Winter Sowing Native Seeds: Herbaceous Perennials

Tobi Schulman of Bird and Bee Native Plants will lead this hands-on workshop on winter sowing native herbaceous perennial plants. Participants will actively learn to propagate a variety of native species and, by the end of the workshop, will be equipped to germinate their own native plants at home, enhancing their own gardens’ biodiversity and resilience.Topics covered will include:How a native plant is defined and why this definition is important ecologically.The big why — why we care and why we are doing this.Cold stratification and how to achieve itOther seed dormancy issues: light dependence, darkness dependence, and scarification.Recommended resources for finding species-specific information about germination requirements and where to buy seeds of straight species native plants, both local ecotype and from further afield when local sources are not available.Participants will learn how to plant, care for, and overwinter their seeds, plus basic seedling care, from germination to transplanting into pots or garden spaces. Everyone will get to take home herbaceous perennial seeds, ready to overwinter and grow.This workshop is ideal for gardeners of all levels looking to deepen their understanding of native plant propagation. If you've attended this workshop in the past, the core content and techniques will be the same, so much of the material will be familiar. You're more than welcome to join again, though — it's a great opportunity to refresh your skills, build confidence, and practice ethical seed collection alongside others.This workshop is made possible with the support of the One Hive Foundation.