Now is the time that seed catalogs for next year are being published…  This is the time to begin planning what to plant next year.  There are certain plants that do well in the cold or need to be started indoors while it is cold – such as carrots, lettuce & even tomatoes at a certain point.  The starter plants found in greenhouses may be bearing fruit by May.  These were likely started in late March, for example.  Some of my own tomato plants self-seeded this year.  I dug up the plants, put them in pots & they’re sitting under a grow light right now.  They don’t look the healthiest, but they are far from dead.  Once the temperatures go up a bit, they may be revived.  I’m eager to see how they do once it’s warm enough to transplant them – if I can get them to survive the winter…

Seed catalogs are often published & December & that’s the time to begin thinking about what you may want to plant come spring.  Also consider when you may need to start plants if it is possible to do so.  Some plants, such as peas & broccoli, can be started very early (March or even February) at home/indoors & transplanted as soon as the temperature is consistently over 32 degrees.  Some plants, such as certain types of carrots, need to be planted outdoors when it is cold because the cold plays an integral part in germination…