By Emilie Grace Yochim

When winter creeps in with her cold, frosty air, and gloomy, shorter days, most gardeners can only think about one thing: next year’s flower garden. Well, at least, that’s what runs through my mind. How can I keep myself busy with my garden over the dreary days of winter? Two words: winter sowing.

Winter sowing is a fun, cost effective way to prepare for next summer’s native garden. Defined, winter sowing is a way to start seeds outdoors during the winter months. It is particularly useful for any seeds that require a period of cold, moist stratification to break dormancy and germinate. Another advantage of winter sowing is that you end up with plants that are hardier, and acclimated to the temperature swings. Also, you don’t need to start seeds indoors using fancy grow lights or an expensive greenhouse! 

When to start

When to start? Most winter sowers begin their project on the winter solstice. Typically, you will start with your seeds that need the longest period of time to break dormancy. Those would be the seeds that need 60 to ­120 days of cold, moist stratification. You can winter sow as late as March using seeds that need less time or seeds that need no special treatment. 

What you need

What do I need to winter sow? Well, seeds would be at the top of the list! What “new to me” native plants and grasses would I like to add? What areas need more fillers to support the other plants I already have? Which plants did the pollinators love that I want to increase in number to support them? These are all questions you can ask yourself as you decide on seeds to grow.

Where can I get native seeds to winter sow? Some reliable sources to purchase native seeds include Roundstone Native Seed Company and Prairie Moon Nursery. You can also find native seed swaps in several groups on Facebook in Kentucky, including mine Pollinators, Poof Heads & Native Plants in Kentucky, where you can get seeds for free or a minimal fee to cover shipping costs. 

I have my seeds, now what? The following materials are what you’ll need on hand:

• Gallon milk jugs: The clear ones work best; recycle the caps as they aren’t needed; you can also use such things as two-liter soda bottles and rotisserie chicken containers.
• Potting soil: I tend to use Miracle Gro Potting Mix. Use whatever brand you prefer, but don’t use any that are labeled “moisture control.”
• Duct tape: For sealing jugs.
• Sharpie marker: You’ll want to identify the seeds in each jug. You could also place a plant marker on the inside of your jug.
• Box cutter: For cutting your jug.
• Drill, hot glue gun, or anything sharp you can safely use to make drainage holes in your jug.

The process

With all your materials gathered, you’re ready to start:

1. Using a drill, hot glue gun, or something sharp, make 6 to 8 drainage holes in the bottom of a milk jug. I go around the lower sides of the jug.
2. Use your box cutter to slice your jug from side to side, leaving the handle attached, about halfway down. Don’t cut the entire top portion of the jug; leave a few inches intact. The top will act as a lid that you can open and close.
3. Add 4 inches, or so, of wet potting soil into the bottom of the jug. 
4. Sow seeds according to directions. For example, you’ll sow some seeds on the surface and plant others at specific depths.
5. Close the lid, and tape the jug back together using duct tape.
6. Label the jug with your Sharpie. 

Once your jugs are filled and taped shut, place your jugs in an area with sun. Moisture (rain and snow) will enter through the top creating condensation (aka your greenhouse). You can spray the inside if things start to dry out. 

Now, sit back and let nature take its course! Once spring is here, and temperatures warm up, open your jugs. Be sure to water as needed. If we get a frost or freeze, put the lids back down or cover the jugs with a blanket. 

Once seedlings are ready to transplant in late spring, take them out of their containers, separate them in “hunks,” and plant them directly in the ground. If they’re small and still need more growing time, use the same method, but place them in pots to grow until they’re large enough to put in the ground. If your seedlings are large enough to separate, I’ll use Asclepias incarnata (Rose milkweed) as example, then by all means separate them instead of using the “hunk” method. 

Winter sowing helps us look forward to spring with the anticipation of new life growing in our containers and the pollinators that will enjoy them in the summer. It is a highly addictive project; you have been warned! I winter sowed over 130 containers last year, and I can say I likely won’t do as many this year, but then my plant pals who know me will just laugh and say, “yeah right.”

And, as always, please remember to support your local native plant growers. We need them to be successful in making native plants more accessible to the public and retailers!

Editors’ Note: You can follow Emilie’s backyard restoration by reading Replacing Invasives With Natives Is A Work Of Love.

Emilie Grace Yochim is a homeschooling mom to two teens and has been married to Philip for 20 years. Since 2019, Emilie has developed a slight obsession with pollinators, poof heads (bantam Satin and Silkie chickens), and native plants.

She enjoys educating others about planting natives and identifying pollinators by sharing pictures and information about the native plants, chickens, and wildlife in her yard. She also enjoys making terrible memes and puns that she finds hilarious.

By Anne Milligan

The Kentucky native plants/seed swap movement is now in its fourth year, and this is an update on our progress. As many of you know, our swaps began in 2019 in Louisville, when some of us realized that we needed a venue to share all the extra seeds and plants from our native habitats. As of August 2023, we have 10 regional swaps fanning out from Louisville in all directions and a Louisville citywide Facebook group of over 2,500 members.  

Our newest regional swap group is also a transitional moment for our greater swap network. A young lady in Somerset stepped up to host a swap group for the entire Pulaski County/Lake Cumberland area. She envisions that group as a hub for an expanding swap network independent of the Louisville one.

Our Louisville citywide “big swap” will take place at Jefferson Memorial Forest in Fairdale. The staff offered us the Horine Conference Center for free, and for that we are very grateful. Our big swap brings together the extra seeds accumulated from all the regional fall swaps that took place last November. Regional swap hosts will be present to help guide new folks on native gardening and to check for nonnative species, which we don’t want to spread around.

We’re happy to announce that this past year, many of us expanded into growing the earliest-blooming native species, or spring ephemerals, and we are excited to share those extra seeds in the years ahead at regional spring swaps.

Our goal is to increase the diversity of Kentucky native plant species, primarily by educating property owners/gardeners/landscapers via regional swap groups how to grow and share native species. We understand that, by doing so, we are joining  passionate groups of people all over the world who are helping to restore natural ecosystems essential for life on this planet. To keep up with the various swap events, please join our Louisville Citywide Facebook group by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/652100455295916

We encourage everyone to establish native plant swap events in every Kentucky county, administered by individuals who are passionate about native species. There has never been a more important time than now to use our own properties to restore native ecosystems, not just for ourselves but for all those who follow.

Editors’ Note: To learn how this group got started, read Follow A Growing Trend And Organize Your Own Seed Swap. Read a review of Anne’s book, “Let the Earth Breathe,” which she coauthored with her husband, Stephen Brown.

Anne Milligan is an artist, singer/musician, and landscape designer. She lives in Louisville, KY with her husband, author and historian Stephen A. Brown.

By Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Native plants are gaining in popularity, especially with so many gardeners interested in supporting pollinators and other native insects and wildlife. So how can you landscape with native plants? You first have to plan your yard, and we’ll show you how.

Know your land

Before you can decide which native plants you want in your Kentucky native plant garden, you have to know your growing conditions. Is the area in full sun or shade? Does the soil stay wet or is it dry? Is the soil alkaline or acidic?

A good first step is to take a soil test. (You can contact your county extension agent for more information.) This determines the pH of the soil and identifies the minerals and nutrients it has or is missing. The results have recommendations on how to correct any problems. Info like the pH (acid or alkaline soil) also guides your plant selection.

Learn which USDA Zone your plot of land is in. Most of Kentucky is in Zones 6a and 6b. Small sections of the southwest are in USDA Zone 7. These zones tell you which plants are hardy enough to survive our Kentucky winters.

Pay attention to the sun. As the sun moves through the season, the amount of light that hits the ground changes. What starts out sunny in spring could be dense shade by summer as trees leaf out.

Look at the competition other plants may present for your Kentucky native plant garden. Will tree roots be a problem? They win when it comes to sucking up nutrients like water. Plus, digging through them can damage or kill a tree. Some conifers tend to be messy, dropping needles, which can make plants underneath unsightly.

Put pencil to paper or use a landscape app

Make a rough sketch of the shape of the garden you want. Note where sidewalks and structures are and where trees and shrubs are. Is there a water source nearby?

Look at how the light moves through the space – is part of a section in full sun while a portion stays in shade? That garden bed may need a mix of shade- and sun-loving plants.

Start small

Designing and planting a new garden bed can be a lot of work. The biggest job will be the soil preparation. You can always extend a bed every year or two until it’s the size and look you want. Besides saving energy, starting small also conserves cash.

Select your native plants

Some native plants are more garden-worthy than others. Although they may have all the benefits gardeners want in native plants, such as attractive leaves and colorful fruit, they may be aggressive and spread beyond their space. Others may be prone to disease, adding to the maintenance and worries about the plants.

The Kentucky Native Plant Project has a comprehensive listing and descriptions of plants, from spring ephemerals to trees. The Kentucky Native Plant Society has a list of plant suppliers and service providers.

Select perennials that provide a sequence of flowers through the seasons. Start with spring-blooming perennials such as columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), followed by summer-blooming garden phlox (P. paniculata), followed by asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) in fall.

Many native shrubs, such as Viburnum, will have spring flowers, attractive summer foliage, fall color, and fruit that persists into winter. Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) has round balls for flowers, colorful fall fruit, and leaves. Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), a deciduous holly, has red fruit that stands out in the winter landscape.

For trees, look at the Kentucky coffee bean (Gymnocladus dioicus), river birch (Betula nigra), honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), red maple (Acer rubrum), and white oak (Quercus alba) as good shade tree selections. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), and downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arbora) are excellent native ornamental trees.

Design tips for a native plant garden

Once you have plants selected, follow a few basic design tips.

• Avoid planting perennials as singles. Rather, plant them in groups of three or five for the best show.
• Put tall plants in the back of the bed, with medium-height plants in the middle and short plants in the front.
• The plant placement can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Maybe a stand of garden phlox at one end will be balanced at the other with a stand of ornamental grass, such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).
• Texture and form are also important. Flowers last only for a short time compared to leaves and the form of a plant.
• Make sure plants will fit in the garden space once they’ve reached their mature size. It’s hard to cram a 6-foot-wide shrub in a 4-foot-deep bed. Planting for the mature size reduces long-term maintenance.

Other considerations

A lot of people think native plants will survive with little or no care, but that’s not true. Plants are living things and need a little TLC to thrive, bloom, flower, fruit, and shade as you want.

Water newly planted specimens at least once a week. New plants need roughly 1 inch of water every week to 10 days. Most native perennials do not need a lot of fertilizer. Too much fertilizer or soil that is too rich will cause perennials to flop. During exceptionally dry periods, water trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Soil prep is probably the hardest part of planning a garden, especially if you’re a beginner. You’ll need to remove any grass and weeds and add compost, chopped leaves, or other natural amendments to the soil.

Digging the soil for a new bed may unearth decades-old weed seeds, which will grow once exposed to light and water. Consider bringing in a planter’s mix from a local landscape supply company.

A lot of gardening is trial and error. Sometimes plants work out and sometimes they don’t. Don’t be afraid to pull out what you don’t like and plant something new. The more experience you have the better able you’ll be to select plants that work in your beautiful landscape design of native plants.

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp is an award-winning Indianapolis-based garden writer, editor, and speaker. Known as a “hortiholic,” she frequently says her eyes are too big for her yard. She blogs at hoosiergardener.com.