Renee’s Garden Seed Giveaway

As a result of my membership in GWA, for the past three years I have received a media packet from Renee’s Garden. A free packet of seeds is always included in the mailing, as well as an order form listing every seed they’re selling that year, with an invitation to mark off which seeds you want to try. The first year I just couldn’t believe she was serious, and didn’t send the form back. Last year, I checked off everything I thought I or anyone else living at home would like to try, fully expecting to get my hand slapped for being such a pig. But a very full envelope showed up in the mailbox, with a hand-signed card that said compliments of Renee Shepherd.

This year when I sent in my seed requests, I also included a letter thanking Renee for her generosity and offering to help with a seed giveaway, should she be interested. She was interested enough that she phoned me to work out the details.

Giveaway details

Starting today and continuing until midnight on Saturday, March 7, 2009, you are invited to visit Renee’s Garden and drool look over her offerings. Come back and in the comments tell us all the six packets of seed you’d like to win, making sure you include a valid email address. One commenter will be chosen at random from all received and will receive six seed packets of their choice. In addition, everyone is eligible for the following online order discount: Buy four Seed Packets and Get One Free To take advantage of this offer, go to the Renee’s Garden website. Choose a minimum of five seed packets for your shopping cart. When you check out, enter the special offer code CCG09 in the box provided and one packet is free. This coupon code is valid from March 1, 2009 through March 16, 2009. This giveaway and the coupon code are available to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

Trialing Renee’s Seeds at Purdyville

Last year, my family and I had a great time experimenting with the seeds we got from Renee’s Garden. The last time I tried sweet peas, I didn’t have much luck with them. I requested several different varieties from Renee’s Garden, and tried starting some indoors and some direct sown. I concluded that direct sowing about three weeks before the last expected frost (mid-May for me) worked just as well as sowing indoors, and was less work. We have yards of chicken fencing to grow annual vines on.

The chicken fence is also where Cadie indulged her fascination with morning glories. Last year she grew Grandpa Otts, Early Call, Glacier Star, and Scarlett O’Hara. At their base she grew Convolvulus tricolor, which is in a different genus and does not vine, but is called bush morning glory.

Some people say ‘Grandpa Otts’ is invasive for them. We haven’t had that experience. But then, ‘Scarlett O’Hara wouldn’t have bloomed at all if Cadie hadn’t covered it for the first couple of frosts.

Up in the vegetable garden, several children collaborated on a flower garden. They planted everything too close together, but that just meant the weeds had less of a chance to take over. Every day they checked to see if anything new was blooming, and if it was, they dug out the seed packets to figure out what it was.

Owen’s pride and joy, however, were the Sunzilla sunflowers.

A photo of the seed head is in this post.

We’ve really enjoyed trying out her seeds, but they’re more than just fun. Renee’s Garden seed packets are just as beautiful as Botanical Interests’ and are nearly as detailed. Her website offers an incredible amount of information to help you succeed at gardening, most of which will apply no matter whose seed you are growing. And if you’re planning a wedding, she has a special seed offering to use as guest favors. And if you’re interested in the details of commercial seed production, check out her blog.

We have a winner!

The random number generator picked #26, which is Angie. I just sent her an email with details on how to get her seeds mailed to her. Congratulations, Angie!