Not "sadly narrowing it down" Brad--just temporarily selectively choosing the best of the best for your garden! Perception is 9/10 of the truth! Pick the one you like over all the rest and get behind it 100%. The rest can be best of the best next year or the year after next. If Ma Nature can give her seedlings and sprouts a couple million years to show what they can do, we mortals ought to be able to wait a year or two to see what ours can do. What's the rush?

And, if I've been reading posts correctly, Brad is still in his teens, or something. He's got a whole lifetime of gardening ahead of him. In fact, he could probably put the seeds he can't get for himself on his birthday present list.LOL. Please realize that this is posted in the most loving way. I'm jealous that Brad is getting started so early and can enjoy so many years in the garden.

Martha

Gardenweed, those are excellent words of wisdom! Thank you!!!!!

Martha, I just turned 21 in March, but yeah I am one of the younger gardeners out there. LOL I could always put the seeds I don't get on my birthday list :). No offense taken at all! Gardening is the hobby I'll never give up. It's my passion in life. One of my dreams is owning my own nursery someday (one of those big old fashioned glass greenhouse types). Last year I did a total of 75 jugs and I'm not sure how much I'll be doing this year. I have seeds that were sent to me already plus I've been saving plastic bottles like crazy LOL.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Just hated hearing the regret in your tone, Brad. Normally you're the optimist on the forums but I understand everyone has a few less positive moments. I'm three times your age but generally speaking, gardeners are optimistic folks by nature. Who else would poke holes in recycled containers in the dead of winter, fill them with moistened dirt, sprinkle seeds over it, tuck a label inside, seal the containers & stick them out in the snow without even questioning whether or not the seeds will sprout, grow and bloom? Then going back inside to jot down yet another WS container on their Zone Wars spreadsheet!! I'd be willing to bet if you looked up optimism in the dictionary, it would include a note: (see also, winter sowing).

I could order several dozen interesting or gob-smacking gorgeous seed types but Yankee frugality paired with New England practicality helps curb the urge. I've WS whole-hog the past two years and now have beds that are bursting at the seams. I enlarged my butterfly bed by 2 ft. along the southern edge of it this year--an additional 22+ sq. ft--and the "addition" is already full of WS perennials.

Have a look at my little green acre after the 14" of rain that's fallen in just the past 6 weeks:

L: La Musardiere; R: butterfly bed
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Foreground: Burgess Oval; background: Burgess Slope
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Since the leaves are starting to drop from the giant oak trees, it doesn't look quite so tidy as it did but once the leaves are down and cleared away next month, it won't look so messy. Then it'll be December and time to WS again!

Yeah, I am normally an optimist, and this year has been putting it to the test. That's another story though. As they say, nobody likes a Gloomy Gus. LOL I think you're right! I wish they would include that note in the dictionary for the definition of optimism!

Your 1/2 acre looks great! I still have plants blooming in my garden too, oddly enough, most are the annuals I WS. I'm getting seeds off of some of them today, like the forget me nots, marigolds and a few others.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad,
I must have missed something along the way. Why are you not as optimistic as usual? Is there anything any of us can do to help? I'm an incurable optimist as well as perennial helper. I don't have the specific seeds you want, but I could certainly contribute some seeds that could work. I have some scabiosa--deep purple--that reseeds prolifically. Shall I run out and grab some seed pods or you? I also bought a bunch of Zinnia seeds that I'll never be able to use. Would that help cheer you up? Let me know what I can do to help.

Martha

Martha, well it's something personal that I've been dealing with since May. I feel kinda lost and my friends have been my rocks all through this time. I'm grateful for them. They're helping me stay positive and keeping a smile on my face.

Gardening is the especially bright spot in my life right now and I always do cheer up when I get seeds or plant cuttings (I grow houseplants too) in the mail. So, Martha, I'll e-mail you my address :). I'll gladly take those seeds off your hands if they need a good home.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Hi Brad - If you're cutting your list (and we all have years where we must, for a variety of reasons), why not do a shout-out for some semi-double feverfew. They sow, and self sow, very easily and I doubt if you would notice much difference from one named variety to another.

As for the keeping insects at bay, I'd be skeptical. Slugs luv 'em. Sow and grow them once and you'll just about always have them as filler, you'll be selectively removing some if they behave for you like they have for me.
I don't have seed to send you, I have been a little too selective with them myself and have been pulling them before they set seed for the last couple of years - something about that chrysanthemum scent that doesn't appeal to me. But that's me, and not meant to discourage you. My neighbor used to come over and cut stems of my The Fairy Rose, combine with only bunches of her feverfew, great pastel pink/white bouquets.

For white small flowered, I lean more towards more towards Achillea (Yarrow) - Ptarmica The Pearl and The Pearl Superior(double) for taller flower stems....and that's just me, no reflection on your taste ;)

Ask - bet you will find some feverfew someone will happily share if seeds and not space are at issue.

Morz8, thanks for the advice! I'll keep my eyes out for the semi-double feverfew! The rose/feverfew arrangement sounds pretty too :). Hopefully, I'll be able to do lots of winter sowing this year, but we'll see.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad - I have the double feverfew, most likely my plants are from Renee's seeds. Just gathered them tonight when I saw your post. There's a photo of it on the garden page of my blog. Is your seed wishlist up to date? I may have a few others you'd like. Sent you an email.

Here is a link that might be useful: My blog

Faerygardener, no I need to update my wish list. If you e-mailed me, I didn't recieve it. How odd. I'll e-mail you!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

hmn - used the "form" supplied by GW when you click email from your member page. Got your email, so we're talking.

Brad - I also have some form of double feverfew that I harvested LOTS of seeds from earlier in the season. I've set some aside for you. I don't know the cultivar name as I got them in a trade and the label/seed pack didn't say. Let me know if you're interested.

{{gwi:420508}}

Gardenweed, I'd be glad to have some! It never hurts to have extras (to share of course lol)! They look very pretty!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad,
I went out tonight to grab some scabiosa seeds, but apparently they drop or are eaten about as fast as they ripen. The seed heads were either green or mostly empty. I did manage to get a few hangers-on that look ripe. I have them drying for you as we speak. I'll have to google the Zinnias I have and I'll send you some I won't need. I went for the bright reds or rich wine/purples. Do you have a preference? Let me know.

Martha

Hi Martha,

That's okay! I found some of my purple coneflower seeds were eaten too when I was collecting seeds from it. I do not have a preference for the zinnia colors. Both sound very pretty! Just let me know when they're ready!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, I'm not sure why no one has mentioned the seed exchange forum in these posts, and you may already know about it, but you can post your 'wants' there. Let everyone know you are a 'newby' and you will likely get many offers for seed. We love to help people to become addicted. To growing from seed that is. And trading seed is an inexpensive way to get seed. If you don't already know about it check it out. There are people there who will help you get a start even if you don't have anything to trade. Good luck. Connie.

I've got Zinnia "Berry Basket" and "Cool Crayon Colors" on my list to order from Renee's. I'll swap you some of each packet for some of the stocks seeds and anything you might come up with for part shade to shade.

Email me at jkkaplan "at" erols.com and we can swap addresses.

I've also got milkweed soulmate and ice balletif you are interested.

KimKa

Brad if you got an area that can go wild. I got a half of brown bag of Bright Light Orange Cosmos. I have some maroon pink Celosia seeds.

Connie, I did several exchanges over at the Seed Exchange last year for some of my winter sowing seeds and that was lots of fun!

KimKa, I'm not totally sure what I'm ordering yet but once I do I'll post here. Then we could work out something.

Ladyrose, I'll let you know about those seeds!

Brad AKA Moonwolf