a bit, you want to start your seeds about 5 weeks before the average last frost date which is about the 2nd to 3rd week of May for you

Hi Carmie-

When you start depends on what you're starting. All the ones you mention like heat (and sulk in the cold), and so you'll just drive yourself nuts watching them get wan and leggy (which may work for Kate Moss, but not for seedlings) inside. However, there are some tropicals that have very long germination periods (like 3 weeks) that you could start earlier, and some grow slower than others, etc. I've found seed packets' recommendations to be pretty reliable. By the way, do you know about hardening off? When it's warm enough to plant outside, put your seedlings out for one hour one day, then 2 the next, then 4, then all day. Seedlings that have been inside are kind of wimpy when it comes to sun and wind, and need to adjust gradually.

Sorry for lecturing. I'm a professor. Occupational hazard.