Although February is too soon for planting all summer flowers and vegetables in the ground, it’s certainly not too early for planting seeds. Ambitious gardeners with lots of space to fill can grow their own transplants in flats or peat pots filled with sterilized potting soil or seed starter. Use bottom heat (70° F, 21° C) from a heat cable or pad to germinate seed. (Alternatively, a 15- or 20-watt bulb in a “trouble light,” protected from moisture by several layers of plastic, can be used under flats raised on bricks or flower pots.)
Bright light for healthy transplants can be provided by a fluorescent shop light hung 7 to 10 inches above your flats. Leave it burning from fourteen to sixteen hours per day.
When it is time to move plants outside and/or transplant them into the ground, give them a gentle transition into the garden — first a week in the shade, then one in full sun, bringing them inside at night. The third week leave them out at night too, to harden them off.
White’s has a great selection of seeds from Burpee, along with soil and containers-all the supplies you need for starting seeds.