Parcel
Illustration of the Winter-Sow Kit: a kraft gift box with a Parcel Post label, six seed packets (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 12), the illustrated winter-sowing guide and six wooden plant markers.

Winter-Sow Kit

Six Missouri natives that sprout best after a winter outdoors, with an illustrated sowing guide, six plant markers and a gift box.

$36kit

Grow Guarantee (limited warranty)

We'll tuck it into the parcel. Up to 200 characters. Gift notes are free.

Free shipping by USPS Ground Advantage, with tracking. Ships in 2–4 business days. We ship to the 48 contiguous states and D.C., except Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for now. Shipping details

Most of the wildflowers in our series need a winter before they’ll sprout. Out on the prairie, seed falls in autumn, sits through the cold and wet, and comes up in spring. Winter sowing copies that: you sow seeds outdoors between December and February, in containers or on bare ground, and let the season do the work.

That makes this kit an honest December gift. It arrives when it’s actually time to sow. Inside are six packets from the Missouri Native Series, chosen because they come up best after a winter outdoors, plus an illustrated guide that walks through winter sowing step by step, six plant markers, and a gift box.

Once established, the six take turns blooming from April into October, and between them they feed bees, butterflies, monarch caterpillars, swallowtail caterpillars and goldfinches.

Details

  • Price: $36, shipping included
  • In the box:
  • No. 1 Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
  • No. 2 Ozark Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa)
  • No. 4 Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
  • No. 9 Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)
  • No. 10 New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
  • No. 12 Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)
  • Illustrated winter-sowing guide
  • 6 plant markers
  • Gift box
  • Why these six: Five need a cold, moist spell before they’ll sprout (30 to 60 days). Purple Coneflower can sprout without one, but comes up more evenly after a winter outdoors.
  • When to sow: December–February, outdoors. The 60-day seeds (Nos. 2, 9, 10 and 12) do best sown by mid-February.
  • Bloom season once established: April (Golden Alexanders) through October (New England Aster)
  • Best for: Sunny gardens in Missouri and nearby states. All six grow in USDA zones 4–8.
  • Caution: No. 4 Butterfly Milkweed is toxic if eaten (ASPCA lists milkweeds as toxic to dogs, cats and horses), and its sap can irritate skin and eyes. Keep pets and livestock from grazing it.
  • Gift note: Add one at checkout, up to 200 characters.
  • Shipping: Free, by USPS Ground Advantage with tracking. Ships in 2–4 business days.
  • Grow Guarantee: If a packet doesn’t come up after you follow the guide, tell us within 12 months and we’ll send a replacement packet.

How to use

  1. Gather six containers. Clear or translucent gallon jugs (milk or water jugs, washed) work well. You’ll also want potting mix, duct tape and a marker. No jugs? Sow on bare, weed-free ground instead.
  2. Prep each jug. Cut it most of the way around about 6 inches up, leaving a hinge. Poke drainage holes in the bottom. Add 3–4 inches of moist potting mix.
  3. Sow one species per jug. Follow the directions on each packet’s back. Most get a light covering of about 1/8 inch; New England Aster’s tiny seed is pressed onto the surface.
  4. Label and close. Put a plant marker inside, write the name and date on the outside, and tape the jug shut.
  5. Set them outside where rain and snow can reach them. Then wait. Cold and moisture break the seeds’ dormancy over winter.
  6. In spring, open the lids on warm days once sprouts appear. When seedlings have one or two sets of true leaves, harden them off and plant them out after the last frost (around April 10 in St. Charles County). Use the markers in the garden.

The full method is in the printed guide and in our winter sowing guide.

Questions

When should I give it?

Anytime from November through February. It’s meant to be sown December to February, so a holiday gift lands right on time. For Christmas, please order by Friday, December 11, and we’ll ship by December 15. Missed it? A kit that arrives in January is still right on time for sowing. See our shipping policy for details.

Do I need a greenhouse or grow lights?

No. Everything happens outdoors. That’s the point of winter sowing.

What if it arrives after February?

Sow the Butterfly Milkweed and Purple Coneflower outdoors in early March. For the 60-day seeds (Nos. 2, 9, 10 and 12), use the fridge method: 60 days in damp sand in the refrigerator, then sow after the last frost.

Will they bloom this year?

Some might, but expect most to bloom in their second or third year. Native perennials spend their first year growing roots. Gardeners call it “sleep, creep, leap.”

Can I add a gift note?

Yes. There’s a gift note box on this page (up to 200 characters), and gift notes are free.