Itching to get gardening? Here are somethings you can get started right now (February 2021) inside, to later transplant inside.
Begonias
Start your begonias inside putting the begonia starts in trays or individual pots. Once they emerge from the soil, place them in a bright but indirect light area. Keep the soil moist. Plant outside once night time temperatures remains above 10-16 degrees Celsius.
Sweet Peas
Start your sweet peas indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. You can start them any time really as of mid-February! Start them in individual pots and place in a bright area of your home such as a sunny window sill. Grow lights can be used as an option as well if you don’t have access to a sunny window. When the sweet peas get to be about 6-8 inches tall pinch them right back to about 2 inches. The seedlings can go outside when nights are still cool but temperatures during the day remains more or less above freezing.
Did you know sweet peas can grow up to 6 ft or even higher? Many people will grow them around an arch way. It smells just like heaven! Laurelle refers to these little vines as piglets. They love their food, water, good soil and grow like gangbusters! Part of what contributes to the strong growth, is a cooler start and getting pinched back in the early stages. They’ll grow strong roots and side branches by roughing them up initially.