Flower seeds are often much smaller than vegetable seeds. Some are almost dust-like, and handling them is a real challenge. So when flower seeds fail to germinate, the fault is usually with the grower rather than the seed. Even professionals seldom have 100 percent success. You can assume that seed from any reliable seed house is viable.

Small seeded flowers such as begonias, impatiens, geraniums, salvia, petunias, and snapdragons need to be sown in February so that plants are large enough to set out on Mother's Day. Flower seeds need proper temperature, moisture, and oxygen to germinate. These requirements are a lot easier to provide indoors than in an outside flower bed.

Small, fragile seeds will die if they dry out during germination. To prevent seeds from being covered too deeply and smothered, they are often sprinkled over the top of the soil medium and watered in.

A small greenhouse is best for growing your own plants, but few of us are fortunate enough to have one. The next best option is to use fluorescent lights in an area of your home where you can have some control over temperatures and where spilled water won't be a concern. A basement corner or an unused room works well.

Place several 40-watt cool white fluorescent tubes about 6 inches apart and 1 to 4 inches above the plant tops to provide enough light to keep the plants growing normally until it's time to move them outside. Give plants at least 12 hours of light per day.

In addition to light, you'll need to figure out some way to give the seeds the right temperature for germination. Sometimes, a plastic tent over the lights will hold sufficient heat around the seed flats.

Use a light, porous medium for germinating the seed. The ready-made brands from your local greenhouse or nursery work well. These mixes are usually sterilized to prevent damping off diseases.

Timing is often the most difficult decision for those of us starting annuals indoors. If you start too early, you'll need a lot of room and light to keep the plants spaced so they don't become leggy. If you start too late, plants end up being too small to set out, and you lose the advantage of the early start.

Two flowers and one vegetable have been named All-America Selections (AAS) winners for 2008. Winners are selected after intense evaluation at trial gardens throughout the United States. Winners are awarded for unique characteristics such as abundant flowering, a different color or size, or disease and insect resistance.

Bedding Plant Winner
Osteospermum F1 'Asti White'

Pure white daisy flowers with blue centers are the main attraction for 'Asti White'. The large blooms are 2 to 2½ inches across. The plants reach about 17 to 20 inches tall and wide.

This plant is drought tolerant, which makes it a good choice for our dry summers. It thrives in a sunny garden, and it can be planted weeks earlier than other tender annuals. 'Asti White' plants will also bloom and recover from a slight frost.

The flowers remain open under cloudy conditions, unlike other daisy flowers that close. 'Asti White' plants even adapt well to containers, preferably 6-inch pots or larger.

Cool-Season
Bedding Plant Winner
Viola F1 'Skippy XL Plum-Gold'

The flowers on this winner are designed with plum shades surrounding the golden centers (face), which contain radiating black lines affectionately called whiskers. The blooms are small, about 1½ inches, but the number of blooms produced more than makes up for the size.

'Skippy XL Plum-Gold' won the AAS Award for its ability to grow a lavish number of blooms. In the North, this vigorous plant blooms from spring to the heat of summer. In the South, a fall planting may provide flowers throughout the winter.

The petite plant grows 6 to 8 inches tall and wide and is ideal for combination planters. Seed or bedding plants will be available in garden centers this spring or fall.

Vegetable Winner
Eggplant F1 'Hansel'

Best described as a miniature eggplant, 'Hansel' is small with finger-sized clusters of fruit. Just because of its smaller size, don't make the mistake of thinking it produces less fruit.

This strong plant, reaching less than 3 feet, produces clusters of three to six fruit. They mature early, about 55 days from transplanting into warm soil. This is about 10 days earlier than the comparison eggplant. If the 3-inch fruit clusters are left on the plant, they grow in size, but remain tender and non-bitter.

'Hansel' also grows well in containers. The plant fits nicely on smaller patios and decks yet still provides high yields of shiny purple eggplants ready to marinate and grill. 'Hansel' will be available as seed and young bedding plants.

For complete information on the All-America Selections, log on to www.aaswinners.com.

The 2008 Small Fruit and Strawberry School is set for March 4 and 5 at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn. The two-day event features a wide array of educational sessions and a trade show of vendors offering products, supplies, and services to small fruit and strawberry growers.

The program includes presentations from University of Illinois, Ohio State University, Penn State University, and Midwestern growers.

The Small Fruit School is March 4 with sessions running from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Illinois Strawberry School is March 5 with sessions running 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

The registration fee is half price ($15) for Master Gardeners. Contact the U of I Dixon Springs Ag Center for details, 618-695-2441. Or, email Bronwyn Aly, baly@uiuc.edu, or Jeff Kindhart, jkindhar@uiuc.edu.

When homeowners have significant tree damage, they may come to you with questions about appraising their lost or damaged trees. Sometimes, an appraisal must be done in cases dealing with insurance claims or litigation. As a Master Gardener, you should NOT attempt to make an appraisal; but, you can provide information to steer homeowners in the right direction.

While not totally precise, an appraisal will usually provide a fairly accurate value for the trees. Three different methods are used to determine value: assessed value of real estate, replacement cost, or a formula.

For assessed value changes, ask a realtor or land appraiser to assess the property with and without the trees. A good recent photograph may be needed to establish property value before the loss occurred.

Small trees may be appraised by determining their cost of replacement. Replacement cost should include removal of the destroyed tree, cost of the new tree, installation, and a post-survival guarantee.

For large trees, a formula method may be needed. The formula is based on an arbitrary monetary value for tree size and is subject to economic conditions. This basic value is then modified based on the following factors: cross section area, species, condition, and location.

Several factors, including legal precedents resulting from court cases involving tree appraisals, have made appraisals quite complex. It is unlikely that an untrained individual would be able to accurately appraise tree damage or loss and be able to defend the appraisal in court.

If the loss is significant, it is a job for a professional. If the loss is not major, a formal appraisal may not be required.

Snowdrop is one of the first signs of spring in our area. This small, hardy bulb produces white blooms in late January or early February, and it seems impervious to winter weather in Illinois.

The snowdrop has a pendant, six-petal flower. The three inner petals are always shorter than the outer petals. The inner petals are notched at the tip, with a green marking around this notch extending over the tip.

Once snowdrop is planted, it should be left alone for several years. The only reason to dig snowdrops is when you want to increase the planting. Unlike other bulbs that are dug after the foliage dies back, snowdrop is propagated by digging and dividing immediately after flowering while the foliage is still green. The bulbs should be replanted immediately after digging.

Snowdrop is an excellent plant to use for any part of the garden. It can be used on the edge of woodland areas or in front of borders in bold numbers. Snowdrop also makes an excellent container plant. As cut flowers, snowdrops provide a long-lasting display of spring.