It's been a tough last few weeks, weather-wise. With the Eastern half of the country freezing, snowing, icing, and the Western half . . . just . . . warm. Weirdly warm.

Lots of people I talked to said things like, "well I'd rather have the sunshine!"

I don't know for sure, but I expect that a lot of those folks didn't grow up in the west, don't have the bone-deep experiences of long droughts where each day without rain is another small disappointment added to the stack that eventually becomes very tall indeed. As the plants go from vibrant in the sun to withered in the dry heat. As the air goes from clear and fresh to dingy and dirty, not quite bad enough for health warnings, but not nearly healthy either. A limbo that can go on and on and on.

The "pleasantness" of it all adds a layer of irony. Yes, it's 68 degrees and sunny. If you're living through an ice storm, that probably sounds like heaven and you can't possibly imagine that anyone would be ungrateful for such a blessing. On the other hand, an unending string of 68 and sunny means there is no rain, no lushness in the plants, no freshness to the air. The gardens suffer. The forests suffer. And those of us who know that fire follows drought begin to worry (suffering in advance).

If you're interested in why the North American continent has had such an extreme difference between East and West, here is a blog post by Daniel Swain of Weather West, written a few weeks ago. The gist is that it's a planetary scale wave pattern between the tropics and the arctic that brings warmth north and cold south in an oscillating pattern.

Finally (finally!) the pattern is starting to break down this week. Relief is in sight for the whole continent.

What does this mean for seeds? Honestly, not much. Most of us should stick to our plans and indoor seed starting. Overall transplant times for spring haven't really changed.

Because we're about to get some much needed rain, those of us in warmer Western areas could take advantage of the moisture and direct sow the cool season crops that don't like transplant, like peas, turnips and carrots, and spinach.

It's also a good time to continue to make plans, get your grow light set-up dialed, and gather your supplies. In case you missed it, here is a recording of the "Seed Starting 101" webinar from earlier this week. Here's the Passcode: 1M4#imHq

And, of course, microgreens are year-round. (And are on sale through the end of the month: 20% off with code WINTERMICROS.)

Finally, another tidbit from the Good Nature, by Kathy Willis, the book I mentioned last week.

There is a LOT of solid new science behind aromatherapy, specifically for three kinds of scents: Lavender, rosemary, and cypress or juniper forest.

Lavender scent has been very convincingly shown to deepen sleep. (If you want all the cool experimental details, you'll have to go read the book.)

Rosemary keeps you awake and alert. It's particularly effective for safe driving.

(Relatedly, and worryingly, civet, which forms the "musk" base note for many perfumes, makes drivers more aggressive and prone to crashing.)

Cypress and juniper are overall very good for your health, including increasing the concentration of "killer" cells that help protect you from cancer. Hinoki cypress, a species from Japan, has been studied the most thoroughly because of the established practice of "forest bathing" in Japan.

So - how do you translate those findings into practical application in your life?

You can buy electric-powered diffusers that work with essential oils, using ultrasonic waves to disperse scent.

You can use reed diffusers that pull scented oil or water-based solutions through porous sticks to evaporate into the air.

You can also make scented sprays with essential oils. Here's a recipe for lavender spray that you can use on your pillow.

You can also use that same basic recipe to turn any essential oil into a spray. The secret is that a little bit of alcohol (vodka and isopropyl rubbing alcohol both work) emulsifies the oil into the water, making it sprayable.

Here's to a change in the weather!

Happy Seedurday,

Anne

When you’re ready, here are some more ways I can help you grow a thriving garden from seed:

1. Plan your seed-starting schedule with our ​free printable planner.​

2. Download the free ​Orta Seed Starting Handbook with all the basics you need to succeed with seeds.​

3. Take the guesswork out of watering with Orta Self-Watering Pots. (Find discounted factory seconds here!)

4. Join the Orta Seed Club to have 5 hand-picked, unusual & high-yielding varieties delivered to you every season.

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