It’s Freezing, So I’ve Resorted to Gardening in My Kitchen (i.e., Winter Sowing)

Posted February 27, 2026 by Erica Schroeder

Do you think my 4th grade daughter appreciated being consulted this morning about whether my C30 seeds still had time to stratify if I got them out today? Or when said consultation caused her to miss the bus, giving us more quality time together as I drove her to school?

No, no she didn’t (she clearly needs to rethink her priorities). Thankfully for my seeds, I was the one seeing to them today!

As you may know, many native seeds need to spend a lot of time being cold and moist before they’ll germinate. For these seeds, the germination code (C) is followed by the number of days on average they need–usually 30, 60, or even 120. One way to achieve this without sowing in the ground is to cut a milk jug in half, fill it with moist dirt, plant the seeds, and set it outside until spring.

Today I started with tall bellflower, which I haven’t grown before. Looks like they prefer moist, shadier spots. Thankfully I have a few months to procrastinate on making a planting location decision!

Tall bellflower seed packet — Seeds in the spotlight: Tall Bellflower

The whole process from start to finish took about 5 minutes (plus an extra 5 for photos):

Milk jug drainage holes — Poke drainage holes (I used a pocket knife)

Cut milk jug — Cut it in half, leaving a hinge below the handle

Sprinkling seeds — Sprinkle seeds on top

Adding soil — Cover with a little more soil and a little more water

Completed jug — Close it up (yes, that’s a twist tie from a Valentine’s day bag)

Newly completed jug outside with others — Bring it home to its milk jug family

After drowning in seedlings last summer, I told myself about 1000 times not to do too many milk jugs this year. I think completely ignoring that advice should be fine, right?

If you’re interested in joining NOWO to do some winter sowing of your own, check out the Winter Sowing Workshop happening on March 4!

Thanks for joining me on my winter sowing journey today!
— Erica