Starting Seeds in January?
Am I completely crazy?
Most people believe you shouldn't plant flowers or vegetables into the garden in Middleton, Idaho (zone 6b-7a) before Mother's Day.
Years ago I taught it too.
However, it is a completely wrong philosophy.
There are actually many flowers that PREFER being planted out when you have the big weather swings in early spring.
Here's a list of the top 5 flowers I always plant every Winter from seed and plant the seedlings in my gardens by mid March.
#1 - Snapdragons
These beauties are flowers a cutting garden cannot do without. They are just barely able to handle our winters, so when I plant them in the fall it is a bit of a gamble. If we get extra cold one week, they may not make it. Because I always hope for those earlier blooms I still plant them in the fall, but always reseed in February... just in case I have holes I needs to put new plants.
#2 - Bachelor Buttons
Have you seen the new colors of bachelor buttons that have come out the past few years? Ahhhh!! I simply cannot get enough of this flower anymore. Although I still grow the traditional Blue Boy because all brides seem to want blue in their bouquets these days, I love the pinks! The mixes of Velvet Dawn with varying shades from eggplant to plum to almost blush really speak to my soul too and this will be my first year growing these colors.
#3 - Calendula
What is a cutting garden without this early spring beauty? Again, I am partial to the newly bred varieties. You know I like the softer colors. Ivory Princess and Triangle Flashback are two I love. They sell out quickly, so if you like the softer shades too and happen to see seeds available be sure to snatch them up!
#4 - Larkspur
Larkspur seemed unimpressive to me until I found the QIS series. These are fully double florets and bigger than what was offered to our grandmothers garden. These are not only lovely in arrangements, but their flowy nature in the garden space make them a double win in my book.
#5 - Feverfew
I have fallen for every single variety of feverfew I have ever grown. Whether you grow the tiny daisy shape or sunny ball on multiple stems all of them are simply pure sunshine... once again both in and out of a vase.
What is extra great about these flowers is if you plant them in the garden by March, you are likely to have flowers by June!
No more waiting long into the heat of summer to have bright glorious flowers in your garden. These will grow and bloom for you so much better if you plant them out early -
I promise!
Happy Growing!
Ella