Other Years

 
2004
March 16:  I started 17 cells, using seeds from both years.
20:  1 sprout.
April 1:  The sprouts are doing fine and in the garden today the melting snow revealed 4 plants, 3 large and green and one more brown.   Sadly, experience has shown that all those fine green leaves will die before lasting growth begins.
May 8:  I was wrong about the leaves dying back; they just continued.   The 3rd plant just died.   Today I dug up the 3 survivors and replaced them after rototilling.
May 18:  I set as many plants as I could fit into their bed.
June 30:  First flowers, on 1 of the 3 survivors.
July 31:  Two plants are still flowering.   One died back about 20 days.
 
2003
March 25:  I planted 2 9-paks, using original seed in one and seed from 2001 in the other.   I tamped the seed down, watered it very lightly, and covered it very lightly with soil.   There are 2 plants in the garden.   One shows a few green leaves.
29:  8 sprouts from the 2001 seeds but none from the others.
30:  Now 40 sprouts from the 2001 seeds but none from the others.
31:  Now 3 sprouts in the other pak.
April 1:  Thinned and transferred to have 1 or 2 in each cell.
20:  They are still growing, but the stems are still very thin.
May 23:  I put the plants into the garden.
July 5:  Most plants are growing well.   There is no sign of flowers yet.
August 26:  I found 2 dead, but the others are growing fine.
October 19:  Still growing fine.
 
2002
April 9: Almost all of the snow is gone, and there seems to be new growth in the sweet william bed.
10: I started 9 cells, with many seeds in each cell. Some seeds are from the package, and some were collected last year.
30: Only 1 seedling.
September 8: There are 2 plants in the garden, which have not flowered.

Sweet Williams, 2001, photo by Rosanna Parry

2001
May 1: They seem to have survived the winter well. There are about 12 plants now.
May 12: I dug and replanted 4 plants, to accommodate the rototiller.
May 22: I sowed a 9-pak with 3 seeds per cell.
May 27: A few sprouts.
June 2: First flower in the garden.
June 18: Covered in blossoms.
July 4: Some plants have finished flowering and have gone to seed.
July 20: I set out about 7 seedlings.
August 6: The old plants are brown now. I collected seeds from them.

2000
April 8: I started 9 cells with about 4 seeds per cell.
13: A few sprouts.
14: 18 sprouts.
May 21: I set out 18 plants.
July 14: The plants have grown well, but there is no sign of flowering yet.
August 8: Growing well, with no sign of flowering yet.
September 17: 3 small flowers on one plant!