Seeds of Change

My first seed order arrived today. I love the large selection of herbs and native plants offered by Seeds of Change. They are a little pricey but their seed is 100% certified organic. Here are the new (to me) things from them that I am trying this year:




Orange Temple Bells (Celosia cristata). I fell in love with the different varieties of celosia at Rutgers Gardens. This is the cockscomb type. The color is what caught my eye. It will look perfect against the Ugly Green Fence.



Tall Fernleaf Fiddleneck (Bee Plant) Phacelia tanacetifolia. I’ve never seen this plant, either in person or in a catalog. I’m intrigued by its unique shape. It’s a California native and attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects. It also tolerates a little shade. Sold! The Purple Garden will have a new resident.



Yellow Echinacea (Echinacea paradoxa). I’m growing three different varieties of Echinacea already. Two purple, Echinacea purpurea (passalong) and Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ (grown from seed) and the white, Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (also grown from seed). This year, I’m adding a yellow one to the Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden which has predominantly red, orange and yellow flowers in it.

I’ll be wintersowing all three of these along with Wild Purple Foxglove and Cardinal Flower (also in this order). The Cardinal Flower did not germinate for me last year and I think I know why. A closer reading of the catalog tells me that in addition to 60 days of cold stratification, the seeds should be surface sown. So noted on the spreadsheet.