I am very excited about this and am having a hard time resisting the urge to join in a swap to get more seeds, but don't you think I should just go with what I have already and see how it goes for my first year?

Did you all start out in a big way or take baby steps and start small? If you were conservative, did you have regrets that you didn't go all out to begin with?

Also, is a good place to put your WSing containers against the south side of your house for an earlier start? The bed is empty until late spring when I plant my tomatoes there.

Thanks!
BettyLu

Good Luck and Happy Planting
Heidi

I thought I was going to start small. It sort of snowballed. I'm completely obsessed now and I haven't even planted a single milk jug.

If this works as well as everyone here says it does, I'm going to have to give away quite a bit of stuff. My poor lot is only .14 acres!

Sorry - can't offer any restraint to you. I'm having trouble reining myself in!

Good luck.
Erika

This year, maybe 2-300. Maybe.

Somehow here in year two I'm already looking at more than 500 containers worth of stuff to sow this winter. But this REALLY will be my last WSing year, honest!

BTW - I have no regrets about diving right into the deep end last year. Until I saw all the seedlings I was rather nervous but it is a fantastic way to start seeds.

Lynda

The sowing was only slightly busy. I sowed certain seeds each month. Watering was easy.

Planting became the time consuming task. Carefully removing the hunk of seedlings (HOS) was difficult because I wanted to reuse the jugs. My son asked if I was ever going to be done planting...can you hear the neglect??

This year I have vowed to sow in keg glasses and should be able to fit 4-5 in a milk jug. I saved 60 or so milk jugs from last year, telling myself that was my limit. After the milk jugs are full, I want to stop myself from planting more. However, keg glasses will make planting SO much easier, my kids could help - right? Then we would be bonding...it would be a learning moment...then why stop at 60 jugs??

Anyone else have cheap ideas for containers that maybe I can pick up at a dollar store?

I dont drink soda from a 2 liter, and dont eat fast food.

I'm not going overboard I think maybe 60-80 different types of seeds to ws. A lot of the seeds can be direct sowed, but some of the varities I want to WS too. I have a problem with seedlings not getting damaged. I have two naughty kittens, major slugs, and a toddler.

Danielle

I dont forsee doing less than 50 every, becuase of the # of annuals I do wintersowing wise.

Last year, I sent a request on freecycle and received some great containers. I also became a dumpster diver at a recycle center. On Sat.s, it's busy enough that you can intercept bags of containers before they end up in the dumpster.

Gotta start saving early because the jug need grows...addicting...fun and SO rewarding and addicting.

This was my first year..I have since dug in more beds, added arbors, etc., but you can see fabulous results in your first summer. I'm addicted to w/s, and also helping to expand the gardens of friends and neighbors. You will never regret trying this.

While stocking up on a bigger variety of seeds and planting lots and lots is so very tempting... can I say that again? It really is VERY, VERY tempting...I am afraid I will end up with lots of tenderly nurtured plants and nowhere to plant them!

Your idea of sharing with the neighbors is a great one, especially my next door neighbor who always seems to plant sun plants in the shade and vice versa!

I DO belong to a gardening group that has a fund raising plant sale that supports Kress Farm Nature Preserve in the early spring - but I believe it is too early for anything that I would have winter sowed to be of a size to sell. Unless my idea of putting the containers against the south side of my house would make a difference - do you think it would?

Oh, I almost forgot... my sister lives in the country and she could always "adopt" any orphan plants I might have! There is also my newly married daughter, she could sure use a border at the back of her yard.

There! You did it-you have all convinced me! Now I guess I WILL have to swap for more seeds - obviously 35 different varieties of seeds won't be enough to share with neighbors and relatives!

Consider yourselves all enablers of the highest level if you can convince me (who always does things in baby steps) to go for it!

Thanks! and I do mean that!

BettyLu

Do you have a list of the seeds you planted? Your bed is packed and beautiful!

This summer I began saving and still may not have enough. I also save those plastic kitty litter jugs. they are big and nice. If you know anyone with a cat you can ask them to save them.

Karen

Have fun and don't worry, just keep planting! There is always someone who will take your extras.

Lisa

I just realized I haven't taken any garden picks in long time. Where is that camera? :O)
Pattie

June


July


August

This was taken on May 3d this year. Those are little baby WS seedings planted in a new garden bed that was lawn 6 months earlier:

This is the corner of that bed on July 17th. I took this photo standing where those white buckets had been:

The rudbeckias were sown in January and planted out when they after they had their first set of true leaves. The zinnias were sown in April when it started looking like we might not have more frosts - and planted out a few days before that first photo was taken.

WSing is a great way to get a bunch of flowers fast. Of course, I'm only showing you the blooming part of the garden. About 2/3 of what I sowed were hardy perennials and a lot of them are waiting until year 2 to bloom.

Lynda