Well, the worrying has now officially begun. I was trying to be patient, but every time I grow something new, the time between seed and sprout is the most nerve-wracking part. I know a lot of people love this stage of excited waiting, but for me it triggers some kind of watched pot obsession. It’s like the meme:

That’s me for sure!

I can put off worrying about them after I’ve grown a few rounds of a certain type of seed. At that point it’s like we’ve developed some kind of rapport—they trust that I’ve given them what they need, and I trust that they’re going to be okay. But the first round is brutal. Especially when I’ve never grown this type of plant OR seeds from this particular seed company. And it doesn’t help that I don’t have a bunch of other sprouts yet to keep me distracted. 😂

I know I’m not alone here! Right?

Maybe they’re just taking their sweet, sweet time. Yes, snaps can be a bit persnickety, but tomorrow will be their two week planting anniversary, and although they CAN take up to 21 days, I hear that 7-14 is the norm.

Most varieties of plants that reproduce via seed (I find this fascinating from a scientific and plant design perspective!) have seeds with what amounts to little timers inside. The vast majority will sprout during in particular window, but some are programmed to sprout earlier, and some later. It helps preserve the plant line in case disaster strikes and wipes out all the existing plants; there is still a chance for survival of the genetic line. That’s amazing, but I haven’t gotten a single “early riser” and I’ve now I’ve entered the “normal wakeup” window and I don’t see a single sprout! And I can assure you, I’ve looked closely. And often. *sigh*

Snapdragons do need light to germinate, so I just added an extra grow light this morning. We’ll see if that helps. I’m also going to start another batch of seeds from a different grower today and see if my luck changes.

I haven’t given up hope on the current batch of Chantilly snapdragons yet, but I’ve got to be realistic about the possibility that there may be a bit of a learning curve with getting them started—getting the right amount of heat, light, and moisture.

On a happy seed note, I seem to have a few yarrow plants beginning to appear! I planted those seeds and put them out in the greenhouse for cold stratification, but we’ve had some warm days, and few yarrow seeds apparently took advantage of the weather! They’re teeny tiny little guys, but sturdy and seem to be thriving despite the cold.

In further plant-starting news, I started the wake up process for some Ala Mode and Boom Boom White dahlias on Sunday. That’s a couple weeks earlier than usual, but I was talking with a florist who may be interested in purchasing for a wedding in very early August, so I want to make sure there are plenty of blooms available!

I love growing flowers, but it’s a whole new challenge trying to ensure that they’re blooming and beautiful for a particular date! And I’ve got a couple events on the books this summer that I’m trying to provide flowers for, so here’s hoping all will go smoothly! 🙂

Anyway, back to work I go. I hope you’re having a beautiful day!

-Angela