Written by J. Mitchell Brown

Another holiday season has come and gone. I've eaten too much and gone to too many parties, my pants don't button right anymore, and my family and friends have suddenly stopped inviting me over for ham and turkey, collard greens and black-eyed peas, pecan pies and pound cakes. To top it all off, I've already made and broken several New Year's resolutions. I am just a Monday morning Scrooge.

This particular time of year can be a real drag. Without that next party to look towards, without that next family gathering right around the corner, many of us wander aimlessly around like those toys in the mall that keep going straight until they bump into something. Then they spin around a few times and head off in a new direction until they bump into something else. I'm exactly like that. The weather's too cold to tackle a big outdoor project. The sun comes up at what seems to be just before lunch time, and it sets at what seems to be just after lunch time. It's the first week in January, and I have spring fever something bad. I'm ready for the marshes to turn green, the river to cloud up, and the birds to come back en masse. I want to walk around shoeless and shirtless (a sight that scares little children). But I've got the perfect trump card: I know how to bring spring right into my own home.

Most people I know get instantly beautiful gardens in the springtime by buying mature blooming plants. After a day of hard work in the yard, a once winter-barren yardscape is suddenly transformed into a beautiful garden oasis, full of blooming flowers, fresh soil, and fragrant mulch. The next neighbor that drops by will see a beautiful garden that has seemingly sprung from the ground overnight. There's nothing wrong with that as 99.9% of my plantings every year are from cultivated, mature, store-bought plants .But I simply can't wait until April to have my hands in the dirt working with my spring flowers. Like a springplant junkie, "I GOTS to have it NOW."

That's why, in mid to late January, I set up my indoor greenhouse. It's not the tube-shaped, plastic enclosed hot-house that you see in the country that I mean. It's not acres of mass production of plants. I'm talking about a sunny window. Within thirty minutes, everyone reading this article can be on their way to cultivating their own spring garden plants from seed, not nearly as involved or diffi cult as you may think. It doesn't require lots of specialized equipment or particular expertise. It is infinitely fascinating and provides a wonderful opportunity to do something hands-on with kids. It might even teach you a thing or two not only about Nature, but perhaps about yourself.

Here's what you do:Go shopping for seeds. You can find these at Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart – any place that sells garden supplies. Pick whatever you want, but read the package carefully to determine a safe time to seed. For instance, if the package indicates that the seeds will germinate and be ready to transplant in seven weeks, you would want to plant the seeds 7 or 8 weeks before the last frost (around here, generally early to mid March). Pick whatever you want. I like to go with the crazy stuff I have never tried before or things that aren't readily available in the springtime flower markets, like cosmos or poppies, dragon leaf begonias or moon vines Once you have your seeds picked out, you may want to buy a couple of seed flats. Make sure the flats do not have tray partitions in them, but that they do have enough drainage so as not to drown the seedlings. It is also important to purchase a sun cover for the flat. This will be a clear cover that will go over the top of the seed flat to keep the soil warm. I used to use Saran Wrap, but once the seeds begin to sprout, you will find yourself constantly adjusting the Saran Wrap so that it doesn't squash the tender little plants.

Also, it is imperative that you invest in a small bag of growing medium designed for seeding. This soil-less mix is generally light and fluffy and drains well, minimizing upward resistance to new plants. Other than that, you need only a spray bottle, which can be an old Windex or 409 bottle (properly cleaned, of course) and a sunny window. Fill your flat with the growing medium and spray it down withwater until the mix is damp throughout. You may want to mix the dirt and water in a bowl first and then transfer it to the flat, being careful to smooth it out level, but do not pack it down too tight. Press the edge of a ruler into the wet soil longways across the flat to create about 5 or 6 evenly spaced, 3⁄4 inch deep rows. Then sprinkle your seeds in the grooves. There's no real science to this part. Don't dump the whole packet of seeds in one spot, but don't put one seed per row, either. I usually end up with two or three small packets of seeds per flat.

After your seeds are in the soil and clearly marked (unless you want a surprise when they start coming up) lightly sprinkle some dry seed growing mix across the tops of the seed rows. Do not pack this dirt down or your seeds will never reach the surface of the soil. Dampen the entire tray once again with the spritzer. Place the flat in a sunny window with the sun cover over it, and let Nature begin her magic. Your responsibility for these plants now lies in making sure they remain moist. The sun will try to pull the water out of the soil through evaporation, but it will condense and collect on the sun cover. Tap the cover a couple of times a day to make a small rain shower on your seeds, but be sure to keep your spray bottle close by to give it a refreshing spritz every day. Do not, do not, do not overwater your seeds. If you find a moss growing on the top of the soil, your soil is entirely too wet. Take the cover off the flat for a day to let some of that moisture escape. In a couple of weeks, you will begin to see something change in your mini-greenhouse. The dirt will begin to look a little out of place and disheveled. The show is about to begin. Those seemingly lifeless little pods are reaching for light. During these times, it's enticing to uncover them, touch them, run your fingers through their softness. Don't. Soon the plants will be up on their own and develop their own resiliency. Then you will be able to handle them and transplant them. Until that time, it's best to take it easy with them. It is important at this time to turn the flat in the sun every other day or so. Greenhouses are tube shaped nowadays so that all the plants get equal light from all degrees of space above them. If you forget to turn the flat every now and then, your new plants will soon be looking like little green versions of the Leaning Tower of Pisa as they stretch towards the light. Turning them allows the light to come at them from both sides of the flat and will allow them to grow up straight and tall.

Next month, we will talk about how to transplant these seedlings properly and get them ready for a springtime of showy blooms. In the meantime, enjoy watching Nature being born. And keep in mind that when all your friends are saying in May "I got these plants from Such-and-Such Greenhouses," you will be able to say, "Oh, I grew these from seeds in my own greenhouse."