Organic gardener growing food and flowers, lovin' pollinators and birds.

Book Review: ‘Starting & Saving Seeds’ sets gardeners up for success — and enter to win a copy!


Imagine a gardening expert who outlines all the steps needed to set up a seed-starting area in your home — and reassure you that “you’ve got this”.

Because with Julie’s help, you do.

Are you intimidated by the thought of starting seeds — or even saving seeds at the end of the season? Julie Thompson-Adolf outlines the steps you can take to become a self-sufficient gardener in her new book, “Starting & Saving Seeds”. You’ll be able to start seeds now and successfully harvest them for storing at the end of the season. 

The book offers practical advice for those new to seed-starting as well as tips for experienced gardeners. Walking the line between newbie and experienced gardens is tough to do, but Thompson-Adolf’s book blends perfectly.

“I wanted more people — not just master gardeners — to have the confidence to grow plants from seeds,” she said. “I’ve found that even some of the most brilliant gardeners I know are hesitant to grow from seeds, because they’re afraid that it’s too difficult.”

Simplifying the seed-starting process 

Throughout the book, Thompson-Adolf gives you the tools to set you up for success. She shares the specifics for several fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers that are popular to grow in gardens. Is a plant finicky to start from seed? There are ways to tackle its special needs. To save seeds for next year, Thompson-Adolf shares the best way to secure pure seed and how to process those seeds for storage.

Thompson-Adolf practices what she preaches. She’s grown the seeds herself and shares hints to encourage stubborn seeds to germinate. She shares how she makes her own soil mix to start seeds, and even a do-it-yourself approach to creating a grow light structure.

Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive. “For the price of one pack of seeds, you could buy one head of lettuce — or 100 lettuce plants,” she said “If a flat of vinca plants costs $17.99 for 32 plants — and who buys just one flat? — it makes economic sense to start your bedding plants from seed.”

Tried and true methods lead to informational sections 


“Part II: Meet the Plants” includes vital info on the best ways to grow veggies, herbs and flowers. It also shares how long seeds are viable (it changes depending on the seed).

“I actually really do pay attention to viability,” she said. “The spring is so busy for me that I don’t want to lose any extra time with a variety failure. I’m pretty rigid about adhering to my seed freshness to avoid replanting or lost crops.”

A view inside "Saving & Starting Seeds".


Every gardener has a favorite plant to grow. For Thompson-Adolf, you can tell that one of her favorites is tomatoes, because that section is packed with information.

“I find tomatoes fascinating, simply because there are so many amazing varieties – and I want to grow them all!” she said. “I always think it’s interesting how the seeds look the same, basically, whether it’s a Purple Cherokee or Jaune Flamme.”

(You know an author is serious when she grew 184 varieties of heirloom tomato plants — in one year — to sell at the farmer’s market.)

Thompson-Adolf admits that she is “slightly” obsessed with seeds, which makes her the perfect person to share why seeds are just so fascinating. “The idea that a tiny seed that’s the size of a speck of dust can grow to gorgeous poppy, for instance, just floors me. They’re the perfect blend of science and magic.”

Thompson-Adolf goes into detail in her book not only on tricks to sow tomatoes successfully, but how to harvest and save the seeds for next year, too.  She also offers seed varieties that she recommends you grow in your garden as well.

“Starting & Saving Seeds” helps empower gardeners to become self-sufficient and successful at growing seeds. There's definitely a lot of information packed into this book and deserves a place on your gardening bookshelf.

A view inside "Saving & Starting Seeds".


Enter to win 


Thompson-Adolf’s exuberance for starting seeds is contagious. This is the perfect time of year to begin planning what you will grow in your garden — why not extend your seed-starting endeavors with her book?

One lucky reader of Frau Zinnie will win a new copy of “Starting & Saving Seeds: Grow the Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers For Your Garden.” This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and runs through 3:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, Jan. 27.

Win a copy of "Starting & Savings Seeds"

“Starting & Saving Seeds: Grow the Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers for Your Garden” By Julie Thompson-Adolf. Published by Quarto Homes. Retail price $25 USD.  

*Quarto Homes provided me with a review copy of this book. Opinions expressed above are my own.
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Start herb seeds now for a taste of summer



Why wait for summer to enjoy fresh herbs? You can grow them now — by starting seeds indoors. In under a month, you will have fresh herbs to add to your recipes. 

I grow my seeds under my grow lights. Starting at the end of February, my seed starting tasks for my 2019 garden will be under way, but in the meantime I have plenty of room under my grow lights for this quick and fun project. 

No grow lights? You can also try growing seeds in a sunny, west-facing window that is not drafty.

To add a bit of color, I grew my seeds inside blue wide-mouth mason jars. (I purchased a pack of four pint size jars at Target.) You'll want jars that are medium to large in size so the plants have room to grow.

This seed-starting activity is also a fun project to do with children on a snow day, and will teach them how seeds grow long after the snow day has passed. 

What you'll need

Herb seeds
Mason jar (one per variety of seed)
Charcoal chips (can be found at plant nurseries)
Small stones
Seed starting soil mix 
Spray bottle filled with lukewarm water

For my herbs, I sowed 'Italian Plain Leaf' parsley and organic 'Large Leaf Italian' basil seeds, both from Park Seed Co.* For the parsley, I soaked the seeds in lukewarm water before sowing. This step aids germination. (Do not soak for more than 24 hours.)


1. Fill your mason jar with a thin layer of stones. 

2. Next add a layer of charcoal to improve drainage.

3. Add your soil. It should already be moist but not very wet. Scatter a few of your seeds on top. (You can save the extra for future sowings.) Cover the seeds with a thin layer of a soil and then mist with lukewarm water.

4. Cover your mason jar with plastic wrap and the secure the lid. 

5. Place under grow lights. The plastic wrap will help keep the moisture inside for the seeds to grow. 



When the seeds began to emerge, I removed the plastic wrap cover.  My basil sprouted within three days and the parsley seeds emerged within a week. 

Just a little water will go a long way when watering your herbs. Since there is no drainage hole in the jar,  you won't want to add too much. An easy way to judge how much water is enough is to not let the water rise above the stone layer at the bottom of the jar.

What happens if you sowed too many seeds and now there are too many seedlings? 



You can thin them out by using a scissor to trim the extras out. (Basil and parsley thinnings can be added to salads, too.)

Even though it might seem intimidating to thin out seeds, you'll want to make sure that you allow the plant(s) to have enough room to grow into a larger plant. I thinned my seedlings down to about three to four plants per jar. 

Once the plant reaches three inches high, you can move it out from under the grow lights and into a kitchen window (without a draft). Or you can leave it under the lights. As the plants grow, you can cut stems and leaves and add them to your recipes. 


*Park Seed Co. provided me with complimentary seeds for growing indoors.
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Colorful flowers, edibles reign supreme as 2019 AAS Winners

It's not too often that I get excited about melons.

But when viewing the 2019 All-America Selections Winner, 'Melon Orange SilverWave F1', the foodie in me says this must be added to the "must grow" list.

'Melon Orange SilverWave F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

The fruit's rind reminds me an exotic bird's egg. "The rind is unique," agreed Diane Blazek, Executive Director for All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau. "It is light green with dark green mottling."

This AAS Regional Winner can be grown in containers or in ground, and staking is recommended.

Each plant produces up to six oval melons with a sweet orange flesh. According to AAS, the melons can be used in a fruit salad, wrapped with prosciutto or mixed into a smoothie or margarita.

They had me at smoothie and margarita.

The 'Orange SilverWave' is an exotic melon that was bred in South Korea. It also had better disease resistance than the varieties it was trialed against. It was a Regional AAS Winner for the Northeast and Southeast regions. (View the map here.)

Colorful varieties take the crown


There are no wallflowers in this year's winning circle. "It's all about color now," said Blazek, as we chatted about the recently announced Edible and Ornamental Winners.

You'll want to make room in your garden for the 11 new varieties that will produce a pop of color in your garden beds and containers.

Take the vivid yellow peppers from Pepper 'Just Sweet F1', which won consumer taste tests "hands down" according to the AAS website.

"I wish more people grew yellow peppers," said Blazek. This snacking pepper size has four lobes like a larger bell pepper, but smaller. "Peppers of this size are usually smooth," she said. "It's not just another sweet bell pepper."

Pepper 'Just Sweet F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

This National Winner is a vigorous grower (36 inches tall and 15 inches wide) and has a bushy habit that does not require staking. Each plant yields between 10-12 peppers.

Another favorite was the pale yellow/translucent white Tomato 'Fire Fly F1', an indeterminate variety that can grow five to six feet tall.

"The flavor on this one is amazing," said Blazek. "It's healthy and yummy. I love this one."

Tomato 'Fire Fly F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

This variety was tested against 'Snow White' (also a delicious tomato variety) and one of the judge's comments was: “The entry is mildly acidic, with a pleasant flavor, and vine ripens as clusters better than the comparisons.” This National Winner will need staking and has good disease resistance.

Keeping with the yellow theme, take a look at National Winner Marigold 'Big Duck Gold F1', featuring golden-yellow flowers that bloom longer than the comparisons.

Marigold 'Big Duck Gold F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

"This variety has huge flowers," said Blazek. "It forms a short hedge filled with lots of flowers," she said. It blooms a lot later into the season, atop 15 inch plants. "You can start it indoors and transplant it to give it a head start," Blazek recommended,

Another new edition to border the veggie garden — or use in gardens with limited space — is Nasturtium 'Baby Rose', the first nasturtium AAS winner since 1933!

"What's old is new again," said Blazek, referring to the popularity of old-fashioned flowers, and in this case, an improved variety.

Nasturtium 'Baby Rose'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

'Baby Rose' was praised by the judges for having blooms that remained upright. It's a mounding variety and perfect for containers and small space gardens.

The rose-colored flowers (which can be uncommon in nasturtiums), contrasts nicely with the dark-green foliage. It will also attract pollinators to your garden. Bonus: the leaves and flowers are edible.

This nasturtium was a Regional Winner for the Northeast, Heartland and Mountain/Southwest regions. (View the map here.)

One of the highest scoring plants in the 2018 trials was Petunia 'Wave® Carmine Velour F1', the newest addition to the popular Wave Petunias series.

"This is a great new color," said Blazek. "The flower feels like velvet. All the judges were raving about the color."

Petunia Wave® Carmine Velour F1. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

This variety features large two to two and a half inch carmine rose flowers that cover the spreading plants. Unlike other petunia varieties, this one rarely needs deadheading. It can be used in the landscape or in containers and hanging baskets. This National Winner can spread three to four feet.

Another red flowering National Winner is 'Begonia Viking™ XL Red on Chocolate F1'. The 'XL' refers to both the mounding nature of the plant and the size of the leaves, which remain deep bronze/brown throughout the season.

'Begonia Viking™ XL Red on Chocolate F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

The leaf color was its claim to fame, according to Blazek. "It had the most consistent leaf color," she said. The color remained sharp throughout various seasons across the U.S. The leaves are complimented by its red colored flowers. This begonia is a National Winner.

Heading back into the edible category is Tomato 'Chef's Choice Black F1', the sixth color in the Chef's Choice series. This beefsteak type tomato features a dark green/brown/black hue that is highly productive and disease-resistant.

Tomato 'Chef's Choice Black F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

This variety was tested against 'Black Krim', a popular heirloom tomato, and one of the judges noted that 'Chef's Choice Black' matured earlier.

This hybrid yielded more than 30 juicy tomatoes per plant. It's flavor is sweet with a hint of saltiness. It's an indeterminate vine with disease resistance.

This was a Regional Winner in the Southeast, Mountain/Southwest and West/Northwest regions. (View the map here.)

Tomato 'Red Torch F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission. 

Tomato 'Red Torch F1' is a red and yellow striped oblong tomato with one and a half inch fruits. It produces fruit early and does well in heat and harsh growing conditions. The indeterminate vines grow five to six feet tall.

"The color made it a win, but it also had good taste," said Blazek. High yields means you can expect more than 100 tomatoes per plant! This was a National Winner.

Tomato 'Sparky XSL F1'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission.

Another red and yellow striped AAS Winner is Tomato 'Sparky XSL F1' (Regional Winner: Heartland). It produces with very sweet fruits with an average Brix score of 8.5.

XSL refers to the X-tended Shelf Life, and this variety is an early-maturing and prolific producer. Plan on getting 60 to 70 tomatoes per plant.

Watermelon 'Cal Sweet Bush'. Photo credit All-America Selections. Used with permission. 

Last but not least is another Regional Winner (Great Lakes): Watermelon 'Cal Sweet Bush'. A traditional seeded watermelon that yields personal size watermelons and are also good for growing in containers. "They are very manageable to grow," said Blazek.

It will bear at least one fruit per vine in a container, and at least two to three when planted in the ground. Fruits range from 10-12 pounds.

I'm so excited to grow many of these varieties in my garden next year, and I've already been scouting garden companies where I can purchase seeds from. (Retailers who sell AAS Winners seeds and plants can be found here.)

About AAS Trials

I've grown other AAS Winners and I know that these varieties are tested to perform well in my garden. Most recently I've grown 'Queeny Lime Orange' zinnia, 'South Pacific Orange F1' canna, 'Diva' cucumber, 'Mad Hatter F1' pepper and 'Midnight Snack F1' tomato. (I recently wrote about the veggies here.)

Each year AAS evaluates numerous entries into its ornamental and edible categories. AAS is the only non-profit plant trialing organization in North America, and the plants are grown in multiple locations to see how they perform.

To see how well the submitted entries grow, each one is assigned a code number and is grown alongside at least two comparable varieties currently available on the market. They all need to be planted at the same time and throughout the growing season, and all plants must be treated equally (for example, same amounts of water).

Throughout the season, the judges take notes on the way the AAS entry plant grows and how it compares with the varieties it is being compared to. Once the data has been collected, AAS entry plants that performed well across the country are announced as National Winners. If an entry performed well in a certain region, it is declared a Regional Winner. (Read more about the process here.)

View the 2018 AAS Winners here.
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