I find it very comforting to think that life is full of symmetry. For example, at this time of year, it is probable that something–rain, sleet, snow or a mix of all three–will fall from the sky several times a week. It is also highly likely that seed and plant catalogs will fall through the mail slot with about the same frequency. Getting through the former is much easier if you know that the latter will also happen.
I’ve noticed that this year several of the mail order/internet vendors that sell both seeds and plants are making a greater-than-normal effort to convince people of the value of starting plants from seed. This makes good marketing sense for them, but what about for the rest of us? At a time when a recent article in the New York Times suggested that the baby boomers who make up the lion’s share of the market are backing away from the more labor intensive forms of gardening, is there value in raising plants the old-fashioned way?
I think that the answer depends on what you want out of your garden and the gardening experience. If your primary goal is a beautifully furnished outdoor living space with the perfect marriage of landscaping, hardscaping, furniture, appliances and accessories, with plants as only a small piece of the whole, then perhaps not. If, on the other hand, you enjoy the process of raising plants as much as the experience of glorying in the finished product, then maybe seed starting will work for you. There is nothing wrong with either approach. Plants should make you happy. As long as you are not poaching plants from the wild or stealing them from other people, the ways by which you achieve that happiness are your own business.
I like the process, but I also have a big garden and a limited amount of time. I would never raise white impatiens from seed, though they are sometimes very helpful in shady spaces. White impatiens are ubiquitous in garden centers, and I have no problem buying them any time I want. Nasturtiums, on the other hand, are worth starting from seed. Sometimes one or two varieties are available at larger garden centers, but more often merchandisers prefer to stock flashy new varieties of petunias or zinnias. Therefore if I want nasturtiums, I am left to my own devices.
Fortunately the catalogs are full of interesting varieties. For the past few years I have grown ‘Moonlight,’ which has pale yellow flowers, and ‘Milkmaid’, with pure white blooms. Last year I added ‘Peach Melba’, which is also pale yellow, but with red blotches at the base of each petal. This year I may throw caution to the winds and try one of the hot new multi-hued varieties like the rosy ‘Caribbean Cocktail’; or ‘Jewel of Africa’, a mix that features both solid and bi-colored varieties, not to mention variegated foliage.
Nasturtium seeds, like those of morning glories and sunflowers, are easy to work with by virtue of their large size. Nasturtiums can be sown directly where they are to grow, as long as you wait until the ground warms in the spring. If you have trouble getting down on your knees or even bending over too far, try making the planting holes with the tip of a hoe. Drop in a seed or two, and then use the same tool to cover the seeds. All you need is a bit of water and you are finished. The return on your miniscule investment of time and energy is a plant that will bloom profusely through the growing season, cover a fair amount of ground and thrive with almost no attention once it is established. Nasturtiums are among the many plants that are well worth growing from seed, with no need to worry about starting them indoors or hardening them off outside.
Sometimes, however, that kind of fuss is justified. For example, you have seen a new variety of columbine, and you want lots of them. If you decide to buy this new, trademarked variety potted-up at the garden center, you will be able to afford one or two. If you start the plants from seed, you will have the potential to raise twenty or so little columbines to maturity. Yes, they will be small the first year, but by the third year, the space will be filled and your pocketbook will be a little less depleted. If your columbine is not a hybrid, it may self-seed, providing even more offspring. All it takes is some care and attention
In the case of columbines, that care and attention involves a large piece of highly sophisticated equipment–your refrigerator. Plant the seeds, cover them lightly, and then duplicate natural conditions by putting the plastic-covered pot or tray of small, soil-filled cells into the refrigerator. After eight weeks, remove and, if the weather is warm, set in a lightly shaded, protected place outdoors. If not, allow seeds to sprout on a sunny windowsill or under a plant light indoors. Take them outside when the weather warms up. Not exactly a snap, but worthwhile for a new, expensive or unusual variety.
Knowing how to grow plants from seed is a little like knowing how to cook from scratch–not absolutely necessary these days, but potentially very satisfying. The process can be as beautiful as the end result.