Often times people wonder if it is worth it to grow certain plants from seed when they are available at the nursery for so cheap. For example, who in their right mind would sow sweet alyssum seeds when a six pack can be purchased for less than two bucks?
Beyond the obvious point that two dollars worth of seeds will produce much more than 6 plants, the quality of plants produced from seed are often better or more interesting than what you can find as transplants.
EXHIBIT A:
The sweet alyssum in the six pack is store-bought. The sweet alyssum growing in the ground grew from seeds I sowed in my parents front yard. Not to point out the obvious, but Tiny Tim from Botanical Interests is covered in flowers while the store-bought variety is only sparsely covered. Also note that Tiny Tim has formed a nice mound and isn’t leggy, even though it’s about six months old.
I don’t know why commercial growers choose the variety of sweet alyssum that they do, but ‘Tiny Tim’ is definitely worth the seed sowing effort.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I miss the fragrance, it used to be that many of the commercial bedding plants were fragrant. Now it is getting harder and harder to find any that do.
If I had more room, I would grow all of my own bedding plants. We can only grow 2 or 3 flats for a very short time.
But, on a lighter note, the growers are slowly responding to consumer demand, and a few of the newer hybrids are being breed with a stronger fragrance. We just have to keep asking for them.
Interesting post, Jen
Great point. I planted “profusion” zinnias (a hybrid) from seed, and they look amazing; except for the fact that have no scent at all, and no bees or butterfly’s land on them at all.
I have seeds for Honey-Scented Alyssum Summer Peaches from Renee’s Garden. They sit behind all my other seeds and out of sight. I think I’ll give these a try and sow them soon.
Jen — I read recently that often times scent is lost when growers try and make a plant disease and pest resistant.
Adriana — Those seeds sound awesome! I don’t think I’ve ever seen peach colored alyssum. If nothing else, they’re worth sowing around the bases of your vegetables to cover the dirt and work like a mulch to keep weeds at bay and prevent water evaporation.
Last year I grew a bunch of sweet alyssum (I had a black and white garden theme), and I let them go to seed. Those seeds managed to get in all my pots, and this year, I have oodles of self-seeded alyssums. They’re hearty and blooming like mad. Unfortunately, they don’t match my colour scheme this year, so I’ve dug them all up and out them in little nursery pots to be given away. Now I just need to find someone who wants them…
Cath — My aunt really encourages her sweet alyssum to self-seed too. She has beds that she only occassionally refreshes with new plants because the volunteers are doing so well by themselves.