Seed order

January 28, 2008
Finally my first seed order is ready to go. I buy from T&T seeds in Winnipeg. They have a small but very reliable catalogue.

Here is the list:
Bulbs: Ten Orienpet lily bulbs of mixed colour. These lilies were so spectacular last summer that I cannot resist ordering them again even though I do not know if the ones under the snow have survived the winter. These lilies are a cross between oriental and trumpet lilies with wonderful fragrance and substance. I plan to put them in big containers by the fence on the patio. I will probably not start them inside but put them directly in the containers and surround with annuals such as the white wave petunias, the pink raspberry dianthus and some blue pansies. In September, when they finish blooming, I will transplant them into the garden.

Annual Seeds to start inside:
1. Canary Bird vine, the fastest annual vine. It will cover the shed in leaves in a few weeks and in August send out starry yellow flowers.
2. Mammoth sweet peas. I buy the mixed colours and plant in the back lane for cutting.
3. Easy wave petunias to put around the above lilies. These are the most expensive seeds at $10.95 for 20 seeds or 53 cents a seed. Still they are cheaper than buying the plants in the nursery. I love white petunias. They glow in the dark.
4. Lobelia Crystal palace – tried and true dark blue.
5. Glorious Gleam nasturtiums. T&T is not offering my usual variety, Jewel, so I am trying this one. I hate changes!
6. Lemon gem marigolds Tiny scented marigolds to fill the spaces around the perennials in my very dry front garden.
8. Silver Cup lavatera. In spite of the name, these flowers are pink. And fabulous. Can’t have too many. The white are nice but not as floriferous.
9. Impatiens Elfin, a mix of colours. For the shade garden. Among the ferns, primula and columbine.
10. Godetia, wonderful pink long blooming lovelies.
11. Germaniums – white and pink. This will be the first year I have grown geraniums inside from seed. If they work I will put them in pots on the patio.
12. Dianthus – always nice in pots.
13. Jubilee Gem bachelor buttons - the bluest of the blue. Gives the blue hit needed until the delphiniums wake up.
14, Nicotania, a new offering by T&T seeds. I trust this company enough to go along with something new. This is the five-foot tall old-fashioned variety which is grown for the scent rather than the blooms. I have a blank space behind the old peony and there the plants will go.
15. Hibiscus Luna – another experiment for the masochistic gardener but I can’t resist.

Note – T&T offers no tall cosmos in this catalogue. And no schizanthus. Schizanthus is so trickly to grow inside that perhaps it is not popular. I will order these on line from Stokes along with the tiny petunias and tiny pansies. They bloom before the begonias and so carry the bloom into mid summer. However, if it is a hot summer, they peter out and have to be pulled but the begonias can take over the window boxes on their own and round out the season. At least that’s the plan. But as ever in gardening, we will see…..
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