Yippy! They're here!!! New Expiriments!

26*, feels like 18*, 81% humidity, S 8 mph wind, fair

Santa brought me seeds. He must of visited my home early in the evening. I got home to check the mail and I had a package from Angel Grove Tree seeds. WOHOO!! I ripped it apart and found 4 packs of seeds. These are more expiriments for me:

• Acer palmatum atrolineare
• Rosa rugosa alba
• Rosa rugosa rubra
• Rosa virginiana

With the seeds, came some very detailed instructions. I guess they will take a long time to sprout-- like the hellebore. I kind of expected that. I mean, I've grown roses from seed before quite often back in my California garden.

For the Acer, it is recommended that the seeds be soaked for 24-36 hours followed by several months of warm stratification and then cold stratification. Same thing for the native rose.

For the rugosas, they need a longer cold stratification after the soak.

All the seeds are in for a soak. There are about 20 seeds each (less for the maple)....What am I going to do with that many roses??? Maybe I shall have to sell the extras? Perhaps not all of them will sprout?

You may be asking why I want roses from seed, especially rugosa seeds. Well it may surprise you that at one point in time, Americans farmed them and sold the hips as a popular fruit in markets. Rose hips are tasty. They are sweet (especially after a frost) and when added to jelly and jam help by adding vitamins and pectin. I want them to be a part of my edible landscaping. They are easy to grow in the garden needing no fertilizer and pest control. In fact you can harm them by using chemicals on them! Perhaps the many thorns would keep a certain pesty tiny rat dog out of my garden?

So why grow them by seed and not buy a freaking plant, isn't that so much easier? OK, maybe that would be much easier. But come on, you've been reading this blog long enough to know that GGG NEVER does things the easy way. Remember, I am a DORK and love the process of growing things from seed every step of the way.

As for the wild 'Prairie Rose' I guess I can plant the extras in the woods and swamps around here that have been taken over by the invasive non-native sweet roses. Wouldn't that be a fun project? :) A little bit of civil disobedience on public land that isn't well taken care of. A little bit of stealth ninja gardening? (Plus, I could get exercise by taking water bottles out there to water them in dry spells and pruners to cut away weeds if need be). I would ask permission if I had any idea who to go to for that permission!

Maples...I've never grown a maple from seed. Japanese maples would look great along the shadier side of the house...a mini maple forest would look GREAT. If all the seeds sprout I will be excited.....It would be the perfect thing to plant my hostas from seed beneath.