Spring planting fever is most likely akin to cabin fever. It goes hand-in-hand with stir crazy. Simply put, the weather, the seasonal alignment, is preventing one from doing now what can be done later. A simple solution would be to go ahead and start your seeds. You may find more relief in this take-an-aspirin approach than you might imagine.

Not that anyone would plant a garden in snow covered ground. I'm talking about displacement. The substitution of one activity for another with lesser, equal, or maybe even greater satisfaction. If displacement is successful a person may make a happy compromise within their psyche. Compromise made equals no psyche stir crazy feelings.

This is where starting seeds indoors comes into play. Think of it as an alternative therapy designed to pacify the primordial urge to replicate favored herbage.

Sometimes spring planting fever may be accompanied by odd behaviors. These behaviors may include shoveling the snow off your neighbors sidewalk. This is so you don't feel like a bum asking them for their empty egg cartons, plastic soda bottles and boxes. It may include going through your outside pile of gardening junk from last season. Even worse, and most symptomatic, you may move all furniture away from the best sunlit windows in your home. As long as you don't hear drums beating like the call of the wild you may survive.

The simple truth is there are ways to start seeds indoors without spending a lot of money. It is good to go through this stage of experimentation. You will get results. When spring finally gets here you will have something to set outdoors and cultivate at your leisure. As time progresses you may want to upgrade with some fancy, but simple seed starting equipment, or you may start your own greenhouse. The sky is the limit and the sun is out there waiting for you.

Displacement works. Once indoor seed starting becomes part of your gardening experience there's no turning back. What's to turn back to? An inferior garden you were constantly pulling weeds? Rootbound retail plants that sit in your garden, wilt and die? Why not cultivate the best plants you have nursed from birth?

Every year I break up cabin fever starting seeds indoors. Even after it is warm enough to set plants outside. It is easy to wash out and use the same containers. Replant. Set them back in the window where I first started them. This can lead to too many plants. You may have to start another garden. Or you may share your plants with your friends.

It is easy to adopt indoor seed starting as a regular winter ritual. Starting seeds indoors, if you have not already discovered it, will multiply your gardening success.