Tag Archives: seeds

flower, gardening

Cosmos

CosmosOne of my mom’s favorite flowers is cosmos. Originally she got the seeds from an old and a dear friend of hers. After that we have had them blooming every year. They have never failed her no matter what kind of summer we have had.

The colors of cosmos are many and also I have grown fond of them. We have decided that next spring we will try a new variety called Sonata Pink Blush. It should bloom early and be a bit shorter and steadier compared to the one we currently grow.

PS. You can collect the cosmos seeds in the autumn. I do not think that my mother has ever bought the seeds. She has just harvested them each year.

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gardening

California Wonder

California WonderLast winter I started early. I was determined to grow peppers of my own. I had never tried that before.

I planted the seeds and watched them grow. The first flowers came and soon I had my first pepper growing. I decided to keep only one and gave the others to my friends.

Peppers are delegate creatures. They do not tolerate cold and when I moved the plant to my balcony for more light the end result was bruised leaves. Well, actually I never wanted to have a pepper in my bedroom but there it is. Safe from winds and getting all the attention it demands. Temperamental, as my plant really is, it only produces on pepper at the time. But the fruits are sweet and worth the effort.

PS. Peppers consume high amounts of water and require fertilizing. Large pot makes your life easier.

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Crocuses

Crocus

There are still many things to do before the winter arrives. One of the matters is to find suitable spring flowers for the next year. Options are many and it is hard not to buy everything possible.

I wondered around in a shop and saw what I was looking for. Shelves after shelves of bulbs waiting for planting. I knew what I wanted. I went directly to the crocuses. I wanted something that blooms early right after the snow is gone. Something colorful to wipe away all the whiteness.

Crocuses are reliable. You can always count on them. Usually the blooms only last few days but on those days you appreciate all the bright colors. After few weeks you forget your early friends as other plants conquer the garden hiding the tiny crocus leaves. But you remember your forgotten friends again next year when they are there delighting your spring.

I admit that when I returned home and went online I bought few other bulbs. Just to be sure that I have enough things to wait for.

PS. I bought my crocuses from Stockmann. They usually have good offers for their regular customers.

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Avocados

Avocado

Some salt and a drop of lemon juice. Avocados are so good. I simply enjoy the soft greasy taste of them. And since there is a seed size of a golf ball, naturally I have to try to grow one.

Internet is full of instruction how to get the seed germinate. I spent fee minutes watching how to do it and now I have my first one making roots.

It will be fun watching what I end up having. I live far too north to ever harvest avocados from my tiny little tree but it will be fun seeing it grow.

PS. I like to buy my avocados from Stockmann. Theirs are usually the best ones you can find in the city.

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Pelargonium

Pelargonium

I was not able to resist the temptation. I saw a package of pelargonium seeds in the store. It was December and the darkest time of the year. But still the best time to try to grow pelargoniums for the next summer.

I knew that my apartment with its merciless central heating was way too hot and dry for my experiment. Pelargoniums like a bit cooler and moist growing environment. Anyway I decided to give it a try.

Pelargoniums are survivors. The can take the most relentless hot summer days and tolerate the bite of first frosts. They just keep on blooming where only few flowers make it.

To my big surprise everything went well. All the seeds germinated and each little seedling made it through the winter with the help of my grow light. In the spring I was able place them in to my balcony and enjoy watching them to flourish. Now it is early September and with a bit of luck I can still enjoy their blooms for two more months.

PS. This winter I think I will saw the seeds already in November to ensure that they start blooming a bit earlier. And I guess I will try few more colors since there are so many available.

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Coleus

Coleus

Soon the gardeners will face the toughest time of the year. Snow will cover the ground and several months of inactiveness lays ahead. For some of us it is a blessing and a time to rest. Unfortunately for me the winter is simply too long.

First months go quite well. I spent time with the gardening magazines dreaming and planning. Ordering seeds for the spring – always too many in my greediness. Luckily tablets have opened a whole new world to me. We do not have that many gardening magazines but now I have found the ones in the other northern countries – different and interesting. I have fallen in love with a magazine called Garden Making.

Then I get restless and uneasy. Reading is not enough. I simply need to grow something. Last winter I found a solution and bought a grow light for plants. What a delight! But what to grow that was a problem. Coleus came in to my mind. So this year I have been able to enjoy several different coleus varieties grown from the tiny seeds. I think I will continue my trial this year and try few new colors.

PS. I use Zinio for ordering my magazines. It has worked well and been easy to use.

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