calistoga, Thank you for the information! I'm thinking I will just use the bay windows for grown African violets I have and for rooting African violet leaves(it may take longer but that's fine :)) I definitely think I will try a flat or two of seeds indoors but I think I'm gonna mainly focus on winter-sowing this year with milk jugs and also purchasing a patio greenhouse to start things in winter too. Has anyone had experience with those shelf patio greenhouses? It basically is the same as the milk jug method I assume. its a mini greenhouse which I can afford! lol also trying to find various containers to plant seeds in to save some moola for other new gardening gadgets this year! and digdirt, not really but thanks for the link so I can! I printed lots of info on winter-sowing out yesterday and which seeds to winter-sow during the months so now I have more reading material! love learning! Thank You! ~Michael

Last year I started tomatoes, some lettuce, herbs, cucumbers and watermelon from seed. I sprouted them on top of the fridge and then grew them under 4' shop lights. I also kept a fan blowing which I guess helps with damping off. One mistake I did was start my tomatoes too early. They got too big and some were even starting to flower. This year I'll wait a bit longer. People say that watermelons and cucumbers don't like transplanting, but I was careful and they didn't seem to mind. Now if only this summer we'll get some warmer weather. The U of M extension has a lot of good info for seed starting. Here is a link that might be useful: Seed starting

Hi there tomato growing friends! My list for 2015 is still in the works. I'm checking out what has already been posted. Some varieties I'm familiar with. Others I am not. I grow tomatoes from seed as a hobby. I wish I could do it year round but the weather/climate never cooperates. I try and select my varieties based on it's history. For example for 2015 I hope to germinate and grow the "Purple Calabash". Why? Well it happened to be Thomas Jefferson's favorite. He grew it on his farm in Monticello from 1806 to 1822. This past year I grew Livingston's Paragon which was the 1st tomato introduced to the public and commercial growers here in America back in 1870. It took him 20 years to perfect it. Ok it would be great if when you are adding your list for 2015 you could indicate why you chose a certain variety. It might be impossible to do it for all but even if you just picked out the one that interests you the most. I think by doing this it would add to the joy that this thread has created.

Planning and placing my seed order is actually on my to-do list for the day - what a timely post :0) I know for sure I will be starting: * New Guinea impatiens (Divine series - lavender, maybe another color too) * Zinnia (Uproar Rose and probably Purple Prince) * Browallia (Million Bells series, the medium blue) * Vinca (lavender, can't recall the series name, I have to look at the old seed packet, and the Polka Dot ones - white with red eye) * Impatiens (Super Elfin Blue Pearl and White) * Petunia (Celebrity Sky Blue and White - just a few for the scent and sentimental reasons) * Vegetables and herbs: Cherry tomatoes, eggplant, daikon radish, basil, green beans, and maybe a few other things as well) I will probably grow more than this, but like I said I still have to plan it all out.