We'll likely be growing from seed...I've got lots of hosta seed I'd like to start. Other than the hosta seed, which is pretty slow, it is pretty early to start most seeds. Your Blanket Flower and Blackberry Lilies will likely be blooming before it is safe to go outside...if you can give them enough light to keep them happy. I would hold off on most seed starting until about March.

I enjoy winter sowing.I have many containers ready to plant and set outside.
I know you can grow seeds in the garden the same way. It's just nice to transplant when you have an area ready and not weed out your seedlings. Your plants are also safe from late freezes.(Like last spring).
I will be putting out lupine, hollyhock, delphinium,standing cypress and different annuals. I did tomato seed last year and the plants were twice as sturdy as the ones I did in the house. I bought some large ,flat rubbermaid containers this summer. I drilled holes in the bottom and top. They are just perfect little green houses. I'm planning to get started the first of the year.
Here's the Winter Sowing link . It's really interesting.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/wtrsow/

YES!

I have a couple of trays started, and the impatiens and coleus are just showing their first two leaves. They're under a light and have bottom heat, but once they have true leaves, they'll have to move over and allow two new trays. I plan to start heliotrophe, salvia, and some veggies.
I also took geranium cuttings about two weeks ago, and most of them are looking perky. There should be enough for the swap - one has very golden leaves (you know I like those plants), and the other is Vancouver Centennial, a bicolor leaf. I also have some plain old pink ones and some white ones.

ah yes seeds strtd, with extra planted for spring swap!! it what gets me thru, now cannas, end of feb to get strtd. Dessa

I wouldl have started some if we weren't leaving for 5 or 6 days the first of March and that's too long to leave baby seedlings by themselves. I am strongly thinking about planting a couple of trays and taking them with me. They would probably be ok in the car when we're driving and then I would drag them into the motels at night. I was planning on planting them just before I leave and wrapping the trays in plastic and leaving them here at home but I am afraid they would dry out while we're gone. What do you think?
Jean

If they are wrapped in plastic I think they would be ok. I water my covered seedlings about every 4-5 days and the uncovered ones everyday or 2. I am just starting planting seeds this year.
Paws

Thanks for the vote of confidence, paws4pets. I think I will try some and leave them at home and also take a couple of trays with me. I think they would be ok riding along in the car on the floor of the back seat, then I could carry them into the motel at night. We are going to a softball tournament at Tulsa OK. I have so many wave petunias to plant and that seed is expensive or I wouldn't worry so much.
Jean

I planted seeds today. Basil,lettuce,blue flax,peppers,coleus,forget me nots,thyme.I think that is all today. I have more to plant tomorrow. Now for the waiting game of watching for them to come up. Can't wait. Linda

I started trays today also. I have a make shift greenhouse in the basement. Lots of lights hanging in it. I've had good luck with it thru the years. My husband say's he'll build a greenhouse by next year. (this is the 5th year he has said that!LOL) I have lots of flats outside and inside now. I'll plant my tomato seeds in about 2 weeks. The waiting game is about to begin.

I started brocoli, cabbage, onions and brussel sprouts today. Will do peppers in a week or so and tomatoes end of the month or early next month.
SOS

I started twelve flats monday and tuesday in my greenhouse. Onions, Kale, Collards, Lettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Romanesco Broccoli, Parsley, Onions, Leeks, Cabbage...probably forgetting something. ~1500 seeds total...waiting for germination...

On March 5th I started some cherry tomatos, coneflower, rudbeckia (Irish Eyes), painted daisys and some snapdragons. I put them all in a south facing window and they have all germinated nicely. Yea! But now the clouds seem set to stay for awhile (which is good, I know we need the rain) but I think my poor little plants are going to get spindly. I should just go invest in a shop light but then I'd have to figure how to rig it up. *sigh* Maybe I'll add it to my hubby's honey-do list ;) This is my first year starting seed indoors. Tried winter sowing last winter and afraid it didn't work for me.

Tanna B.

Tanna:

This is my first year also and I had my b-friend set up a pretty good working light system. We bought a four/five shelf unit from Menards and then we bought shop lights and a timer, and I have four shelves of growing plants and I don't even have to worry about turning on/off the lights as I have them on a timer in my basement. I started a bit too early I think for some of my plants as they are going like mad, but all in all this works great. I use the bottom shelf for my extra potting soil, pots, and my own notes of keeping track of what has been planted, when, etc. Good luck to you.

I started a flat of spinach (~175 plants) of spinach on Monday. Also a split flat of 3 varieties of beets (chioggia, red, gold) and a split flat of brussels sprouts and 2nd planting broccoli. Noticed some lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower coming up on thursday. All the flats live in an unheated greenhouse with automatic vent-openers and fans running on a timer. Although the weather has often been cloudy and cold as of late, the seedlings seem to be able to survive the cold night-time temperatures somehow. I've got around 500 gallons of water in the greenhouse as thermal mass to regulate temperature swings. Some of the containers are open, so as to allow for evaporation which creates humidity in the greenhouse, moderatiing cold temps. to some degree or another. The sunny days sure help though, when it can reach 70-85F in the greenhouse.