Wonderful post!

That's terrific! Winter-sowing is an easy and economical way to start plants from seed. Some people claim 100% germination, but I don't get that, probably around 90%. Who knows if it's the viability of the seed, treatment of the seed, depth of planting, or what.

I am poised to have dozens of Foxgloves and Columbines bloom this spring, all started from seed. Would have cost a fortune to buy all these plants!

Congratulations + a pat on the back!! You--and everyone who benefits--is entirely welcome! Thanks for posting so I'd know those seeds sprouted. I like hearing good news about my grand-sprouts. The hosta and iris should sprout at some point but the hosta especially is v-e-r-y slow growing the first couple of years. After that they take off just like mature plants shoot out of the ground in the spring.

I'm carefully tending quart pots of WS perennials and 10 apple tree seedlings I grew from seed my neighbor asked me to WS for him. He thinks I'm gifted; I just know the method works!! I WS more than 120 perennial seed types this time and have germination on 50+ so far. The ones with true leaves are getting potted up and the milk jugs re-purposed to sow annuals + perennial seeds that don't need cold stratification.

Isn't dumpster diving FUN!?! When our 'Transfer Station' attendant tried to tell me they don't allow people to pick things out of the recycle bins, I just gave him my biggest, brightest smile and said, "Oh yeah!! You DO!!!" and drove on. With my contractor-size trash bag, I re-purposed so many jugs I couldn't see out the rear-view or side mirrors of my car on the drive home.

[My apologies to anyone who'd prefer this was posted on the WS forum but since the OP posted here, I wanted to acknowledge where she'd see it.]

Glad to read you had WS success yourself this year terrene!! Congrats on your foxglove and columbines. I get like 150% germination on foxglove and maybe 40% on columbine. I think the reason is that columbine seeds need to be sown when they're fresh. My plan is to sow them right out of the seedpods this year in hopes of adding lots more of them to the early season garden.

Hey Gardenweed, these were sorta last year's WS success. And actually some of these plants didn't make it over the winter. I was really disappointed with the Digitalis 'Camelot' and Aquilegia 'Origami' cultivars - seeds were from Swallowtail. You know, the precious pelletized seeds that cost $3.00 for 15 of them or something. Most of them either didn't make it over the winter, or they are so puny and pathetic looking.

Good thing I sowed a mixture of cultivars - the Digitalis 'Excelsior hybrids' are huge, and the Aquilegia caerulea and 'Mckana Giants' also look good. Guess it pays to diversify!

Foxglove usually germinates well, but it seems to easily diminish over the winter if it doesn't have good drainage and the crown rots. That was not the problem with the Camelot plants. I haven't quite figured out Columbine seeds. I've got some germinating this year already that were packed for 2010. But they can be sporadic.

I second Marlenes post! Eileen THANK YOU!