Our resident green design blogger Lyndsey Lewis is back to share a few thoughts for getting a jump on spring planting. As the owner of the 900-square-foot Little House in Little Rock, Lyndsey knows a thing or two about making a small space work for her needs. You can read more about the Little House on the At Home website, or trace the building process of her green home on the At Home blog here. February: quite possibly the most perfect time of the year. The end of winter is the time to start all over… for me, it just doesn’t get better than this.

For those of us optimist fools who planted bulbs last fall, the payoff is coming. Tom and I planted about 300 bulbs around the yard, so we’re excited to see what nature will do with our day of playing the the dirt last November.

I already see many of the flowers peeking out of the soil. Plus the pansies are still looking amazing! Starting seeds is one of the most amazing things in the world to me. It’s simply miraculous how you take what sometimes looks like little more than pebbles weighing about a gram, cover them in dirt, add water, and–POOF–there are beautiful herbs, flowers, vegetables.

If you have a black thumb, starting seeds can still be successful. Packets of seeds should cost less than $2.00. You can use any container with ample drainage (a cheap terracotta pot or even a large mixing bowl with gravel in the bottom will work) and generic potting soil.

Honestly, the packet of seeds will tell you exactly how, when, where to plant. But say you forget about it and the little plant dies, so what? Your self-esteem will recover, you only lost $10 total, and you’ve learned something new.

Happy February! I’ll be celebrating in the yard, working on my latest projects. I hope that you find this month as magical as it can be.