I live in Northern Pennsylvania- when would be a good time to start my vegetable and flower seeds indoors to be ready to plant around Memorial Day? TIA

I need to make my vegtable garden a little smaller, both length and width. I currently am using what the previous owner had in the yard (I think they are rail road ties) to border off the garden. I want to replace the wood - stain it to match the deck, and install it as the new border. However, all the wood I see at Home Depot has been treated to prevent rotting. I would think I don't want chemicals like that in my soil. What's the best wood to use and can I stain it? Also, I need to use chicken wire, I have lots of rabbits and the occasional fox who stops by. Here's a pic [url]http://photos.yahoo.com/kevlicko[/url]