Test Garden — Week 1: Starting from Seed (Late March Notes)
There’s an element of excitement thats inherent when you grow something from seed — the unexpectedness of not knowing what you’ll end up with, a randomness to it all. I wanted to add a certain je ne sais quoi to my garden this year.
I kept coming back to Piet Oudolf and the way his plantings seem to float, even when they’re dense. That sense of movement stayed with me and eventually pointed me in a direction: wildflowers, grown from seed, layered lightly through what already exists.
Seed packets, seed starter trays, and coir seed starting pellets. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
What I Chose (and Why)
I started with two that felt essential:
‘Vanity’ purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis) — tall, airy clusters of purple flowers for height, transparency, and that unmistakable “see-through” structure
Irish poet tassel flower (Emilia javanica) — small, orange pompom flowers on tall, wiry stems, for softness, movement, and that slightly wild charm
Both sit naturally within my palette of pinks, purples, and whites, and both are plants you don’t place once. You repeat them. Let them drift. Let them weave.
From there, the test expanded (as these things tend to do):
Cosmos
Dianthus
Parsley
Sourcing
The dianthus seeds were collected from my own garden, and the others from free seed packets from the library. Verbena bonariensis and the Irish poet tassel flower were ultimately ordered from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds.
The packaging alone was worth it — simple, classic, thoughtful.
Though I will say, I expected more Verbena bonariensis seeds than I received.
We’ll see how that plays out.
The Setup (Nothing Fancy)
Coir-seed starting pellets, after soaking them in water and placing 2-3 seeds on top of each one, before burying them lightly in the mixture. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
This isn’t a controlled experiment. It’s a real one.
I started with three trays on 3/29:
Almost 100 coir seed-starting pellets
East-facing window to start
Gradual move to the western patio door
Within about a week:
Cosmos germinated first
Tassel flowers followed a few days later
A few dianthus and parsley began to show
If you want to know what else I’ve been doing in the garden this month, you can read what I’m paying attention to in The Seasonal Edit: March/April — Early Spring Garden Checklist.
Why a “Test Garden”
Because I don’t want to pretend I’ve mastered any of this.
I’ve grown tomatoes for a few summers — first because my mom handed me plants and said, Just try, and then because it stuck.
Last summer, I grew a few small varieties from free seed packets from the library.
This year, I picked up more vegetable seeds beyond just tomatoes, and I’ll be watching what actually works here — in this garden, in this light, in this very specific set of conditions.
Not theory.
Not recommendations.
Just results.
Labeled trays of seeds in mixture before placing them by eastern-facing windows. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
What This Series Will Be
A place to track:
What germinates (and what doesn’t)
What strengthens vs. what struggles
What earns a place in the garden, and what doesn’t
And eventually:
What’s worth repeating
This is where the experiment starts to feel less certain.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Start something.
Watch closely.
Adjust as you go.
That’s the whole point.
I’m tracking the full season here:
The Test Garden: A Season of Growing from Seed
The Seasonal Edit
The Seasonal Edit is a recurring garden checklist of what’s emerging, what can wait, and what deserves attention now. Practical tasks. Clear structure. Timed to the season as it unfolds.