ellen 
Starting plants from seed is the best way to ensure you are not putting unwanted pesticides and chemicals into your yard. You’ll have happy pollinators with a healthy food supply.
Growing perennials is extra rewarding, since you’ll see your efforts return year after year. Here are a few full sun options to try:
- Coneflower (comes in a variety of new colors, but purple is the original, butterfly magnet, winter seeds feed birds)
- Shasta Daisy (cheerful white daisy)
- Yarrow (clusters of tiny flowers with fern-like foliage, likes it hot and dry)
- Rudbeckia (bright yellow flowers that attract butterflies)
- Painted Daisy (fern-like foliage and pink daisy flowers)
- Columbine (shooting star flower, usually bi-colored, reseeds readily)
- Penstemon (tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds , come in a variety or colors, likes dry conditions. I’m starting Firecracker, a show stopping orange/red that can take a little shade)
Most of these need to be started anywhere from 10 weeks to 6 weeks before the last frost date. Starting seeds can help alleviate those winter blues. So smile, Spring is on its way!
