I am planning to start seeds indoors for my flower gardens, as well as my small vegetable garden. I already have on hand some herb seeds (from my Christmas stocking), and I always save squash seeds through the winter for my garden next year. The Farmer’s Almanac calendar

tells me that in my location, I should start vegetables indoors beginning in mid March – so I had better get organized.

I have already started a salad mix planting indoors, and I have been growing a few herbs in my kitchen. I have to confess that I started a few flowering perennials indoors the other day. I know it’s too early, but I just couldn’t help it.

There is a mix of seeds called a “Butterfly Mixture” from OSC – which is made up of Alyssum, Daisy, Bachelor Buttons, Butterfly Weed, Candytuft, Columbine, Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Scarlet Flax, Marigolds, Poppy and Wallflower. Honestly, these seed mixtures will produce flowers, but it’s better to choose individual seeds. What has sprouted so far, looks like Cosmos, but I should have just put those in the ground outside. I love Cosmos, but I am happy to keep them in a large mass of plants outside. I don’t need to start them inside. I was just excited to see the pictures of Coneflowers, Bachelor Buttons and Daisies on the cover of the packet.

I’m a sucker for pink, blue and white! I have also started some Purple Coneflower inside – I can always use more of those. It may be early to start them indoors, but these are sturdy, easygoing plants, and it will all work out in the end. More flowers is always better. (That’s my theory of garden design).

With piles of seed catalogs around me, and the spring getting closer, I am giddy with anticipation. Perhaps I have had too much coffee and far too much cold weather. I have limited space in my imaginary vegetable garden, and there are only a few things that I actually NEED to start inside. My leafy vegetables, peas, carrots, beans and herbs can be sewn directly in the ground, so I need to get a hold of myself and stick to the things that I actually need, namely tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and melons. (so technically fruit!) I am always making salsa and sauce, and so there is no limit to my requirements for tomatoes and peppers. The melons I only need a few of, and the pumpkins are for decoration. I place them around the fenceline of my garden, and when they mature in the fall, I let them take centre stage in my fall garden.

So currently I am going to choose among the varieties of those particular 4 vegetables(fruit), and try to narrow my choices down a little bit. I am looking at Veseys and Renee’s seed offerings, but in the meantime I have been out digging in my garden shed trying to determine how many pots I can re-use, and how many seed starting kits and other supplies that I may have to purchase.

Tonight I will decide on and order the first set of vegetable seeds, tomorrow I can dream about the flowers. I’m going to need a LOT of pots and dirt.

Which seeds will you be planting indoors?