So Seedy 2018

Everything in red attracts pollinators.

NAME	HEIGHT	SPECIAL NOTES	COMPANY
Ammi Majus	3 ft	Has a deep tap root and blooms once. Needs to be pulled once it’s done blooming but puts on an amazing show.	Botanical Interests
Ammi visnaga	3 ft	Has feathery foliage like a giant dill plant.	Floral Encounters
Calendula ‘Kablouna Yellow’	18-24 inches	Flowers like a gerbera daisy	Select Seeds
Calendula ‘Pacific Apricot Beauty’	24-30 inches	Upright flowers	Select Seeds
Cephalophora ‘Pineapples’	18 inches	Fragrant	Summerhill Seeds
Convolvulus ‘Ensign Mix’ (Dwarf morning glories)	trailing	Only open in the morning and on overcast days	Summerhill Seeds
Coreopsis ‘Mahogany Midget’	10 inches	Drought tolerant	Summerhill Seeds
Cosmos ‘Sonata Purple’ and ’Sonata White’	20 inches	Drought tolerant	Summerhill Seeds
Dahlia ‘Double Extreme’	18-24 inches	Very easy to grow	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Dahlia ‘Watercolor Silks’	18-24 inches	Very easy to grow	Renee’s Garden
Daucus carota ‘Dara’ Non-invasive Queen Anne’s Lace	3 ft	Multicolored flowers	Select Seeds
Echinacea ‘Paradise Mix’	2-3 ft	Perennial	Renee’s Garden
Emiliana javanica Tassel Flower – red Poet’s Tassel – orange	18 inches	Weaves through other plants	Select Seeds
Gomphrena ‘Ping Pong Mix’ and ‘Ping Pong Purple’	18 inches	Tough, drought tolerant	Harris Seeds
Lacy Phacelia	24-30 inches	Attracts pollinators	Eden Brothers
Lagurus ovatus ‘Bunny Tails‘ grass	10-20 inches tall	Very easy to grow	Botanical Interests
Lychnis ‘Pinkie’	3 ft	Perennial	Summer Hill Seeds
Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’ (French Hollyhocks)	4-5 ft tall	Reseeds and is super easy to grow	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Monarda ‘Bergamo Bouquet’	24-30 inches	Very pretty	Renee’s Garden
Monarda citriodora ‘Lemon Mint’	18 inches	Very easy to grow	Eden Brothers
Monarda fistulosa	3-4 ft	Native	Eden Brothers
Monarda lambada	3 ft	Tender perennial	Botanical Interests
Ridolfia ‘Goldspray’	3-4 ft	Flowers looks like dill flowers	Select Seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’	18-20 inches	Very easy to grow	Stokes Seeds
Rudbeckia Gloriosa Daisy	3 ft	Reseed	Stokes Seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Sun’	3 ft	Huge flowers	Stokes Seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Tiger Eye’	18-20 inches	Thick, bushy plants	Summerhill Seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Toto Gold’	8 inches	A tiny version of ‘Tiger Eye’	Stokes Seeds
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ and ‘Summer Jewel Red’	20 inches	Very easy to grow	Stokes Seeds
Snapdragon ‘Black Prince’	18 inches	Takes part shade!	Botanical Interests
Snapdragon ‘Candy Tops Orange’ and ‘Candy Tops Rose’	8 inches	trailing	Stokes Seeds
Snapdragon ‘Chantilly Summer Flame’	30 inches	Open faced flowers	Renee’s Garden
Snapdragon ‘Chantilly Velvet’	36-40 inches	Open faced flowers	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Snapdragon ‘French Vanilla Hybrid’	24-30 inches	Fragrant	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Snapdragon ‘Frosted Flames’	12-18 inches	Variegated foliage	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Snapdragon ‘Orange Wonder’	3-5 ft	High germination rate	Eden Brothers
Snapdragon ‘Purple Twist’	3-5 ft	Variegated flower petals that change with the temps	Summerhill Seeds
Snapdragon ‘Red Spice’	24-30 inches	Fragrant	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Snapdragon ‘Rocket Mix’	3 ft	Fragrant	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Talinum ‘Kingswood Gold’ and ‘Variegated’	24-30 inches	Reseeds and will grow in the crack of a sidewalk. Super easy and  very cute	Summer Hill Seeds
Tithonia ‘Torch’	4-6 ft	Flowers attract monarchs	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
Valerian	4-5 ft	Fragrant	Floral Encounters
Vigna caracella Corkscrew Vine	12-20 ft	Tropical vine	Select Seeds
‘Aztec Burgundy Bicolor’ Zinnias	6-10 inches	Mildew resistant	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
‘Aztec Sunset’ Zinnias	6-10 inches	Mildew resistant	Swallowtail Garden Seeds
‘Lilac Emperor’ Zinnia	24 ft	Cactus flowers	Eden Brothers
‘Peggy’s Delight’ Zinnia	3-4 ft	Gorgeous sherbet shades	Seeds of Change
‘Raggedy Anne’ Zinnia	3-4 ft	Huge flowers with twisted petals	Renee’s Garden

These are the seeds I'll be sowing in 2017. This is double the number of plants I started last year and I've already made plans to expand my seed starting empire to the dining room table, having run out of space in the basement. But hey, to quote Game of Thrones, winter is coming, which means so is summer so let's get growing!

Every plant in red ink attracts pollinators.

NAME	HEIGHT	SPECIAL NOTES	COMPANY
Ammi majus Ammi visnaga	3 ft	Short lived annual, high germination rate, sow thinly to avoid disturbing the roots	Seed Corner Floral Encounters
Calceolaria Valentine Hybrids	6 inches	Likes a cool, moist spot in partial shade. I’m putting it in a pot.	Summerhill Seeds
Cilantro	1-2 ft	I’m growing this for the leaves and flowers, which attract pollinators	Outside Pride
Cleome 'Color Fountain'	4-5 ft	Easy, very heat/humidity tolerant May self-seed.	Renee’s Garden
Cobaea scandens (Cup and Saucer Vine)	15 ft	Soak the seeds overnight and sow them on their sides with half the seed sticking out of the soil.	Stokes
Convolvulus 'Ensign Mix'	trailing	Close in the afternoon like morning glories, easy	Summerhill Seeds
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Xanthos’	1-2 ft	Lemon yellow, dwarf cosmos Hot, dry sun	Territorial Seeds
Cosmos ‘Linara Lemon’	8”	Extra small cosmos with lemon yellow flowers that like partial shade!	Stokes
Cosmos ‘Rubenza’	2 ft	Dark red with yellow centers.	Stokes
Cosmos sulphureus ‘Dwarf Red/Orange Mix’	18”	Poor soil, very easy	Everwilde
Dahlia ‘Double Extreme’		Easy  Can quickly become root bound	Swallowtail Seeds
Dahlia ‘Figaro Violet Shades’		Easy  Can quickly become root bound	Swallowtail Seeds
Dahlia ‘Figaro White'	2 ft	Easy Can quickly become root bound	Swallowtail Seeds
Dahlia ‘Fireworks'	16”	Easy Can quickly become root bound	Swallowtail Seeds
Dahlia ‘Harlequin'	20”	Easy Can quickly become root bound	Swallowtail Seeds
Dahlia 'Watercolor Silks'	12-18”	Easy Can quickly become root bound	Renee’s Garden
Dill	15-20”	I’m letting this flower to attract beneficial insects.	Outside Pride
Dolichos lablab (Hyacinth bean vine)	12 ft	Vigorous grower with purple beans and showy flowers. BEANS ARE POISONOUS!	Outside Pride
Emilia javanica Irish Poet (orange)	18”	Enjoys a hot, sunny spot	Baker Creek  Rare Seeds
Gomphrena 'Ping Pong Purple'	16-20”	Need heat to germinate	Harris Seeds
Gomphrena 'QIS Carmine, Orange'	1 ft	Floppier stems than the purple	Johnny’s Seeds
Gomphrena ‘Strawberry Fields’	18-22”	Red gomphrena with silvery leaves.	Johnny’s Seeds
Ipomoea (Morning Glories) ‘Keiryu Mountain Stream’	8-12 ft	Cool variegated foliage on vigorous plants. Nick seed and soak overnight before sowing.	Baker Creek  Rare Seeds
Lagurus ovatus (Bunny tails grass)	15”	Very drought tolerant Takes bright partial shade	Botanical Interests
NAME	HEIGHT	SPECIAL NOTES	COMPANY
Monarda bergamo (Bergamo bouquet)	2.5 ft	Heat tolerant, vivid blooms	Renee’s Garden
Monarda citriodora (Lemon beebalm)	3 ft	May be slow to germinate	Outside Pride
Pilotus exaltus ‘Joey’	12-18”	Soft, fuzzy flowers that thrive in hot, dry conditions	Outside Pride
Rhynchelytrum nerviglumis (Ruby grass)	2 ft	Well drained, bright partial shade to full sun	Outside Pride
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’	2 ft	Keep pinched to grow strong, well branched plants	Swallowtail Seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’	18”	Early bloomers with cool  bi-colored flowers	Stokes
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’	3 ft	Giant 6-9 inch flowers on sturdy, wind tolerant plants	Stokes
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Marmalade’	16 inches	Keep pinched to grow strong, well branched plants	Outside Pride
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’	3 ft	Giant yellow flowers with green centers	Swallowtail Seeds
Rudbeckia  hybrid ‘Tiger’s Eye Gold’	2 ft	Deep golden yellow flowers	Stokes
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’	20”	Very easy to grow  Bloom quickly from seed	Stokes
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Red’	20”	Very easy to grow Bloom quickly from seed	Stokes
Snapdragons ‘Candy Showers Red’	8”	Trailing snapdragon that can grow 2 feet wide	Summerhill Seeds
Snapdragons ‘Frosted Flames Mix’	18”	Like cool weather so start early	Summerhill Seeds
Snapdragons ‘Orange Wonder’	3 ft	Rosy-orange flowers	Eden’s Brothers
Snapdragons ‘Purple Twist’	3 – 5 ft	Purple/white striped flowers with variegation that changes depending on the temp	Summerhill Seeds
Stipa arundinacea (Pheasants Tails grass)	2.5 ft	Needs dry sun. Has green, bronze, golden foliage. Some seeds started under lights while others were sown in place.	Outside Pride
Thelesperma burridgeanum (Brunette cosmidium)	2 ft	Heirloom cosmos-look alike with ferny foliage	Swallowtail Seeds
Tithonia 'Goldfinger'	4 ft	Need warmth Attract monarchs	Outside Pride
Ursinia (anethoides)	1 ft	Scented orange flowers with a purple center. Ferny foliage. Needs poor, well-drained soil	Stokes
Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’	2 ft	Easy Double, cactus-type flowers	Swallowtail Seeds
Zinnia ‘California Giants Mix’	3-5 ft	Easy Very large, single flowers	Botanical Interests
Zinnia ‘Persian Carpet’	2 ft	Easy Loads of bi-colored flowers	Baker Creek  Rare Seeds
Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’	3-4 ft	Easy Very large, single flowers	Eden’s Brothers
Zinnia ‘Rageddy Ann'	3-4 ft	Easy Giant flowered cactus-type zinnia with curved, twisting petals	Renee’s Garden

Seed Chart

NAME	DATE SOWN	DATE GERMINATED & NOTES	GROUP  & METHOD	CUP QUANTITY
Ammi majus	Jan 1	Jan 7 Sprouts! These prefer the lights up higher rather than right on top of them. They like soil that is drier on the surface but moister near the long tap root. They dislike having their roots bothered so don't thin them by pulling. Let them grow a bit and then cut out the seedlings  you don't want with tiny scissors.	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	3
Ammi visnaga	Jan 1	Jan 8 Sprouts! See notes above.	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	3
Calceolaria Valentine Hybrids	Jan 1	Jan 13 Sprouts I have two teensy seedlings. Feb 3 1 healthy seedling	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	1
Cobaea scandens (Cup and Saucer Vine)	Jan 2	Jan 21 Their leaves are huge!	Lights (1) Soaked and then sown on their sides.	1 pot
Lagurus ovatus (Bunny tails grass)	Jan 1	Jan 5 Sprouts!! High germination rate	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	1 pot
Monarda bergamo (Bergamo bouquet)	Jan 1, 7	Jan 6 sprouts! Jan 25 - happy, healthy plants	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	5
Monarda citriodora (Lemon beebalm)	Jan 2	Jan 5 sprouts! Very high germination rate!	Lights (1) surface sown heat mat	4
Rhynchelytrum nerviglumis (Ruby grass)	Jan 1	Jan 4  Sprouts!! High germination rate	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	2 small pots
Snapdragons ‘Candy Showers Red’	Jan 1	Jan 13 Sprouts Just a few seedlings but that's ok.	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	2
Snapdragons  ‘Frosted Flames Mix’	Jan 1	Jan 9 sprouts Jan 25 - doing well!	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	3
Snapdragons ‘Orange Wonder’	Jan 7	Jan 13 Sprouts Very high germination rate!!	Lights (1) surface sow	6
Snapdragons ‘Purple Twist’	Jan 1	Jan 6 two teensy sprouts Jan 25 - big seedlings!	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	1
Stipa arundinacea (Pheasants Tails grass)	Jan 1	Jan 9 Sprouts Medium germination rate Slow growers and like lights that are higher rather than close to the plant.	Lights (1) surface sow heat mat	3 small pots
Emiliana javanica  (Irish Poet - orange)	Feb 5	Feb 9 Sprouts! High germination rate	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	1
Gomphrena 'Ping Pong Purple	Feb 5	Feb 9 Sprouts!	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	3
Gomphrena  QIS Carmine	Feb 5	These finally sprouted and I forgot to log which day... Very low germination	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	3
Gomphrena  QIS Orange	Feb 5	These finally sprouted and I forgot to log which day... Very low germination	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	3
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’	Feb 1	Feb 7 Sprouts!	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	2
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Denver Daisy’	Feb 1	Feb 7 Sprouts!	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’	Feb 1	Feb 9 Sprouts!	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	2
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Marmalade’	Feb 1	Feb 9 Sprouts! Very high germination rate	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	4
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’	Feb 1	Feb 9 Sprouts!	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	2
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Tiger Eye Gold’	Feb 1	Feb 9 Sprouts!	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	2
Thelesperma burridgeanum (Brunette cosmidium)	Feb 5	Feb 8 Sprouts! High germination rate	Lights (2) surface sow heat mat	2
Convolvulus Dwarf Morning Glories ‘Ensign Mix’	March 15	Lots of sprouts but I forgot what day! I soaked them and then wrapped them in a moist paper towel and put the towel in a plastic bag. They germinated very quickly.	Lights (3)	2
Dahlia ‘Double Extreme’	Feb 20	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (3)	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Figaro Violet Shades’	Feb 20	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (3)	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Figaro White’	Feb 20	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (3)	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’	Feb 20	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (3)	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Harlequin’	Feb 20	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (3)	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Watercolor Silks’	Feb 20	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (3)	2 pots
Dolichos lablab (Hyacinth bean vine)	March 13	Sprouts around March 22	Lights (3)	1 pots
Gomphrena ‘Strawberry Fields’		I decided not to sow these.  I don't have enough space!	Lights (3)
Ipomoea (Morning Glories) ‘Keiryu Mountain Stream’	March 13	Sprouts around March 22	Lights (3)	1 pots
Ursinia (anethoides)	Feb 25	Feb 28 Sprouts! ( I knocked over one of the cups but slipped the teensy seedlings back in. Geez.....)	Lights (3)	2
Cilantro	March 15		Lights (4)	1 pot
Cleome ‘Color Fountains’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	3
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Xanthos’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	2
Cosmos ‘Linara Lemon’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	2
Cosmos ‘Rubenza’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	2
Cosmos sulphureus ‘Dwarf Red/Orange Mix’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	2
Dill	March 15		Lights (4)	1 pot
Pilotus exaltus ‘Joey’	Feb 25	Feb 28 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	2
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’	Feb 25	March 3 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	4
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Red’	Feb 25	March 3 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	4
Tithonia ‘GoldFinger’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	2
Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’	March 5	March 11 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	3
Zinnia ‘California Giants Mix’	March 5	March 11 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	3
Zinnia ‘Persian Carpet’	March 15	Sprouts! (But I forgot what day!)	Lights (4)	1
Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’	March 5	March 11 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	1
Zinnia ‘Raggedy Anne’	March 5	March 11 Sprouts!	Lights (4)	3

TOTALS
Cups Sown	Group 1 – 33   ( cups) Group 2 – 26   ( cups) Group 3 – 18   ( cups) Group 4 – 30 ( cups)

These are the seeds I'll be sowing in 2016. I'll be updating the second chart to document their germination successes or failures in early Jan. I'm only winter sowing one plant this year - curly parsley. Plants in purple attract pollinators. Plants in italics were direct sown instead of being winter sown. In my climate, self-seeders rudbeckia and rose campion don't need any help so I've stopped helping them. I've linked all the seed companies to their websites. You can check out this post for the madness behind my methods.

NAME	HEIGHT	SPECIAL NOTES	COMPANY
Allium ‘Millenium’	18”	Well drained soil	Jen
Ammi majus   ‘Graceland’ Ammi visnaga 'Green Mist'	3 ft	Short lived annual with high germination rate.  Sow thinly to avoid disturbing the roots. Tap rooted so use extra deep cups.	Select Seeds
Centranthus ruber ‘Pretty Betsy’ and ‘Snow Cloud’	3 ft	Need very well drained soil PERENNIAL	Swallowtail Gardens
Convolvulus ‘Ensign Mix’	trailing	Close in the afternoon like morning glories, easy	Summerhill Seeds
Cosmos  ‘Cosmic Orange’ and ‘Cosmic Red’	18”	Poor soil, very easy	Select Seeds
Cuphea ‘Firefly’	18”	Heat mat, surface sow Start early Need afternoon shade	Summerhill Seeds
Dahlia ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Figaro White’	2 ft	Easy, can quickly become root bound	Swallowtail Gardens
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’	16”	Easy, can quickly become root bound	Summerhill Seeds
Dahlia ‘Sunny Reggae’	20”	Easy, can quickly become root bound	Stokes
Emilia javanica ‘Irish Poet’ (orange) and Emilia coccinea (red)	18”	Did not winter sow well last year	Select Seeds
Gomphrena – purple	1 ft	Need darkness to germinate	Outside Pride
Gomphrena – ‘QIS Carmine, QIS Orange’	1 ft	Floppier stems than the purple	Summerhill Seeds, Select Seeds
Lychnis coronaria ‘Angel’s Blush’	2 ft	Direct sown in fall PERENNIAL	Select Seeds
Nicotiana alata- species	3-4 ft	POISONOUS Highly fragrant	Select Seeds
NAME	HEIGHT	SPECIAL NOTES	COMPANY
Nicotiana alata ‘Perfume Red’	12”	POISONOUS Heat/drought tolerant Highly fragrant	Summerhill Seeds
Phlox drummondii ‘Coral Reef’	1 ft	Night blooming Need darkness to germinate	Select Seeds
Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’	1 ft	Direct sown in fall	Swallowtail Gardens
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Alain’s Strain’, Marmalade’	2 ft	Direct sown in fall	Alain, Outside Pride
Rudbeckia – hybrid ‘Tiger’s Eye Gold’	2 ft	Direct sown in fall	Summerhill Seeds
Rudbeckia – hybrid ‘Toto Lemon’	8”	Direct sown in fall	Stokes
Rudbeckia ‘Little Henry’	3 ft	Direct sown in fall PERENNIAL	Jen
Snapdragons ‘Frosted Flames Mix’	18”	Like cool weather so start early	Summerhill Seeds
Tithonia ‘GoldFinger’	4 ft	Need warmth	Outside Pride
Verbena ‘Quartz Violet’	10”	Need dryish, well-draining soil	Stokes
Zaluzianskya capensis (Night Phlox) ‘Midnight Candy’	1 ft	Night blooming  Highly fragrant  Need sharply drained soil	Stokes
Zinnia ‘Peggy’s Delight’	3 ft	Easy	Seed collected from garden
Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’	3 ft	Easy	Select Seeds
Zinnia ‘Super Cactus Lilac Emperor’	2.5 ft	Easy	Swallowtail Gardens

***  Thanks to four months of insanely warm/wet weather, the rudbeckia and rose campion have already sprouted! I really hope the seedlings survive winter, if it ever arrives.

I'm organizing my germination categories according to the calendar so group 1 starts in Jan, group 2 in Feb, group 3 in March, and group 4 in April. Since I don't actually have room to grow all these plants, I'm hoping most of the plants from groups 1 and 2 will be hardening off outside in my tiny $50 greenhouse when it's time to start group 4.  
I'm also growing: Salvia coccinea 'Summer Jewel Red' (2 cups) thanks to this incredible post by Jennifer at Three Dogs in a Garden and downy mildew resistant basil 'Eleonora' after reading Margaret's fabulous review on Homegrown - Adventure's in my Garden. The salvia are in group 3 and attract hummingbirds as well as pollinators and the basil is in group 4.  ** See notes below for progress updates.

NAME	DATE SOWN	DATE GERMINATED/ NOTES	METHOD/ GROUP	CUP QUANTITY
Centranthus ruber ‘Pretty Betsy’ and ‘Snow Cloud’	Jan 1	1/8 - Sprouts for both varieties 1/12 - Sprouts in every cup! I added fine sand to the soil to help it drain freely.  High germination rate.  2/4 - More seedlings were pulled after looking miserable. A little research revealed they like to be cool after germination so I've turned off the heat mat. Ooops... 2/5 - They perked right up in a cooler spot with less intense light.	Lights (1) Barely cover seed w/soil, heat mat until they germinate then turn it off	3 cups  1 cup of both cultivars pooped out on me so I'm down to 2 for each. (2/13)
Snapdragons ‘Frosted Flames Mix’	Jan 1	1/8 - A few very tiny sprouts 1/12 - Sprouts in every cup! I added fine sand to the soil to help it drain freely. Medium germination rate.** (See notes below) 4/12 - Planted in the garden	Lights (1) Surface sow w/heat mat. Need light to germinate	4 cups Each cup has strong, healthy seedlings. Yay!!
Allium ‘Millenium’	Feb 1	2/13 - A few tiny sprouts! These were very easy to grow and have been added to the garden.	Lights (2) Surface sow Need light to germinate Heat mat	1 cup
Ammi majus ‘Graceland’	Feb 1	2/9 - Sprouts in every cup! These prefer less intense light so I've moved them under grow lights that are much higher. When the lights were closer to the seedlings, the leaves began to yellow and growth slowed down.  3/25 - I only have 2 seedlings left. They are unhappy campers and I'm not sure why.  4/18 - Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead. May - I don't think these like the ProMix.	Lights (2) Surface sow Need light to germinate Heat mat	3 cups
Ammi visnaga ‘Green Mist’	Feb 1	2/9 - Sprouts in every cup! 3/25 - These are vigorous, healthy seedlings growing in the same conditions as the ammi majus. Hmmm... 4/24 - These bit the dust, too. They were very happy until I thinned them out. They really hate having their roots disturbed.  May - This was the year of the great Ammi Disaster. I need to thin them by just snipping out the seedlings I don't want so I don't have to worry about bothering their roots.	Lights (2) Need light to germinate Heat mat	3 cups
Cuphea ‘Firefly’	Feb 1	2/5 - Sprouts in every cup! These have deep roots already! ** See my notes below	Lights (2) Surface sow Need light to germinate Heat mat	3 cups I'm down to 1 cup after pulling all the weirdly super tall seedlings.
Dahlia ‘Black Beauty’	March 1	3/6- A few sprouts in each pot! Low germination rate 4/18 - 2 seedlings left. They're whiny pains in my butt and I stuck them in a pot to do or die. 4/24 - They're happy and growing!	Lights (3) Heat mat	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’	March 1	3/5 - A few sprouts in each pot! May - Vigorous and easy to grow	Lights (3) Heat mat	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Sunny Reggae’	March 1	3/6- A few sprouts in each pot! May - Vigorous and easy to grow	Lights (3) Heat mat	2 pots
Dahlia ‘Figaro White’	March 1	3/5 - Lots of sprouts in each pot! Very high germination rate Vigorous and easy to grow	Lights (3) Heat mat	2 pots
Emilia javanica ‘Irish Poet’ (orange)	March 1	3/6 - A few sprouts in each pot! May - added to the garden	Lights (3)	2 cups
Emilia coccinea (red)	March 1	3/6 - Lots of sprouts in each pot! May - added to the garden	Lights (3)	2 cups
Gomphrena  ‘QIS Carmine’	March 3	I've read these germinate best in full light as well as in the dark and I've had them sprout both ways. This year I'm not covering the cups with newspaper as I've done previously. But I am going to keep the heat mat on all night to see if that speeds things up.  3/8 - Several sprouts in each cup! May - added to the garden	Lights (3) Heat mat Need darkness to germinate? NO	3 cups
Gomphrena ‘QIS Orange’	March 3	Maybe it wasn't the darkness that helped them grow last year but the heat that built up in the cup. Hmmmm..... 3/6 - A few sprouts in one cup! 3/13 - More sprouts 3/21 - I was looking at the wrong cup. I have only 2 sprouts. Geez.....  The third cup has been moved into the greenhouse with the other slackers.  I ended up with only 2 seedlings but they're in the garden and growing.	Lights (3) Heat mat Need darkness to germinate? NO	3 cups
Gomphrena – purple	March 3	These are one of my favorite flowers. I really hope this experiment works! 3/6 - Lots of sprouts in each cup! Very high germination rate May - Vigrous and very easy	Lights (3) Heat mat Need darkness to germinate? NO	4 cups
Nicotiana alata – straight spieces	March 1	3/12 - A few sprouts in the cup! 4/18 - Planted in the garden	Lights (3) Heat mat	1 cup
Nicotiana alata ‘Perfume Red’	March 1	3/13 - Nuthin', nada, zip, zilch.... 3/16 - One intrepid, microscopic seedling.... The germination rate on the other nicotiana has been low, too. The second cup has been moved into the greenhouse. Do or die, little seeds!  4/8- Only one tiny seedling 4/24 - Adios, seedling!	Lights (3) Heat mat	2 cups
Phlox drummondii ‘Coral Reef’	March 1	3/13 - I've moved these into my cheapo outdoor greenhouse to see if that will inspire them to sprout. 3/28 - Two sprouts!  4/3 - I knocked a cup over and have 1 tiny sprout left. Pathetic! May - I'm going to winter sow these next year. My seedling was growing wonky so I pulled it.	Lights (3) Need darkness, cool temps to germinate	2 cups
Verbena ‘Quartz Violet’	March 1	3/12 - A few sprouts in the cup! 4/18 - Fried by the sun. Oops...	Lights (3) Keep soil dryish	1 cup
Zaluzianskya capensis (Night Phlox) ‘Midnight Candy’	March 1	3/13 - Several happy sprouts in each cup! May - added to the garden and growing well!	Lights (3)	2 cups
Convolvulus (Dwarf Morning Glories) ‘Ensign Mix’	April 1	4/4 - Two sprouts!  May - Several seedlings have been added to the garden but they're tired of the cool, rainy weather. They're a bit stalled at the moment.	Lights (4)	3 cups
Cosmos ‘Cosmic Orange’	April 1	The cosmos are on heat mats, which is totally unnecessary but I had an extra one, so hey, why not? 4/4 - Two sprouts!  May - Vigrous and very easy	Lights (4)	3 cups
Cosmos ‘Cosmic Red’	April 1	4/7 - Sprouts!  May - Vigrous and very easy	Lights (4)	3 cups
Tithonia ‘GoldFinger’	April 1	Heat mat 4/5 - Sprouts!  I was surprised by how quickly these hardened off. I have too many!	Lights (4)	3 cups
Zinnia ‘Peggy’s Delight’	April 1	I sowed these in big cowpots and am very curious to see how well they grow. Zinnias love rich soil so it might be a happy combo. 4/8 - Sprouts!  May - Vigrous and very easy but make sure you keep the cowpots moist.	Lights (4)	3 cowpots
Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’	April 1	4/5 - Sprouts!  May - Vigrous and very easy but make sure you keep the cowpots moist.	Lights (4)	3 cowpots
Zinnia ‘Super Cactus Lilac Emperor’	April 1	I have one sprout... Sad! The cowpots dry out so quickly I sowed more seeds for each zinnia variety and covered them with plastic bags.... again! May - Vigrous and very easy but make sure you keep the cowpots moist.	Lights (4)	3 cowpots

TOTALS
Cups Sown	Group 1 –  10 cups Group 2 –  10 cups Group 3 –  27 cups/pots Group 4  – 24  cups/cowpots**
71 as of 4/1

**  I wasn't sure if the snapdragons had a low germination rate or if there weren't many seeds in the packet but more have sprouted. It's a mystery...
** The cuphea are weird little critters. When I moved the lights close to the seedlings, they curved away from them but when I moved the lights higher, they grew really tall and skinny. How frustrating! I'm hoping they put out growth from the bottom, since they already have a substantial root system.
** I sowed the salvia March 1 and by March 5 the cups (3) are full of sprouts! Woohoo!
** I also sowed a cup of 'Persian Carpet' zinnias from seed leftover from 2015 and two cups of 'Eleonora' basil, which is supposed to be mildew-resistant.

I've kept my chart from 2015 listed below. DS = direct sow, WS = winter sow and  the rest will be under grow lights. Group One was started in early January, Group Two in early March, and Group Three in early April. Everything has been linked to the companies I purchased them from. Plants in italics attract pollinators.

Because the annuals available from local nurseries are full of pesticides, I've started growing my own. Instead of sowing them into little trays, I sow them directly into 18 oz/532 mL plastic drink cups with holes poked in the bottom that have been filled with a very light potting soil. It eliminates transplanting and gives them more room for root development.

To make watering easier, I put the cups into big containers so I don't damage the wooden shelves. The cups are labeled with the type of seed they contain and each group is color coded. 
Blue = Group 1, Red = Group 2, and Yellow = Group 3.

If they need humidity to germinate, I cover them with a plastic bag. 

 

But if they need darkness, I cover them with newspaper.

I wish I had a real greenhouse but these shelves will have to do.

My seed starting apparatus is very basic. These are cheap lights that I've doubled up to increase the amount of light available to the seedlings. I wrap them in foil to direct the light onto the seeds instead of allowing it to diffuse into the basement. I leave the area around the lights open so I don't burn the house down or fry my seedlings. This may look weird, but it's highly effective. 

The campanula germinated but then stopped growing and the first group of coneflowers struggled although I do have two healthy seedlings. The sprout on the left refused to take his seed hat off and eventually died from damping off. I'd read that you don't need to cold stratify coneflower seeds but my poor germination rates indicate otherwise since coneflowers seed so prolifically in my garden. I ordered a second packet of seeds and chilled them before planting.  Why yes, I will take that slice of humble pie. Thanks for offering. The sweet peas are growing vigorously and have already been pinched back.   

I'll keep this updated as I start to sow my seeds so you can track my progress. :o) The soil I'm using is ProMix Potting Mix.

Name	Company	Date Sown	Date Germinated	Method	Cup Quantity
‘Blue Monday’ Sage	Bakers	March 1	March 3 Sprouting 30 seedlings!	Lights (2A) Surface sow, no heat	5 6-7 seeds per cup
‘Coltness Mix’ Dahlia	Bakers	March 1	March 4-11 Sprouted 15 seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed, heat *See notes	5 5 seeds per cup
'Mignon Single Mix' Dahlia	Bakers	March 1	March 4 -10 Sprouted 20 seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed, heat	5 5 seeds per cup
Orange Tassel Flower	Bakers	Jan 4	April 10 1 pathetic sprout and it might be a weed. Crap.	WS	1 large pot
Echinacea ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’	Botanical Interests	Group 1 Jan 1 Group 2 Feb 15	Group 1 2 healthy seedlings Group 2 5 seedlings Feb 24-27	Lights (1) Surface sow, heat for group 2	4 3 seeds per cup
Sweet Pea ‘Old Spice’ ‘High Scent’	Botanical Interests	Jan 1	OS- 8 sprouts Jan 8-14 HS- 9 sprouts Jan 5-9 Big healthy seedlings!	Lights (1) Covered seed	3 of each 3 seeds per cup
Vinca ‘Pacifica’	Botanical Interests	March 1	March 5 - 12 3 seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed, heat	4 4 seeds per cup
Zinnia ‘Persian Carpet’	Botanical Interests	April 10	April 19 2 sprouts	Lights (3)	5
Curly Parsley	Bot. Interests	Jan 4	Early April - Lots of seedlings	WS	2 pots
Calendula ‘Zeolights’	Botanical Interests	Jan 4	Early April -1 big seedling	WS	1 pot
Linaria  ‘Fairy Bouquet’	Botanical Interests	Jan 4	March 23 They're sprouting! * Several sprouts died when our temps briefly hit the 70's. Next year I'll just sow them on bare soil and not worry about winter sowing them. They don't need any help.	WS	1 pot
Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer’	Botanical Interests	Jan 4	April 10 A few sprouts ATTACKED BY SQUIRRELS! STUPID RAT FACED BASTARDS!	WS	1 pot
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’	Botanical Interests	Jan 4	April 10 A few sprouts These self seed so easily, I'm just going to collect seedlings next year instead of buying seeds.	WS	1 pot
True Hyssop	Botanical Interests	Jan 4	March 23 They're sprouting!	WS	1 large pot
Centrathus ‘Mixed Colors’	Outside Pride	Jan 4	May 6 So many seedlings!  I forgot I had sown these in two pots and couldn't figure out what all the other seedlings were. Duh... I need to read my own notes!	WS	1 large pot 1 small pot
Mini Clover	Outside Pride	April 4	Sprouting!	DS	2 lb bag
Tithonia ‘GoldFinger’	Outside Pride	April 4	April 10 6 seedlings	Lights (3)	5
Verbena ‘Mammoth’	Outside Pride	March 1	March 9 - sprouted Several sturdy seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed, no heat	5 6-7 seeds per cup
Angelonia ‘Serenita Mix’	Outside Pride	April 4	April 10 What I thought was a sprout was a tithonia seedling from a dropped seed. These haven't sprouted at all.	Lights (3)	5 These seeds are microscopic!
Ammi Majus	Renee’s Gardens	March 1	March 7 They're all sprouting!	Lights (2A) Surface sow, no heat	1 Sowed the entire packet
Cosmos ‘Cosmic Red/Orange’	Select Seeds	April 10	April 16 Lots of seedlings	Lights (3)	5
Orange/Pink Gomphrena	Select Seeds	March 1	March 5-30 Pink - 19 seedlings March 6-30 Orange - 5 seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed,  heat	5 each Sowed the entire packet
Campanula ‘Pink Champion’	Stokes	Jan 1	These were duds! Moving on....	Lights (1)	5 2 seeds per cup
Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’	Stokes	Jan 4	April 10 A few sprouts	WS	1 pot
Purple/White Gomphrena	Stokes	March 1	March 5-30 Purple - 11 seedlings White - 21 seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed,  heat	5 white 3 purple (I ran out of room!)
‘Audray Rose’ Gomphrena	Stokes	Jan 17	Nothing nada zilch so I dumped the soil in the garden. Now they'll probably sprout like mad.	WS	1 pot
Verbena ‘Tuscany Lavender’	Stokes	March 1	My sprout died and I decided these were duds when the others didn't germinate so I threw the soil/seeds into an empty pot and then found 1 SPROUT in the remaining cup. Oops...	Lights (2A) Covered seed, no heat	5 5 seeds per cups
Cosmos ‘Sonata Mix’	Summer Hill Seeds	April 4	April 8-10 11 sprouts	Lights (3)	5 5 seeds per cup
Asarina ‘Red Dragon’	Summer Hill Seeds	March 1	March 13-17 7 seedlings	Lights (2A) Surface sow, no heat	4 4 seeds per cup
Dwarf Morning Glories ‘Ensign Mix’	Summer Hill Seeds	March 1	March 5-22, 30 8 seedlings	Lights (2A) Covered seed, no heat	5 Sowed the entire packet

I couldn't resist growing just a few more....

Name	Company	Date Sown	Date Germinated	Method	Cup quantity
Pink Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)	Prairie Moon Nursery	Jan 10	1 sprout	WS	1 pot
Dwarf Hollyhock 'Spring Celebrities Crimson'	Swallowtail Garden Seeds	March 14	March 20-30 2 sprouts	Lights (2B)	4 (11 seeds sown)
Zinnia 'Zahara Starlight Rose'	Swallowtail Garden Seeds	April 10	April 16 4 seedlings	Lights (3)	5
Zinnia 'Peggy's Delight' (Old seed - 2014)	Seeds of Change	April 10	April 16 8 seedlings	Lights (3)	5

TOTALS
Cups Sown	Plant Varieties		Companies Used
106	1 DS ---- 10 WS 23 W/Lights	Group 1 – 4 (19 cups) Group 2 – 10 (48 cups) Group 3 – 9 (40 cups)	10

NOTES:

* Soak sweet pea/dwarf morning glory seeds for 24 hours before planting.

* Cover gomphrena and verbena seed cups with newspaper. They need darkness to germinate.

* Verbena needs sandy soil so add fine sand to potting mix. ( I forgot to add sand to the 'Mammoth' cups. Geez.....)
* Centranthus needs super sharp drainage. I added fine sand/pea gravel to potting soil.
* The first group of coneflower seeds weren't stratified and while most germinated, the seedlings were weak and many stopped growing or died. The second group was cold/moist stratified for 2 weeks. I think a few in the first batch might have damped off. Ugh... I added a seedling heating mat on Feb. 20 and gave them little plastic baggie tents on Feb 21.
* Seeds that need to be covered are surface sown and then covered with two layers of newsprint to give them the darkness they need to germinate. Seeds that need temps above 70F have heat mats under their cups.