If you and your children like to garden, the beginning of the year is ideal for getting ready for the approaching planting time. As you all browse through garden and seed catalogs, it is exciting to decide which types of flowers, fruits and veggies you want to enjoy once the garden season begins. Sowing seeds inside during the early months of spring will put you ahead when the warmer temperatures arrive and you are able to plant them in your garden. You and your family can prepare for your super garden season with these simple projects.

Select Seeds

Your entire family will have fun choosing seeds to purchase either online or by looking in garden catalogs. Deciding on the size of your garden now will help you know how much room you have to fill and decide how much space you have available for different plants. These measurements will help you figure out the number of individual plants you will need of each type. Then, you'll be able to calculate the quantity of seeds you will need to purchase. One great idea is to allow individual members of the family to each select a particular fruit, veggie, or flower they would enjoy having in the garden. Many of the photos in garden catalogs are so lovely it can be challenging to not have the desire to grow all that they offer. After selecting and ordering your seeds, your family might want to clip some photos of the plants you chose for your garden from the catalogs and display them in picture frames as art on the walls of your home.

Sow Seeds Inside

Several garden plants benefit from protected starts, so you might find it advantageous to sow these seeds inside during the early months of the year. Peppers, tomatoes, and some herbs and annual flowers belong to this group. By allowing them a head start inside, they will be established and better able to survive in your garden when you transplant them after the final threat of frost. It is important to follow seed packet directions and sow seeds in appropriately sized pots that drain well. Then make sure they are covered with plastic kitchen wrap and kept in a warm spot, like the top of the fridge.

During the time it takes for your seedlings to grow, you and your family can work on setting up a spot inside to continue their growth until they are established. Hang a growing light above a table, and be sure to make the light adjustable so that it can be positioned only inches from the plants throughout their growth. When the seeds have sprouted, take off the plastic wrap on the containers and relocate them just below your growing light. Adjust the light as the seedlings continue to get bigger making sure it is a few inches above the plant at all times. You will want the potting material to remain moist, but never too saturated. During the later weeks of spring, put your seedlings outside in the daytime hours to help them acclimate to the outside weather conditions. After there is no longer any danger from frost, it is time to move your plants out to the garden. Celebrate the big transplant day and capture several photographs of your family's teamwork to display in picture frames throughout your home.