Beautiful Gardens Start with Seed

The signs are clear!  Spring is here!  In anticipation of the "greening up" we were fortunate to have Master Gardener, Shirley Barber, present a topic that is near and dear to her heart (and ours):  Beautiful Gardens Start with Seed.  This photo shows some of the plants Shirley grows at the St. Johns County Extension Center demonstration gardens.  The sign in the foreground identifies a variety of impatiens grown as part of All-America Selections trials.

And if beautiful gardens start with seed, beautiful garden clubs start with members!   Now is the time for current garden club members to renew for next year.  See our District IV Membership Renewal Announcement for details.  The deadline is June1.

And DO take note:  the FFGC website now has a new name:

ffgc.wildapricot.org

Before describing Shirley's presentation, there are a few additional items to mention.

• Congratulations to our own Sarah Bailey, who was honored on March 5 by the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society's annual Miss Aggie 2016.  More on the ceremony at our Awards Page.
• Alpine Groves Park was the locale of the first annual Blessing of the Waters, to honor the waters of the St. Johns, Matanzas, and Cannon Springs.
• At our February meeting, our Secretary, Mickey, shared an article on how to recycle electronics devices.   This and an update from Journey North on monarchs in Mexico are posted on the Resources Page:

E-Cycling Your electronics

Monarchs in Winter

 
Beautiful Gardens Start with Seed

Shirley Barber knows a thing or two about growing plants from seed.  She is one of the key propagation gardeners at the County's UF/IFAS Extension Center demonstration gardens, part of a 40+acre parcel devoted to growing Florida Friendly plants and educating the public on horticultural issues.  Two years ago, these demonstration gardens were selected as trial/demonstration gardens for several varieties of ornamental landscape and vegetable plants by All-America Selections.

Not only did she bring a poster and slideshow highlighting the many plants she has grown in the demonstration gardens over the years, but she brought several flats of "home-grown" seedlings to give away!  The talk she gave was the same one she made last October at the Master Gardener Convention.  Attendees paid to hear her speak, and we were able to hear her for free.  (Such a deal!)   Her first topic was, "Why Start with Seeds?"  Nurseries have plenty of plants already potted and ready for transplanting.  The reasons she cited were:  the diversity you can get when you purchase seeds instead of just choosing from commercial selections, knowing that the plant you're going to end up with is the plant you intended to grown (no false advertising) provided you get your seed from reputable sources, lower prices, opportunities to share seeds with others, and the satisfaction of growing your plant from start to finish.

Shirley aims for 100% germination for her seeds.  She has a huge area that must be planted and ready for public enjoyment by the EPIC Garden and Flower Show event in April.  She starts her seeds indoors at home, which means every inch of growing area is precious.  Some of the tips she shared with us included:

• learn the botanical names of the plants you want to grow
• understand their germination/propagation requirements:  including temperature, unlocking seeds with scarification, etc.
• proper storage of seeds
• seed viability
• clean containers
• starting mediums
• humidity and water requirements 
• pricking out/transplanting to larger pots
• hardening off
• pest control
• fertilizing
• transplanting outdoors
• keeping records of what worked and what didn't

A key to success is locating a good seed supply company.  Shirley had her favorites:

• Park Seed
• Horticultural Products and Services
• Johnny's Selected Seeds
• Totally Tomatoes
• Burpee Seeds & Plants
• Florida Native Plant Society

Handouts:  Click here for the handouts distributed at her presentation.  Now start germinating!

Reminder:  March 10 at 10AM we'll be meeting in the Bartram Trail Library.  Our presenter is Master Naturalist, Ayolane Halusky, who will discuss, "Wildflowers and Vegetable Gardening."  The public is invited, but asked to contact us at switzerlandgc@gmail.com so we can be sure we'll have enough refreshments for everyone!  And April 23 is the Bartram Bash at Alpine Groves Park.  Check out our Events and Calendar page so you'll know all the latest.