New to this.......

Has anyone ever tried starting seeds in their basement for the spring. We live in Minnesota where it seems we get a few short months of growing time. I would love to have a hobby in the winter and be able to start on my plants early from seed.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Meghan

I don't have a basement, (wish I did), so I use my laundry room shelves. Under-the-counter-florscent lights and a heating mat works fine for me. Once the seedlings get big enough to transplant, I put them into clear plastic cups and off to the sunroom they grow. When the winter blues set in sowing something always makes me feel better. I've probably got close to 100 perennials growing now that I started inside my laundry room. I'm starting annuals right now to get a jump on spring.

Deborah♥

Oh, Meghan, you're in for some winter fun! I'm about to start sowing a few things here, clearing out the area around my seed starting shelves in the basement...

I wrote up a bunch of stuff about the way I start seeds here, http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/589725/. Any questions or comments, please just bump up that thread and ask.... I do tend to be very wordy, probably tried to include too many details, so please don't be put off by the length of what I wrote... it's all pretty straightforward, and it's so rewarding to see those little green sprouts!

Meghan, I start my seeds in my basement. The temps stay below 65 degrees most of the time so I use heat mats to jump start the ones that need 70 or above to germinate. Most of those can grow at lower temps so I don't add heat after they break the soil. I'm with Deborah about chasing the winter blues through sowing seeds. Have fun!
Digs