You're probably really excited about the seeds you just got - a packet of gorgeous flower seeds.  Your intentions are awesome!

Here are a few things you might want to ask about what’s in the packet.

1. Find out what seeds in the packet are truly native. Are they local ecotype? That means did they come from the local eco region? Most of the Finger Lakes fall into Level III Eco regions 60 and 83. Local wildlife co evolved with the plants in the region so if we are trying to serve the wildlife then we need to put in plants that will serve them. If you need to expand the region to find seeds look here at Level II Eco regions and try to get seeds from plants living as close as possible.
2. if the packet contains perennials some may need to go through cold moist stratification (CMS), which means they’ll need a period of cold wet exposure to break their dormancy. That means if you sow those seeds needing CMS in the spring or summer you won’t see germination until the following Spring or Summer.