Inspiration From a First Time Winter Sower

I recently received an email that made my day and I wanted to share with all of you! The email was from one of the winners of my winter sowing seed giveaway contest from last year.
Here is the post she wrote last year after winning my contest, complete with a picture of the seed prizes I sent her... Mother of Pearls & an Emerald Winter 2011 Giveaway Winner.

Michele's prize from last years seed giveaway

Last year was her first time winter sowing and it sounds like she's hooked. In her email, she said... "I...wanted to share as a reader our results that WS REALLY works and a raving endorsement for your contest/posts! Keep up the great work"

WOW! How cool is that?!?

She also sent pictures of her first ever, almost entirely winter sown gardens (very impressive!). Many of the plants she used in these gardens were grown from seeds she won in my giveaway.

She created two new "enchanted" kids gardens (last two pictures), one of them was a sunflower forest. How fun!

Zinnia garden

Enchanted Sunflower Forest

Pumpkin arch (sunflower forest behind)

I especially love that arch she created out of cattle fencing, I might just add one of those to my vegetable garden this year. Look at those pumpkins hanging down from the top of the arch, very cool.

Michele, your gardens are gorgeous, and very inspiring! I am thrilled that I was able to contribute to your first winter sowing experience! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and photos with us, and helping to inspire others.


Photo Credits: All of the photos in this post were taken by Michele @ Mother of Pearls & an Emerald. Michele gave me permission to use her photos in this post.


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Melting Snow to Water Houseplants

Rain water is the best type of water to use on houseplants. In the summer, I use the water from my rain barrels and my houseplants love it.

Three buckets and a shovel

Unfortunately, during the winter the water in my rain barrels would be frozen solid if I left them out.

So, as an alternative I melt snow during the winter - which is just as good as using rain water.

When I first heard that people melted snow to water houseplants, I thought it was a brilliant idea!

The first time I tried it, I was shocked by how little water was left after the snow melted.

Pack the bucket of snow

Ugh!

Ok, melting snow is more work than simply using tap water.

But, it's really not that much more work -  and it's SO much better for the plants!

If you know this from the start, you won't feel so discouraged when you try it for yourself.

It only took me about five minutes to pack three five gallon buckets with snow.

As I filled the buckets, I packed the snow tight with my foot so the buckets were as full as possible. 

Water yield after snow has melted

It takes longer than you would expect for the snow to melt.

It took almost two days for this amount of snow to melt completely.

After the snow was melted, it took me another five minutes or so to transfer the water into my water jugs.

As I pour it into the jugs, I run the water through a strainer to remove debris. 


In the end, these three five gallon buckets of snow yielded almost six gallons of water, not too bad.

Update March 2, 2012: The snow that fell during a recent snow storm was much slushier than the snow I collected when I wrote this post. This time, these same three buckets yielded eleven and a half gallons of water.

Straining the water

I store the water in milk jugs, which I try to keep full at all times.

After I water my houseplants, I collect more snow to fill the jugs again.

That way, I always have water on hand when I need it.

One thing to note; be sure to allow the water to warm to room temperature before using it.

Icy water can be harmful to houseplants.

All in all, it only took about 15 minutes of my time to collect awesome water for my houseplants.

Although, this is another one of those things I do where I'm pretty sure my neighbors are rolling their eyes and laughing at me. But it's worth it; I have extremely healthy houseplants!

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Winter Sowing Free Seed Giveaway

Last year, I had drawings for free seeds throughout the winter sowing season. The giveaways were a huge success, so I've decided to do it again this year!

Winter sown containers

If you've never heard of winter sowing, you're missing out!

Start by clicking here to check out what it's all about.

(Note: You don't have to winter sow to win free seeds, please continue reading to see all the ways you can enter to win.)

Throughout my winter sowing season, I will post a status report each week listing the seeds I've sown during that week, keeping track of my total container count as I go.

I want you to follow along with my posts and share your total container counts each week too. I will track the total count of containers sown by everyone who participates.

Every few weeks, I will giveaway free seeds to one lucky participant (via random.org) who has added their counts since the previous drawing. Each prize will include a variety of seeds (I haven't bought them yet, this picture is from last year).

FREE seeds (actual prizes may vary)

Here are all the ways you can enter the contest...

Points for winter sowing (1 point/entry for each)...
 1.  If you're winter sowing along with me, post a comment each week on my status report telling me how many containers you've sown that week. I'd also love to know what state/zone you're in (optional).

 2.  If you're a blogger, write a blog post about winter sowing and share the link in the comments of my blog (I'll try to remember to include a Mr. Linky to make it easier for you). Also, make sure to include a link back to my blog on your post mentioning my contest

Bonus points* (counted whether you are winter sowing or not, +1 point/entry for each)...

1. Become a new follower of my blog
2. Like my page on Facebook
3. Start following me on Twitter
4. Post this contest on Facebook, linking back to my blog
5. Tweet about this contest on Twitter, linking back to my blog
6. Follow me on Pinterest (new this year!)
7. If you aren't winter sowing, but are sowing seeds, you can post those numbers too (separately from your winter sowing count)

The contest starts today, so start posting those numbers! I will announce the date of the first drawing in my status report, which will come out sometime next week.

If you live outside of the Continental US, you can't win the seed prizes - but I would still love to see your winter sowing status and container counts! So join in the fun (please note where you live so I know you're not entering the contest).

What are you waiting for? Get Busy sowing those seeds... and sign up to win free seeds today!


*Please leave a comment telling me all the things you did to earn points

Disclaimer: I purchased these seeds and am giving them away as prizes for the sole purpose of generating excitement around winter sowing (and hopefully my blog). I am not getting any payment or kickback from the seed company. 

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Easy Seed Envelopes

One of my favorite activities in the fall is collecting seeds from my garden. I use these seeds to grow my annuals and vegetables every year, which saves me tons of money.

I also love to share my seeds with friends, and use them to trade for other seeds. For this, I like to make my own envelopes out of scrap paper to save the cost of buying them. It's a fun way to share or store seeds.

Here is how I make cute little seed envelopes I use to share my seeds...

Step 1: Cut the paper into squares. 

Cutting the paper

4" x 4" squares work great for most seeds.  

You might want to make the square bigger for larger seeds.  

As long as it's square, you can make it any size you want.

Fold in half

 

Step 2:
Fold the paper in half, corner to corner.

Fold in two corners

Step 3: 

Fold the two bottom corners so they overlap evenly.













 

Tuck one corner into the fold of the other

Step 4: 

Tuck the corner of one flap into the fold of the other.

Write the information on the front

Step 5:
Write the name of the seed and when it was collected on the front of the envelope.

Include who it's from

Step 6: 

Don't forget to write who the seeds are from.

I like to write that on the back to make it easier to read.

Fill with seeds

Step 7: 

Fill the envelop with seeds.

If the seeds are tiny, fold them into a small piece of paper or tissue first, so they won't leak out.

Colorful DIY seed packets

Step 8:

Fold down the top and either tuck it into the back flaps (see picture in step 6), or tape it shut.





Step 9:
Start trading or sharing with friends!

Have fun with it. Get creative by using different colors and types of paper. You could use a mix of spring colors, or decorative patterns.

Just be sure to use craft or construction grade paper. Thin papers such as newsprint, magazine pages and wrapping paper are too thin and will break open, spilling the seeds.

This is a great way to use up all kinds of scrape paper. Your friends and fellow traders will love the cute package their seeds come in, and they can throw the envelope into the compost when they're done planting the seeds.

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Wacky Weather

Birdhouse by deck

 It's been feeling like spring here in Minnesota lately.

Yesterday people were outside without jackets, and this morning the birds were happily chirping as I walked into work.

I don't remember a January where it was this mild; we're breaking all kinds of records.

Maybe Mother Nature feels guilty about being so cruel to us last year.

Last winter was exactly the opposite, it was the worse winter we've had in a long time.

Vegetable garden

We had tons of snow, a couple blizzards and bitter cold for months.

Travel was a nightmare, many of my daily commutes were 4-5 times longer than usual.

Yep, it was pretty miserable.

Large perennial garden

The other night on the news, they said last year at this time we had about 5 feet of snow.


Compared to this year...

Well, so far this year, we've had less than a foot of measurable snow in Minneapolis... and most of that has melted.

Wow!

Pergola, pond and vegetable garden

Speaking of last winter - I was browsing through my blog archive, and I came across one I wrote on December 18th, 2010.

This was written a week after our first blizzard of the season.

In that post, I shared a bunch of pictures of my gardens after the blizzard.

Back pond

I thought it would be fun to compare, so I ran outside and snapped some pictures of my gardens as they look today.

I took similar shots to the ones in last years blog post (and put them in the same order), so you could see the difference.

So take a moment to compare the pictures in today's post with the pictures in this post... Winter Gardens After the Blizzard.

Let me know what you think - it really is crazy how different this winter is from last year.


P.S. If winter was like this every year, I wouldn't dislike it so much!

P.P.S. Some of the landmarks have changed, don't let that throw you off in your comparison.

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Keeping Houseplants Happy During The Winter

Many avid gardeners turn to indoor gardening during the winter when they can't work outside. Indoor gardening during winter gives us the satisfaction of nurturing plants, being surrounded by greenery, and getting our hands dirty.

Ficus tree

But in the dead of winter when the days are short and the house is dry, indoor gardening can quickly turn into a huge chore.

The humidity level and the amount light in the average home during the winter are too low for many plants to tolerate.

Some plants adapt to this harsh indoor environment better than others.





The reason you see the same types of common houseplants for sale in garden centers this time of year is because they can adapt the best.

Pathos

Generally speaking, most houseplants go dormant during the winter.

Which is lucky for us; it gives us half a chance to keep them alive until spring.

In my experience, the biggest challenges indoor gardeners face during the winter are water, light and pest management.






Water
Heating a house sucks the humidity right out of the air, which is not good for houseplants. Low humidity causes the soil to dry out much faster. The good news is that houseplants require less water during the winter. The bad news is that because of this, people tend to want to water their plants more often. Consequently, houseplants are in greater danger of being over watered during the winter.

Here are a few tips to raise the humidity level and prevent over watering during the winter...

• Stick your finger down one inch into the soil. If the soil feels moist, don't water it.
• Run a humidifier, or better yet, put plants in the kitchen or a bathroom if there's a window nearby. The plants will love the extra humidity.
• Put a pebble tray filled with water under the pot. But do not allow the plant to sit in the water, and be sure to change it regularly. Soil gnats love stagnant water.
• Grouping plants together will raise the humidity level around the plants. It also makes maintenance easier.
• While it's best to repot houseplants in the spring, sometimes a houseplant will dry out almost as soon as you water it. If this is the case, pot it up into a larger pot to ease maintenance.
• Group several small plants into a container garden in a large pot. Larger pots won't dry out as quickly as small ones will. Plus, your plant collection won't feel as large.
• Put houseplants that require special attention in an area you frequent the most. That way, you won't foget about them and you'll quickly notice any problems. I put mine in the area where I get ready in the morning, they're one of the first things I see when I get out of bed. 

Container garden with small succulents

 Light
Adequate light is also a tough thing to provide houseplants during the winter. Most houseplants grow slower in the winter, which is good since many will tolerate lower light levels. Unfortunately, some houseplants will grow leggy if not given enough light.

It's best to know the light requirements of your plants so you can provide the correct amount. Don't assume that every houseplant needs to be in a south facing window, or that they'll all be fine stuck in corner. If a houseplant has started to develop weak and leggy growth, that means it's not getting enough light. Move it closer to a sunny window or add a grow light.

Pay attention to where you put it though, houseplants don't like drafts; be sure to keep them away from doors and heat sources.

Pest Management
Our houseplants may go dormant during the winter, but this is prime breeding time for houseplant pests. I use the word "management" here because if you have houseplants, eventually you will deal with a pest or two.

Some pests, like soil gnats, are almost impossible to eliminate completely. It's best to get into the mindset of management rather than prevention, since houseplant pests can come from anywhere.

The best way to fight houseplant pests is to regularly inspect your houseplants for signs of pests. If an infestation is found early, it's much easier to control. A good habit to get into is inspecting your plants every time you water. If you find any pests, start treating the plant immediately.

Succulents make excellent low maintenance houseplants

Other Tips

• If you're just starting out with houseplants, or you hate the upkeep, buy low maintenance houseplants. This will take the frustration out of indoor gardening during the winter.
• Do not fertilize houseplants during the winter (remember, they are asleep). Stop fertilizing your houseplant early in the fall, and then start again in early spring.
• Don't repot plants during the winter unless it's absolutely necessary.

Indoor gardening takes some practice and work to be successful. Knowledge is key. The more you know about the requirements of your houseplants, the happier you both will be.

Keep in mind, there are many plants that will not do well as houseplants, that's just a fact of nature. Please Don't get discouraged if you kill a houseplant! No matter their experience level; every gardener, indoor or out, has committed accidental herbicide (likely on several occasions!).

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Winter Gardening Tasks

Now that the busy holiday season is over, it's time to start thinking about gardening again. Unless you live somewhere warm, you won't be digging in the gardens any time soon. But there are several things you can do now to start preparing for spring.

Winter garden area

• Design a new garden space - Now is a great time to start planning next years gardens. Start gathering ideas by searching online or in magazines and books for ideas. You can also start a list of all the plants you want to add to your gardens this year, and start planning where you'll put them.

• Plot out your vegetable garden - Take the stress out of planting your vegetable garden by plotting it out ahead of time. Plan to group vegetable plants by family (cabbage, nightshade, etc) to make crop rotation easier. Why stop at the vegetable garden? You can make a similar map for annual and perennial gardens too.

Drawing of plan for vegetable garden

• Order your seeds - Decide what seeds you're going to start this year and order them now. Sort through your seeds from previous years and toss out any that are more than 3 years old. Read the instructions on the packets so you can plan when each type of seed should be started indoors; generally it's 6-8 weeks before last frost.

• Prepare for starting seeds indoors - Pull your lights and other seed starting equipment out of storage, and make sure everything is in working order. Serialize seed flats and trays to prevent damping off of seedlings. Disinfect them by soaking in one part bleach to 9 parts water solution. Don't forget to buy your seed starting mix now, before the rush.

Serializing seed flats and trays

• Start winter sowing - It's too early to start sowing seeds indoors, but you can start winter sowing as soon as the temperature stays consistently below freezing. Winter sowing is a method of sowing seeds outside during the winter, and it's easy. It's a great way to get your hands dirty in the dead of winter, and get a jump on starting your seeds.

Winter sown containers

• Protect your gardens during snow removal - Garden plants can be sensitive to the chemicals used on roads and sidewalks during the winter. Protect your garden areas by tossing chemical filled snow onto the lawn, not the gardens. Use chemical deicers sparingly, this will help to minimize damage to your lawn and gardens.

• Get your equipment ready for spring - Beat the rush by having your lawn mower and other equipment serviced or repaired now. This is also a great time to clean, sharpen and organize your garden tools - and wash your gardening gloves. 

Gardening gloves headed to the wash

• Start a lasagna garden - If you're planning to add a new garden area this year, start now with a lasagna garden. This is a method used to start a new garden area by layering organic material on top of sod or weeds. If you start it now, it'll be ready to plant by spring.

• Do some light garden cleanup - Now is not the time for pruning or digging, but you can do some light garden cleanup during the winter. You can remove dead plant material from the garden beds and pick up leaves that are left over from fall. Toss them into your compost bin, or use them to mulch around perennials.

Winter can be a nice break from the busy gardening season. But if you're like me, winters tend to drag on forever and make you long for spring. I hope this list has given you some ideas that will keep you busy with gardening tasks this winter, and help it go by faster.

Summer garden area

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