It's Almost a Wrap!

One would imagine that the Kitchen Garden as well as the Rose Garden would be settling down for a long winter's nap. One would be wrong.

Even though we had frost and a freeze in both October and November, we are now experiencing a period of balmy, Spring-like weather here in the Piedmont of NC. So, my December pictures of the harvest from our gardens are quite unexpected.

Enjoy them while you can. At least that's our approach to this wacky weather!

Raised bed of greens:
7-Top Turnip (left and right); Collards (center)

Raised bed of lettuces; hoops and row covers showing

Ready for my salad:
bibb and red sails lettuces; spinach; and carrots

What is this narcissus doing blooming
in the Rose Garden in December?

Christmas centerpiece: roses, mums, n
arcissus, rosemary, and pineapple sage...
all from our garden!

Goodbye February, Hello March

What does a Piedmont/Zone 7b garden look like as the month of February comes to a close? More white than green, as the photos (taken 2/26/15) show!

Snow days, together with an enforced (left) 6-week wrist-resting period due to a diagnosis of de Quervain's Tenosynovitis, have conspired to limit my outdoor activities in February. I missed checking off most...if not all...of the items on the To Do list (as shown in this previous post). Instead, you will likely have found yours truly inside, in front of the fire, holding a steaming cup of coffee rather than a garden trowel. Still, I have continued to study seed catalogs and draw up plans for the 2015 gardens (in pencil...in my garden journal...:-).

Looking ahead to the ten-day weather forecast, it is easy to see that we are headed for warmer temps. Time to think in earnest about March!

Here's what my own "To Do in March" list looks like:

Soil: Bed and Row Preparation —

1. Our heavy Piedmont clay soil is very wet going into March, so we'll check the soil before digging, cultivating, or tilling in any of the gardens. [Walking on wet soil will cause it to compact, but we have gone completely to raised beds and raised rows, connected in a system of wide pathways.] We'll test the moisture level in the soil the old-fashioned way: make a small ball of it in the palm — if it wads up and sticks together it is too wet; if it is fairly crumbly — we are good to go to work the soil.
2. When we can work the soil in the row garden, we will add amendments, such as compost and leaf mold, to allow for better drainage. This will make the native clay soil more friable...to give the soil "good tilth." Tilth is the "physical condition of the soil as it relates to tillage ease, seedbed quality, easy seedling emergence, and deep root penetration." While peat moss is often recommended as an amendment, it adds to the acidity (decreasing the pH), and our soil test showed a typical Piedmont soil with a pH in the range of 5.2-5.9, which is too low to support (almost all) healthy, productive veggies. We've added line to raise the pH per our soil test report, so we won't use peat moss to negate all our efforts.
3. Raised beds provide better drainage, so they will be workable before the row garden. Each raised bed will get 1-2 bags of compost prior to planting, along with a fluffing up to decrease compaction from the snowfall.

Veggies and Herbs — 

1. St. Patrick's Day is the traditional time to plant English peas and potatoes. The peas will go on the fence surrounding the Block Garden, and the potatoes will go in the grow bags.
2. We hope to be seeing the first shoots of asparagus, which is in its 5th year of production in its own bed. Last fall, we covered the bed with the compost-rich soil from the potato grow bags to help keep the crowns in place during winter heaving. We should be able to enjoy harvesting this perennial for 4-5 weeks, beginning when soil temps reach 50 degrees. While asparagus dislike sharing their space with anything else, I might add some pansies here this spring. They'll add color, and we can use the blooms in salads.
3. Speaking of salads, it'll soon be time to seed lettuce, carrots, spinach, and beets. We will also be setting out transplants of broccoli and cabbage.
4. Since most herbs are Mediterranean natives, it is too early to think about planting them prior to the average last date of frost (typically quoted as April 15 for our area). It is time to give the rosemary a nice haircut, and I'll check on the other perennials (sage, thyme, and oregano). I will start seeds of annuals dill and parsley indoors, and I'll move my pots of chives outside on the inevitable warm days.

Orchard and Berry Patch — 

1. Since we haven't already done it, we will have to prune the fruit trees (including apples, pears, peaches, plum, crab apples, and a cherry), the grape vines, and the berry bushes such as blackberries. After pruning, we will spray fruit trees, berry bushes, and canes with Lime Sulfur Spray. It is organic and protects against scales, mites, and borers. It's a dormant spray, so we will have to apply before the plants begin to bud out.
2. I have concerns about the blueberry bushes, which have swollen buds that are exposed to the current snow and freezing conditions. We had a decreased harvest in 2014 due to a very late snow and hard freeze in April (which also eliminated all fruits in the Orchard). We shall see...

Roses, Grasses, Perennials, and Shrubs —

1. When the forsythia blooms, it's time to prune the roses, following the 5-D plan: removing dead, diseased, damaged (trim back winter-killed rose canes to one inch below blackened area), diagonal (crossing), and dinky (any canes smaller than a pencil). Then we will prune remaining canes to about a foot or two above ground level. (This does not apply to the climbing roses, which get pruned after blooming.)We will also begin to deal with pests now by applying a dormant spray, like All Seasons Horticultural Spray Oil. We will also transplant roses at this time.
2. We will prune summer-blooming shrubs such as butterfly bushes (buddlea) and crape myrtle (although we will avoid "crape murder"!). We will wait to prune our spring-blooming shrubs (such as forsythia and azalea) until they've finished blooming so we don't cut off this year's flowers. Since we haven't pruned the azalea for 5 years and they have all grown too tall and are not blooming as well, we plan to rejuvenate them by using "severe pruning," with the electric trimmer, "whacking" the whole plant down to within 6"- 12" of the ground. It is amazing how fast shrubs will grow back following this severe pruning and they will have much better form and flowers in coming years.
3. We will cut back the dead stems of any perennials or grasses before or as the plants put out new growth. On the lamppost in the front yard, we have a jackmanii Clematis in pruning Group 3, which blooms on new wood. They can be cut nearly to the ground just before growth begins in March before new growth begins.

That should give us plenty to do, don't you think?!

Happy hoeing!

Get in Shape to Garden in 2014

We live in the Land of Three-Season Gardening, meaning we are able to have something producing for about 10 months out of the year. With row covers, we can stretch that through the worst winter weather, down to about 24-26 degrees. I haven't checked yet, but I imagine the single-digit temps of the past two days probably nipped most, if not all, the remaining vegetables in the Box Garden. Ah well. It's time for a little rest.

Or, is it? If we gardeners take the months of January and February off while our gardens rest, we run the risk of sore muscles, aching backs, and/or strains, sprains, tears, and other assorted injuries once we return to playing in the dirt. Been there...done most of those...got the Bio-Freeze to prove it.

So, this year things will be different. I am implementing an exercise plan that will focus on keeping me limber and flexible, along with strengthening my upper arms (needed for lifting) and my abdominable and gluteal muscles (which give the support needed for a stronger lower back). 

I took a look at (1) what muscles are used for what tasks and (2) what muscles have given me the most trouble in the past. I also took a hard look at my own relationship with exercising in general. 

1. What muscles are needed for what tasks:

Gluteals: Weeding and planting or seeding while squatting and bending.

Abdominals: Weeding on hands and knees; hoeing and raking; manual cultivating or tilling; harvesting; turning and adding compost; digging; and starting a tiller or mower.

Thighs and calves: Pushing a wheelbarrow, pulling a wagon; weeding while squatting and bending; lifting heavy bags of compost, soil, and soil additives; and digging.

Back: Weeding on hands and knees; raking or hoeing; bending to plant seeds; carrying watering cans, 2-gallon sprayers, and trugs; harvesting; digging; and starting a tiller or mower.

Arms and shoulders: Weeding on hands and knees; raking and hoeing; pushing a wheelbarrow, pulling a wagon; pruning; spraying; and turning and adding compost.

Heart: Digging, heavy lifting, and general stamina.

2. What muscles have given me the most trouble:

Gluteals: I dearly love my new raised beds, but I have noticed that my glutes are sorer than ever, after a day of squatting.

Abdominals: While I can't say I feel pain here, I know that my abs are much too weak to provide the proper support for my back.

Thighs and calves: Minor soreness, but major need at the beginning of the gardening season.

Back: Major area of concern, especially the lower back.

Arms and shoulders: Lots of soreness here.

(Heart: Not presently a problem, but need to protect from effects of aging.)

Taking all the above into consideration, here is what I have worked out:

A. Stationary bicycling, 5-6/days per week— I have a NordicTrack recumbent stationary bicycle, and I am using Google maps to map out a bike trip from home to Disneyland...2600 miles, which is 50 miles a week for 52 weeks. [Read more about this experience over on our family blog The Adsit Adventure (http://adsit2.blogspot.com)] This works on my glutes, thighs, and calves...and my abs to a lesser degree. An added plus: if I ride 14-15 mph, I can get my heart rate up to 125-130 range, which is 80% of maximum for a 60 year-old, and yields a decent cardio workout for my heart.

B. A stretching and strengthening exercise regime, 3-4/days per week — Based on a menu for a "moderate" workout in the book Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness by Bunny Guinness and Jacqueline Knox, page 45, I am doing the following:

+ Squats – 10 reps (works thighs and glutes)

+ Lunges – 10 reps each leg (works thighs and glutes)

+ Weights – 10 reps each arm: lifting a 2-gallon container of water, weighing about 17 pounds (works arms and shoulders)

+ Resistance bands – 10 reps each: curls (works arms and shoulders)

As we get closer to Spring, I will add more outdoor activities. Until then, I will rely on this plan to keep me limber and flexible during the "resting" months.

If you would like to join me, remember to get an ok from your health care professional. My family practice doc is a proponent of a daily dose of exercise, especially for those of us with arthritis, and he is really enthusiastic about the recumbent bike for those of us with back problems.

Time to ride!

Wrapping Up 2013

December view of Box Garden,
from Center path in Way Back

Here's a snap (left) of the Box Garden, all covered up for the recent cold weather.  You'd never guess there are carrots, beets, spinach, broccoli, collards, and lettuces under those row covers, would you? And onions...lots and lots of onions! Oh, and some garlic in the Center Square...almost forgot about that.

Turnip Greens, growing in
the Way Back Row Garden

You might also see a row of green in the middle-upper left. That's a row of Seven Tops turnip greens, which don't seem to mind the frosty temps in the least. The more frost, the better the taste! Here's a close up I took of that very productive row a few weeks ago, right:

Unless you are a gardener...or farmer...you may think that the Winter months are a time of rest and reflection; a time to relax, have another cup of coffee, and enjoy the arriving seed catalogs...far removed from the soil. You would only be partially correct.

As the year comes to a close, there are several things on our To Do list before we can put the Way Back gardens to bed:

1. Apply dormant oils to orchard trees, berry bushes, and roses. (That's what I'm working on later today...when the temps hit 50. Remember my motto: "Between 50 and 90...no lower, no higher." In summer I say, "Noon or 90...whichever comes first." But that doesn't apply here...:-)
2. Remove the remaining vegetation in the Kitchen Row Garden.
3. Till up the rows in the Kitchen Row Garden.
4. Add lime to rows and to rose garden, per Soil Test Report.
5. Mow over and collect remaining leaves on the ground in the Way Back. Add to gardens for mulch and compost. (Mr. T actually got the leaf-mowing done a couple of days ago, so we can check this one off the list.)

To elaborate a bit...

Dormant Oils -- So called because they are applied in the dormant season (winter months in the Northern Hemisphere) before bud break in late February to mid-March (in USDA Zone 7b in the Piedmont area of NC), a more accurate name would be horticultural oils, because they can be used at other times of the season (at lesser strengths). Because there are NO leaves or buds on the plants to be sprayed, we can use the oils at full-strength, as directed on the label ("the label is the law"). The winter applications of these include "All Seasons" Dormant Oil, Copper-Sulfate, and Lime-Sulfur Oil, which we purchase in concentrated form and then mix with water in a 2-gallon pump-sprayer.

As I have said before, I try my best to use the kindest, gentlest methods of pest control possible, preferring a natural choice...although I stop short of saying that I am an "organic" gardener.

The trickiest part is getting the "environment" right: temperatures must be above 45 degrees (preferably less than 70) when sprayed; there must be no rain and/or freezing temperatures forecasted for at least 24 hours; and the wind should be negligible-to-light (less than 5 mph). Finding a day that meets all of those criteria in December is tough...but fortunately today is almost perfect to get started! Yes, we could postpone until January...but we can't wait too long because (ideally) we will want to do another spraying after 30-45 days, and that second spraying MUST be done before bud-break...which can sometimes surprise you in mid-February. Plus, we can't spray the Lime Sulfur or the Copper Sulfate at the same time as the Dormant Oil without risking vegetation damage; we have to wait 1-3 weeks...and until we have ALL the right "environmental" conditions.

A good way to remember WHEN to spray is to think in terms of Holidays: New Year's for the first spraying, Valentine's for the second. That should give you a little wiggle room for dealing with the vagaries of the weather.

Here is some great information on Dormant Oils:
http://extension.missouri.edu/phelps/documents/Horticulture_News/Time_for_Dormant_Oil_Application.pdf
http://ucanr.edu/sites/marinmg/files/116758.pdf

Remaining vegetation -- As you have seen, we still have a good stand of turnip greens in one of the rows that we need to till (more on that in a minute), which I will harvest and cook for my "Good Luck Greens" on New Year's Day...putting the rest in the freezer. I'm the only one that eats turnip greens, so I'll have plenty to keep me busy until next Fall...no worries! My original plan was to leave the greens to "go to seed," which means they send up flower stalks...and serve as excellent attractors for the pollinators (bees, mainly) that we will need for the orchard in a couple of months. And, we still have a few okra stalks still hanging on to their roots that must go to China. All of that has to be removed so we can...

Till up the rows -- We have two main reasons for tilling up the rows in the Kitchen Row Garden: (a) to turn the soil over to expose overwintering pests, especially the squash vine borer; and (b) to add amendments like lime (per our Soil Test report) and compost (like leaves). While adopting a no-till policy is admirable, we find that a winter-till is more beneficial to our soil and our harvests. Hence, the change in plan about the greens being left to flower.

Of course, we have to wait until we have dry soil to till...and that has thus far eluded us this month. We got another 1" of rain yesterday, so it will be early January before we can check this chore off the list. Sigh. Oh well, while we are awaiting dry soil, we can catch up on a couple of things inside...by the fire...with a warm beverage in hand...

Journaling -- I have been pretty faithful in keeping my Garden Journal this year, but the Holidays played havoc with my resolve to write. I want to have a good verbal "picture" of the gardens in 2013 so that I can begin planning 2014 in earnest.  That's where the letter carrier comes in!

Perusing the arriving Seed Catalogs -- Oh yes, they are arriving daily, sometimes 2 or 3 a day...making me feel for our letter carrier. And I see that along with the usual suspects (red tomatoes, green peppers, and orange carrots), the Color Purple is becoming quite popular in the vegetative universe. Purple carrots. Purple-podded (green) peas. Purple-skinned potatoes. I kid you not.

And, we know how I love to trial new things in the gardens!

Happy hoeing!

Moving the Action Indoors: Amaryllis

Checked the calendar on Wednesday: just six weeks to Christmas! And that brings thoughts of one of my favorite indoor blooms...amaryllis. Of course, there are many parts of the world where amaryllis bloom naturally outdoors, and I do put my spent bulbs outside during the Spring and Summer months, but for us here in USDA Zone 7B, we have to force the bulbs to bloom "out of season" for those lovely blooms during the Holidays.

Here's a picture (right) of Red Lion blooming from last year...or, actually from earlier this year. I did not get the process going on time in the last weeks of Summer 2012, so they didn't bloom at Christmas...they bloomed at New Year's.

 

Process, you say? What process?

Many people who receive a blooming amaryllis for a gift simply toss the bulb when the blooms fade. Being the primal garbage gardener that I am, I cannot do that. I have to at least give reblooming a try. I found this great step-by-step approach from the US National Arboretum that outlines how to make it work: click here to go there.

As I said, I leave the potted (spent) bulbs, with the strappy leaves intact, outside during the warmer months. This year, I snipped off the leaves, dug them up, and brought the bulbs inside mid-September, in order to give them a good 8-week resting period. 

The bulbs spent this "time-out" in a divided box (originally made for Ball canning jars) in the guest bathroom tub (coolest place I could think of)...a room that stayed dark the entire period. There is no window in that room, and we did not turn on the light, or even enter it for the resting period.

I have been mulling over how to display them this year, wanting to do a little better than just individual plants in individual pots. I thumbed through one of my indoor gardening books, "Tabletop Gardens," by Rosemary McCreary (Storey Publishing, 2006) to get an inspiration, and then I revisited my Master Gardener Speakers Bureau binder on a presentation I gave on Containers for some ideas.

And then, during a retail therapy visit to Big Lots, I happened across these ginormous Christmas-themed wine glasses...clearly marked "FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES ONLY." Inspiration, ideas, and opportunity all collided...and two of those 'glasses' came home with me.

My vision was to create two mirror-image tabletop container gardens for the dining room table Holiday centerpiece with three amaryllis bulbs each (they would eventually grow up to be the Thrillers), a tuft of a soft-bladed houseplant each (they would be the Fillers), and several long stems of English ivy, pulled from the over-run bed in front of our house (these would be the Spillers). I chose the wine glasses with the red and black Santa suit theme because I wanted to use as the center of this centerpiece tableau a wicker pot "cover" that is black with red accents...looks like Frosty the Snowman's top hat turned over...to contain a plain pot holding the largest amaryllis bulbs variety I have called 'Sydney.' Oh yes, Big Daddy (Sidney Lunn) is with us for every Holiday meal!

First, I gathered my materials: aquarium charcoal (acts as a filtering agent for containers that don't have drainage holes), sphagnum peat moss (a lighter planting medium than potting soil...holds moisture better), some small river rock (serves as a good 'anchor' base between the charcoal on the bottom of the glasses and the peat moss as the nesting medium for the bulbs and the companion plants) to support the emerging roots. I also got a narrow-spaded trowel and a pair of latex gloves...easier for me to work in than outdoor garden gloves. As I was working inside (too cold to work at my potting bench outside), I covered my workspace in newspaper. Meanwhile, I removed the amaryllis bulbs from their resting box to a large bowl filled with lukewarm water; I wanted to give them a good soak before planting them and get them well-hydrated after their 8-week resting period.

Gathering materials for container gardens

Then, I hand-washed and dried the containers. I placed a layer of charcoal (purchased at Petsmart, in the Fish section), followed by a layer of small river rocks. Then I scooped in a layer of peat moss. 

Unique containers for the Holidays

I first placed the Fillers (to one side of one glass container, mirroring their placement in the other container), since they had the most-developed existing root structure and needed the greatest depth of planting medium (peat moss). I added the long stems of ivy (the Spillers), pushing the root-end deep into the peat moss, adding more as needed for support/anchorage. 

Finally, I arranged three (well-hydrated) bulbs in each of the glasses and one large bulb in the single clay container. I added a bit of peat moss to cover any stray roots...but not too much. Amaryllis bulbs grow best if most of the bulb is showing. I added some larger river rocks on the top. Then I misted everything thoroughly, washing any stray planting media off the sides of the containers. 

Ready to add the amaryllis bulbs

Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers added to containers

To finish up for the time being, I moved all containers to the warmest, sunniest window in the house...and set a light on a timer to make sure they are receiving plenty of light to stimulate bloom-growth. I will keep daily tabs and will mist as often as needed, keeping the media moist but NOT soggy. Remember, there are no drainage holes in the glass containers, and the last thing I want is to develop root-rot.

And hopefully, I'll be posting pictures soon of beautiful blooms!

Getting Ready to Garden

OK, so it's 27 degrees outside and there's snow in the forecast...again.  What can I do about gardening now, you ask?

Lots!

One of my personal New Year's resolutions for 2011 is to get organized:  in my office, in the garage (where my craft area is located), and in & about the garden.  I'm so excited about a way to accomplish that last one (...the garden) that I had to share it with you as soon as I could.

Background first.  I have always admired Thomas Jefferson for his journaling.  For 17 years, he faithfully recorded his daily gardening activities at Montecello in his Garden Kalendar, which became a part of his 60-year garden journal published as the Garden Book.  My garden hero!  Such devotion to detail!!

I learned last year that I love to journal about my garden, but I love to actually garden better than to write about it.  Write, as in with pen to paper.  Can you say hand cramps? 

I tried typing into a journal document I set up in Word, and that was a tad better, but I still felt disorganized.  I wanted to be able to keep up with my journaling, true; but it was just as important to keep up with what needed to be done in the garden at any given time (because those tasks will come due every year at the same time) and to catalog the plants we purchased, planted, and grew. And, the pictures.  Most of you know that it's a rare day indeed for me to head out into the garden without my Canon(s) tucked inside my garden tote.

My Journal Page with Photo File on
PlantJotter.com

I think I may have found an answer.  It's called PlantJotter.com.  I read about it in the Greensboro News and Record recently and thought I'd give it a trial.  They let you do that for 31 days...without even entering a credit card number!  That's refreshing, to say nothing of being unusual these days.

I just set up my account today, so I'll have to give you a report after I have used it for a while.  Still, I like what I see so far.  That's a screen capture of my first journal entry and a picture I uploaded of the Garden in June 2010.  Neat!

If you are working on organizing your gardening activities this year, and give PlantJotter.com a try, let me know what you think.  Maybe we can create a 21st century version of Mr. Jefferson's gardening legacy.

There'll Be Some Changes Made

Mammouth Queen Sunflower
Season 2

Last post, we looked back at the things that have gone well in our garden under the giants.  And, make no mistake, we are happy with our progress during our Second Season. 

In our 2010 garden, we planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, squash, melons, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, onions, lettuce, pumpkins, strawberries, beans, turnip greens, broccoli, cabbage, basil, parsley, nastutiums, zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers (photo, left). 

Some in that list (i.e., sweet potatoes and broccoli) were complete "firsts" for us, as we've never attempted to grow them before.  A few in the list (corn, pumpkins, and English peas), we've attempted before, but without success.  A few (zucchini squash, sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, and peppers) were the real winners, far exceeding our expectations.  And, several in the list (tomatoes, cukes, beans, carrots, corn, pumpkins, cabbage, and broccoli) were disappointing for one reason or another.
When reviewing the disappointments, it becomes clearer what changes we need to incorporate in the 2011 Garden.



Garden in July:  Corn and black-eyed peas
Season 2

 Changes will include:

1. Find out what the soil needs before planting.  No guessing this time.  As soon as the soil dries out enough (and is no longer frozen...:), I will take soil samples for testing.  [That will be a whole blog post by itself, I'm sure.]  I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll learn we need lots more compost and pounds of nutrients.  The tomato crop was so sad, primarily because of the inconsistent rain-drought-rain cycles we experienced; but, I imagine that a lack of calcium and other nutrients caused a share of the problems.
2. Plant at the proper time.  The Fall planting of cabbage and broccoli came just too late in the season to allow either to grow properly.  I have set up a spreadsheet with the optimum planting dates for our area; additionally I have entered all these dates into my calendar, with reminders being sent to my email address.  How cool is that for a painless solution?!
3. Maintain consistent moisture by using more mulch.  Although we watered this past season more often than the previous year, we struggled to maintain consistent moisture to certain crops:  carrots, corn, cukes, and pumpkins come to mind.  We'll be buying more bales of straw in the coming season.
4. Keep the insects and pests at bay with row covers.  I do not want to use chemicals if at all possible, so I see row covers as a good answer.

OK, four positive points..four opportunities for improvement.

Although it doesn't really apply today, I will begin the practice of letting you know how our garden is growing each week, and what we are doing.

Garden Shed
Completed at end of Season 2

How Does Our Garden Grow?

• This week, we moved some more of the "outdoor" equipment into the garden shed (photo, right).  There's been so much snow and ice on the ground, we haven't had a chance to shelter some of the tools until now.  We still need to decide how to best use this wonderful new addition.

• We rearranged the row covers that are protecting the onions and the strawberries(which are the only "crops" still actively growing in the garden).  Most of them had been blown up and over the rows by recent winds and weather, so the garden was looking a bit ragged.  Now, it looks a little neater.

• We added some more kitchen scraps to the composter and tossed in some leaves and grass clippings.  The latter had been "resting" next to the fence and had started to compost all on their own.  We discussed the best way to take advantage of that outside-of-the-box compost, and we decided that our new, to-be-built cold frame might go there (instead of next to the garden shed as originally planned).  We've got a bunch of old windows in frames, and we are researching how to turn them into a cold frame.  I'll post about that when we get it started.

• The seed catalogs continue to arrive, and we continue to plan how the garden will be laid out for Season Three.  That's exciting, but I'm so ready to start playing in the dirt again.

• Oh, and I started my Master Gardener classes on Wednesday.  Another exciting thing to report!  I'll post more about that soon, too.

Happy Hoeing!