A FEW DAYS AGO I posted a story on Instagram of how I grew Digitalis (Foxglove) from seed. Here are a few more tips and details on how I almost exclusively grow my flower garden from seed, rather than buying flats at the nursery.
I started using seeds 18 years ago, when my family and I moved to Georgia. The yards were much larger here than in California, and economically there seemed no other way I could grow an abundant cottage garden without planting from seed. Many older homes, including ours, are on close to an acre lot, so seeds are definately the way to go.
You need the following items to grow from seed.
1. Seed Starter Mix
2. Containers. (I use Jiffy Pots.)
3. Flower Seeds
With seed starter mix, the perfect growing conditions are provided for your seed. It is a very lightweight mix, which makes root production very successful for all types of seeds. I've been using E.B. Stone Organic Seed Starter Mix. My seeds are from Botanical Interests.
In my Instagram story, I mentioned that Digitalis seeds need light to germinate. I simply pressed the seeds into the pots filled with seed starter mix, added a light spray of water so as not to disturb the seed, and set an aluminum tray filled with 8 pots in the sun.
I'll mist the pots every day so the soil stays moist and doesn't dry out.
These particular seeds will germinate in 14 - 21 days. Everything you need to know about growing conditions are on the back of your seed packet.
I keep a Word Doc with all the seeds and plants located in different areas at Hembree House. I even add when/if they die! The dead Camelia listed below was due to my neighbor, I am convinced! HAHA.
Above are a couple of Sweet Peas started in Jiffy Pots that are new to the mailbox garden. I had extra plants that I gave to my friend, Lauren, for her garden.
Just like our mothers and grandmothers did.
My sweet peas are going to wind through this young Clematis Jackmanii on the mailbox post. Both are VERY colorful and fragrant climbers.
Here you can see some of the various perennials listed in my Word Doc, emerging after their quiet winter's sleep. Each year these perennials grow larger and stronger root systems and leave volunteer seeds for more plants. It is an absolute win for seeds averaging just $2 each packet to get so many plants year after year.
These blue Myositis seeds were just scattered last year around the fence gate. They came up without my even knowing it. Hello there!
I'll keep posting how the Digitalis are doing once the seedlings begin to emerge. I'm hoping to be rewarded with a naturalzed bed like this.
Have a happy growing season, everyone!
xoxo
Traci
Hembree House Interiors