I've started Stevia from seed. The germination rate is VERY low, and it's really slow in the beginning, but it takes off once outside. One thing about starting from seed I didn't know the first year: a lot of plants (stevia, basil, etc but not peppers or tomatoes) need to have their growing tips snipped so they'll grow bushy. My stevia were kinda sad that first year - rangy. If you're in zone 10, your growing season is longer than mine here in New Hampshire. But I did want to make sure you knew that many of the things you've mentioned are usually started already by now. I started my peppers weeks ago, for instance. And the parsely - sheesh - that you have to start in late winter here. Your local Cooperative Extension service should have something on the web or that they can mail to you with typical seed starting schedules for your area. It's all based on the average last frost date. Please don't despair about your garden dreams if you decide it's too late! This year you could buy some things already started and foucus on getting your soil built up, learn how to care for them once in the ground, etc. Parsely makes me cranky, so I'm thinking of giving up after this year. Or I may just start more. It's a biennial, so the one grace is that last year's always comes up, too. Chamomile I've also had some trouble with - it needs cold stratification. Looks like I have some seedlings coming up where last year's were, though - and they look better than last year's. You can make sweet potato slips from sweet potatoes in the store, but many people order them, too. This is my first year for sweet potatoes, so I can't offer advice about which is best. I ordered slips so I could make sure I had ones for northern climates - it's pushing it to try to grow them here. Rosemary's supposed to be very hard to germinate. I haven't tried, and I'll try hard stuff. Peppermint is sterile, and so peppermint seed isn't really peppermint seed. I've grown spearmint from seed, but the one I bought at my local garden store is yummier. Mint is something it's good to buy local. Mint is highly variable, and what's often suggested is that you crush and sample a leaf to make sure you are getting one that appeals to you. Stevia might be better this way, too - I'm not sure. Mine's ok from seed. Don't buy lettuce started - seeds are cheap, and it starts easily. Basil, too. I usually have close to 100% germination with my basil - heat mats help. Root veggies like carrots and beets are usually started where they will be grown because they don't transplant well at all. Carrots needs to be kept moist to start. It sounds to me like you're pretty interested in this. A good reference about veggies and basic herbs is The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Ed Smith. He has good info about starting them from seed. For flowers, this year I bought The A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom by Eileen Powell. It's also amazing, and helpful - good info about their requirements (temps, light or dark, etc) and how hard each is. You might also think about adding marigolds to that list. They're easy to start from seed, and good companions for your veggies. The "Gem" marigolds, or tagetes tenuifolia are edible, too.

They are perennial here but do better in the North-at least at my inlaw's garden in W. Virginia. I have Geranium macrorhizum, which is perennial for me and a really tough ground cover for shade. It doesn't flower for very long. I have also grown Rozanne in part shade as a perennial for about four years but I lost it in the drought last year. Squirelly Pete (Georgia forum) grows geraniums too. Susan.

I had lots of red geraniums and also a white one, but this one was grown from cuttings and never develops seed pods. I guess the only way to really know is wait for flowers. It's really cold here so I don't expect much growth for the next months, but once they flower I'll post pics.

I have grown annual geraniums from seed for numerous years. Didn't have the chance to order seeds in time to start here in Pa so I picked up 2 packets of the Burpee Paint Box Mix, (similar to the Orbit shown). The get the most germination rate take the seeds and place between 2 layers of sandpaper, lightly scratch the hard seed coat. This year I tested the window peat pellet, dome covered trays from Lowes, I didn't have my propagation bed running at that early time, so placed them in a West facing window. Germination occured 4-5 days after be planted in the peat pellets,90% success rate. After first true leaves,(3 weeks) I repotted into 2 inch pots. Placed in a West facing indoor hothouse. Now they have 3 sets of true leaves at 6 weeks from sowing. Testing the Miracle Grow with time release fertilizer potting soil and they seem to like it, but will start bottom watering with a balance fertilizer this weekend. Go for it! You might get addicted like me! This year I will have 30 geraniums started from seed, to buy that amount already grown would have cost me over 100.00. Well worth the 4.00 for seed and 4-5 dollars for peat pellets I'd say.