Congratulations!
I have been chomping at the bit to start some of my seeds inside but have held off so far and just nursing my cutting along. I did just take about a dozen cuttings to root of my fuchsia gartenmeister bonstedt and one salvia cutting. I will be starting some of my salvias and lantana soon. My one Lantana that I brought inside for the winter is blooming really well now. I had cut it back to within a couple of inches of the soil surface. Haven't even started wintersowing anything yet. I really need to check my seeds. I know I have Buddleia that should do well wintersowing.

Penny

I have daylily sprouts lining my windowsills. I wintersow, too, but those won't sprout for a long time yet. It's nice to see something GREEN growing against the snow. I rooted some coleus cuttings in the fall, too - and I really wish I'd thought to take cuttings of my 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt.'

Laurel

That's wonderful, dirthappy! I used to hook up all my grow lights and start around New Year's day! Talk about early :) Since I've been ws'ing I have really gotten away from indoor growing. I agree with Laurel, it's nice to see that green in the dead of winter! It gives you the opportunity to nurture something rather than do a mass production of a gazillion plants. I just might get myself hooked up this weekend and get some going indoors.

I thought Iwas the only one starting early this year. Since the groundhog didn't see his shadow I started a whole bunch under lights yesterday.

Columbine 'Nora Barlow'
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Mirror'
Cuphea llavea - batface and flamenco rumba
Salvia - 'Van Houttii', 'Black and Blue', and 'Purple Knockout'
Cerinthe major
Salpiglossis grandiflorum

hmmm... I feel like there were a lot more. There's definitely a lot more to go, lol.

Julie,
Dunkirk Dave did see his shadow on Groundhog Day! But I did start just a few Salvia Azurea seeds the other day b/c I am not sure they are any good. So Far two have just started to germinate.

I hope you have quite a few Black & Blue seeds. Usually only 20-25% of mine come true from the seeds. Right now I have one that I grew 3 years ago that blooms pale lilac and one from last year that blooms red. Several other had maroon leaves and never bloomed. Last year only 2 of my Black & Blue seedlings came true.

Penny

Penny,

I actually only had about 5 seeds, ha ha. Somebody sent me the black and blue and purple knockout but there weren't many. I figured I'd give them a try just for the heck of it. I have lots of van houtti that I collected from my own plants last fall although from what I've read they may end up blooming orange. I guess that's what makes it fun.

Julie

p.s. I only pay attention to Punxsutawney Phil, although so far he is dead wrong, LOL

Well I am hoping this year that Phil is correct and DD is wrong. I am so ready for a warm up! I started a half dozen Salvia azurea seeds last week and two have sprouted so far. This is a hardy salvia for us here and is also a good hummer salvia with large blossoms. I wasn't sure my seeds were ripe when I collected them this fall since they were much ligher than all my other salvia seeds but evidentally they were ripe enough. I would like to get several plants going for the plant swap this year.

Penny

The Van Houttii are up! Nothing from the black and blue or Purple knockout yet, I'm not sure they were viable :(

Also up are Cerinthe major and Salpiglossis grandiflora. Woo hoo. The Cuphea llavea are looking a little fuzzy, cross your fingers.

I've got over 200 containers out on the back porch, but I can't give up sowing inside too. I just love nurturing those little babies throughout the winter. I sow WAY too much, and by mid-April, early May, I'm struggling to find places for transplants until they can go outside. I have a great window ledge in my classroom that has the biggest windows and gets tons of sunlight. Last year my coleus did really well there. My students and the custodians think I'm nuts, but who cares right?

So far, inside I've started and have sprouts for: Agastache Purple Pigmy, Cana, Apricot Sprite, Tutti Frutti, Rupestris, and Firebird, Balloon Flower Axminister Splash, Dichondra Silver Falls, Balloon flower shell pink, Balloon Flower blue splash, English Daisy Pompette, Hypoestes Splash Pink, Helichrysum silver mist, Campanula dwarf pink.

I also started a bunch of coleus, nemesias, salvias, and laurentia last weekend and am waiting for sprouts on them. I'll be doing some of the double petunias and verbenas this weekend.

Hey, does anyone know, if you have perennial seedlings, can they be set out to start the hardening off process earlier than annuals? It would make sense to me that they should be able to take more drastic temperature swings than annuals can.

~Deb

Julie,
THose Cuphea llavea can be very tricky. Mine did very well last year and then as soon as I transplanted them they died. Same thing happened to another gardender. I am going to be starting some more this week.

Deb,
I don't do any of my perennials inside. I do all of them via winter sowings so I don't have to harden them off. So I am no help.

Penny

Penny,

What do your Cuphea seeds look like? I saw on Dave's garden that they are supposed to be very tiny and black. I got mine in a trade and they are a dark tan color and they look more like a very small datura or pepper seed. I hope I have the right thing or I may have to find more seeds even if they do germinate!

Julie,
My seeds look like yours...round but somewhat flat and mine are the color of milk chocolate. I also have cuphea ignea seeds and though they are smaller than llavea the shape is the same.

penny

thanks!

After reading your post I decided I better get mine started so I did sow a couple of small pots of mine yesterday. I really love the look of cuphea llavea but if you haven't grown it b4, beware that when the Jap. beetles arrive on the scene they love it too. I end up moving my plant so that it is in the shade in the afternoon to keep the damage to a minimum.

Penny

The Flamenco Rumba have all sprouted but nothing on the ones that were labeled 'bat face'. I hope the flamenco rumbas have bat faces, I just love that. Thanks for the warning. The Japanese beetles are always so busy on my roses, catalpas, and paulownia trees that I don't know if they'll have time for another plant!

The Bat-faced is the one that seems to be a bit more tempermental to start out. Rumba doesn't have quite the 'face that 'Bat-faced' has. I think its flowers are also larger than Bat-faced.

Penny