It’s February and it’s time here in Zone 7 to start hardy annual seeds! Snapdragons, Scabiosa, Dianthus, Feverfew, Carnations, Statice and Strawflowers don’t mind a little frost and thrive in cool temperatures.
I start seeds in our 70 degree basement with grow lights, a few heat mats and LED grow lights on a 16 hour timer. Each morning I check seeds for germination, growth and moisture levels.
It’s a cozy, warm environment for these sometimes tiny seeds to begin!
Snapdragon seeds are very slow to get started, sometimes it takes about 2 weeks to see any growth at all!
And then, like the tiny miracles they grow and bloom into these beauties!
Seed starting is a wonderful winter time activity I’ve enjoyed for 25 years! To try your own, you need seeds, containers such as egg cartons, yogurt or paper cups, a sunny, south facing window, light soil mix and vigilance! To know when to begin, use a seed starting calculator like this one provided by A Way To Garden. Make sure to keep seeds moist until germination, then check daily for light watering.
More information from The Farmer’s Almanac.
Winter Sunset
Another winter time activity is tracking the sun’s position in the sky and daylight hours. Currently, in our area, the sun sits low on the horizon and as the days grow longer it will rise higher in the sky.
I’m relishing this time, staying warm, watching seedlings, anticipating the next snow storm and planning for a riotous show of flowers for spring and summer! Stay tuned folks, stay warm!
If this post has you thinking warm thoughts, feel free to share with someone dreaming of spring! And make sure to follow our seed starting progress on Facebook and Instagram.
A poem for February by Sara Teasdale provided by the Poetry Foundation.
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