In Part One, I spoke about 11 different perennials that I'm growing from seed.  While the species and/or variety may have been new to me, all were plants that I had grown in the past successfully. In this post, I'll be talking about a few plants that I've never grown from seed before.  I'm always up for experimenting so am super excited to try them out.  I don't, however, have any misconceptions that it will be smooth sailing.  Perennials are general a bit trickier to grow than annuals so I'm not expecting 100% success - but no matter what happens, I'll have learned somethi ..read more

Last year I grew a slew of perennials from seed - everything from Echinacea & Rudbeckia to Salvias, Nepeta & Penstemon.  While not everything was a resounding success, I had SO much fun nonetheless!  And the best part?  I ended up with dozens of beautiful perennial seedlings for a fraction of the cost. A variety of 1st year blooming Salvias in last year's perennial holding bed, where tiny seedlings grow over the summer before being transplanted into the garden Seeing those babies germinate and grow, then transplanting them to the ornamental border was so incred ..read more

Way back in the day when I started to really delve into vegetable gardening, I heard about an amazing seed house called Fedco, a co-operative seed company that's been around for over 40 years.  Located in Maine, it specializes in seeds for northern/short-season growers.  While the vast majority of their offerings are edibles - from veggie seeds to garlic to certified seed potatoes - they also have a nice selection of herbs &  flowers. Some light reading at my local coffee shop ? In years past, I would read about other veggie gardeners experiences as they thumbed thr ..read more

It's early April and the garden is coming to life.  There have been a lot of additions to the perennial beds in the past couple of years and I've been rather remiss in detailing those here.  I'm hoping to rectify that this year. Puschkinia libanotica with Iris reticulata in the background The garden feels as if it's waking up a bit earlier than usual...or is that just me?  One benefit of documenting what's going on in the garden, either in your own personal journal or online for public consumption, is seeing how the garden changes from year to year and this includes t ..read more

Heads up:  This is not your typical 'Best Gardening Tools' internet list...you know, the type created by people that have never picked up a shovel, much less actually used the tools in an honest to goodness garden.  Every single item on my personal "Best Of" list is one that I actually use, year in and year out, and I'll tell you exactly why I love it.  There are no sponsors, collaborations or generic lists of gardening tools here!  I've provided links to the actual tools I use or, if they are no longer available (my edger is 20+ years old!), I'll link to a close ..read more

Over the years, I've used a couple of different methods to clean my seed starting supplies and pots.  Way back in the beginning of my gardening journey many years ago, I simply rinsed everything off in the laundry room, let it dry, then put it away.  Then one year, I was hit hard with Damping Off - the two words that strike fear in the heart of all seed starters.  Damping off is a fungus that attacks fragile seedlings shortly after they emerge from the soil.  One day your seedling is fine, then the next, it's keeled over and limp as a noodle.  If you look clo ..read more

In late July I went to Niagara Falls for the 2023 Perennial Plant Association (PPA) Symposium and, as is always the case when I attend a plant/garden event, I’ve come back inspired. The symposium includes a trade show where new perennials are showcased & speaking to the growers/breeders is always a highlight for me.  I saw so many plants that intrigued me and in this post, I’ll be highlighting five that I’m particularly excited about. Spoiler alert - this is one of them... Stachys byzantina ‘Little Lamb’ When I approached the Darwin Perennial booth there was a LOT to look at ..read more

I'm not sure what it is about hostas but it seems that lately, I've become somewhat of a hosta-holic. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something about them that I simply can't resist.  Is it the way that the beautiful, fresh foliage comes up in spring and just keeps going all season long, always providing a cooling respite from the heat & blazing sun of summer?  Is it the different shades of green & blue, some plain while others are streaked with cream, white, gold or gray?  Or is it all of the leaf shapes, sizes and textures - smooth, puckered, corrugated ..read more

Those of you that have been around my blog for a while know that my main focus for many years has been edibles – they will always be my first love when it comes to the garden.  But then there was 2020 and the world stopped – or slowed WAAAAY down, at least.  The lockdown(s) and everything that ensued over the next couple of years had everyone, including myself, re-evaluated priorities and taking a hard look at how we wanted to spend our time, both in and out of our gardens. Ornamental border in the raised bed area (2023) Spoiler Alert:  Can you tell that I've become enamo ..read more

I know what you're wondering right about now - what on earth is Reinsentraube?  Well, let me enlighten you: Photo credit:  Baker Creek Seeds Reisentraube is a lovely little tomato that ended up in my stash 5 years ago....waaaaay back in 2017.  It's been on the grow list for almost as many years, but it's never ended up in the garden for one very sad reason.  Every single time I sowed it - even up to 5 seeds at a time - it never once germinated. I knew I would have issues the minute I opened the packet.  The seeds were in clumps, most of them stuck together as ..read more