Thanksgiving 30 Day Challenge: Day 22

A hard freeze late last week put an end to most of my fall blooming plants. So my thoughts turned to planning for next year's garden. A source that was recommended by Organic Gardening was the Seed Savers Exchange. They specialize in heirloom seeds and happen to have a 50% off sale on their 2011 seeds. Before ordering from them I checked out their review at The Garden Watchdog, a directory of garden mail order companies where gardeners can review their purchases and experiences with these companies. (This is a great resource if you haven't used it before.)


Here are my purchases~

Star of the Veld (Ursinia anethoides): this is an annual with long lasting golden flowers with silvery foliage. Drought tolerant. Prefers poor soil.


Evening Sun Sunflower (Helianthus annuus): Flowers in shades of orange red and burgundy. Very dark center and multiple heads and extended bloom time. 6-8' tall.


Orange Sun (Helianthus annuus): Bright orange double flowers with 6" heads, reminiscent of large chrysanthemums. 6-8' tall.


Diablo Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus): Meaning devil in Spanish. Beautiful when planted in random pattern. 2-3' tall.


Red Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata): Bright pink and red vanilla scented flowers in June and July. Grows 5' tall in moist soil with good drainage. Perennial (hardy to zone 4).


German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): pleasant fragrance. Graceful plant are 12-20" tall with endless masses of 1" daisy-like flowers that can be used to make tea. Annual


These were my kids' picks:

Moon & Stars (Citrullus lanatus): known as sun, moon & stars because the fruit is covered with pea-sized bright yellow "stars" and usually one larger "moon". Foliage is also spotted. Fruit have sweet pink flesh and brown seeds.


Dinosaur (Lagenaria siceraria): (aka swan gourd) perfect for gourd craft swans. Total length 18-24" with a 8" bowl. Best when grown on a trellis.


I am looking forward to germinating these seeds in late winter. I will certainly post about them next year.

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I am thankful for having such a great selection of seeds available at my finger tips. I few clicks and the shopping is done. I am also thankful for resources like the Garden Watchdog that make it easier to find reputable places of business on-line.