2025 February 22 Winter Sowing Workshop

I had the honor of facilitating a Native Plant Winter Sowing workshop with Wild Ones Greater Cleveland at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village on Saturday. This is probably the last chance to get naturally cold stratified seeds into soil for the year. Typically it’s best to sow them in December, January and February. Vicky Benko of Lake Erie Nature and Science Center enthusiastically co-facilitated. 

February 22nd Native Seed Winter Sowing Workshop with Wild Ones Greater Cleveland at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

Thinking of the part-shade, clay soil conditions of Bay Village, I ordered native seeds from Prairie Moon the week before. I chose a couple of deer resistant plants too, since the deer population has increased in the area. The final list was Poke Milkweed Asclepias exaltata, Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata, Hairy Wood Mint Blephilia hirsuta, Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta and New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus. 

All kinds of great seeds! 

As the week progressed, no seeds appeared in the mail. Apparently the big snow storm of the weekend slowed the mail service. So, the morning of the workshop I ended up pulling seeds from my own yard and thanking my garden for still having seedheads on my Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata, Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis, Maximilian Sunflower Helianthus maximiliani, Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca and Short Goldenrod Solidago shortii. Wild Ones Cuyahoga Coordinator, Diab Dar-Issa, came prepared with more seeds from his stash and by the end we had TONS of seeds to share. I even shared the Pawpaw Asimina triloba seeds I meticulously collected at the end of summer. I guess I need to just trust that Nature will show up with abundance when we ask. 

I grew up going to Lake Erie Nature and Science Center as a kid in Bay Village. I remember I missed the planetarium field trip two years in a row because I got so excited I threw up in the morning. That same amount of excitement, minus the throw up, was with me leading up to the workshop Saturday.

This abundance of seeds came from my own yard

Filling up the milk jugs with soil

Labeling and taping up the milk jugs

Teamwork makes the dream work

With a sold out room of eager participants, we cut up milk jugs and popped holes in the bottom, filled them up with soil and seeds, and taped them up. We talked about the benefits of growing native plants, how the plants are hosts to many insects and birds, and we traded gardening techniques. It was fun! We all learned from each other! 

Fun day sowing native seeds with some great folks!