Chapters in Connecticut

Including native plants in your garden is an important way to provide food and habitat for pollinators.  You can expand your native plantings inexpensively by growing them yourself from seed.  In this workshop, we’ll discuss the germination requirements for different species and get you fully prepared for next season. You will be able to take home a plastic milk jug planter filled with a native seed selection to stratify over the winter and germinate in the spring. Proper after care of young seedlings will also be shared. Bring a one-gallon plastic milk jug if you have one.

Your instructor will be Jim Sirch, a trained Naturalist and President of the Connecticut Horticultural Society.  He recently retired from the Yale Peabody Museum. Jim is a UConn Master Gardener and board member of his local land trust and the Mountain Laurel chapter of Wild Ones. As a naturalist, he brings a deep understanding of geology, plants and wildlife and how they interact within a particular ecosystem. Jim is passionate about helping others decrease their lawn and re-wild their yard. He co-founded a native plant seed library at his local public library. Jim also authors a nature blog called Beyond Your Back Door at www.beyondyourbackdoor.com.

The program will be held in the Farmhouse.  Registration is required since space is limited.

Winter is the best season for native seed starting so we are sharing seeds to encourage the planting of seed-grown native species that strengthen local ecosystems and create climate-resilient landscapes. Bring native plant seeds to swap for different species to diversify your habitat plantings.  It is not necessary to bring seeds to take seeds, but for those not contributing seeds, we may limit the number of packets you can take.   There will be informational displays and demonstrations of winter seed sowing in milk jugs or pots.  Experienced native gardeners can help you select species that are suited to your growing conditions.  

This event is free and open to all.  Registration is not required.  If you are bringing seeds to share, we encourage you to come early to put them out.  In case of bad weather or hazardous driving conditions, cancellation will be posted to Dudley Farm and Mountain Laurel chapter websites by 12 PM the day prior (January 23rd).  

Unless you have large amounts of bulk seed, we prefer you prepackage your seeds, particularly small and tiny seeds.  Please see our seed sharing guidelines for how to package and label different seeds.  

DIRECTIONS:  Dudley Farm, 2351 Durham Rd, Guilford, is on the northbound (east) side of Rte 77 (Durham Rd) just north of the junction with Rte 80.  Our event will be held on the main floor of the Munger Barn, #17 on the Farm Map.