We’re hit that dreary, gray time of year in Northeast Ohio—the time that makes most of us think longingly of summer, of spending time outside, and, of course, gardening.

The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes recognizes that many people’s green thumbs are itching to get outside and dig in the soil, and they are probably daydreaming about the Annual Plant Sale.

Fret not, says Nature Center natural resources manager Nick Mikash. People can indeed start their gardens now with the help of its Winter Seed Sowing Workshop on Monday, Feb. 19. Mikash and Nature Center volunteer Nick Fletcher lead the workshop, which focuses on native seeds but can also be applied to vegetables or other seeds. Mikash says it’s a perfect event for anyone looking to get a head start on their gardens.

All participants need to do is bring their clean milk and cider jugs to the workshop. The Nature Center will provide the seeds from its Native Seed Library.

“The great thing about native seeds is they can be sown in winter and then put outside immediately in the prepared milk jugs,” Mikash explains. “The seeds do the rest and need little care aside from watering in extended dry periods.”

Not only does the workshop allow gardeners to start digging in the soil now, Mikash says it allows participants to get around the limits of the Northeast Ohio climate. “This method gives your seeds a head start, as the milk jugs act like mini-greenhouses—protecting the plants from harsh weather and animal predation,” he explains. “You can then plant the head-started seedlings in your garden in spring or summer. It's also a great way to start trees!”

Winter Seed Sowing at the Nature Center at Shaker LakesMikash adds that just about all native seeds do well with the milk jug method. He warns that some seeds take longer to germinate than others, but the jugs speed up the process by months.

Another added benefit of winter seed sowing: “Some of these perennials may flower the first year, which is not typical [when] you sow seeds directly in the ground in the spring,” explains Mikash.

While any type of seeds can be used with the jugs, Mikash says he recommends native seeds—like rose milkweed, wild columbine, ironweed, coneflower, or rose mallow—for a variety of reasons. Primarily, native plants support area wildlife.

In our urbanized environment we are losing pollinators at an alarming rate and providing native species is an easy way to help by creating habitats for pollinators and other wildlife,” he explains. “Native plants are also adapted to our Northeast Ohio conditions, as they evolved here, so they need less care, less water, and there is a native plant that will fit every possible condition in your yard.”

Mikash adds that native plants are a win-win choice. “They look beautiful and provide habitat,” he says, “and you'll also get to see a variety of butterflies, beneficial insects, and birds in your backyard, or on your porch or patio.”

The Nature Center’s Native Seed Library is housed in a repurposed card catalog. Anyone can check out up to seven packets of free seeds.

There are only a few tickets left for the Feb. 19 Seed Sowing Workshop. Mikash says this latest workshop was added after the first two workshops sold out.

“I am happy to say that we have a growing interest in native plants in the area, and it's also nice to think about gardening and get your hands in the soil in the midst of a cold Cleveland winter,” observes Mikash. “People seem really excited after the class and I look forward to hearing about their success this growing season.

The next Winter Seed Sowing Workshop is on Monday, Feb. 19 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd. Tickets are $5 and registration is required.