So, here's my current quandary. I have 4 fluorescent lights in the basement which helped me have great success last year growing tomatoes, marigolds, etc., from seed. I did it for fun and my quandary does not involve whether or not I'm saving money. It's more the time, effort, and results that I'm considering.

I ended up with so many tomato plants that I gave more than half of them away to whoever would take them.

I was thinking of trying petunias from seed, but wonder if the space they'll take up is worth the few dollars I'll save.

What does everyone else grow from seed that they feel is good use of space, considering the time and effort it takes, versus just going out and purchasing them at the local store?

Tomatoes are one thing I think I'll stick with, as I like the choice of varieties, but I'll definitely start fewer of them =:)

petunias,
snapdragons
tomatoes
peppers
herbs
lobelia
shooting star,(thymophillia)I think that's how you spell it
all from seed, I save tonnes of money, plants get more expensive every year around here

I also have cuttings from sweet potato vine and osteosperum

these I do every year but there is always more.

Since petunias were mentioned numerous times, I think I'll give them a try. DH chuckled over my tiny little leeks last year, so I think I'll start them sooner this time around. I obviously don't need to plant 30 or so tomato plants. I didn't realize I'd get such good germination! I absolutely love impatiens, so I'll have to order seeds for those, too. Hmmm. I may need to negotiate the installation of a few more light fixtures. I hope nobody wonders about the increased glow coming from the basement window, LOL !

Don, as a side note, do you grow everyday regular green peppers? I've had a heck of a time with them the last two years. I had what looked like blossom end rot on them two years ago (do they get that?)and last year something ate massive holes in them! At first I thought it was slugs, but I really didn't find evidence of slugs, and nothing else was eaten. Any ideas?

Thanks for the info everyone. Now, where's my seeds from last year and where's my new catalogues?

I can grow a very large volume of wave petunias from seed, whereas it would cost me a fortune just to buy a couple of these plants. I grow these from seed I collected from wave petunia plants. Even though they are hybrids, my wave petunia seeds always grow true to colour and I get tonnes of seed to keep planting.

This year I'm going to get back to starting a few perennials from seed as well, but I will be winter sowing those in milk jugs.

I always grow way more than I need personally, as I do stock gardens for my retired neighbours. Used to grow for my mom's garden as well, but now that she's passed and I no longer have to do that, I'm still trying to figure out the right volume of plants to grow.

I'm happier with extra plants because I always manage to kill off a few too many early in the planting season. I like the backups. When I know I don't need them anymore, and my neighbours get sick of my plants, I start giving them away to strangers :)

I bought a seed saving book from Seeds of Diversity last year, but it's still on my large pile of reading to get to. I must put that further up on my priority list, as it seems many people here do it, and say it's easy to do.

I did some winter sowing last year with about a 50% success rate. Not bad for my first try. Since we have very little snow this year, if I get to it, my attempt will be much different than burying it in a 3 foot snow bank like last year =:) I digress.