Submitted photo Winter sowing is the process of planting seeds in containers and leaving them outside during the winter months, so they are ready to grow in your garden when spring arrives.

I almost feel guilty writing about this because it is so simple that anyone can do it.

So, what exactly is “it”? It is winter sowing. This is the process of planting seeds in containers and leaving them outside during the winter months, so they are ready to grow in your garden when spring arrives.

Now follow along and before you know it, you have spring flower plants growing and providing you with a mid-winter boost. Let’s do this in steps.

First, collect one or more used gallon milk, water or juice jugs and sanitize thoroughly. Once clean, poke some drain holes through the bottom to let water drain out.

At the mid-point of the jug, cut horizontally around but leave a bit of it uncut to create a hinge. Throw away the cap.

Add about 3 inches of a well-draining potting mix, wet it thoroughly then let it drain through the bottom. Insert the seeds following the recommended planting depth shown on the seed packet, flip the hinged top down and then duct tape it closed wrapping around the cut.

I would recommend labeling the jug to identify what you planted and the date. Place this prepared jug outside in an area protected from the worst weather elements but still getting sun, plus rain or snow through the cap hole.

Now you are in a monitoring mode. Watch for emerging seedlings. On particularly warm or sunny days, you might have to flip the top half open so as not to overheat. You will need to close the top for overnight. Add water if the soil begins to dry, but be sure the bottom is still draining. Once the weather stays consistently warm, remove the top of the jug.

When seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall and have true leaves, carefully transplant them to small pots. Be careful — do not squeeze the stalk or destroy the roots and kill off the thriving seedling.

To help top off this article, I will share some suggested flower species to share with you, but there are more that work. You can get more recommendations from https://extension.missouri.edu. Native plants are great, such as purple cone flowers, black-eyed Susans or milkweeds to name a few. You can also start perennial flowers including Columbine, phlox, poppies or Shasta daisy. Consider some cool season annuals, which can include larkspur, sweet pea, snapdragon, pansies or nasturtium.

I hope I have you “hooked.” Happy winter gardening!