Last night, I reread my seed packets. It seems that my peppers are a little more persnickety than your average seed. To properly germinate, they need a constant 80 degree soil temperature.

The instructions recommended using a seed heating pad. I was completely flummoxed. A heating pad for SEEDS?

Who knew such a thing existed?

Do you use a heating pad? Is this a total gimmick or totally worth the investment?

The mismeasured grow light wounded Dave’s pride, but my last CPPC entry hurt his rep. If the shop dudes at the Science Museum of Minnesota should read a certain gardening blog, Dave would never live down those 2 1/2 inches.

A few days later, he returned with a jigsaw in his hand and victory on his mind.

After a quick sketch and a flick of the jigsaw blade, Dave cut grow light-sized hole out of the side of the CPPC. Brian held his breath as Dave slid in the light into place. It was a perfect fit.

Their honor newly restored, the two mounted the grow light to the CPPC. They plugged in the light and admired their craftsmanship.

“This is not as easy as putting IKEA furniture together,” Dave smiled “But it will definitely last longer.”

I thanked the gentlemen for their hard work and sent Dave home with some seeds, a gardening book and a homemade blueberry scone. As the boyfriend, Brian has become immune to the power of the scone. His thank-you gift will require a little more… eh hem… creativity.

Above: As Brian and Dave drill air holes for better ventilation, Lucky Lynx keeps a watchful (and glowing) eye on their progress. Though Lucky is usually indifferent to my affection, she will do anything to get a visitor’s attention.

(Note: The CPPC door is clear, not pink. The pink is actually light from the fluorescent tubes inside.)

Above: Mr. Puff (or Perpetrator Puff) inspects the CPPC for design flaws. Where I see seedlings, he senses mischief.

The corners are square. The box is strong. Then our feline friend, Lucky Lynx discovers that the grow light is 2 1/2 inches LONGER than the CPPC (Cat-Proof Protection Chamber).

Brian and Dave look at each other, then look at the CPPC. They re-measure the box. They re-measure the light. They hold their breath, exhale slowly — then scowl.

Yup, foiled by 2 1/2 inches of aluminium. Outsmarted by a grow light.

Yes. Yes, I did.

They arrived at the office yesterday. My over-enthusiastic “Whoo-Hoo!” and little dance was not well received by my cube mates.

What are you growing this year? What were your favorite garden impulse buys?

Before a foot and a half of snow blanketed our neighborhood (and favorite sledding hill), I asked the boyfriend if he had any special requests for this year’s garden. Last spring, Brian did all of the building. I did all of the planting and weeding. Then we both enjoyed eating the fruits of our labor. It was a pretty slick system.

Through the Seed Savers Exchange catalog, I fell in love with some warty, blue-cheese-colored cantaloupe and deep-green-almost-black watermelon. I also wanted to try some Hungarian tomatoes and some Bulgarian hot peppers.

Brian wanted more greens and melons that stayed off his lawn and in their raised beds.

Soon, the conversation switched from seeds to seed starting. There was a woefully underused growlight in the basement and some dog-eared Jiffy peat pots in garage. There were also four mischevious cats who enjoy sleeping under hot lamps and uprooting house plants. Planting seeds in unprotected pots was a recipe for a basement covered in dirt and furniture covered in muddy paw prints.

To give our seeds a safe start, we needed to create a CPPC (cat-proof protection chamber). We also needed to call in a favor from our friend Dave, a designer at the Science Museum of Minnesota. If Dave could kid-proof a traveling science exhibt, surely he could cat-proof our seedlings, right?

Dave embraced our challenge, then challenged us with questions crucial to the functionality of the CPPC. Which veggies work best under growlights? How many hours a day must the lights be on? How much humidity do you need? How tall do you expect your seedlings to grow? How many times will you need to transplant tiny seedlings into larger pots?

I was overwhelmed. Why can’t I just plant a seed in a Jiffy pot and call it a day?

Have you successfully grown veggies from seed? What are your seed-starting tips and tricks?