Pamela Burck

WSU Master Gardener

It’s that wonderful spring time of year, when the beautiful pictures of flowers are appearing on seed packets in your neighborhood home and garden center. It is so easy to be inspired by the colorful pictures and to return home and wonder: Now, what do I do with the seeds?

The answer is easy if you read the front and back of the seed package. On the front, you’ll find the name of the flower and its variety. Another bit of information on the front of the package will be the word “perennial” or “annual.” “Annual” means this is a one-year-only bloomer. “Perennial” means once the seeds are planted and the plants grow successfully, they will come back on their own, year after year.

Both types of seeds will flourish only when they like the place they are sown. The back of the seed package gives us hints as to how to help them grow where they are planted.

The reverse of the columbine package indicates they like full sun and part shade, about four or more hours of sun. This means they can be in some shadowed area, but only for part of the day. The Ipomopsis package says they want full sun, meaning six or more hours of sun. They must be planted in a more open area where they will get more sun, more likely on the southern side.

The columbine take 80 days to get from seed to bloom, while ipomopsis take 70 to 75 days. The difference may be largely due to the ipomopsis getting more daily sunlight, but unfortunately the columbine can’t tolerate that much sun. The back of the package also tells when to plant (“frost free schedule”), and how deep and how far apart (“space”). Both of these like to be planted outdoors after the last frost of the spring.

On the package’s map, our area would be in the frost-free zone from Feb. 1 to Dec. 31, but recent snows imply that timeframe is a bit optimistic. Late April to mid-May is an approximate date range for the last frost in our area. If these seeds were planted then, they would be blooming in late July and early August.

Also on the back of the package is the country of origin. Both sets of flower seeds came from Holland. That indicates they are not native to our area and will need their ideal amount of sun or shade to grow. (Columbine is a native plant in our area, though, so seeds of local origin could be purchased.) While it is fun to try new seeds from all around the world, local seed companies provide varieties that will be more successful in our area.

The columbine package also notes that “prechilling improves germination.” That means the seeds do better if they spend three or four weeks in the refrigerator before planting. Doing this puts the seeds through a fake winter, and they will germinate faster once they are in relatively warmer soil.

One of the things the package does not say is where to tear open the package. This may not sound important, but it is. You could accidentally destroy information about the seeds and how to plant them. Every company’s packaging is different, so look before you cut.

There is a website listed on the back of these packages. At that website, you can learn that columbine are resistant to deer, disease, pests and rabbits. Ipomopsis is a South American native, so there was no information online about its deer and rabbit resistance.

There are also customer reviews on the website. They are an interesting read, but be sure to note the area each reviewer lives.

Also, the prices on the website are higher than local purchase, and may not include shipping fees. Buying locally is less expensive and quicker.

Pamela Burck, who lives in Montesano, has been a Washington State University Master Gardener since 2006.