It's not too late. I'm in Westchester Cty NY - my "official" last frost date is 5/15. (Although a couple of years ago we had a light frost on May 21! If you're starting them indoors, the seedpacket says how many weeks before the frost date to start them. I usually start them the 1st week in May. I don't start planting outside until the end of May. As flowered-corners mentioned, winter sowing is a great way to start outdoors. I keep saying I'm going to try WS but never got around to it.

I would contend that the term "Last Frost Date" really means the last front date - as in no frost after that point. That aside though, your real question is about the directions on the packet. Making the assumption you're talking about something you would start inside to avoid frost, the date is simply a guideline of how soon to start them before you put them out (regardless of when that is). The hazards of starting seeds inside are that if you start to early, your plant is big enough that it needs to go outside before it's safe for it to go out (due to the frost). If it stays inside to long then you have issues like becoming root bound because the pot is to small, not getting enough light because the small little grow light you started with just isn't going to cut it anymore, or even that the plant is ready to start setting fruit and your inside environment isn't prepared to give the plant what it needs to do that. The other hazard is that you start to late in which case the fruit from the plant doesn't have a chance to reach maturity before your first fall frost sets in - so make sure the growing season is long enough for whatever your planting.

So many people seem to think that there is a tiny little narrow window during which one must plant. When I worked in a small nursery I dealt with people who thought if they did not get their whole garden in in one weekend by the end of May they had missed their chance for that year & had to give up planting anything at all. ThatâÂÂs so nuts! I start in February (leeks, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, etc.) and keep seeding veggie & flower plants indoors & out depending on what they are right up through August and sometimes into September -- then in October I plant garlic for next year! I plant summer squash at least twice during the summer. I plant early carrots for summer harvest, then some later ones to leave in-ground over the winter. I always like to start more broccoli and cabbage plants indoors in early July. Outdoors it is too hot but they do fine under lights (I use ordinary shop lights - always have, and with fine results) in the cool basement till it is time to get them acclimated to the outdoors. Read seed packet & catalog info for days to maturity (bearing in mind this is, at best, a ballpark figure since so much depends on the weather each year plus your own unique environment). Find out your last average spring frost and average first fall frost for your locale (see extension office link in a previous post) and then count forward or backward for spring or fall planting dates based on seed packet info. Note that days for maturity for plants you set out -- like tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, etc. --are figured from the time of setting out in the garden, NOT from the time you planted the seed. May sound complicated at first but it is a fun thing to do with pencil & paper when the days start getting longer, the seed catalogs start arriving, and you start longing to get your hands back into the soil!

Hi Lois - I'm having waaaaaaay tooooo much fun lately. My bathroom is getting done around my seeding. My garden takes priority. I've been painting that bathroom mentally for the last two years - why rush now? It will be done this week though as I am making good progress now. But the baby plants popping up. Today I've noticed the first of my tumbler tomato and my blue angel salvia patens poking their heads up. (Insert image of Peggy dancing for joy all over her craft room and around the couch in the main room. Oh what the heck, let's throw in a couple of flips while we're at it!) I'm off to visit my pal down the road - it's her day off. I'll be back to torment everyone shortly. This list I did to help myself this year and then remembered all my friends here. Hopefully by following this I won't need a machete this year in the house. Ah - what the heck I'll just start more perennial flowers like lupins and foxgloves....and........... Seize the day! LOL to all, Peggy