“Hardening off” is an important part of the process of getting your home-grown seedlings prepared for life outdoors. Seedlings grown in a greenhouse, under lights (as mine are), or even on a sunny window sill need time to adjust to the new conditions they will experience outside. These little plants have never been exposed to wind, have always had exactly as much water as they want, and have been protected from direct, unfiltered sunlight. In order to help them begin to adjust to their new environment, it is important to start putting seedlings outside a week before you plan on planting them in the ground. Put them out for just a few hours...