A raised bed makes the garden look like something that belongs there. At a basic level, a raised garden looks neat, especially if you are starting out. It gives your eyes a clear separation between weeds/lawn and veg bed. Placing cardboard around the outside of the box extending one foot outward and topped with generous amounts of wood chips works to keep weeds at bay... otherwise they'll be growing wild alongside and into the raised garden, greener and happier than most. I have used relatively thin wood of cedar, and they last 2-3 years easily. A raised bed of 8 inches needs some reinforcements to stay upright. If you "Google Image" "diy raised garden beds" you'll quickly get a good idea of how you can do this with either a drill/wood screws or nails and a hammer. You do not need to fill a new garden bed to the top with top soil and compost. You could fill it a quarter or halfway the first year, and just keep building it up over the years. If you do decide to buy compost, you may want to check out the compost first hand before you order it, see how broken down it is, and what their practices include (organic, etc). If you are thinking about starting a compost pile for the first time, you can just pile up leaves without having to think about it. Your grass seeds will definitely germinate in the future, and you can save yourself some hassle and not put grass clipping in your compost. A compost pile consisting partly of kitchen plant scraps is more likely to attract animals than a pile of leaves. You may want to ask your neighbor what kind of chemical products they've used in their garden before coveting their bags of yard waste for your compost pile. For a compost container I recommend the Geobin compost system... Some state governments (MD) give them out for free in certain states, otherwise they are cheap and flexible (resizable). I have a few of these and they work great.

I'm in SE PA (6b/7a) and wintersow tomatoes every year. You will get tomatoes at when you normally get them, the only difference being that the plants you transplant will be much smaller than what you see in the local nurseries. This is normal -- in a month they'll all be the same size. I wintersowed my tomatoes on March 6 and because of the abnormally warm weather we've been having I already have a few sprouts. I usually don't see them till April. Wait till they have two sets of true leaves to transplant and everything should be fine.

Hi! Back on the forum after a long absence. I'm in Zone 7b, and we've had some crazy weather lately (last week it was nearly 70, this week in the 40s). So I put my jugs out later than usual this year. So not totally sure about your first question as far as "when" in Zone 8. I posted earlier about some native seeds that I just put out a few days ago (used to put these outside in December) so waiting to hear from anyone about that. They're probably fine out there, but just double-checking since it's been a while since I winter sowed, and a lot of the natives need at least 60 days of cold moist conditions, so just a little concerned. But for your other questions: Container Location: I used to put my jugs in a sunny spot on an uncovered patio for the winter in the Mid-Atlantic, but I was in Zone 6b then, and those years we had very cold, snowy winters. Then once the seeds sprouted, I moved the jugs to a partial shade area under a tree. Now I'm in Zone 7b, so I put the jugs in light shade for their winter stay. Since you're in the warmer Zone 8 in the South, under the oak tree might be a better bet, especially in the late winter to early spring. Here's a link to a chat about containers and sun/shade: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1680459/do-ws-containers-need-shade?n=10  Soil: Seed starting mix: I've never used it for winter sowing. But I think it should be fine. I've heard of other people using it with good results. My only thought is that it could present a slight problem when you remove the "hunk-o-seedlings" from the container. Seed starting mix is so light and fluffy that it may not really clump well, making the "getting the hunk out of the container" process somewhat difficult. Unless you've layered the seed starting mix over some potting soil, the whole hunk might just kind of crumble during the removal-from-container process. But if the mix is damp, hopefully it will pretty much hold together during the "extraction process" as I like to call it. And the bakery containers might be easier to extract the hunk from than jugs, which are pretty stiff. For winter sowing, I usually just use regular ordinary potting mix. Right now I'm using "Espoma Organic Potting Mix" which is just what my local hardware store happened to have in stock. I think I used to use "Miracle Grow Potting Mix." The one thing you definitely DON'T want to use is any soil that says "Weed Free" on the bag. That stuff has chemicals in it that kill weeds (and your seedlings.) Definitely avoid. Also, I would probably avoid any potting soil that contains hydrogels or some other type of "moisture beads" especially if it tends to rain a lot in Alabama in the spring. Too soggy. Here's a link about soil options: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1668733/what-potting-soil-do-you-all-use?n=12 Damping off/Cinnamon: Never heard of cinnamon sprinkling to prevent damping off. That's really interesting. I'll have to try that. But I actually never had any damping off when I used the outdoor winter sowing method. Once in a while, I'd get what looked almost like moss growing on the surface of the potting soil. But no damping off. Good drainage in your containers is important. Not too soggy, not too dry. Here's some info on damping off / fungus in case this helps: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1712645/sprouts-and-fungus?n=4 Once it starts getting warm out, the thing to really be careful about is not letting the containers get too hot, which could fry your baby seedlings. And so, the springtime opening and closing process of the containers begins. I make holes for future pipe cleaner closers on my jugs, so I don't have to keep taping and un-taping once the weather gets warmer. Snapdragons: Have had great success winter sowing snapdragons in the past. They're a hardy annual, so do well with winter sowing. Your seeds sound lovely! Had not thought about mustards. I love dark-leaved plants. May try those as one of my edible ornamentals--thanks for the inspiration, and best of luck with your winter sowing!

I've been doing WS off & on in zone 5 & 6 since '94 & my best advice is Go For It! Until you get a feeling for your own microclimate I wouldn't use all of my most pricey or treasured seeds-experiment with just a few or start with inexpensive seeds (think $ store!) Normally I'd have started before now, but OH that snow! I can't get through the entire yard yet but can see the outline of the raised beds again. I usually start jugs in a somewhat shaded area (like UNDER the picnic table) & move them on top after they sprout. I always leave the cap off-it lets out heat if you get a warm sunny day & lets some rain get in. They can do just fine even under the snow, but make sure you have enough drainage so it's not an ice cube. Have fun!