Seeds Archives

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Renee’s Garden Seeds: Summer 2021 Results

Renee’s Garden Seeds

Summer 2021 Results

Link to her website: Renee’s Garden Seeds

What a fantastic year for the garden! We have so many success stories to share and positive results as the season is in full swing. Renee’s Garden seeds were a huge part of the colorful and vibrant garden our family and friends have enjoyed as they visited this past month.

Read below for the specific seeds we planted and the results we achieved.

Renee’s Garden Seeds List

4^th of July Heirloom Cornflowers

Wow! These have really produced an abundance of flowers in the garden. I love the shades of blue and red and so do the bees!

Lace Mantle Sweet Williams

I get more compliments about this particular flower in my garden than any other flower. Their striking colors are so pretty! I count these as a huge success.

Rainbow of California Poppies

We had more blooms last year but there are still quite a few of the rainbow-colored poppies for us to enjoy. For some reason, they are leaning and reaching outside the garden box. I really need to figure out what’s going on there.

Lemon Queen Sunflowers

As always, we’ve had a bumper crop from the Lemon Queen Sunflowers. They’re not only a favorite of the bees, but they’re also a favorite of mine! The soft yellow is such a happy color.

Classic Slenderette Bush Beans

We planted these beans in pots at the beginning of May. I started with 3 plants when we transplanted them but ended up with only one healthy plant that produces blossoms and beans. I must be honest. These were an experiment to see if they can grow in our climate. The success of this one plant made me realize that I can grow beans in my garden and I have a great plan to be sure to have more plants thrive next year. As of today, the plants are withering from a couple of nights where the temperatures dropped to near freezing. Not sure I can justify the effort to grow these in my Central Oregon garden with such a small window of productivity. I did look back in my records though and we harvested lots of this variety of green bean from our garden in California. So, the failure here is a matter of habitat and climate and not the seeds.

Astia Container Zucchini

We had plenty of success with these seeds sprouting and growing, putting on blossoms, but no fruit at all. I think it may have to do with the cooler nights we have which make it hard for these to thrive. I wouldn’t count this as a failure of the seeds, just our garden zone.

Cinnamon Sun Sunflowers

I love these sunflowers so much! They add such a deep burgundy pop to the otherwise very yellow sunflower bed. Another thing I love about them? They make awesome cut flowers. I’ve had a vase continually filled with their happy, vibrant flowers.

Scarlet Runner Beans

These were started in May in pots and transplanted to the garden in June. We eagerly watched as the plants grew up the twine, put on flowers, and then produced pods that you allow to dry on the vine. Many mornings I look out the window and see the hummingbirds visiting the scarlet red blossoms. What a perfect addition to my garden!

Early Blooming Beekeeper’s Garden

This was a winner from last year’s garden. We added another packet of seeds to the box and once again they are a spectacular display of colors and shapes. I did make the mistake of allowing some volunteer sunflowers to grow in with the seeds. These have overshadowed the flower mix and I think perhaps the flowering of some of the varieties. Nonetheless, there have been plenty of bees and butterflies visiting the rainbow of flowers.

Knee High White Cosmos

These are some of my daughter’s favorite flowers in my garden. I love the vintage feel of this variety of cosmos.

Valentine Lemon Sunflower

This is one of the sunflowers that I sprouted and gave to friends. We’ve all had success growing them in our gardens and their slightly smaller flower head and multiple heads on one stem make them a great cut flower.

Heirloom Pepperbox Poppies

This is a favorite from the last few years here in Central Oregon. I now can’t imagine a flower garden without these poppies! I saved seed from last year’s crop and scattered it early in the spring to see how many would grow. Well, I’m happy to report that I have quite a few of this variety of poppy in several areas of my yard. The bees can be found daily buzzing and sipping from the red blossoms. If you would like a showy display, give these seeds a try.

Renee’s Garden seeds are the foundation of our flower garden. I’ve already made a list of new things to add next year to promote a wider range of colors, shapes, and heights to my flower beds.

I highly recommend purchasing from Renee’s and seeing the gorgeous results for yourself. I do receive a small amount of seed from Renee’s Garden as a promotional gift. In addition to her gift, I purchase many of the seeds myself. I know they’re always of the highest quality.

I also recommend following her on Instagram to see all of the new products available as they are released. #reneesgardenseeds

Are you interested in using the Handbook of Nature Study for a study of garden flowers? I’ve compiled a list of the topics from the book and coordinated them with the Outdoor Hour Challenges. I hope this is helpful for your family!

Handbook of Nature Study Flowers chart with Outdoor Hour Challenges

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Barb — Leave a comment

Garden Flower Nature Study Planning

Garden Flower Nature Study Planning

This is the season for planning your garden whether it’s a flower garden or a vegetable garden. Anticipating the colorful flowers, the delicious tasting fruits, and the many hours of happily tending the garden is more than half the fun in my opinion. Paging through seed catalogs or scrolling your favorite gardening sites online can fill your cold winter days with pleasant thoughts of things to come.

I’ve already started my garden planning for the year and put in my seed order to Renee’s Garden Seeds. If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you already know that I love this seed company. I always have great results from their products and they are my go to place to purchase seeds for the garden.

Because of our short growing season here in Central Oregon (less than 60 days), our garden is mostly flowers now and not veggies. But, I have decided to try a green bean and broccoli raab crop this year as an experiment. I will keep you posted on our results.

Want to know my list of seeds?

4^th of July Heirloom Cornflowers

Lace Perfume Fragrant Dianthus

Lace Mantle Sweet Williams

Rainbow of California Poppies – We grew these last year in our garden and they are gorgeous!

Lemon Queen Sunflowers – These are the sunflowers suggested to grow as part of the Great Sunflower (bee counting) Project.

Classic Slenderette Green Beans – We’re going to try this variety because of its short growing to harvest time.

Early Rapini Heirloom Broccoli Raab – This is another crop we hope we can grow here in our cooler climate.

Astia Container Zucchini – I grew this in California in a big pot on my back deck. I’m hoping to have some success with it here in Oregon.

Sweet Greens and Reds lettuce mix – This is another variety of a lettuce we grew last year from Renee’s.

Garden Babies Butterhead container lettuce – This is a new lettuce for us and I’m hoping it produces a few heads for us to enjoy.

Cinnamon Sun Sunflowers – I’m excited to try a new color of sunflowers in this year’s garden.

Chocolate Daisy – This is an old favorite that I want to try this year in our new garden box. (It does have the fragrance of chocolate!)

I am eagerly awaiting their arrival! It will be a while before I can actually plant them, but I can dream about the warm summer afternoons in the garden while I wait.

Maybe you would like to start dreaming and planning for your summer flower garden nature studies. I have completely updated my chart of garden flower topics from the Handbook of Nature Study. Each flower has an Outdoor Hour Challenge associated with it on the website and an ebook with notebook pages to use for your study. Use the links in the chart to decide on which flowers you will study this summer!

Download a copy here: Handbook of Nature Study List of Garden Flowers with the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Ultimate Naturalist Library members have access to all the ebooks required. If you’d like to purchase an annual membership, click the link above and then use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your membership.

All memberships are valid for one year after your purchase. The library of ebooks, the newsletters, and all the printables will be only a few clicks away.

For those of you following the Ambleside Online nature schedule, the spring topic is garden flowers and weeds. Please feel free to combine your nature study with the Outdoor Hour Challenges found in the archives.

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Barb — 2 Comments

Renee’s Garden Seeds Update – End of Summer 2020

Renee’s Garden Seeds Update – End of Summer 2020

Our spring was spent building a new section of garden that would be attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies. Renee’s Garden seeds played a big part in filling our new garden beds with color, variety, and beautiful flowers. (See our start to the garden in this entry: Renee’s Garden 2020.)

Because of our harsh climate zone, we’ve struggled with finding garden plants that will survive through the cold, long winter we have in Central Oregon. Our solution is to plant both a mix of annual and perennial flowers, as well as native wildflowers and shrubs. This strategy has worked in our front yard and now we’re continuing that mix in our back garden.

Earlier this year, we rototilled and cleared about 1,200 square feet of scruffy grass and then proceeded to build two long, narrow garden boxes. Our aim was to make it not only more beautiful, but to have a more attractive garden space for bees, birds, and butterflies. A bonus side benefit is that we now have a peaceful spot to sit in the garden to enjoy all of the creatures that visit. The birds love the bird bath for drinking and bathing and they will often come even with us sitting close by.

Here are some of the Renee’s Garden seeds we chose:

Rainbow of California Poppies: This variety of poppies is now my absolute favorite! I love the pastel colors that are in this mix and I go out every day to see which ones are blooming. They are thriving in our climate which is surprising but very much appreciated. I will be planting more of these in years to come.

Early Blooming Beekeeper’s Mix: We enjoyed this mix so much last year that we added it to the list again this year. The sweetly colored flowers are hardy enough to last through our very cool summer nights.

Seeds for a Butterfly Garden: I think I planted too many seeds in our box but the sunflowers and cosmos don’t seem to mind. The zinnias are growing up under the cosmos and need to lean way out to reach for the sun. If I did this combination again, I would plant far fewer cosmos. Still, I’m anxious to see how the sunflowers do once they start blooming.

Chocolate Cherry Sunflowers: LOVE this sunflower! It’s an all time favorite of ours that we grew in California and it thrives here in Central Oregon as well.

Van Gogh Sunflowers: This sunflower with the quintessential shape and color is attracting bees and various other insects to the new garden. The finches are stopping by to nibble on the leaves too!

Heirloom Blue Delphiniums: These seeds have sprouted and are growing….slowly. I’m not sure what to think and I will have to update you later in the season as to whether they actually bloom or not.

Heirloom Pepperbox Poppies: This is our second year growing these magnificent poppies in our back yard. There are a variety of colors and shapes in the packet, producing gorgeous blooms that the bees buzz around all summer long. I highly recommend these poppies.

Please note that I receive some of the seeds as a promotional thank you from Renee’s Garden. I’ve purchased and used her seeds for many years now and I’m never disappointed.

Click over to my garden resources and see if you find some inspiration to get you going.

I post lots of images of the garden on my Instagram account. Click over and follow if you’re on Instagram. Also, if you tag your photos with #outdoorhourchallenge, I’ll stop by and see what you are up to in your nature study.

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Garden Flowers #8 Seeds and Weeds

“Why do we call a plant a weed? Is a weed a weed wherever it grows? How did this weed plant itself where I find it growing? Of what advantage is this weed?”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 513

When Anna Botsford Comstock uses the term “weed”, she many times means what we would commonly call a “wildflower”. If you look in the Table of Contents in the Handbook of Nature Study, you will see a long list of “weeds” that are subjects of complete lessons in this nature study volume.

From my personal experience, I have this conversation every spring with my husband over whether a dandelion is a weed or a wildflower. He has given me the gift of dandelions in our yard, even though he really wants to weed them out. I love their happy color and have observed many an insect benefiting from our leaving a few dandelions at the edges of our yard. (Read about my “wild side” here: Wild Side #1
and Wild Side #2)

This week click over to read the original challenge from the Garden ebook and then pick a weed to observe, looking carefully for its seeds. This activity can be done periodically as the seeds develop during the summer season. Make it a weed and seed hunt!

Link to the Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge –

Focus on Garden Flowers #8 Seeds and Weeds

We’re continuing to work through the Garden Flower and Plants ebook over the next few weeks. If you own this ebook or have access to it in your Ultimate Naturalist Library, you’ll want to get it out and read the first few pages that outline how the ten week series of garden challenges work together and can be done in any order that makes sense to your family. The ebook has planning pages as you choose, observe, and then learn more about each garden flower you study.

If you would like to purchase a membership so you have all of the challenges at your fingertips and the custom notebooking pages too, click over to read all the details and download a sample: Garden Flower and Plant Challenges.

You may wish to look at the June 2013 Newsletter if you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

There’s a lot of great information on wildflowers in this post that I wrote last year. Click over to find helpful hints for your seeds and weeds study:

Wildflowers to Love.

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Garden Flowers #7 Seed Germination

“To watch the little plant develop, to study its seed leaves and what becomes of them, to know that they give the plant its first food and to know how a young plant looks and acts, are all items of legitimate interest in the study of the life of a plant…”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 458

It’s spring and a favorite garden related nature study lesson is to be found while germinating seeds. This is an activity that children of all ages can do with help. I remember doing this with my boys when they were preschoolers and they were so proud when their seeds grew and then eventually bloomed. Don’t think this is something too advanced for your family.

Take time to make daily observations! The progress can be a perfect topic for a nature journal page too.

Keep it simple and have fun! Your children will gain so much firsthand knowledge of plants and seeds by completing this Outdoor Hour Challenge. Click the link below to get started!

Link to the Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge –

Focus on Garden Flowers #7 Seed Germination

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study, there are printables in the library for making seed comparisons that would be a perfect companion activity to this Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Barb — 1 Comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge –Garden Flowers #1

We’re starting to work through the Garden Flower and Plants ebook this week! If you own this ebook or have access to it in your Ultimate Naturalist Library, you’ll want to get it out and read the first few pages that outline how the ten week series of garden challenges work together. These can be done in any order that makes sense to your family. The ebook has planning pages as you choose, observe, and then learn more about each garden flower you study.

Garden Flower Nature Study – Read the Handbook of Nature Study Pages 453-456 (Section titled: How to Begin the Study of Flowers and Their Flowers)

Link to the Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Focus on Garden Flowers #1

This challenge has a lot of suggested activities for your family to begin a flower study starting from the seeds all the way to blossom. Page through the Handbook of Nature Study section on garden flowers and see if there are any topics of interest. But, the most important thing is to choose at least one flower to get started with this week.

You may want to take a field trip to the garden nursery to look at the seed packets. My kids always got super excited when they actually picked their own seeds and then anticipated the flowering garden that would eventually be a reality.

“The only right way to begin a plant study with young children is through awakening their interest in and love for flowers.” Anna Botsford Comstock

After you choose your seeds, make sure to draw each seed in your nature journal, labeling the flower’s name. I find it so interesting to see all the different shapes, sizes, and colors of seeds from flowers. If you’re using the ebook, there will be an upcoming challenge for taking a closer look at seeds.

Back in 2009, our family completed a bunch of garden flower studies using the Garden Flower and Plants ebook. Here’s a list of the flowers with links to my blog entries once we finished, hopefully it will inspire your family to create a list of flowers and then study them one at a time as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge.
Violet
Tulip
California Poppy
Petunias
Mullein
Bleeding Heart
Bachelor’s Buttons
Sweet Peas

What flowers do you want to study this spring?

If you’re a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study website, you can also download and use the April 2016 newsletter for more garden seed nature study ideas.

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Queen Anne’s Lace

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Autumn Queen Anne’s Lace Observations

Seasonal Weed Study Option

From the Archives and from the Autumn 2010 ebook

With the change of the season, it’s time to make your autumn observations for Queen Anne’s Lace. Whether you’re just starting a year-long study of this pretty wildflower or you’re continuing from the summer season, you will find the suggestions in this challenge a great help in learning about this common wildflower. (Some call it a weed, but I prefer to think of it as a wildflower!)

If you don’t have any Queen Anne’s Lace to observe in person, choose two other neighborhood weeds to study and compare using the ideas in the challenge linked above.

If you own the ebook, there are two different notebooking pages for you to use for your nature journal entry.

I recently used one of the challenge ideas and collected a number of autumn weeds and seeds for a “weed bouquet”. This might be a wonderful idea for an autumn nature walk that combines observing weeds and seeds and then culminates in a lovely bouquet for your nature table. You can see my entry here: Weed Bouquets and Autumn Time.

If you would like to own this ebook, it’s part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library for members. You can find more details on how to get your own membership here: Join Us!

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Weeds, Seeds, and Myrmecochory

Harvester Ants Myrmecochory — Photo credit: Bob Forester

Myrmecochory -Here’s a link to learn more!

In a nutshell, it means seed dispersal by ants.

Ants harvesting seeds — Photo Credit: gailhampshire

I came across the interesting term while doing some research on seed dispersal. It always amazes me to learn about things going on right under my nose that I never noticed.

You can do your own research and use the printable in the member’s library to record your interesting facts.

Are you familiar with the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership? If not, you can read about it on this page: Membership Information.

The Ultimate and Journey level memberships include access to the growing list of printable notebooking pages and activities. I add new things each month!

Click above to see a current list of printables available in addition to the 20 ebooks already included in the Ultimate Membership.

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenges – Maples (and Seeds)

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Maple Trees (and Seeds) – from the More Nature Study Autumn ebook and the Archives.

We just returned from an Oregon trip filled with colorful maples. We also found the most amazing clump of maple keys ever.

Use the ideas and seasonal tree printable in this week’s archive challenge to learn a bit more about this beautiful tree along with its interesting seeds. Don’t forget there is a Maple Tree notebook page in this month’s newsletter for you to use as a follow up to your outdoor time.

Even if you don’t have a maple tree to enjoy…pick a different tree and make some careful observations!

Note: You do not need to purchase the ebooks to participate but they are handy to have for planning and for the regular and advanced notebook pages included in each one. Click the graphic at the bottom of this post to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. You can click over and download a sample for both the More Nature Study Autumn and More Nature Study Winter ebooks. This may help you decide whether to purchase a membership.

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Summer Blowout Sale – Nature Study Kits

Are you looking for a pre-planned summer nature study idea? My daughter and I designed two kits for families to use to easily include nature study and art appreciation in their homes. These kits have been such a hit, we are offering them again this summer.

We have prepared a limited number of kits – first come, first serve.

US addresses only

Kits are $10 each or $16 for two kits, shipping included. This is a really good deal and we hope to sell out of these kits fast. If you want to buy a kit, click over to the Hearts and Trees website and look on the left sidebar for the appropriate Paypal buttons. It is possible to purchase one of each kit by clicking the option on the sidebar.

All kit purchases will be made on the Hearts and Trees website.

Click the links below to see what comes in each kit and how to order yours.

Lavender and Bubbles Kit

In all there in this kit there are:

Felt bracelet sewing project (felt, needle, thread, buttons, and instructions)
Foil pendant project (foam pieces, foil, yarn, and instructions)
Bubble painting (watercolor paper, straw, and instructions)
Bubble letter notebook page
Bubble wand project (pipe cleaner, 5 beads, and instructions)
Lavender sachet sewing project (fabric, thread, needle, yarn, dried lavender, and instructions)
Lavender nature journal (cover, journal pages, length of twine, 2 rubberbands, waxed paper, and lavender sample)
Lavender nature study written in the style of the Handbook of Nature Study
Jean Simeon Chardin artist study (Soap Bubbles art print and 2 notebooking pages)

Garden Seeds Kit

In all this kit includes:

· Sticky Garden Fun Window Project (instructions and contact paper)
· Stiff Felt Magnet Project (instructions, 4 pieces of felt, magnet)
· Foam Stamp Project (instructions and foam)
· Easy Tissue Paper Mache Vase Project (instructions and tissue paper)
· Botanical Solar Print (instructions and 2 sheets of paper)
· Sidewalk Garden Scavenger Hunt (instructions and sidewalk chalk)
· Renoir print: Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil
· Renoir art print notebooking page and index card for viewfinder
· Garden Journal (instructions, construction paper for the cover)
· 3 Garden-related notebooking pages/activity pages (2 lima beans, 3 kidney beans, 3 pinto beans, 1 sunflower seed, 1 corn seed, paper towel and baggie)
· Garden Scavenger Hunt laminated card

These kits include everything you need to complete the art and nature study activities. All types of learning will take place and these kits are appropriate and designed for children ages 6-12 years. Summertime is the perfect time to add in some meaningful activities without a lot of fussing from the parent.

I know you will love both kits…so much fun and learning to fill your summer hours!

Tag: Seeds

Renee’s Garden Seeds: Summer 2021 Results

Renee’s Garden Seeds List

Garden Flower Nature Study Planning

Renee’s Garden Seeds Update – End of Summer 2020

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Garden Flowers #8 Seeds and Weeds

You may wish to look at the June 2013 Newsletter if you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Wildflowers to Love.

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Garden Flowers #7 Seed Germination

Link to the Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge –

Focus on Garden Flowers #7 Seed Germination

Outdoor Hour Challenge –Garden Flowers #1

What flowers do you want to study this spring?

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Queen Anne’s Lace

Weeds, Seeds, and Myrmecochory

Outdoor Hour Challenges – Maples (and Seeds)

Summer Blowout Sale – Nature Study Kits

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

Renee’s Garden Seeds List

You may wish to look at the June 2013 Newsletter if you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

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Link to the Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge –

What flowers do you want to study this spring?

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!