When I am able to plunk seeds outside, directly into the ground, Mother Nature does the majority of the work and the attempt is often successful. There have been many times I’ve tried to start seeds indoors without grow lights or any other special equipment and horribly failed.

How to Fail at Starting Seeds Indoors

• Forget to water the seeds.
• The seeds do not get enough light, causing the seedlings to be ‘leggy’.
• Cats knock over the seed trays, scattering the contents.
• Smash the seedlings when removing them from the tray to pot them up into a larger container.
• Put the seedlings outside to ‘harden them off,’ and promptly forget they are outside.

What I need to do is get a copy of Julie Thompson’s book Starting & Saving Seeds!

Starting Flowers from Seeds… Again

All kidding aside, the Other Half and I purchased a small collapsible greenhouse this season for the sole purpose of starting seeds outdoors. The Lot is very small, so this 3 tier structure had to break down easy to be stored for 8-9 months out of the year.

Flowers I’m Trying to Start

Here’s what is planted in seed starting mix and small cell trays I kept from past nursery purchases.

• Tithonia ‘Torch Mexican Sunflower’ – annual
• Datura metel ‘Angel’s Trumpet’ – annual
• Heliotropium arborescens ‘ Dwarf Marine’ – annual
• Nicotiana langsdorffii ‘Langsdorff’s Tobacco’ – annual
• Penstemon babatus ‘Dazzler Blend’ – perennial
• Gaillardia aristata ‘Burgundy’ – perennial
• Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ – perennial
• Asclepias tuberosa – perennial
• Berlandiera lyrata (Chocolate Flower) – perennial?
• Bipinnatus picotee (Cosmos) ‘Sensation Picotee’ – annual
• Papver somniferum (Poppy) ‘Black Swan’ – annual
• Ipomoea x multifida (Cardinal Climber) – annual
• Ipomoea purpurea (Morning Glory) ‘Picotee Blue’ – annual
• Ipomoea alba (Moonflower Vine) – annual
• Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium) ‘Whirlybird Mix’ – annual
• Phaseolus vulgaris (Scarlet Runner Bean) – annual
• Zinnia elegans ‘Northern Lights Blend’ – annual