Seed Savings

Here at Backyard Farming we talk all the time about starting from seeds for our vegetable gardens so we can be able to grow more diverse varieties such as heirlooms that you can't find as transplants at the local store. This summer I also decided to start some flowers from seed. My original purpose in doing this was to give my kids the opportunity to grow something themselves but it didn't take long to realize that by starting from seed I was saving a lot of money.

In the past when I had the itch to add some color to my garden I'd go to the local nursery and spend $30-$50 only to come home and realize that the amount of plants I had purchased would only cover a small part of my yard. This year I bought three seed packets and one seed starting tray which totaled at about $10. After giving away about half of my flowers to friends I was left with about 40 flower plants for my own garden. I added up how much buying those plants at the store would cost me and realized I was quickly going over an amount I'd ever spend - upwards of $120 dollars. So this year I have been able to cover a large amount of my yard with beautiful color for a fraction of the cost. And both my children and I have the satisfaction of knowing that we nurtured these flowers from seeds that were as small as the tip of a ball point pen. Next year I am going to triple my seed starting for flowers to have an explosion of colors and scents to enjoy all season long!