Garden Center at Highlands Ranch #1540

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Clean out the shed and sweep the gazebo to prepare for warmer temperatures, fragrant breezes, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you'll be ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring annuals when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to plant seeds directly into the soil. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting veggies, spring flowers, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted by climate. Find your zone on the USDA planting zone map and learn when to plant flower bulbs and seeds.

For example, you could transplant bell peppers outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Always read your seed envelope for details. If you start your plants a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone: Pacific Mountain Desert
The diverse topography of this area means planting times vary. Desert areas are in Zones 7 to 10, depending on location, and areas with more elevation are in chillier Zones 4–6. Both mountains and deserts are can have extreme conditions, so consider indoor gardening as a strong supplement to growing outdoors if possible.

In the desert, native plants like succulents, cacti, and hardy desert shrubs will grow outside with ease. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like nightshades. If you start them indoors and carefully introduce them outdoors in the shade, you can enjoy raising vegetables even in a dry climate. However, many flowers are sensitive to that much heat and sun, so research to find which varieties can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

Colder regions in Zones 6–8 should wait a little longer to plant, and all these zones need to wait an additional month before planting seeds outdoors rather than indoors. Mountainous regions in Zones 3, 4, and 5 will have the shortest growing season, with seed starters going in later in the spring. Although the weather may vary, waiting until the frost has passed will give your seeds the best chance at a healthy and hearty life.

Check out cole crops and certain herbs if you're ready to get planting. This includes cabbage, kale, and broccoli. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including parsley, oregano, and basil, also don't mind a jump on things. In Zones 4–6, traditional garden vegetables, like bell peppers of all kinds, cucumbers, and tomatoes, are fine with a late winter or an early spring start indoors under the grow lights.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. There's less planning and tending than growing indoors. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed pouch and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You could have no germinating seeds or all of them might sprout. A critter might munch the tender seedlings for a snack. All the seeds you plant in each hole may sprout, so you'll need to choose the most robust sprouts to survive in a process called thinning. Bugs or garden pests might make a meal out of your seedlings before they take off. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
You can save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors in your own plant nursery. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want grow lights and heat mats to go with your nursery pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your nearest nursery — to plant tiny soil plugs with seedlings. You can also use pots with seed starter mix and potting soil.

Measure your finger to use it as a ruler. In general, you'll press 3–5 seeds into the soil at the proper depth. Mark where you planted the seeds with a plant tag or toothpick. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Watch Over Your Sprouts
When your seeds have sprouted but aren't ready to go outside yet, you can still prepare them for outdoor life. These micro-seedlings are fragile — only an inch or so high, with the tiniest seedling leaf or two — but they're resilient. Seedlings don't get all this pampering in nature, so they can handle more than you think. However, your sprouts are still babies, so don't go overboard. You can even use an oscillating fan on low to strengthen their stems by mimicking the wind.

Harden The Seedlings
Once your seedlings have sprouted and are a few inches tall, start hardening them off. This is a process of gradually introducing them to the outdoors, strengthening them in the long run. Hardening means your sprouts and seedlings are less likely to die during a sudden cold snap.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
In quality soil, dig a hole that's the same size or bigger than your plant's dirt plug. Carefully remove your transplant without pulling on it, keeping it inside its clump of dirt. Place your transplant in the ground, and fill any extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil and fertilizer, then water it well. Only apply as much fertilizer as is recommended, as adding more could burn the plant. Consider putting up garden fencing or other protective measures if deer, squirrels, rabbits, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Enrich Your Garden With Mulch
Nourish your garden bed with mulch and compost. Mulch keeps your soil from drying out and controls weeds. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch and compost can be purchased in-store, or you can learn how to make compost DIY-style. The next time you're searching for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the correct amount.

Greet the Spring
Late winter into early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden, and browse your nearest nursery to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. If you don't have a lawn, consider adding a pellet grill, an outdoor rug, or artificial grass to your patio or balcony. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Highlands Ranch Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.