No matter how many times I repeat the process, I always seem to feel like a childlike amazement when I see the swan neck of a seedling, pushing its way up through the soil as a result of the minute seed I placed days earlier. When you stop and think about it, it is quite an amazing process that these tiny little granules called seeds can transform themselves into the rows of vegetables that line the produce section of the grocery store, and most of us don’t really give it a second thought when we are shopping.

I think that is part of what is so grounding about gardening – we are reminded of just how amazing nature is, and for a moment, we are reminded that we are part of that whole process.

Fortunately for us, it is almost time to enjoy this seasonal synergy of seed, soil & sunshine, so don’t miss out!

Here are a few tips for trying your hand at starting your own indoors…

You will need a sterile potting mix, seeds and a small container to put it all in.

The container can be anything from a store bought planting tray, peat pots, yogurt containers, or even one you make yourself from newspaper wrapped and folded around a form to shape it, that gets planted, paper and all.

Use quality seeds to ensure good germination. My favorite company for mail order seeds is William Dam. They are Canadian and reasonably priced for quality seeds, with a wide range of varieties, including some heirlooms, organically grown seeds and a few unusual varieties.

 Seed into damp potting soil & cover the seeds lightly, being careful that they are not too deep, keeping them warm & moist (not wet) until you see life. Make sure you have a bright sunny window to keep them in until it is warm enough to get them outdoors.

One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make is to start their indoor seeding too early.  Unless you have a greenhouse to grow them in, starting anything before April is likely to produce a weak & spindly plant by the time the weather warms enough to get them outside. The reason is insufficient light, since our windows don’t allow enough quality light to reach the seedling causing the plant to stretch trying to reach for the sun. A weak plant like this is more susceptible to attack from insects & diseases.

Try some easy to start seeds if you haven’t tried it before like pumpkins, squash, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, marigolds or Zinnias.

Just remember, if they don’t turn out quite as you hoped, you can still come visit your favorite greenhouse in the spring to get a jump-start on the season, and you had some fun experimenting for just a few dollars.