Day 101: Nothing like being ahead of the game! I've already laid in veg and flower seeds for this year's garden, including two different lettuces, Sungold tomatoes, blue Nigella, black peony poppies, Gazanias and a fascinating Mexican gherkin which makes one-inch cucumbers resembling miniature watermelons. Now I have to exercise that most difficult gardening skill: restraint. All too often, my anxiety to dig in gets ahead of the season and I wind up with leggy plants as a result of starting them too early. When the instructions say, "Plant indoors three to four weeks before last frost," they mean it. That will put your seedlings at the optimum growth phase for transplanting. Of course here in the Pacific Northwest, this requires a certain amount of second-guessing the weather and a dash of good luck because "last frost" can be anywhere between early May and mid-June, so you might want to consider starting two sets of seeds a week apart. And remember, always be prepared for Jack Frost to drop in uninvited. Keep the bubble-wrap handy to protect those tender shoots!
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