I agree, please tell more Token. I can't even find room for that many containers :)

Karen

Oh, lets see. I did 123 varieties in 2 liter containers. I don't have my list in front of me, but I'll give you a quick rundown of some of the seeds.

verbascum
echinacea
rudbeckia
Artemesia
Astilbe - red
asters
ageratum
drumstick allium
False indigo
Several columbines
Cardoon
several monardas
coreopsis
lots of dianthus - firewitch, pink, an unknown I got in a trade, etc
Devil's claw
bleeding hearts
flax
solomon's seal
hollyhocks
several ornamental grasses
Lots of hardy hibiscus. I can't have enough of these
malvas - wet, damp soil plants for my boggy area in the gully
red texas star
great blue lobelia, lobelia cardinalis (for the bog)
mexican hats
all perennial milkweeds - was sent pink, orange, and a yellow from a fellow NC cottage gardener
ox eye daisy
shasta daisy
a couple of salvias
6 kinds of hardy geranium sent to me in the swap. Thanks dawiff!
tuber vervain
siberian wallflowers
siberian irises
two varieties of yucca - one collected, one from trade
white rose campion from carrie
pink rose campion
foxgloves
honeyball bush
butterfly bush - collected white and purple
cleome
Penstemon Red Husker
zizia
and a few others. Lots of variety.

Oh, and a visual for those so inclined.

224 quart sized containers that held pansies. I reused the soil and composted the plants. Got them for a penny each in a massive clearance sale before Christmas. They were nearly dead.

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140 two-liter containers, all perennials

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120 9 ounce cups with rudbeckia.

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I've got some more pansies to destroy. I'll use these in the spring to start some of my annuals. Others will be started in the same styrofoam cups. I have to make room in the hoophouse once I have sprouts on the perennials. I'll move them outside and cover with a sheet of plastic once there's germination.

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Holy crap. Where DO you get the energy? What are you on token?

Karen

I love plants. I love seeds. I love gardening and making my little bit of space more beautiful. And I drink a lot of...

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Token, do you cover your cups? I sowed a few things in some of those large $1 tea cups from McDonalds. I wasnt sure if I really needed to cover them or not. Right now I have them in a cardboard box. I doubt that will hold together long tho.

I see your cups are the 9 oz, I was wondering if those would be deep enough.I will have to go buy some now.

Does the plastic on your hoop house have holes?
Tammy

Hi Tammy..before "Yoda" aka Token answers this, I'd like to let you know that I used "waxed" vegetable boxes from the grocery store my first year. They usually contain cukes, or green beans. They seemed to hold out just long enough until spring sprouts happened.

LOL, Yoda. Most grocery stores will give those boxes away if you ask. They can't be recycled because of the wax.

Tammy, I don't cover the cups, because the hoophouse is plenty moist. When I need to water, I use the mist setting on my water hose nozzle to give the whole thing a good soaking. It's a very fine spray. Anything sown outdoors has a covering, just like Trudi recommends.

This is my first time sowing perennials in the hoophouse. Last year I did annuals and they did great. So this is a huge test. It's 27 outside, 33 in the hoophouse. It got up to 54 today in there with an outdoor high of about 37.

There are no holes in the plastic yet. There might be soon though. One or two large ones on each end to vent excessive heat during the day. I've recorded temperatures as high as 81 so far in the past week.

Token, my friend, you are a man after my own heart! Seeds, gardening, coffee :)

OMG...you can set up a business selling those seedlings, token.
All neat and tidy too. :-P

Thanks wendy2shoes I will check on those boxes.

And token, that setup really does look impressive.
Now i have to find some way to cover the cups. I have some heavy clear plastic sheeting that came in a roll. I guess I could cut some off it and cut some holes, and duct tape around each box to hold in place.I guess that will work. Tokens hoop house looks so much nicer tho :(
Tammy

GOSH, I love your hoop house!!! Everything 's sooooo neat.
What lenght are the pipe that you used? Getting ideas :)
Margaret

Tammy, I used sheet plastic from Lowe's and cut slits in it last year to cover my containers once I had germination, but didn't need to have them covered everyday. It was much easier than recovering each individual container. I don't see why it wouldn't work for your boxes. Since the boxes will keep the plastic up off the containers, you could cover an entire area and put something around the edges to hold it down. I used 1 gallon containers last year. They held dormant cuttings of shrubs and trees.

Margaret, I used 10' 3/4" schedule 20 PVC pipe. It's $1.57 per piece at Lowe's here. I cut them down to 8.5' long since my plastic was only 10' wide. There's a thread around here somewhere called My Largest Container. It shows more about how it was built.

Hi Token,
I love it that you were able to buy the penny pots of pansies to reuse the soil. I do stuff like that all the time. About the boxes to hold the cups upright...have done this in the past and it works very well. I use the spring type plastic clothes pins to hold the plastic around the edges (from the Dollar Store). As the days get warm in spring it is easy to upclip a side, fold back the plastic to let out hot air and reclip at nightfall. Also...when it gets warm enough to remove the plastic I then cover the boxes with old lace curtains (thrift store) so the air and sun can get in but the squirrels stay out. We have mean/destructive squirrels here.
Always enjoy seeing your pictures. Thanks.
Trowelgal or Tina

Token, will you marry me?

OMG!!! Token, you are fantastic!! My computer has not been working and while I am waiting (impatiently) for a new one - I haven't been on our forum, but today I was able to use my husband's and WQW! you've been busy!!

Everyone - I have had the honor to meet Tom (token) and while he exudes energy and enthusiasm on this forum - along with expertise knowledge - he is also a VERY caring, considerate and friendly guy - but I guess you all know that! :0)

I'm impressed - especially because I haven't even started yet! I have so many perennials that I started last year in my holding beds that for now I've been working on eleven huge compost bins and having a ball doing it.

Trowelgal (tina) encouraged me to use some of my huge wire bins for holding my chopped leaves and Starbucks has been supplying me with grounds everyday - so I've been busy.

Tom - I love the pictures - keep posting them - Now I am going to your blog - you sure are an inspiration

Carrie

Token, I have a small narrow bed next to my block foundation that faces east to NE. So its fairly protected, and doesnt get hot direct sun. I use it to put all my cuttings. If I cant get it to root there...it aint going to root for me.Even roses root here for me most of the time. I have some Yoshino Cherry, Ornamental Pear, and flowering crabapple in there right now, plus a few more Variegated weigela, and some from my new Ruby Spice Summersweet.
Carrie, Im right behind you. I think I will check out his blog too and see what he's up to.
Tammy

Token, I just read the post on your blog about the birdbath you made.How did you do that? I want one.
Tammy

Tammy, I just poured Quickrete into a large bowl that I have. I used a light fixture cover to make a depression. It cracked when I was trying to remove it from the large bowl. So I've decided to just cast one in place once it warms up a bit. I'll show how to do that once I get to it.

Here's a great link on how to cast a birdbath using large leaves. Castor beans and elephant ears make great forms.

Birdbath

Thanks token. I am looking forward to it.
Tammy

WOW, I have been gone a few days,and look at all these postings.
Token, you are really something, i am so impressed!
There are a few plants you have mentioned i want to try,so much fun to see what others have WSed,most of us do the same things, then there is Token and Trudie and Lynda, who do some new things to encourage me to try something different.
Love reading every ones comments.
cAROL