Seed Sowing Season Begins at the Essex Quarry

January is the season for seeds, from browsing winter seed catalogs to sowing native plants for the seasons ahead. In 2025, volunteers at the Essex Quarry collected 66 bags of wildflower seed, all of which will be sown during the Seed Sowing Workshop at the Whallonsburg Grange on January 23, 2026. Members and friends are encouraged to join the effort.

Nancy Budd, president of the Adirondack Garden Club, opened the workshop with a presentation highlighting the wildflower and sedge seeds collected throughout the season at the Essex Quarry. Working alongside Steve Young, the P4P botanist, and Laura Lehtonen, a seed-propagation expert, volunteers identified native plants and carefully gathered their seeds for future restoration work.

Many native wildflower seeds require a period of cold stratification before germination. To replicate natural winter conditions, participants used the milk-jug method, sowing seeds in recycled containers that will remain outdoors in the snow for several months.

This marks the third and final year of the P4P project, as volunteers continue planning for the future stewardship and restoration of the Essex Quarry. Fifteen volunteers participated in this year’s seed-sowing event.