Sorry to hear about the flooding up there. Hope your home is spared.

I am still ws poppies, foxglove & hollyhocks. None of these need cold strat so can even be spring, summer, fall sown. I don't ws pansy as found it grew too slowly for me and I can get pansies on sale in the fall very cheaply which come back in the spring. Some were two years old last summer and still bloomed.

I overwintered b & b salvia under lights last year but didn't this year as it was a constant battle against white flies. The new growth was very tender and a bit leggy. I pinched it back and had good bloom outside. This year I put some dormant plants in my crawl space but haven't checked to see how they came through the winter yet. I don't move plants from there until April.

Definitely not warm enough to put salvia outside yet. Put it in a sunny window for now and get it outside as soon as possible.

Thanks!
We will be fine, we invested in a levee all around our property a few years ago. This is the first real test, but it shoul keep the water out of the yard, and away from the house.

I can never find pansies in the fall, and truthfully I have a large garden, buying all the pansies I want would cost to much. SO I bought tons of seed. I was hesitant about W/S poppies, I was under the impression that they don't like transplanting. I am not talking about the perennial ones, but the breadseed type.

I had to take everything up out of the basement, in case of seepage (100 year old basements do that!). So I put the B&B under lights in a bright window. I will have to treat like other plants, harden it off and all that.

Thanks
Jenny P

Jenny, I grew up in an old farm house in SD so understand about old basements. Hope you are pleased with your levee performance. Are you on a working farmstead? Do you have other buildings inside your levee?

I ws poppies, all types. The trick is to get them in the garden as soon as you can so that the tap root hasn't grown out. I plant mine HOS. After the first year I let them self sow and have had lots of poppies from those. Never had much success direct sowing poppies.

Pansies might be one of the seeds that we should sow inside with our short growing season. Please let me know how your ws pansies progress. Since I still have some seeds I will sow a jug tomorrow.

I am fortunate that Lowes puts their pansies on sale for 25c or less for 2/3 plants per pot late fall when everyone else already has their pansies and think it is too late to plant more. I often find at check out that they are even cheaper than marked. I buy several flats and plant them out, enjoy the fall bloom and look forward to them again in the spring. I also plant a large pot full and put them in the garage for the winter then bring them out for bloom in the spring.

Rabbits in my yard love the tender growth and blooms. That's why I plant a couple of pots. I like to plant some in my deck railing pots as it is easy to trim dead blooms without bending. Since I have a shady area they will continue to bloom all year.

Hmm, since I have extra seed, maybe I will try starting some in the house too. I have never started pansies in the house. Actually I have only started a handful of things in the house over the years. Never enough space or time!

Thanks
Jenny P

Is it too late for Winter Sowing Pasque Flower seeds? I have been too lazy to try, but maybe if you guys tell me there's still time. Anyone know if Pasque Flower will bloom the first year? Thanks.

Are they hardy here? I would love to try some of them too!

Jenny P

Last year and this year I ws pulsatilla in February and had good germination, no bloom.

I think they need 2-3 wks of cold, expect they should get that if planted now. Or you can put seeds in a small baggie with a small amount of moist mix and put in your fridge for 2-3 weeks.

I have a note in my sowing notebook that says "remove tails", can't remember why though.

The seeds I collected from my purple pasque flower had great germination.

Looking forward to bloom this spring to see what came from the pulsatilla mix.

jennypat: were you talking to me? if you want some seeds, message me and I can mail you some.

mnwsgal: thanks for the tip. I keep telling myself to get them out there!

Pasque flowers bloom in the second or third year, depending on the species and rate of growth. It is not too late to plant. You can always put them in the frig for 3-4 weeks.

I have just decided to winter sow a few more seeds I still have soil and will get to it today.

Sorry I am just getting back to this today. Ellen I wasn't talking to you, but I would glady take some seed off your hands! My biggest issue is space, I have 5 acres here, You would think I have tons of space. But it seems all my flower beds are full! I am going to try getting my DH to help me get some more put together for planting late summer, next spring. I have a yard full of old oak trees, and lots of fruit trees (my DH's hobby)to work around.

Thanks
Jenny P

Here is my sure fire easy way to start a new bed.
1. Cut the grass short.
2. Cover with at lease 5 or 6 layers of newspaper.
3. Add 3" farm post (manure and straw ground together and
aged).
4. Plant right through this the same day if you wish.

To plant you move the farmpost back, cut the newspaper, dig a hole right through the sod. Then put in the plant and tuck everything back in place.

The sod and newspaper decompose, and you have a easy garden plot with good soil and the only weeds you get are the ones from the seeds that blow in.