Another trick you can try is to presprout the seeds indoors first and then plant the germinated seeds outside into the cold soil. They would need some protection like a minitunnel or high tunnel though. There is also a danger that you will get the seeds germinated and little plants coming up during an early warm spell only to have them killed off by a really deep freeze when the warm spell ends. :( I'm trying to get an extra early start this year too, but I'm also in a little bit warmer zone here in Virginia. Soon I'm going to build some mini tunnels over my raised beds similar to the little hoop house shown at the link below. Here is a link that might be useful: Small Hoop House

Hi Guys... AWESOME feedback on Gardenweb, so be assured.... got tons of new non-GMO seeds for you, many are heirloom.. Please see my exchange list, some weird new stuff in...enjoy... can't wait to trade with ya!!!! http://www.gardenweb.com/members/exch/realbusy?10088 FYI - PHOTO IS OF "CHEESE PEPPERS" THAT I CANNED ..THESE CAN AND FREEZE WELL, THEY ARE COOL AND HAVE A LOVELY TASTE, UNUSUAL VARIETY..SEEDS STILL AVAILABLE...ENJOY.. I TOLD YOU I GOT SOME WEIRD STUFF~~ This post was edited by realbusy on Tue, Jul 22, 14 at 13:56

You have to maintain soil temps at 70 degrees to get lavender or rosemary seeds to sprout and grow, very difficult. Of course, my gravel walkway seems to handle this job just fine on its own. When I try to formally raise the lavender its a no-go. See what you can do to start your seeds with some warmth, you already have the seeds so there's no reason not to give it a try. I'd plant them now to have the plants ready for the fall.....if you are the kind of person to maintain lots of pots, etc. I've learned the hard way that I am NOT that kind of person and should do my planting and growing in the ground outside. If you are not successful with the seeds, try getting a plant or two and take cuttings to expand your crop. If you know someone in your area with a lavender they may be willing to give you cuttings from their spring trim back. You're welcome to come here for some, but it seems that's a wee bit of a drive just for some clippings. :-)

Carol, I bet it did grow well there in spite of the short growing season. I'm assuming they started their transplants indoors to get them large enough to plant out once the temps were in the appropriate range. And it is the exposure to sunlight that made the celery so green. Most commercially-raised celery is that whitish-green because the celery is blanched. I think the blanching is intended to keep the stalks tender as too much sunlight/heat gives you tougher stalks. Seedmama, Here's how Jeff Cox grows celery: GROWING CELERY: Several years ago I purchased a book by Jeff Cox called "Jeff Cox's 100 Greatest Garden Ideas". It is a terific book and I love it. One of his ideas is a way to grow celery even if you can't give it the marshy conditions it prefers. If I ever tried to grow celery here, I'd try Jeff's method. To start his seeds, he sows them 10 weeks before his last frost. He soaks his seed overnight before sowing them in peat pots and setting them on top of the fridge so the heat can help them sprout, which can take 2 weeks or longer. He digs a below-grade trench about a foot wide and 14" deep although he says you can do the same process with a raised bed if you'd rather build up than dig down. If growing in a raised bed, he recommends a minimum height of 6" and cautions anything raised any higher may get too hot for the celery. You still need 14" of depth, but with the 6" tall raised bed, you only have to dig down 8" instead of the whole 14". You remove the soil to a depth of 14" for the trench or 8" beneath the eventual raised bed and remove all the soil. Add compost and other organic amendments to create an enriched growing mix that will hold lots of moisure and refill the trench or, for the raised bed, refill the dug-out area and build the 6" tall raised bed above it. By the way, he recommends six celery plants per person. If you want, you can add tin cans with the tops and bottoms both removed or pieces of PVC pipe inserted vertically into the ground about to the same depth that your celery is planted, or a couple of inches deeper than that. To water, fill each can or piece of pipe with water and let the pipe carry the water down to the root level of the celery plants. In the illustration in the book, he has one vertical can or PVC pipe in between two celery plants in a sort of checkerboard pattern. (Texas tomato plant growers use this method to water tomatoes, only they use large flower pots or huge, instituitional-sized cans, to water the tomato plants...it is called the Texas Pot method.) After you harden off your seedlings, transplant them into the enriched soil which you've pre-moistened so it it nice and damp. He waters his transplants with an organic fertilizer consisting of 1 T. fish emulsion and 2 T. seaweed extract per one gallon of water. Mulch the top of the bed with leaves. As the plans grow keep adding leaves so the stalks are blanched. Blanching celery stalks (but not their topgrowth leaves which need sunlight to grow) helps improve their flavor and keep them tender. This is especially important in a hotter climate where heat stress can cause the stalks to get woody and tough. He recommends feeding monthly and watering as often as needed to keep the bed moist and damp but not soaking wet. His recommendation is that you harvest the plants roots and all before frost arrives in the fall. Store them in a box in a cool basement or similar area. If the storage area stays cool enough, celery will store for months. You also could store them in an extra fridge in your garage or laundry room or whatever. If you ever run across Jeff's book, it is a wonderful book with projects grouped by the season. Dawn