A Novice In The Garden

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For five summers we have lived in this house, and have worked this backyard.  For five years we have tried to add more native plants for the wildlife in our midst, and plenty of containers with annuals that benefit birds, butterflies,  bees, and insects of all kinds. 

Our first summer here, in 2019, we purchased and added maybe 30 plants. Most natives and perennials. We worked hard, planting them in. Watering. Watching over them.  Even so, although many of them seemed to prosper during that initial season, they disappeared from the landscape, never to return.

Fortunately, a few have prospered: native bee balm being one of them.

Bee balm, one of the native plants we added, has been doing well in the garden so far.

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Although I got a late start last spring and summer, I finally picked up some wildflower and zinnia seeds to plant in a few different pots and sections of the garden.  I hadn't started from seed before, so I was skeptical I would have any success.

After watching YouTube gardening videos and reading gardening articles and books, I determined that zinnias would be pollinator friendly, colorful, and a pretty safe bet.

​I picked up one native wildflower mix, and several packages of zinnia seeds, and I spread them around, in the garden, and in some containers as well. 

​Surprisingly, I had some luck. By the end of summer I had lots of zinnias and cosmos blooming. I tried to hold on to that good feeling to offer me inspiration for planting again, in spring.

Color me happy when zinnias I had started from seed actually bloomed in the garden.

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This spring, although I didn't start as early as I probably should have, I decided to order some seeds and take a shot at starting some plants early.

​I made lists. Did more research. Made more lists. Then finally ordered a selection of seeds.

​Some could be started early in pots, some could be sown before the last frost, and others would  need to wait until after the last frost date passes by.

​I set up a makeshift greenspace in the garage, and, ​started several plants indoors from seed: purple coneflower, sunflowers, marigolds, calendula, gazanias, African daisies, cosmos, coleus, and California poppies. I re-used empty containers from last year's purchased plants to start the seeds.

A wide assortment of seeds to plant, at various times.

Some have sprouted seedlings, some not, so far. But I have to admit, it's really gratifying when it happens.  I'm crossing my fingers that the cool weather seeds I've already sown outside sprout, too.

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A mix of natives and annual flower seeds started.

Cosmos seedlings popping up.

In just a few days marigold seeds have sprouted.

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A dahlia beauty from 2023.

I'm a fan  of visiting local flower farms to cut my own flowers for bouquets. It's a great way to be introduced to some of the different cutting flowers out there. And to get a closer view of the work that goes into such a farm.

If you're planning to visit some of our local flower farms this summer, check out this feature from last summer to get an idea of the farms out there - Sunflower Season - 2023. The work these farmers put into their blooms is endless, and the blooms are endlessly beautiful, too.

Dahlias, ranunculus, zinnias, and calendula are just some of the highlights I've seen.  Dahlias and ranunculus are grown from tubers (bulbs), and seem complicated to grow. But after watching some videos on growing them (again, YouTube), I worked up a little courage and decided to try.

(At left, a close-up of one of the beautiful dahlias I purchased last summer from local growers.)

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Last fall I dug up the tubers for some of the dahlia plants I'd purchased for containers, and stored them in a paper bag in the garage for the winter.

I picked up a box of ranunculus bulbs at the hardware store, and even a few packages of them from a local dollar store. Low investment, low risk. I took some notes about pre-sprouting them, and dove into the process.

Pre-sprouting requires first soaking the bulbs in water for about 3 hours or so, then putting the bulbs/tubers in a shallow tray of soil, covering them over, and keeping them moist.

​If all goes well, they will put out roots and start sprouting. Once that happens, you can pot them up, or, if weather allows, put them straight in the ground or into patio containers.

Soaked and pre-sprouted ranunculus corms after about 10 days in soil prep.

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So far, ranunculus sprouted really well. I potted them up into small pots, since it's too cold yet to go in the ground. In a few weeks, if they're still doing well, I will put them into containers on the patio. I was so pleased with the results, I started another dozen. And, I added some anemone bulbs to the process, too.  The dahlia tubers are still pretty quiet, so I expect I'll need to buy some plants from one of the local growers. There's still a bit of time left for them to sprout, so we will see...

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Pre-sprouting ranunculus and anemone bulbs in a tray of soil.

Still hoping some of the dahlia tubers will sprout.

The pre-sprouted ranunculus potted up for more sprouting.

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I am a novice gardener. No doubt about it. But, every year I do manage to learn a bit more, and try something new. The great thing is, there is a community of gardeners out there that are willing to share the joy that gardening brings them, and what they have learned along the way to creating their gardens and wild spaces.

​No matter what your media of choice is - books, magazines, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, there are lots of wise and worldly gardeners and naturalists out there worth a read, a watch, or a listen. 

I have them to thank for inspiring me not to give up on turning our backyard into a beautiful space for wildlife. And for us as well.