Curious what all you seed-a-philes like to grow from seed. I love annuals, milkweeds, and anything unusual or rare that might take in my area. This year I'm growing different varieties of somniferum poppies, cerinthes, and morning glories.

Everything! Annuals, perennials, vegetables & herbs. It's either grow from seed or buy mislabeled plants from the big box stores.

I'm looking forward to wintersowing different varieties of Iris this year.

Everything. And the weirder or esoteric the better. Dietes, Siberian Iris. And I also like challenges. So tropical seeds are fun for me. This year I grew a Rainbow Eucalyptus which I will try bonsai. I also do a lot of after dinner growing - e.g. kiwi, pomegranate, pineapple from seed. Dozens of others.

I do have a lot of failures though. I grew some of Calotropis gigantea last year, but they perished over-wintering in my garage. Guess it was too cold.

I tried the notoriously hard Welwitschia mirabilis and joined the group that fail trying it from seed. Neat plant though. Would love to have one.

Sort of going with everyone else I do a lot of winter sowing...almost everything but my morning glories get done in that manner. A few of the slower things like coleus I may start inside. What I don't start is easier to answer...veggies...I don't do many and what I do decided on I can get them cheap enough at the garden center not to have to bother.
I did do tomatoes one year the W/S method with great success...may try it again this year.

I tried a Calotropsis too and it perished even here in zone 8b/9a.
I don't do many veges either. I do tomatoes in my greenhouse in the summer, they're about the only thing that will survive my greenhouse in summer. And I have grown some from seed. Honestly we like romas and grape tomatoes, which are easy to find at any garden center. I've tried melons, no luck; pumpkins, no luck, and what does grow gets eaten by the deer . I'm a flower gardener, and there are plenty the deer won't eat!
And David, I'm doing a banyan tree bonsai!

Dee - way cool!! Pictures some time.

I have about 20 bonsai all of which I grew from seed. Several are Bauhinia and are cut little things.

I too don't do much on vegetables. Only thing from seed this year was garlic and Cayenne peppers. Oops - and Basil. Bought tomato starts as well as eggplant. That was all the veggies we had. My wife does not garden much any more due to time constraints and she is away from home M - F.

I do want to try the Calotropis gigantea again next year if I can find seed. I have 2 C. procera started last year but they refused to grow. Weird. They are a year old and only ~ 8 inches tall. But they did make it over winter in my garage.

My most bizarre seed growing binge was a few centuries ago when I took on various species of Baobabs and Coffee trees (Coffea sp). In more recent years I've gone "boring", sowing natives....much more of a challenge when you are outnumbered by deer that seem to hone in on freshly planted seedlings!

Everything, too! I have hoards of seeds from trading with other traders; just like to see those seeds germinate and flourish.

This year I'm proud to say is the pentapetes (thanks poisondartfrog); both the pink and red bloomed and I just collected seeds.

But one that still have me baffled is the canary bird vine - these never germinated no matter how I tried. Now I'm on the search for more seeds.

You know I bought a large lot of canary bird vine and got a few to grow in my greenhouse. The flowers were SMALL, not the same size as a normal nasturtium. I was really disappointed.

The deer are my curse also. I buy 8" tall plastic cups, cut the bottoms off them, and use them to protect seedlings in the garden. They really do help get them off to a good start.

David,
I've got Bauhinia seeds, just never knew what to do with them. Bonsai's are a great idea. In fact I have a bunch of weird tree and bush seeds someone in the seed biz gave me to use up. Most of them are tropical so I figured they were basically useless, even if I get them to grow they'd just die first winter. But Bonsai's are a great idea. Well my heat mats will be full this winter!

I grow mostly flowers, tomatoes, and a few herbs. I can get a much wider selection of tomato seeds than I can find as plants locally. And I love having pots of herbs on my deck in summer for cooking.

Mostly I grow flowers and I've tried a wide variety over the years. I've been wintersowing for about 10 years (last year was the first time I didn't). I also usually start a few things inside under lights.

Karen

I tried canary bird vine for years, finally got two to germinate last year and never saw any flowers, vine was week and spindly all summer

I grow many seedlings every year, veges, flowers, annuals, perennials.
My focus recently is on rock garden material as I have two large areas which I want to turn into rock gardens. I do winter sowing, direct sowing and also some under lights. Next spring:--- it will be Salpiglossis sinuata (Painted Tongue) under lights as I have seeds for several varieties. Also planning to do several different veges and herbs.
I have a terrible habit of planning more than I can handle!

I understand getting into more than you can handle. I have to sort all my "new" seed packets into catagories like "fall sow" "winter sow" and spring sow. Then baggies for "sow in place" "on the mat" etc.. I never seem to actually get everything in, LOL, but I try!

Dee - Yeah. I have ~ 15 Bauhinia I started 2 years ago. Just cut a few of them back today - thay are all from 6 - 15 " tall. What kind of weird things do you have in the seeds you were given? And things die for you in Winter? What is the coldest you get in 9A? 20 F?

Someone above mentioned Baobab - I have 2 of those I am also growing - for Bonsai of course. LMAO if I actually thought I could get one of those monsters to grow here. It would be kinda neat though. Maybe I could let one grow to 5 or 6 feet tall and people would come from far and wide to see it. Heh

Don't know how I will grow from seed this winter as I have ~ 200 plants in my basement seed growing area. Strange how things get big over a couple of years. And since I have as many or more tropicals & tenders than hardy plants, I am up to my .... in plants this year. Some day I must count how many I have. Right now from my Living room chair, I can see > 30 plants here and in the Dining room that were outdoors 2 weeks ago.

Am trying something new this year. I grew Ipomea alba (Moonflower) and they actually started blooming early for me - August IIRC. They usually don't bloom for me til ~ first frost. This year, I started the seeds on New Years day. hehe Anyway --- I dug up and potted 5 pots as I understand they are hardy to Zone 8 or 9 - they are not Annuals.

David,
Here's a list of the tree seeds I have. If you are interested in any let me know, there are enough in the packets to share. I received them 2 years ago so they are 3+ years old. Some could be really old, but hey, you never know what's going to germinate.

Manihot esculenta (tapioca tree), Tabehuia rosea (pink tacoma), Hrachychiton ascerifolius (flame tree),
Metasequoia (dawn redwood), Tulip poplar, Japanese maple "bloodgood", African tree wisteria, Orange mimosa,
Acer camperstre, Locust tree, Cresentia cujete (calabash tree), Chilosis linearis (desert willow), Mimosa "pink",
Cassia fistula (golden shower tree), Acacia caven (tree from Chile), Dalbergia retusa (cocobola rosewood),
Laburnum waterii (golden chain tree), Laburnum anagyruides (golden chain tree), Crinodendron patagua (chilean lantern tree),
Melicytus ramiflorus (seaside mahoe tree), Averhoa bilimbi (cucumber tree), Entelea arborsecens (corkwood tree),
Entorolobium cyclocarpum (monkey ear tree), Berkeley tree (2"pale hibiscus flower), Cassia, Bauhinia purpurea,
Bauhinia rufescens, Bauhinia (yellow flowering).

That's just the trees, LOL, monkey ear tree?
I didn't know moonflower would overwinter, I may have to grow one. I did get a "flame tree" seedling going and I put it in the ground. It could make it if I cover it in a freeze, on second thought maybe I'll dig it up and pot it. Let me know if you want any of these, I'll never use all of them.
Dee

Boy this looks like a fun forum. I have been chomping at the bit to start growing some seeds, lots of seeds I am in DnDsAllSeedSwap3 and am so excited waiting for all my new little seedies coming my way. I keep looking over my list of seeds I picked (bought) from that seed swap, seeing what I can start right away and grow as houseplants so I don't have to wait till next spring. I am also planning on wintersewing for the first time but that won't happen till Jan or Feb. Anyway, in my impatience and not being able to wait any longer I had picked some desert willow seed pods back in Sept. The pods were still somewhat green so I just let them lay on a side table for about 4 weeks. I opened the pods & dug out the seeds. I wasn't sure if the seeds were viable or not but decided to try a few of them anyway. I love desert willows. I soaked the seeds for a few hrs then planted them in a plastic container with a clear dome lid. 5 days later I had little baby willows poping up I just repotted them today into single pots. I hope they keep growing.

Holy Cow Dee!! What a haul. Would love a few - how bout:

Manihot esculenta (tapioca tree)
Metasequoia (dawn redwood) - this is hardy here I think
Chilosis linearis (desert willow)

Of course will have a bonsai. And happy to send a SASE

It really is quite a haul. I have no idea what will germinate though.
Tree-mail me your address and I'll send them to you, I think they'll fit into a regular envelope so I can pay the postage.
I think all of the three you want are smaller seeds.

Saw the question: 'What do you grow from seed?'

Here's my answer: 'Nothing on purpose. Seeds scare me.'

BUT - I've been gathering seeds from:
various Milkweed plants - mostly Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) but do have others
Autumn Sage -- Salvia greggii
Inland Sea-oats -- Chasmanthium latifolium
White-veined Dutchman's Pipe - Aristolochia fimbriata
4 o'clocks - Mirabilis jalapa
Rock Rose - Pavonia lasiopetala
Datura
and am attempting to collect seeds from my Frostweed plants (Verbesina virginica) but not sure I know what I'm doing.
Ditto for Greggs Mist (Conoclinium greggii) which is downright silly b/c it grows like a weed and am always pulling some up. Butterflies love it so I've let it take a lot of room in the perennial bed this year.

All seeds are free for the asking.

@tx_flower_child I would love to try some of your seeds. I sent you a tree mail