Tag Archives: March Time to start seeds.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day March 2010

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day March 2010

Reluctant bloomers

It’s “slim pickins” in the garden as my grandmother used to say. But I have the random daffodil returning for a repeat performance this year. Most of the little sunny dafs are holding out for blue skies and warmer weather. Some grape hyacinth and crocus are waiting in the wings for spring days filled with sunshine and birdsong.

hesitant blooms may need more sun

This single plant has more than a dozen buds waiting to bloom.

I’m taking these photos for Bloom Day but most of these bulbs will have come and gone between Bloom Days.

There are early bloomers protected by the old trees, but the ones out in the yard are waiting, waiting, like me.

Daffodils protected by the tree and in full sun.

The earliest daffodils are leading the bulb bloom.

I’m sort of a homeless blogger this week as I get a new site up and running. These things always take more time than you think (like weeding and watering.)

Most of all I wanted to share this volunteer parsley. I’ve never had parsley that is indeed it’s true self; a biennial. I let last years second year parsley reseed. The plant was enormous, growing three or four times larger than my little “annual parsley.” The reseeded parsley is weeks ahead of the plants I am patiently waiting to sprout from seed. This year, I soaked the seed for 24 hours be for planting in the seed tray.

This is my herb growing tip of the month: Drain the soaked seed on a coffee filter. Seeds won’t stick to the filter like they do to paper towels.

reseeded parsley

Parsley and chives are up and growing before other herbs.

coffee filters are better than paper towels.

Seeds drained on coffee filters do not stick to the filter.

Hard times reap profits for seed catalogs


One business that is thriving in these uncertain economic times are the seed sellers. People’s anxiety has fertilized the garden industry which has seen a huge increase in sales this season.


“I wouldn’t say people are panicking. It’s more like they are anxious,” said Bill Timmsen, Human Resources Director at Baker Creek. Vegetable seed sales have more than doubled this year. Baker Creek had been experiencing a slight growth every year, but this spring, seed orders started pouring in early and haven’t stopped.

“It’s more like folks just don’t know. We can’t see tomorrow. We don’t know how bad things are going to get. Growing our own food is one way we can have some control.”

Washington is using the term “shovel- ready” to designate projects that are ready to start creating jobs the minute funding arrives. That shovel-ready work has already started in America’s back yards.

Amid the Washington talk of “shovel-ready” recession projects, few projects are more shovel-ready than a backyard garden. Vegetable seed sales are up by double-digits at all of the nation’s biggest seed sellers.

“ After years of declining veggie seed sales the whole cycle has completely reversed and we are experiencing tremendous interest from a new generation of gardeners who want to, for the first time, start a garden to grow food, said Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden.

During a recession, it is a predictable cycle. People tend to want to get back to the basics. But most seed growers have never experienced a jump in sales this large.

“All our seed sales have increased,” said Timmsen and particularly our vegetables seeds.

tomato seedlings

Baker Creek

Renee’s Garden

Nichols Garden

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