My garden is full of perennials, shrubs, spring flowering bulbs, a few ornamental grasses and a few small trees. These have all been purchased in pots except for a few volunteer seedlings that have sprouted from the mother plants. This fall, I'm embarking on a new adventure...direct sowing annuals from seed! I read the forums, asked a lot of questions, did my searching and decided to order from two companies. The order from Diane's Flower Seeds arrived in the mailbox today!
Ordering from Diane's Seeds was easy. Deciding which seeds to order was the challenge! There are so many great flowers from which to choose. I decided to try a few different poppies, larkspur, zinnia, and the perennial, echinacea 'Ruby Star' which is already a favorite in my garden (I just want more).
Click to enlarge the photos to read the planting instructions:
The seeds were ordered on Monday, August 18th and arrived today, Monday, August 25th. The seeds arrived by mail in a padded envelope. Each type of seed is individually packaged by hand in glassine envelopes to prevent static. My total order came to $15.45, including $2.95 for shipping.
Among my flower seeds was a surprise! Diane sent me free Cosmos sulphereus 'Ladybird Yellow'. That made me smile! The yellow color will be perfect in my garden.
Now...I've got to get out there and start planning. Yes, planning before I start planting. I want to weave these colors en masse in big swathes throughout the garden to fill in the gaps when the perennials aren't in full bloom. I'll write more about the garden design when I finish my plans and begin my planting.
Some of these seeds may be direct sown in the fall here in my NC zone 7. Others will be planted next spring. A new gardening adventure with fabulous flower seeds. And hopefully, another step toward real cottage gardening!
Happy Gardening!
Cameron
