Pat, I was always told to plant peas on Easter, but this is the earliest Easter since 1913. I hope you'll let us know how these fare.

I asked Paula, the master gardener among us here, about planting last week. Although it's warm, everything is very wet, she said. This might affect seeds more, but I did pick up some half-price seeds of lettuce, spinach and broccoli at Job Lot, figuring I'd throw them into my raised bed and see what happens.

They may rot, they may be slow to sprout, or I might just get the earliest veggies on the block.

But Easter varies over a wide time period!! This year 2008 is one of the earlier Easters on record. It can also occur late in April. Function of the full moon I read somewhere. But is not a very good way to time putting plants outdoors. It was well below zero in most of the northern regions last night.

Sheila,
Good Luck!
I have no experience with seeds, and especially vegetables. I started some flower seeds in the tray, in late February and very few came up; but they look so unhealthy and I don't think they're going to make it.

Yes - Ken. I realized that Easter was unusually early this year. However, I'm such an eagerbeaver plus being impatient. I know pansies will survive the freezing temperature at night. I'm more worried about the new Helleborus I planted the same time. We shall see.

Pat, I never had luck with seeds either, until I stumbled onto two things. One is using a sterile potting mix, so no damp off, and the other is being sure the container has drainage. I use things like yogurt containers or the bottom half of small milk cartons, with holes jabbed in them.

Other things are to be sure the potting mix stays moist, but not soaking wet; enough light; and enough warmth.

Thank you very much, Karen - for the tips. I'll try it sometime. I find that I have more luck throwing seeds (e.g. morning glory) on the soil later into the season, but starting seeds indoor is just too difficult for me.

Pat, I start seeds in sterile mix either in seed trays or in little containers with holes for drainage, and put them on top of the fridge where they'll get bottom heat. (Many seeds need darkness, so I tent them with newspapers. Some need light.) They give so many seeds that enough come up.

After that, to a sunny window till they can go outdoors. I bought a $35 greenhouse last year (basically plastic mesh shelves with a garment bag over them) and that worked for the colder nights of April.

(A cat leaped on top of the plastic and fell through in September, so I'll have to put duct tape over the slash.)

Thanks again, Sheila.
I used Jiffy's seed starter greenhouse for 50 plants that came with a plastic dome and followed the accompanied instructions, but had no luck. I used the seeds of Malope (fruitti mixed), came in a little packet ( average contents 200 seeds - EASY TO GROW ) which I bought somewhere in Europe. The flowers are supposed to be so pretty see - http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Malope/Malope.html
The trick maybe - the top of the fridge!

I planted mache seeds (A.K.A. lamb's lettuce and corn salad) last week in a raised bed. I have been told that mache is quite cold resistant and is often one of the earliest crops to sprout in Europe. To date, the seeds have not germinated, but I'm going to remain patient. Like Pat, I'm an eagerbeaver and I couldn't wait any longer to get my hands in the soil!

Hope your seeds will germinate. Let us know if you have any luck. ( It has been unusually cold at night that I decided to remove the helleborus from the ground and replanted them in the bigger pots.)

In the let's hear it for sturdy plants dept., I just checked on a lilac in a one gallon container that I didn't get around to planting last fall. Yes, I admit, some plants perish because my eyes are bigger than my hands, or somesuch. This one has been tucked behind a shrub next to the garage wall.

It's budding out. How it survived I do not know. I think it is Lavender Lady.

Now for those to-be-planted-in-the-fall bulbs that have overwintered in my refrigerator vegetable drawers :-) At least some of them have started showing shoots.

I was hoping an August Beauty gardenia, which I actually did plant, might overwinter here, but it looks dubious unless it is really, really dormant :-) I will give it awhile. It is supposed to tolerate temps down to zone 7, so I was pushing it here. I used to have am evergreen hedge of these in CA.

Lilacs are hardy here, Karen Anne, so you should be able to plant it when it's convenient for you. I've never heard of gardenias overwintering here,though. It's probably a goner. The bulbs should have a chance; they got their cold period.