For a number of years now I have been Winter Sowing all my seeds (as opposed to starting things inside the house).  I began while we were still living in Alberta, so I know this can work in many different climate/plant zones.

The jist of it is that seeds are planted in marked milk jugs (yes, I know those of you in Ontario buy your milk in bags, LOL!!) and then set out in the snow to ‘chill’. When the weather begins to warm, these seeds sprout at the appropriate times and grow into hardy seedlings. Unlike indoor sowing, you do NOT need to harden them off. I
begin with perennials and hardy annuals, usually around Winter Solstice (just before Christmas).

I am still planting tender annuals like tomatoes and will continue to do so for another month, as more milk jugs become available…. they will emerge later and do not require stratification (cold prepping).

It is a delight to look into the jugs and see the first little seedlings of the season popping up. My lupines and sweet peas were the first to pop, followed closely by the sunflowers!!

There’s  lots of great info on the internet if you are interested in starting seeds this way. So much more successful for me than indoor sowing and way simpler and cheaper. Give it a try.

Soon it will be time to find a garden space for all of those seedlings. I can’t wait to see the final results when everything has found it’s place in the garden….

Now, to get back to building that garden!!