Hi, CG, and welcome! I had to open this post when I saw your name - I often describe myself as a hack gardener, so I wondered if you might be a kindred spirit! :) Hack or no, WSing has greatly enhanced my garden, and I'm grateful for it. Remind Mr./Ms. Neat Freak that you will save enormous amounts of $ starting plants from seed. In a few years, you will have landscaper size divisions to pass on - I just planted 3 sizeable divisions of echinacea, shasta, and coreopsis at my MIL's that I started 3-4 years ago from seed.

That being said, to keep my neighbors from writing me an eviction notice, I bought an number of uniform clear containers the size of (approximately) 1 lb. margarine tubs from a restaurant supply store 2 and 3 years ago. Some have cracked beyond re-use, but most get re-used in my WSing (I rinse and store them). I purchased a few of the large 5 shelf plastic shelves you can buy at the local home fix-it shops - I can fit somewhere between 25-30 containers on a shelf. A more budget-friendly plan would be to shop garage sales for shelving. Vertical storage also saves my containers from being trounced on by well-meaning but not too bright Newfie, and from slug damage (yes slugs can get in - through drainage holes, I guess - doesn't happen too often but once in awhile). Vertical storage just looks neater, IMHO.

As to when to start, the typical beginning is Winter Solstice (December 21). Many start later. Those who sow plants that specifically need a period of warmth, followed by cold, then warmth again to germinate (I call these seeds "fussy germinators", and against my better judgment, I sow some every year) start those seeds now. Most, and truly I mean it when I say most, seeds can wait until 12/21 or after. I sow the majority of perennials in January and February, herbs in February and March, some annuals in February (snaps, bachelor buttons, lettuce and poppies will all be fine, and many others will, too) and the majority in March or early April. Most veggies I wait on, and I direct sow beans (and would also direct sow corn, if I had the space for it) and am thinking about possibly moving squash to the direct-sow group. Tomatoes I usually WS in February or March.

Preparing that bed is the best thing you can do - welcome aboard!

Welcome! You will love it. Cranky neat hubby's get over themselves when they see how WSing makes you so, so happy. And a happy wifey is a good thing...

I'm with drippy on the "go vertical" advise. Shelving units help a whole lot in keeping everything organized. I've linked below to a couple of pics I took in my first month of WS last January. There is just one unit in the pics (an expensive one I ruined - don't ask.....)but shortly after I started gathering cheap ones from thrift stores. Start looking now!

BTW - you'll see a mix of containers. Jugs are great, just a bit of a pain to prep. I love deep lasanga pans with clear covers from Walmart (about a buck a piece) but my FAVORITE are large, deep clear thick plastic containers that hold fresh cookies at the warehouse stores bakeries (BJ's, Price club, Sams) Get everyone in your life eating more cookies as these are perfect. Hold a good 3-4 inches deep of soil mix. Tops seal on really well but come off easily for watering later.

Good luck!
Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersown in snow

I did find foil containers, similar to lasagna pans with lids at the local dollar store, so you might want to check there. I was wondering where I could get a list of seeds that needed to be started in warm, then cold; the ones that need to be started in the cold, and ones that would be spring sowed...any ideas? By the way, you should email me and we can co-miserate with each other seeing I am new to this too! It will be fun!!! :o)

Seriously...thanks so much to everybody that has been so generous with your time trying to help us get going!!! You are too kind!! :o)

Jodi

Drippy & Nan-6161...I was surprised to see you both go vertical. It would be GREAT if you could share how you made that work!

I tried that last winter but found with the exception of the top shelf, they were shaded by the shelf above and didn't get enough sun. Also, the second shelf got too wet from the top shelf draining on it, while the bottom was always too dry...Did you rotate the containers?

Barbara in AK

Whoops! Look like I should have been a little more specific. I'm not married; I live with my neat-freak sister!

I picked the name clumsy cause I do fall on my flowers a lot. Or drop things on them. Or knock them over. And uncoordinated_seedling_assassin just wouldn't fit. ;) I am my plants' worst nightmare. They'll be happy to grow outside!

Shelving sounds like a great idea and it looks like I still have plenty of time to gather materials. Thanks, for the schedule, drippy! I shall add it to my clippings. ^_^

If I can find a shelf with bars or grating, that would work. I could arrange them in an alternating pattern so that one pan will not block the other. That way they could all get sun/rain/snow.

Welcome, clumsygardener. Cute name.

Concerning neat spouses, sisters, or whatever, I say don't give in. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These folks need to learn to think outside the box.

Same with neighbors. If you just continue doing things they think are weird, I think they just become curious. My neighbors undoubtedly think I'm nuts, going around taking bagged leaves and grass from everyone's curb on trash days, raiding recycle bins for milk jugs, building lasagna beds, whatever. My husband is certain they call me "the crazy flower lady", but I prefer to think they just find me a little curious and eccentric. Nothing I do seems to surprise anyone anymore. They get used to it. They do like the surplus of flowers I give them. And they're never surprised anymore when they come out and find me vacuuming their lawns of leaves with my trusty leaf sucker anymore, either. Some neighbors even deliver their leaves to my house.

Karen

Welcome :) I also am quite clumsy, but most of my plants have managed to pull through, thankfully, with just an occasional casualty.

Last year, I purchased deep dish lasagna pans with clear lids, and plan on re-using them this year. I got these in hopes their uniform look would not be too much of any eye-sore for my dh. He didn't even notice they were on the deck for the longest time, and wondered what they were for. By late spring, I think it bothered him a little more, but not that big of a deal. I think if I started plants inside with our limited space, it would bother him more. I think I will incorporate some milk jugs this year, just put them in more inconspicuous places, like on the ground along the sides and back of the deck. I guess we'll see how that goes over.

Drippy and Nan, I am also curious about the vertical shelves. I was thinking this wouldn't work because some would be too dry. I do really like the idea however. I got some puppies this summer, and I'm a little nervous they might decide my containers are fun to jump on, chew on, or knock over, especially in the spring when they'll be out more.

Through Jan, Feb and March of last year, I collected shelves at thrift stores, garage sales, on sale at home depot and Lowes as my container collection grew!. Some had "holey" self boards, for drainage, some did not - it didn't seem matter, the melted snow/rain water just ran off the sides of "solid" shelves. The one you can see in the link to pics I provided (above) was on an impluse, quite expensive purchase at Lowes (in my WSing fever, the "this is so cheap to grow plants this way" justified spending the money - smile) and the "stainless steel" is rusting like crazy already. I am sure it is not suppose to be used outside (made for food service kitchens I think) but live and learn I guess! It was 6 shelves high. I made it into to (2) 3 shelfers.

I placed these out on my very sunny from all sides (in winter) deck in aisles (ended up with 4- 5 units) and had no problem with "sun blockage". Did do a bit of rotating each week, not for that purpose, but more to keep containers sprouting together or to make the "fit" work better on the shelves as I added more (and more and more...). In May/June when I had real PLANTS in there (not just baby sprouts) I did pot things up as they started to stretch on the shelves for sun. I am going to do a lot less of this next year - I have learned to trust the "HOS" method and will waste less time by planting sprouts right out in the ground for the most part, not to pots and THEN to the ground..

Dryness concern - - never a problem, but I do enjoy daily visits to my containers ("where's Mom? She's out visiting with her babies in containers again in the snow.." was often heard around our house) and I guess I just watered the bottom shelves if they needed more. I actually believe this wasn't an issue, as rain/snow do not come in a straight down direction on my windy deck! So every container, high shelf or low shelf, seemed to get what it needed.

I like the lasanga pans a lot too but they fall short of my "recycling" goals for WSing (even though I will use them again and again, they had to orginally be purchased). As I've said, my favorites are the plastic cookie boxes. You can see them on the bottom shelf in one pic and on the patio in another through the link above. I think I like them more than the lasagna as they fit one seed pack perfectly. With the lasanga pans, I am always trying to squeeze in two to maximize space.

Nancy

Another clumsy gardener? You mean I am not the only one who trips over her own feet??

Welcome - Ask any questions that come to mind, none are too trite, silly or dumb - We love newbies

Carrie

Welcome clumsy! I've purchased several store display shelving units at my local metal scrap yard. They sell them for $.15 a pound which comes out to...well obscenely cheap. Few weigh more than 50 pounds. (That's $7.50) In a few years, a nice coat of Rustoleum will do the trick.

Be sure to pick up on drippy's reference to "uniform" containers. It really does help the visual aspect.

If that isn't enough, consider replacing your sister with another roommate. Just kidding. Sort of. It's worth it. :)

Welcome again,
Seedmama

Thank you for your wonderful suggestions! As much as I would like to, I really can't ignore my sis. It would give her an excuse to ignore me!

I'm going around to the yard sales to look at shelving units tomorrow. The patio are is fairly exposed to the wind so all shelves will probably get the moisture and sun they need. As for the cookie boxes... I don't think bringing those into the house would help my waistline over winter, but I will see if I can't just get some of those boxes used at the grocery salad bar! Those are the same right?

Welcome, clumsygrdner
You are going to have fun.
These are what I use for my containers. Dirt cheap, because I picked them up from the alley. They are futon headboards. Pretty, huh? I found another good one this spring. :-)
{{gwi:435220}}

Nope, unfortunately the salad containers (at least in my area) are NOT the same. They are a thinner plastic, have hinged lids instead of seperate lids, and often have holes in them (which is not a bad thing as you need holes, but there are sometimes too many.) Also, they very often aren't deep enough unless you get the very large ones. You want to be able to put at least 3.5 -4 inches of seed started mix in there to plant seeds in and still have "head room" for the growing sprouts.

I, myself, find it terribly difficult to be forced to eat cookies instead of salad (smile). Not.

I get a lot of them at my office. Our staff buys them as snacks for large group meetings because we have an account at BJ's warehouse. Ask around. You may find someone in a large office that can save them for you and save your waistline!

Nancy

Barbara in AK - I didn't have any trouble with draining or excessive shading on shelving. I typically move stuff that's sprouted upward, so that I get, eventually, all the sprouted stuff in the same place. That way I can keep an eye on what needs to be planted out before it gets crowded out of the container, LOL. Of course, I plant too much to keep up with myself, and I always wind up with a few sacrificial containers. But vertical shelving has always worked for me - my shelves are open, and water does drain down, but it's not a problem. When the weather gets warmer, and the lids are off, I have to watch that the most exposed containers don't dry out too much.

Holes in salad bar boxes? I'm not sure if we're talking about the same containers. All the salad dressing would drip out the bottom...

I got my winter rye along with some seeds that were on sale. I got Mountain Phlox and Balsam. I also picked up some aluminum pie plate thingies for 30 cents each. :)

It's weird. I feel like I'm on some sort of scavenger hunt.

Oops, sorry. I thought you were talking about the "clam shells" of salad greens they sell in the produce section.

Whatever you end up considering, just use your hand to measure depth. If the bottom of the container is less deep then the width of your hand, it may not hold enough soil mix. Since I always have my hand with me when I am out scouting containers - this helps!

Nancy

That's a good metric, Miss Nancy. I'll keep that in mind!

I found a good shelf at a yard sale for 3 bucks yesterday.

For my established garden I have in mind that I'll be planting combos of Baby's Breath and poppies to start off the season, with forget-me-nots and Gloriosa Daisy for later on. I also like the thought of a random clump of larkspur. For the new beds? Well, who knows. I can go big and broad on those because nothing's planted in them. :)

I always dreaded and avoided most annuals because of my limited funds and the idea that I would have to plant them all over again next year. It always seemed like a waste so I stuck to trees and shrubs and hardy, drought tolerant perennials. With the exception of direct sown bachelor's button and cosmos, zinnias, and california poppies. But when last years crop of bachelor's buttons started showing up in nooks that I hadn't planted it in, well, I kinda wandered into this forum. *g*