Hello Reader,

Our house isn't finished yet, but that doesn't mean I have to wait to start preparing the garden.

This winter, I'll be sowing a fair number of seeds, particularly perennials and native plants that benefit from cold-moist stratification.

Growing from seed is an affordable way to introduce unusual plants to your garden. It also requires patience. A lot of perennials won't bloom in their first season, but the process offers a great understanding of how plants grow.

Starting now means I'll have larger plants ready to go when the garden is ready.

Once the seedlings start to grow, I'll move them into test beds at Sugar Hill. They'll grow in actual site conditions. This is the best way to find out which plants are truly suited to the site.

How I Chose the Plants

Choosing plants is never easy. I focused on plants that should tolerate heavy clay, Kentucky's wet springs, and its hot, dry summers. Most are native to the region, which seemed like a good place to start.

The soil at Sugar Hill is considerably rougher than the soil at Rabbit Run. There's more limestone and, in places, heavier clay. Some areas drain surprisingly well; others are much less forgiving.

Even the Trial garden is a mixed bag. The soil is more workable at the top right. There's heavy clay as you move left (reference photo below).

The plants that successfully germinate will eventually move into nursery beds beside the Trial garden.

I haven't settled on the size of the beds or whether to combine varieties. For now, I'm leaning toward keeping each variety separate. It should make it easier to observe how individual plants grow.

Protecting the Seeds

I'll be growing the seeds in 1020 nursery trays with drainage holes, keeping each variety in its own tray. This is similar to the approach Roy Diblik uses in his perennial nursery.

To protect the trays from heavy rain and hungry animals, I plan to build a simple structure for the winter. It will look like a cold frame, but with an important difference. The sides and bottom will be made of hardware cloth.

I don't want an enclosed cold frame that requires constant attention to ensure ventilation. Once seeds germinate, a sunny winter day can quickly turn a sealed container into a greenhouse. I've already lost a few seeds this way after forgetting to open my winter-sowing containers when it warmed up.

Instead, I'll use a sloped plastic cover to keep heavy rain and snow from disturbing the seeds while leaving the sides open to the elements, protected by hardware cloth. The hardware cloth should provide enough protection to keep mice from eating the seeds.

The Plant List

I've selected plants with different bloom times and functions. Most are seasonal structural plants. Others are intended to be ground covers.

I'll be tracking results and sharing the details in the newsletter. I'll be sharing:

1. Plant species and variety
2. Date sown
3. Number of seeds sown (unless they are very small)
4. Date of first germination
5. Number of successful seedlings
6. Observations and surprises

Grow Along with Me

A few years ago I sponsored a Garden Moxie seed-starting challenge. It was a fun winter activity. Readers shared photos of their setups and images of their seedlings when they started growing.

I'd love to do something similar this season.

If you're planning to winter sow, I'd love to see what you're growing and how you're setting things up. Perhaps there's a plant on my list that you'd like to try, too.

There's something especially enjoyable about watching a garden take shape together, even when the garden itself is still a work in progress.

Let me know if you'd like to grow along.

Until next time,
Sue