INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Head lettuces take longer to mature. If you start the seeds inside, the plants can benefit from an earlier planting date, and therefore a longer growing season. Iceberg and romaine are two common types of head lettuce. If you're planting loose leaf lettuces, skip down to these instructions. If you are planting in late spring or summer, you may need a heat-resistant variety such as Jericho. This is especially important if you live in a hot climate. You can start your lettuce seeds in store-bought seed trays or make your own out of an old egg carton, box or newspaper. Fill the seed trays to within 12 inch (1.3cm) of the top with a soilless growing medium. Moisten the medium in preparation for sowing the seeds. Seeds already contain the nutrients they need to germinate, so you can plant them in a soilless growing medium. You can buy a growing medium or make on from an equal mix of vermiculite, perlite, and milled sphagnum moss. Since the seeds will be moved to the ground once they sprout, the aesthetics of your seed trays aren't as important as their functionality. This will give them time to germinate and sprout before the ground gets soft enough to plant them outside. Scatter seeds evenly into the compartments in the seed tray. Use your fingers to gently press them into the growing medium. Place the tray in a sunny window and keep the growing medium moist at all times. If you let it dry out, the seeds may not be able to grow. You can cover the seed trays with a few layers of newspaper for the first week or so, until the seeds sprout. Keep the newspaper moist with water at all times, and remove the newspaper when you see green shoots coming up. Don't overwater the seeds. If they get waterlogged they may not be able to grow. The earliest you can transplant your seedlings is two weeks before the last spring frost date. Dig holes in rows 16 inches (40.6cm) apart, just deep enough to plant the root balls underground. Lift the lettuce seedlings from the seed tray and place them into the holes. Gently pat soil around the roots so that the seedlings stay upright, planted to the same depth they were in the trays. Water the seedlings thoroughly. For best results, "harden off" the seedlings first by placing the tray in a sheltered outdoor area part of the time. Do this for two or three days, increasing the amount of outdoor time each day. You can continue to grow indoor seedlings and transplant them outside throughout the growing season. Select heat-resistant varieties for summer transplanting. Use a watering can or a hose with a diffuser spray nozzle to water the lettuce garden. Don't completely drown the seedlings in water; just make sure the soil is damp. Use alfalfa meal or slow release fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen. This will keep the lettuce growing fast and strong. When the leaves look mature enough to eat, resembling lettuce leaves you'd buy in the grocery store, cut them with a harvest knife or scissors. After a few weeks, when the plant is mature, you'll want to cut the whole plant from the ground. If you leave it in, the lettuce will eventually go bad. Harvest leaves in the morning. They acquire a crispness overnight, and they'll retain it if you harvest early. See How to Harvest Romaine Lettuce for harvesting this type of lettuce. Lettuce starts to "bolt" in hot conditions toward the end of the growing season. It begins producing seeds and acquires a bitter taste. You can keep this from happening by pinching off the center of the plant. If a lettuce plant does end up bolting, go ahead and pull it up. If you don't eat your lettuce right away, you can store it. If you put it in a plastic bag with some paper towels, it should keep for up to ten days.

SUMMARY: Choose a head lettuce variety for indoor planting. Prepare seed trays. Sow the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. Give the seeds plenty of sunlight and water. Transplant into the garden. Fertilize the lettuce three weeks after transplanting. Cut mature leaves. Store harvested lettuce in the refrigerator.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Line the room from corner to corner with the streamers, or hang them over the entryway to welcome your guests to the party. Use the free-floating balloons to fill in the adjoining ceiling space. If you're decorating a larger venue, consider hanging up a banner. You could also mix-and-match your green decorations with orange and white ones to pay homage to the Irish flag, or deck out the room in rainbow colors as a callback to the leprechaun legend. If you've got a lot of balloons to inflate, renting a helium tank can save you valuable time (and give your lungs a break). Cover your dining or refreshment table with a green tablecloth and pick out white plates for your guests to eat on. Tie it all together with orange napkins or plastic cups. Color-coordinating your dinnerware is a simple, inexpensive way to make sure that all the colors of the flag are represented. Scatter a handful of green sequins or paper shamrocks over the tabletop to provide the finishing touches. Cover the walls with stick-on decals, or look for garlands with the signature three-leaf shape. Some stores even sell novelty shamrock string lights and other party supplies that are a cinch to throw up around the room. Get creative with your use of shamrock decorations. For instance, you could cut out and laminate your own shamrock coasters, or use shamrock-shaped signs to serve as guides for guests visiting your home for the first time. The shamrock is one of the unofficial symbols of Ireland, which means it can go anywhere and everywhere on the holiday devoted to the country's patron saint. Fill a plastic pot with candy coins wrapped in shiny gold leaf. You can use your edible arrangement as a centerpiece for the dining table, or assemble a few of them and place them on various surfaces throughout the room. Stick a rainbow made from pipe cleaners or papier-mache in each pot to lead the way. A prop cauldron leftover from Halloween can make the perfect base for your pot of gold. If you're having trouble finding a suitable container, try painting a few small flower pots black and embellishing them with gold or silver glitter. St. Patrick's Day is an informal occasion for most people. If you'd rather not go to the trouble of giving your home a green and gold makeover, just call up a few of your closest friends and invite them over for some food, drinks, and laughs. The true spirit of the holiday lies in the joy of coming together in celebration. Colorful decorations and accessories may be better suited for workplace festivities and parties aimed at younger kids.

SUMMARY:
Put up green streamers and balloons. Set the table in the national colors of Ireland. Display the shamrock proudly. Create a pot of gold using chocolate coins. Keep things casual.