I've pretty much managed to stabilize Purple Silk, another 2 generations will confirm. The Navy Blue Silk just showed up this Spring - a variant of Blue Silk and the vine kept pushing out the same flower over and over with no variation. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I have some WS jugs ready to plant...hope to do so this weekend. Still need to go through my seed stash to decide what to plant--I definitely have enough seeds that I don't need to order anything new.

Time to get some indoor sowing started, as well.

Love seeing what everyone else is planting--it gets me excited to do this again

Wow Anne they are gorgeous

Love all this talk of starting seeds. I will start my begonias soon. Not sure what else I will start this year. I'm kind of burned out after a few years of too much bounty. Any of you going to try the new million bells from seed. I'm not because the seed is kind of expensive maybe next year if the price comes down a bit. I did go a bit crazy with the geranium and coleus cuttings this fall, so the greenhouse is kind of full already. I will be winter sowing sempervivum seeds from bee crosses this year in hopes to take a beauty down to the sempervivum clinic in April. Hope all of you will share your germination success here.

Thanks Ronnie. They are gorgeous - the purple silk was a cross between Blue Silk and Rose Silk.

What kind of Begonias are you going to be starting Julia? I've never managed to get viable seeds out of my cane Begonias.

Ann you grow the most interesting plants, always fun to see what you grow. The begonia seed are commercial seed from Hazard seed. Just growing the red and pink dragon wing and Ikon Bronze begonia. I love them in my containers, no deadheading. I'm really trying to keep this in control this year. Pulling water hose in the heat is not my thing when I could be planting my containers. Just have had to much of everything and trying to give the stuff away also takes up valuable time in the spring. Trying to produce bigger heather plants this year. Darn greenhouse is to small but a very very thankful to own one.

I wanted to try the million bells but they are so expensive. Will have to wait until I buy all my others to see if I bust the seed budget again

If you do please share your results.

Anne, I am now suffering serious zone envy -- I don't even think about winter sowing until early Feb. -- but do you have any advice about sowing clematis seeds? I'm growing them for the first time this year.

Sandy this is my first attempt at winter sowing clematis seeds - hopefully I'll have quicker results .. it took almost a year for C. pitcheri to germinate the regular way.

We gardeners are a patient lot, aren't we?

Lol .. it took me awhile to become that way regarding seeds.

I'm finally overcoming my inertia. At least a start. The pneumonia I've had for weeks is pretty much gone, thank God. I bought some potting mix (Sunchine Mix #4). a couple of days ago. Yesterday I searched my seed stash and found about a dozen pelleted seeds of dragon wing begonia. I also found a few for Illumination begonia which are years old but I guess I'll try them too. I'll do those inside under lights, then start at least a few jugs of wintersown stuff. I have enough seeds to last a lifetime.

I should probably pot up my coleus first. They're still in little yogurt cups and not happy.

We took down our Christmas tree and decorations, but not everything is stashed away in the basement. I have to get that done as it's occupying my sowing space. But I'm getting closer.

Karen

This is the potting mix I bought. I've used it for several years and like it a lot.

http://wormsway.com/en/SAM930D

Karen

Karen, I'm glad you're feeling better! Do you buy that potting mix locally?

Yes, I buy it at Worm's Way in northern Ky. It's about half an hour from my home. The have different size bags, compressed bales too.

Karen

I usually make my own seed starting mix with strained ProMix, vermiculite and perlite. This year I was too lazy so grabbed a bag of Jiffy Seed Starting Mix.

I found those clear plastic egg cartons here at a dollar store.
So will try sowing something in those later.

I really like them.

A nice narrow greenhouse which fits on some window sills.
They are sturdy too. I find that I must double the regular half trays.