Happy Valentine’s Day! Maybe you are thinking about roses and other flowers today. I’m thinking of floriography – a Victorian-era term for the language of flowers. Often people focus on flower types, colors (and price) when purchasing flowers and bouquets these days, but historically, cut flowers, flowering plants and herbs were used as a symbolic language and could convey secret or overt meanings to the recipient.
Roses, for example, are associated with love and passion and are very popular flowers on Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and for wedding bouquets. Shout out to the ancient Greeks and Romans who associated roses with Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love. Colors signified a specific meaning as well:
- Red: beauty
- White: innocence, reverence, purity
- Pink: grace, happiness, gentleness
- Yellow: joy, friendship
- Orange: desire and enthusiasm
- Lavender: enchantment, love at first sight
- Coral: friendship, modesty, sympathy
Other common bouquet flowers include carnations, which generally express love, fascination and distinction, yet nearly every color carries a unique association: white = pure love, good luck; light red = admiration; dark red = deep love, affection; purple = capriciousness; yellow = disappointment, rejection; pink = a mother’s undying love.
I have been researching lilacs varieties (there are more than 2000 named varieties!) for early spring color and fragrance in the garden. I was reminded of this amusing story with a link between lilacs and love. According to Greek mythology, Syringa was a beautiful nymph or spirit of nature. Pan, the god of nature, was captivated and chased her. Scared, she turned into the lilac (Latin name = Syringa vulgaris) to escape his affections. In floriography, white lilacs represent youthful innocence and purple lilacs symbolize the emotions of love.
So, in the language of flowers, I wish you a big bouquet of peonies (happiness) today!
Now that cold temps (and ice! and snow!) have finished off the last of the plant material outside, I really miss heading to the kitchen garden for fresh herbs for cooking and baking. I regret not taking cuttings or potting up some transplants last fall to bring herbs indoors, but I missed my window of opportunity and it is now a wee bit too late. The upside is I don’t have to worry about bringing any pests in with the plants!
Last weekend we installed a plant shelf in a kitchen window, so I’m ready to germinate a few seeds and grow some herbs inside until I can ramp up the outdoor production. My kitchen window faces southeast, so it should do. About 4 hours or more sun daily and temps between 65-70 °F should be good for my plants’ growth.
Several common herbs are well-suited to growing indoors: basil; chives; oregano; parsley; rosemary; sage; thyme. I don’t have a lot of room, so I plan to start with basil and chives (mainly because I had these seeds on hand). Basil generally requires a lot of sun and warm temps (at least 70 °F), so I am prepared that it probably won’t perform well on my shelf. I may end up trying something else (maybe a perennial herbs that I could transplant to an outdoor location this spring).
How’d I do it?
- I found a couple of good containers in the shed. (I think these came from my parents’ house many, many years ago.) Mine have drainage holes and matching saucers. Being glazed should prevent rapid soil drying and protect my shelf. I filled each pot with a standard seed starting mix (also found in the shed).
- I planted the seeds about a quarter inch below the soil surface. Or, at least tried to.
- I gently watered the seeds in and will monitor soil moisture. I’ll let the soil get a little dry between each time I water. But not bone-dry or the soil will not absorb moisture and just run out and overflow the saucer (don’t ask how I know that!). Standing water in the saucer is bad, too – waterlogged plants rot pretty quickly (don’t ask how I know that either).
- Turn, Turn, Turn. As the plants grow, I’ll keep rotating the pots to keep the stems upright and away from the window. That chilly glass surface can damage the tender leaves.
- As I start harvesting, I will fertilize the plants to keep them healthy and as vigorous as possible. (I’m sure I can find some fertilizer product in the shed. And, probably also in the garage and shop.)
- Patience is a virtue. It will take a week or so until I see the seedling poking through the soil surface, then I’ll need to wait for my plants to get some growth (at least 6-8 inches tall) before I start harvesting. I’ll take just a bit each time to ensure there is enough leaf area remaining to support continued growth.
- When using fresh herbs, I opt for a little more than when I use dried. I’ve read that the conversion is 3:1 but I just go by taste and when it looks good.
I had no estimated budget because I had everything on hand. Cost for a project like this depends on your preference and what you have available. A quick check on prices at my local independent garden center and a ‘big box’ store for individual components:
- Pots: Containers and saucer sets were less than $10 each, but selection is a little skimpy this time of year. I’m sure stores will begin getting new stock in soon.
- Soil: Seed starting mix in several different formulations and package sizes was easy to find. Store brands and national brands are available at several price points ($4.00 for a small bag and up depending on the bag size and formulation).
- Seed: Small packets of conventional seeds were $1.00 to $3.00 per pack. I didn’t see any organically-produced seed, so I would have had to order online.
- Fertilizer: Both all-purpose and organic are fairly commonly available in garden centers. Small bags in several formulations start at less than $10.00. If you see OMRI (Organic Materials Research Institute) listing on the bag, you know that product has gone through a review and certification process.
For just a few dollars, I can grow fresh herbs, which is awfully convenient. Being in a rural area, often what I like to use isn’t readily available fresh at the local market. I can usually get parsley and cilantro for about a buck, but other herbs can be scarce. Frequently, chives, rosemary, thyme, basil are available in small clamshell packs (about $3.00), but usually aren’t very fresh. This coming growing season, I’ll do a better job planning and keep testing methods for preserving herbs.
Some gals can’t resist chocolate or shoes or stray dogs… I just cannot resist those colorful seed packet displays at the garden center. Usually, I know what seed I want to buy in advance, but the images and exciting descriptions tempt me and then end up with more seed than I have time or space to plant.
One thing I always do before buying is read the package.
Did you know there are seed laws to protect consumers who buy seed? States differ in specifics, but general information must be available on the package. It is valuable and worth the time to take a look.
SEED KIND: this tells you what fruit, vegetable, or flower is in the packet. For example: tomato, petunia, or marigold seeds.
VARIETY/HYBRID: If the seed kind is being sold as a cultivar, variety, or hybrid, that name will be listed. For example, ‘Big Boy’ tomatoes, ‘’Green Comet” broccoli, or “Silver Queen” corn.
TEST DATE: A year is usually printed on the back of the package. Buy only seed “packed for” the current year. Old seed generally does not perform as well as fresh seed because it may not have been stored properly to maintain viability.
GERMINATION: If a germination percentage is listed on the package, this indicates how many seeds you can expect to germinate and grow under ideal conditions. Some states have a minimum required germination (FYI – it can be as low as 60%) and this value may not be printed on the envelope.
Other information you can find printed on seed packets:
TYPE: Seed kinds are usually identified as annuals, biennials, or perennials. Most vegetables and bedding plants are annuals, which grow, flower, and die in one growing season. Biennials produce a plant in year 1 and flower in year 2 (and die after that). Perennials come back and flower each year. Tender perennials may come back each year or may not survive in your area, depending on the growing conditions.
DESCRIPTION: A basic description of the plant is not required but is quite valuable. This can include: plant growth habit (i.e. bush or pole bean); fruit characteristics (i.e. shape, size, flavor); and, disease resistance. Look for traits most desirable to you (size, color, height, yield, for example). If the packet does not state organic, you can assume it is not.
CULTURAL DETAILS: This can include how and when to plant, days to germinate, days to harvest, spacing, height, width, and other considerations. This is particularly valuable when you are buying seed away from your local area. Some desirable flower and vegetable varieties may not be suited to your location, so always take a look at the hardiness zone information.
SEED COUNT: Small packets can contain just a few or many seed. For example, large-seeded crops like pumpkins or gourds may only have a few seeds in a pack compared to a package of lettuce or spinach which will have many seeds.
Get to it!
- Create a planting plan to know approximately how much seed you need of each crop. Consider succession plantings and alternate season crops when estimating. (Highly desirable varieties and hybrids may need to be ordered or purchased early to have on hand when it is time to plant.)
- Evaluate package information before buying at retail locations.
- Store seed in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant.
- Review cultural requirements before planting and follow closely to ensure production of healthy, vigorous seedlings.
- Store any excess seed in a cool, dry place. If you transfer seed to another package, label it clearly with the kind, variety, and year purchased for future reference. Some seed kinds do not store well and will lose viability and vigor when carried over to the next season.
Running the Numbers
Growing plants from seed is an economical way to populate your garden or landscape and some crops perform best when direct-sown into the growing site. Additionally, there may be heirlooms, cultivars, or hybrids you want to grow that simply are not available as transplants where you live.
Depending on the seed kind and package size, seeds can range in price from a few cents to several dollars each. Pricing is generally determined by how difficult it is to raise the seed crop and the available supply of specific varieties and hybrids. Generally, organic seeds are more expensive than conventionally-raised seeds due to increased management needed to raise organic seed crops. Compare the number of seeds in a package by seed count or by package weight to determine the best value. Also, consider the time, effort, and availability of transplants in your area.
Notes on saving seeds: Some families have been growing heirloom crops for several generations – harvesting, storing, and planting seeds each year. This can be easily done with open pollinated, or OP, varieties. Hybrids, however, are developed by crossing specific parents and the F1 or F2 generation seed is sold commercially. Hybrids are valuable for producing desired traits – bigger kernels, more vigorous plants, unique flower colors – and do not come “true” from seed. Buy these new each year because if you try to harvest, store, and replant seeds from hybrid plants, you may be very disappointed when the next generation looks very different or performs poorly.
I thought I went through my stash and culled out all the old seed and unlabeled packets last year. It seems, however that I may have missed some… (to be honest, I stopped counting at 40 packs). This year, I’m going to stick to my plan, buying only what I need. At least that is what I keep reminding myself. I can keep to the plan… until I crack open a seed catalog or walk into the garden center and am enticed by the lure of those colorful seed packets. Who needs to buy chocolate when you can buy seed?