Traditionally hügelkultur has been used as a way to build soil. Typically you would dig a hole in the ground, line it with large logs (preferably ones that have started rotting or decomposing), stack it with smaller ones, add mulch or leafy debris, and then top it with compost and soil. By the time this pile is constructed, you have a mound that is as tall as it is wide.

Purchasing seeds can seem like a big investment but growing from seed can actually save you a lot of money when you have a large garden. A packet of seeds is usually $2-$5 and can produce 10-100+ plants. A start from a nursery is $3-$5 and will produce 1-3 plants (typically just one but sometimes there’s an extra one or two plants in that pot!). This post will share where and what seeds I purchased for this season and reflect on some of the mistakes I’ve made in the past.

I have been organizing my seeds and grouping them by date and type of planting for a few years now. All of the seeds I will start indoors the first week of February are grouped together with a cover sheet that has the date. I created some dividers based on this system and laminated them. I used a dry erase marker on them to mark dates so I can reuse them year after year. I loved them so much that I want to share them with you!

Seed packets are akin to food labels, it seems no one really reads them anymore and if they do, they aren’t sure what they’re reading. There’s a lot of jargon that I often take for granted - hardiness zone, hardening, direct sow, transplant, maturity, annual, biennial, and that’s just on the seed packet! Let’s decode some of this info so you can get growing with confidence this season!