I am down in the Bay Area, warmer but our nighttime temps can get into the high 20's. I just started my tomato seeds last weekend. I plant the seeds in 6 oz yogurt cups with 4 holes punched in the bottom (about 3mm each). I plant in plain old Supersoil Potting Mix. I put the soil in the cups dry then soak it through really good. Plant a seed in each one then spritz once more with a pump sprayer just to make sure the seed is good and moist. I keep the cups in a plastic tray with a dome, but any kind of loose cover to keep in humidity will work. I've used a plastic Rubbermaid bin that I've drilled holes in the top. That works. I leave them in the house until they sprout. I water them about once a week using a pump sprayer so as not to disturb the soil. Soak them until water starts dripping out the holes in the bottom. In the larger yogurt cups, you don't need to water more often than every 5-7 days, but when you do water, don't be stingy. The split second they sprout (and I mean split second to keep them from bolting for sun), I move them out to my workshop, which is a Tuff Shed unheated. They go under plain old shop lights. I have some reflective insulated panels I place around the seeds. The lights provide enough heat, and the insulated panels holds the heat in well enough even on those cold nights. I leave the lights on a timer about 14 hours a day (5 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and try to keep them about 2 inches above the plants, which means you'll need to be able to adjust the height as the seedlings grow. Below is a link to my gardening blog which shows my seed set-up out in the shop. I've never had a solitary problem, and all the plants I start from seed always outperform the occasional plants I might pick up at a garden store. I buy good seeds though. Johnny's is my choice, but there are other reputable companies. When the tomatoes outgrow the yogurt cups, I move them up to the Solo (keggar cups, I call them). By then, the weather is getting close to planting and I start leaving them in the yard during the day and bringing them in at night. You'll see lots of posts on my blog under the label "Seed Starting" that has plenty of pictures. Hope this helps! Incidentally, it's the folks on this forum who taught me most everything I needed when starting my garden, so you're definitely in the right place! Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Seed Starting

It is 2 different situations. Bottom watering by sitting the containers in an inch or so of water for a short period of time is what is recommended. Then remove them from the water. The gravel discussion is only for those few plants that either a) require excess humidity or b) will be left unattended for a period of time, say 2-5 days of vacation. The use of gravel plays a minimal, if any role, in average garden seed starting. Lighting as discussed in the How to get started FAQ and the Lighting FAQ is 99% of the time only fluorescent ie: 4' 2 tube shop lights. There are many discussions here about this that the forum search at the bottom of the page will pull them up along with pics that many of us have posted of our light set-ups. That is all that is needed for seed starting. LEDs and special grow lights or special colors only come into play when one is growing full grown plants inside under lights and need to encourage blooming etc. Mirrored sides??? Never heard of anyone using them yet millions start their seeds without them. Simple aluminum foil, the $2 mylar camping blankets, even white paint can all help with light reflection but the benefits are nominal and none of them are required for any reason. Well water is no problem. It is hard and chlorine free. It is artificially softened or some city water that can cause problems. Most packaged seed starting mix, what the majority use, and potting mixes are already sterile when you buy them. They are sold that way. If you mix your own out of non-sterile ingredients or use old mix then some recommend first treating it with boiling water. Seed starting can be as simple or as complex as you or the folks selling equipment for it want to make it. As with many things in life, simple is best. :) Dave

Lacey, all I can report is that my area of the PNW is one of the largest commercial producers of blueberries in the country. And while we have naturally acidic soils, they are only slightly to moderately acidic.......seldom as low as 5.5. I grew up working a summer job at a local blueberry farm, in which the bushes were only pruned annually, never fertilized and never amended and they produced massive crops. But it was located on the edge of a bog, so summer moisture was never an issue. No one I know amends their soil here to make it more acidic but nearly everyone has at least a few blueberry shrubs in the garden - they are quite ornamental as well as supplying tasty fruit. I would expect your sandy soil may have played a role in your blueberry experience. Hard to retain soil moisture with a sandy soil and the berries like a richly organic soil as well, which sand tends not to provide. fwiw, the largest wholesale grower of blueberries (supplies nurseries across the country) is located in Oregon and they don't even recommend a specific pH. All they caution is to plant in acidic soil (no specifics about how acidic) in an organically rich and moisture retentive medium. If they are not concerned about specific pH, neither am I. Nor does my experience bear it out to be as critical as everyone seems to think.

Due to the space limitation and the underlying infrastructure, don't plant directly in the ground. Cover the ground between the new patio and the fence with pea gravel or similar. Set rectangular planters over that with perennials that can take afternoon sun and heat. However, if you want more seating, perhaps a bench against the fence, along with planters, would be even better.