You don't have to be an expert to grow food this summer--let Deb Sherman help you get your garden going

Starting your summer vegetable garden from seeds is more economical than buying starter plants. And it's a whole lot more fun, too!

My mom and I started my first garden when I was about 5. Placing seeds in the dirt seemed a mysterious prospect, but weeks later as tiny shoots began to spring from our tended earth, I was amazed. And hooked on gardening for life.

The ability of a tiny granule - with nothing more than a bit of careful placement, sun, water, and some key nutrients - to transform itself over time into a complex organism that produces roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and ultimately more seeds, seems miraculous. It's certainly an incredibly process to witness for both kids and grownups alike.

So let's get started...

First you'll have to pick what seeds you want to start, and this can be mind boggling in itself. A trip to your local gardening center will present you with literally aisles of options, which can seem pretty overwhelming. So here are a few things to consider:

• Plan to grow what you love to eat. Love greek salads with tomatoes and cucumbers? Then let's get some tomatoes and cucumbers going! 
• Think about space. Some plants require quite a bit more space than others, so depending on your garden setup (we'll talk more about this next week), be realistic about what you have room for. Squashes, eggplants, pumpkins, and the like can get quite large... if you're planning a small container garden, these likely won't do.
• Read the directions. I know this sounds motherly of me, but I find that reading the directions can often save me from serious headaches later. Most seed packets will tell you exactly how to best plant them, and many do not need to be started indoors (which is what we're doing today). Carrots, beets, and other root crops, for example, do best when you plant directly into the final garden destination... we'll get there in a few weeks.

Make sure your containers are clean, clean, clean.

Think of your seeds as little babies. They're delicate and susceptible to infection from things like mold, mildew, and other soil-borne diseases.

Also for this reason, you'll want to use a soil mix or starting mix that you purchase, rather than dirt from your yard. That way you know you're starting fresh and uncontaminated.  If this is not an option, you can sterilize dirt from your yard by baking it in the oven for about two hours at 170 - 180 degrees.

Fill your containers with your mixture and pack lightly with your fingers. Now water the containers to moisten the mixture through before placing your seeds. You'll likely need to wait a good 15-20 minutes for the mixture to really absorb the water.

Sprinkle your seeds into your containers. You can put several seeds in each container, as some will likely not germinate at all. And if you do get several viable plants in one container, they can be thinned and spaced out later when we put them in the real garden.

Now's the time to label your containers. Don't forget! This will be helpful later when we're placing our plants in the garden.  Many will look similar when they're small, but height and space requirements vary greatly so it's important to know what you've got.

Add a little more dirt on top of your seeds. Again, packet directions should provide guidance here... some need a depth of 1/4 inch on top, some more, some less. The tendency is to put too much soil on top, so be conservative.  In this case, it's good to be conservative!

Spritz with water to moisten top soil. I find this is better than pouring water on top which can actually wash your seeds away from the top of the soil.

You can cover with something to keep the moisture in if you wont be tending them regularly (I used plastic wrap lightly over the top to create a little greenhouse effect), but this isn't necessary if you keep your eyes on them and make sure they stay moist. Not too wet, or seeds will rot. Just moist.

There's a science to this stuff!

Now put your babies in a warm place. I use my windowsill as the sun warms them during the day, but sun is not critical at this point.  It's really just a matter of temperature (70 degrees is ideal). Some folks use the top of their refrigerator... whatever works.

That's pretty much it. Keep them moist, keep them warm, and your babies should be showing their little heads in no time.

Next week we'll discuss a variety of strategies for setting up your future garden - whether you have a yard, a small strip of land, or a patch of concrete, we'll figure out what works.

Folks: Let us know what you're planning on planting, and whether you've started your seeds. Any tips or tricks? Post in comments or email editor@oaklandlocal.com, please.