Well, let’s be grateful this isn’t Florida which is the most grossly overdeveloped, exploited state that I have ever been in. And its climate is fabulous. Therefore, let’s cherish our nasty weather, perhaps it will keep the hordes at bay.

But the greenhouse certainly is not happy with this either. It was 18 degrees outdoors this morning and the heaters were valiantly holding a steady 40 degrees at the lowest. Not bad. The ideal would be 50 but let’s take what we can get.

The tomatoes and peppers are planted into the bins and they are obviously delighted. There is nothing like natural light and a lot of it.

I made a real effort not to start the greenhouse the third week of March this year, to the point of leaving the state. The heating is becoming a bone of contention between me and my nongardening spouse. I will pull this from my arsenal when he wonders why there are no tomatoes come early July.

There are cutworms in the soil/compost so I have to be diligent. Keep in mind the practice of placing toothpicks or short skewers close to the stem of the seedling to thwart the attacks. Cutworms curl themselves around the stem and the picks are not to their taste. This prevention tactic has been working for me for several years. It is inexpensive and environmentally safe. Can’t beat that. Watch the leaves as well. If they are touching the soil the cutworm will climb and eat them. When you find them, just cut them in half with your scissors.

All of the vegetable seeds are happily in a sterile potting medium, well watered and covered in plastic so they won’t dry out. This is the worst that can befall seeds — drying out. You will lose the lot if you do not keep the works well watered. Read the seed packet directions carefully, there are some seeds that do not want to be covered with soil, just sprinkle them on the surface. The packet also will give you an idea of how many days to germination.

Keep a close eye on these seeds, as soon as they germinate remove the plastic or you may end up with cooked seedlings.

The few flowers that are being started this year are broadcast in three-inch-by-four-inch shallow, fiber containers. I really like broadcasting. Just sprinkle the seeds over the surface. When they germinate and are looking hardy enough, transplant them into a three-inch-by-three-inch container, just one to a container. You will have the most gorgeous seedlings you have ever seen.

I have been a proponent of four packs (versus the six packs that are commonly used) and now I am moving to even bigger containers for seedlings. If the weather turns nasty the seedling can survive comfortably in the larger container until the weather settles. If they are in a six-pack container, they will quickly and obviously hate their environment. Keep all of this in mind. I know that a larger container takes more potting soil, requires more room and is therefore more expensive so the commercial nurseries can’t make this happen. But the home gardener’s objective is the best plant you can grow. Give the seedlings plenty of room. You will be rewarded.

This is the year that I intend on watching my garden grow. There has been a huge amount of planting going on around here for the last eight years and I am just plain curious to see what is out there and how happy it is.

The annuals (plants that bloom the first year and die at the end of the season) I have started in spite of my best intentions are those I can’t be without: cosmos (two different heights), ammi (these Queen Ann’s lace look-alikes are wonderful around the bird bath), godetia, linum rubrum, California poppy “Carmine” (I couldn’t find Champagne and Roses) and sweet peas.

I am counting on the pansies coming back on their own. If they don’t, I will purchase them; it is too late to start them from seed now. There should be poppies galore including Lauren’s grape that have reseeded.

This whole reseeding business is tricky. Reseeding occurs when the seed pod of an annual has time to ripen and burst, effectively scattering its seeds all over the place. This has been working so far with bachelor buttons, nemophilia, godetia and alyssum. Some of the poppies are reseeding.

The problem is that I am a weeder. I don’t give any of these plants a chance to show me if they have reseeded. Even the fritillaria, a spring bulb, will reseed freely. I have to give all of this a chance to germinate and show themselves. But there I am, weeding and making the beds neat, ruining any chances they may have had to carry on. I am my own worst enemy.

And you think I would learn.

Note: Homer Garden Club meets at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Cowles Council Chambers in City Hall. Janice Chumley from the Cooperative Extension Service in Soldotna will speak on chocolate slugs (a new-to-us pest that needs to be dealt with) and the potato blight, a lurking menace that we need as much information on as we can possibly get. Also Toby Tyler’s topic is “Weeds and Weeding” just in case you need an ID on chickweed.

When starting seeds or making divisions of perennials keep the June 3 Garden Club Plant Sale in mind.

Rosemary Fitzpatrick has been gardening with gusto in Homer for 27 years.