rj_hythloday,
The pragmatist in me says:
If you're going to be gone, who will tend and harvest? Sounds almost like a year not to bother. I tried last year with the unexpected death of my parents, and although I had already WSed many items, it was quite a challenge to keep things up last summer.

the optimist in me (hoping that your partner would indeed water and pay more attention to the garden in your absence) says:

I can see how you would want to push things up a step and direct sow so that there would be no transplanting. You can use the tops of milk jugs as cloches, but that really wouldn't be Winter Sowing. It would be Direct Sowing.

I still keep looking at your abreviated list thinking "oh my god...if i sowed that and had to be away for three months, everything would be dead and brown when i got back." (lol)

Linda

I should get my ''orders'' in the next few days and find out exactly when I have to be at my school. I'm hoping I can leave after Apr7. Two kids bdays on the fifth and time to get all my toms and peppers in the ground and I could just direct sow w/ no worries. Since I've found this forum I want to winter sow my lavender since it seems like it will give it the best chance any way.

Found out the Navy in it's infinite wisdom made a mistake that was "impossbile" to make. I'm not going any where so at least I get to have the garden I had planned.

I'm still wondering if I should direct sow my lavendar border now, or try it under lights later.

The Military is Always right dontch know.... lol...
Glad you got a reprieve. Thanks for serving.

Well that's got to be a big "whew" for you...
What kind of Lavendar is it (english, spanish, french, etc)?

Linda

I haven't had much luck with lavender indoors or direct sowing. I hope the wintersowing method works better.

lady lavender from richters

{{gwi:358212}}

Love Richters...they are my primary herb source.

I would put it out now.
From what Tom Clothier says, it sounds like even if you were intending to sow it indoors, it might have to be put in cooler temps to boost germination. So I would WS it and forget about indoors entirely.
I WSed an augustifolia two years ago and it did well.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Tom Clothier-lavendars

Yep, I'd read that it needs cold to germinate. I've got that particular bed ready... as soon as my order gets here they are going in. I placed about 6 orders at the same time, 4 have arrived and 2 still out. I think being shipped from Canada really slows the process down, but they've got a great variety. I spent over $100 w/ them and have a few live rosemaries coming later in the spring.