I have yet to be successful with winter sowing. I will try again - I've somehow acquired a bunch of seeds and will winter sow some but will save the rest for spring sowing just in case. I've had more success with spring sowing. I plant seeds in flats outside around Apr 1, cover with plastic and keep in sheltered location.
Just heard some sad news - another of my favorite, local nurseries is closing. Guess they just can't make it any more with big box stores.
Your winter solstice celebration sounds interesting. What will you sow?

What you're doing sounds a lot like winter sowing - planting seeds in mini "greenhouses" made of recycled materials, except you wait until spring to set them out.

Sorry to hear an independently owned nursery is closing. Although I buy some things at the big box stores, I value all our small local merchants, and the nurseries for their knowledge and plant selections.

Don't know, yet, what I'll sow for the solstice celebration. Last time I did it I sowed nicotiana for my late father, parsley for the swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, a legume for nature, and some very old, improperly stored marigold seeds for faith. Everything did fine except those marigold seeds, but that's the point ... taking a leap of faith that nature may just surprise you.

thanks for asking the question, gardenstate, it's good to hear what local people are doing.

I'm also sorry to hear of the closing of an independent nursery.

I'm probably not WS'ing this year bec. I moved into an apt bldg and have nowhere to put containers, except at my community garden, which is 3 miles from home.

we'll see.. I often say I'm not going to, and then I end up doing it. :)

I've been WS'ing for 13 years. I've had mixed luck - some things germinate so lushly, I have so many seedlings, that I give them away.
Plants that make it to be planted in the garden always have lovely long strong roots, and I know they will be strong plants.

but last year in particular was a bad year for WS'ing for me. Very little made it to be planted, and those that did, didn't survive. So maybe it was my choice of plants - or who knows? The mystery. I WS'ed many containers (I think around 30), and got few results.

However, those that did succeed, I know will be superb next season (if they survive the winter- hope we have a normal winter). these are Golden Yarrow and White/Mauve Mullein. I can't wait to see them.

Do you all winter sow vegetables. I want to try - last year when I tried a few did ok, but want to get a good idea of what does well. If you have a schedule for what you put out when, I would love to see that. I tried to copy from other forums (but they are in different regions), you all being in the same area, the info will be more suited for me.
Thanks

Birhudugi, there is a forum for winter sowing, and a separate web site, wintersown.org. Both have lots of information if you want to check them out.

I've found that the cool-weather plants (whether veggies or not) do better than the warm-weather ones like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil. The warm-weather plants take longer to get going and, although they do eventually catch up (just like "volunteers" do), I start them inside. I've had good results with lettuces and mixed greens - planted the last week of January, we'll have seedlings by the first weekend of March, even when there's snow on the ground all around the containers.

You can plant and set out your containers any time after the first day of winter (Dec. 21). You don't put them out sooner because if we should get a late warm spell, they might germinate, and that would be the end of them. Remember, the seeds may be winter hardy, but not the seedlings. Placed out any time after 12/21, the seeds will germinate when the time is right ... which is usually much earlier than you'd expect.

I'm hoping to get some planting done this weekend, but have to save some of my collected containers as backup for a class I'll be teaching next Saturday.

I hope you'll give it a try, and have success!

Thanks Gardenstate of mind.

I have checked out the Wintersown web site and other forums with Winter Sowing info. I understand all the concepts and ideas there, but what I was getting at was, if there was any information specific to our region.

For the second time - I planted all of them, including the tomatoes and peppers this year and put them out on Jan 20. Let's see how it goes. Like you said, they will fare like the volunteers. I am planning on starting some indoors as well - because I am still not confident either way (indoor or wintersown). I only started my garden last year and building up my skills gradually.

Thanks to this and some forums on Facebook, I have learned a lot.

I'm going to do some wintersowng although this year I'm later than normal as I typically do it in January. I found a few things that do exeptionally well...small seeds don't rot, so poppies do really, really well. Parsley, Nicotana, marigolds, pansies, violets, daisies, petunias, cleome are the most noteworthy for me. Anything that reseeds itself, or is perennial does well. Make sure you use relatively fresh seed for best results (2 years or less old).

"Placed out any time after 12/21, the seeds will germinate when the time is right" This is NOT true for annuals. For ex, if I were to seed Salvia in February, and we had a warm spell (which unlike this Feb we can have a warm spell in Feb), and the seeds germinated. The next frost that comes will kill them. I've had it happen to me. So - for annuals - count back from how long they take to germinate, and then plant them when germination will occur in frost-free weather.

A few years ago you wrote a post about tar & chip driveways, and you said you knew of a Monmouth County contractor who still did that. Would you mind sharing that information with me? I'm at ldunikoski@dianeturton.com. Thanks!

Ellenr22 - Planted in early February, these lettuce and kale seedlings have been through multiple freezes since they germinated. They look mighty healthy for having been "killed."