Instead of a garden stroll (there’s not much to see out there right now), I thought we’d have a chat about my approach to seeds this year and what I’m doing instead, some garden plans for 2026 and more.
——— J O I N ———-
Support the channel and get perks by becoming a member:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeIlqwpgSd8a9PBh9pMWAfw/join
——— A B O U T ———–
My name is Erin and I love sharing inspiration and information with real-life gardeners. I live and garden in southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5b/6a.
If you liked this video give it a thumbs up and if you loved it, please subscribe and click the bell so you never miss a new video! Thank you for your support.
🌿Blog: https://www.theimpatientgardener.com
🌿Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/impatientgardener
🌿Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impatientgardener
📩 erin@theimpatientgardener.com
Some affiliate links may appear. I may make a small commission if you purchase through these links. Thanks for your support. You can see all my favorite products on my Amazon storefront at https://www.amazon.com/shop/impatientgardener
———— FAVORITES ————–
(Some affiliate links below)
🌿 My favorite potting soil (Organic Mechanics peat-free Container blend): https://geni.us/OMContainer
🌿 My favorite soil amendment: https://geni.us/BiocharBlend
🌿 Hose reel (Hoselink): https://geni.us/TIGhoselink
🌿 Topbuxus boxwood Fertilizer and Restore and Protect (Save 10% with promo code THEIMPATIENTGARDENER): https://geni.us/TopBuxus
🌿 Time-release fertilizer: https://geni.us/TIGosmocote
🌿 Pine straw & salt hay mulch: https://geni.us/PineStraw
Mail to:
USPS: The Impatient Gardener
P.O. Box 99
Belgium, WI 53004
UPS/FedEx: The Impatient Gardener
125 E. Main St.
Port Washington, WI 53074
33 Comments
I’ve ordered from Pinetree and have loved the results. I think you will be pleased.
Love a good update. My garden? It's so sooooooo far from my thoughts now as I stare out at a frozen brook and icy driveway. Yes there is TONS to do on my property this year but most is maintenance and it seems like work. I will not be starting seeds this year unless they can be directly sown. I've got the downstairs to paint also and hopefully some work will be done on our old house. So for January at least as of now I'm hibernating.
I SOO need to cull through my seed stash and toss some old ones.
Also, this past fall we reorganized part of our basement to include an actual seed starting area. It's almost time here in Alabama Z8-b to start spring planted things…just as soon as I get all the Christmas stuff put away.
We love the pineapple ground cherries from 🌲 pine tree seeds; the only way to grow that favor in Montana… great in 💃 salsa… love your videos
I think it's fine to say 5b-6a. I was thinking for me, the alternative might start to be "a harsh 4a" or maybe a "northern prairie 4a." Im on the edge of a field, so even if I'm 4a, desiccation, especially with no snow, is the bigger issue. 3b plants just seem to handle it better. Do 3b plants just tend to have better natural wind protection, or do they desiccate less because several weeks of my average low doesn’t affect them ad much so they're less vulnerable?
Erin, thanks for all the wonderful guidance – always so helpful and practical! Loved you in the garden mixer podcast!
I too split farmer Bailey plugs with a friend and still it’s ALOT for a home gardener BUT this year they gave half trays! 36 count I think…..
Margot ,raleigh NC 8a
Wow, those first few minutes sounded like me talking about myself with seed starting! So gung-ho to grow all the things but then neglect when they need me the most.. 😅
I have ordered from Pinetree several times and have always been pleased. Just when we think we know all the seed companies you mention some I've never heard of! Off to request catalogs.. (at least it keeps me off the hard drugs!) 🙃
Hi Erin I am in kansas city missouri zone 6b. I have started my winter sowing jugs this past week.
One tip to sucess with this for me was to keep them easy to check on. You don't want them to dry out.
I was sucessful once I put them out on my back deck. It is right off the kitchen i can glance out my back window and see them or take my mister out to them. I have an urban yard so switched to half gallon jugs easier to prep for me.
Use a wood burner wand to make neat drainage holes and use painters tape to seal them up.
Be sure to try nico Starlight dancer. You won’t be sorry. A really good weaver.
The seduction of seed starting is irresistible, but can be so overwhelming the closer we get to the growing season and the start of the growing season. My hope is to step back a bit this season, fingers crossed.
I just can’t stop thinking how pretty an all pink flowers garden would be❣️🌸🌿‼️😍🥰😂
I just got the select seeds and Johnny’s catalogs too, and white flower farm! My problem is for instance last year I started about 15 different pink varieties of zinnias and then by the end of the season couldn’t remember what was what so I have no idea what performed well😂
I had one packet of Dara I believe it was Select Seeds, and I now have it all over my garden just like with verbena bonariensis!
The number of times you said “small” when referring to a new addition 😂😂😂
Erin – the salanova lettuce looks gorgeous but in the catalog the leaves look a little prickly… I generally don’t like lettuce that pokes me lol it doesn’t look soft but is it?
Since we are developing a new landscape (started June 2025) I am in extreme planning mode for all of the gardens (Zone 8B). I did winter sowing yesterday because I missed the planting dates this fall for hardy annuals. I planted sweet peas, Nigella and Bells of Ireland. This is a first for me. I will be starting seeds inside in several weeks: strawflower, 3 different zinnias, and Caspedia. One advantage with winter sowing is I’ll have more room for the seeds I’ll start inside (which will be in the scullery under a 5 foot cabinet box that holds platters/bakeware. I’m going with your light and tray suggestions for seed starting. I’ll mount the light under the cabinet and put trays on the counter. Flagstone paths are going in this month, and drip irrigation in the Spring.
My mom, a passionate gardener, tried to paint one room every winter. Kind of like you!
Already placed my order with Johnnys , after telling my hubby I would cut back this year.. just discovered Select Seeds thanks to @InTheGardenwithClaudia ! And may have ordered some more🤷♀️
Where to you source your Castor bean seed?? yeah, my husband and I were getting our Johnny's order ready and notice how expensive the cukes are! Yikes!
FYI…John Sheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds has a cuke that sounds similar to the Gimlet…under "Exotic Novelty Cucumber, Quick Snack Cucumber …sweet cocktail size, packet of 10/ $5.45
I agree that some of the seeds offered by Johnnys were a smidge pricey! $10 for cucumbers?
Extremely relatable video and amazing I'm not already following you; I'm also in Southeast Wisconsin, and with the same eternal "well the first time was easy!" problems. (And obviously I'm also currently lying to myself about my seed plans, but that's pretty much a given.)
You mean we can’t hear you show and mention about your Agastache?? 😂😅😂! Love your channel, love when you have other YouTube gardeners visit you, too! My 1/2 brother has his house right on the shoreline a couple of houses down from Glidden Lodge. I love Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Ephram and the rest of Door County. And the breakfast house with the goats on the rooftop. lol!
Last summer I over sowed some 3 yo(?) pelleted Salanova lettuce seeds from Johnny’s and had more than 75% germination rate! I also have a packet of their Gimlet cucumber seeds I think I bought last year (don’t think I paid $10 for them though!) and haven’t planted yet, I’ll share some if you want to try (I’m in zone 5b, upstate NY) 😊 You inspired me to try lisianthus from seed, just hopped on Johnny’s website and ordered 3 varieties!
I’m trying g dahlias for the first time this year. I have some seeds in moist paper towels, and some in 6 cell trays in soil, some tubers in soil trying to wake up for cuttings and a few tubers stored in pine fines. Through trial and lots of error I now realize that the neck and eyes are supposed to look like. I thought I had a couple big clumps divided correctly but NOPE!
My soil is heavy clay here in Alabama so my tubers had some rot when I dug them up. And some stray cats like to use my beds as a litter box!!
So now I have to find a place in my yard to til, amend the soil and then put some fencing up for my dahlias and hopefully some peonies. 😁
Thanks for video. Keep em comin!!
Hello Erin
I too am here in SEWI and will try the 6a zone thing lol. As for seeds and ordering I ordered some tomato seeds from Luke at MIgardener their pricing is very reasonable $2/$4 and most packs have at least 10. He is all about making things great for his customers. Yes I’m seed starting for everything this way if it fails I can still buy the plant . Today felt like a WI spring day – thanks for all you do maybe someday I’ll get the chance to meet you
Is there a place to order “plugs” that is not wholesale?
No! Thank you, for your seed, talk. I have the itch, too.
You never blab on, too long.🌱🪴
Great info as usual. Thanks for the tip about seed/plug sources.
Update: January 6. I just received the package of Lisianthus seeds. I read the instructions twice and open the package up:
A vile of yellow seeds no bigger than a period at the end of a sentence.
I gingerly placed three seeds per location per instructions. 8 location planted.
And time to wait…..
I hope the plants are spectacular because I am not impressed with the seeds.
Let me see what happens in:
Four weeks.
Six weeks.
60 days.
I'm starting to plan for my annual winter sowing. I got that Pinetree catalog also! first time seeing it! I also have lots flagged in the Select seeds catalog. My goal is to be more conservative with what I grow this year, I guess similar to what you were saying. I don't have time to transplant and find homes for all the seeds I am dreaming about right now. So I'm trying my best to reel it in!
I do not have nearby kindred spirits when it comes to seed shopping / starting and garden planning euphoria, particularly at this time of year. Thank you for this video–I feel like I just had my passions and actions validated, some dopamine released:
1. Trying to exercise restraint in ordering seeds ✅
2. Ordering from Pinetree for the first time / impressed by reasonable prices ✅
3. Pitching old seeds from that photo organizer case ✅
4. Planning to try something new and weird in the vegetable garden ✅
5. Reducing the number of tomato plants ✅
6. Pretty consistently failing at winter sowing–but aiming to try again ✅
7. Working on the design phase ✅
Starting lots of native plants from seed, both stratifying in the refrigerator & outdoors (winter sowing).