"What am I planting?"

The question came from an office colleague who was given her last "Secret Santa" gift from me wrapped in one of my favorite finds this year, bloomingbulb.com plantable wrapping paper.

Like me, she said she gets through January dreaming of her new flower garden. Rummaging through last year's leftover seed packets, pouring over new seed catalogs and cleaning pots are only a few January chores. The rest involves a lot of daydreaming, including what to plant where.

The plantable wrapping paper includes two sheets of tissue paper, one with a design, the other white, with flower seeds nestled in between. Can you see the seeds?

To plant, the instructions say to place the paper under soil; add water and allow seeds to sprout.

What kinds of seeds? It's an impressive butterfly mix:

Here's the same butterfly mix seed list from the plastic wrap around the plantable wrapping paper in the photo. One sheet 20 inches by 8 feet wraps 3 shirt boxes and contains 2,500 favorite butterfly seeds:

Zinnia elegens 30%

Love in Mist Nigegelie damascena 20%

African Marigold Targetes erecta 20%

Cornflower Centaures cyanus 10%

Gloriosa Daisy Rudbeckia hirta 10%

Cosmo bippinatus 8%

Plains Coreopsis tinctoria 4%

This looks like a nice mix of taller flowers best planted in a sunny flower bed. If butterflies don't mind, these would also make a great source for a few cut flowers!

Charlotte

Time to Save Egg Cartons

It's time to start saving egg cartons again. Although I initially started only saving cardboard ones for seed starting, I learned this past year to appreciate using styrofoam ones under the cardboard ones.

Cardboard egg cartons with sprouting seedlings can be cut up and buried straight into the ground. Styrofoam egg cartons serve as a protective barrier while seeds are sprouting so moisture won't quickly disintegrate the cardboard.

Yes, I am already thinking about what supplies and garden tools I will need for next year.