I was going to start a new posting when someone was talking about plant labels, but searched first and found this and figured that I would add it here instead... hopefully it gets found if people are interested. I found this trick in a magazine, and although the markers aren't as attractive as the commercial ones, when I am doing hundreds of seedlings, I am more worried about cost effective than beauty. Heavy duty plastic knives with either permanent marker or a printed label work wonders. They are way tougher than any commercial plastic markers I have found, go into the ground very easily without breaking, and are quick and cheap! I buy mine at Costco in a box of 600 for around $9. I use them for everything from marking my seedling trays, to marking the actual garden perrennials. Julie

Start with a good reliable soil test for soil pH and major nutrients and dig in with these simple soil tests, 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to see what else might need be done to start making that soil into something that will grow plants that will produce edible fruit. The people at your local office of the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension Service will be able to help as well. Here is a link that might be useful: UMN CES

I put stuff out by the curb for a pickup the next day and people come by and take it. with books and magazines I leave them at hospitals and at the jury room at court. I also leave stuff in the halls at court. People are happy to have anything to read. I have left magazines in the airport, on a plane. I just put a sticky on the front that says "free--I'm thru with it" What is so strange is that I had bought a Home & garden magazine in France and put a note on the front page--and left it at my health club. 6 months later I am at the car wash and there's my magazine with a bunch of comments on the front page, from the different readers. REI is currently have a bike parts collection. Any parts of bikes or old ones they collect and give you a gift certificate. Jury rooms will take puzzles or games. Some courthouses have a room for children and they are delighted to get stuffed animals, games, crayons, paper, etc.

I sort of like the "cooler in the trunk" idea. That would certainly help from bringing home groceries. And, if you needed to load up the trunk w/ other stuff, as long as that stuff was small enough, it could sit inside the cooler instead of outside it. And, the cooler could transfer to inside the car if you were transporting a bulky load. I agree w/ RJVT--we can't see your space, so we won't have much in the way of *real* help. And, of course, you may not have an attic, garage, or basement. (I know I've gotten grumpyw hen I've said, "where should I put this," and someone has said, "why don't you put it in the garage?") I store the DR-table leaves under the bed (I considered storing them behind or under the sofa, but there wasn't enough space). An ironing board could go in any of those places, but I know I'd never get it out of there, bcs of the bending. It would also get dusty, which would be bad for an ironing board (I'd hate to have to clean it before I could use it). A tabletop one would probably lean against the wall of a closet easily. If you have a tall shelf unit (wardrobe, bookcase, china cabinet) you could pull it out from the wall just enough to slide the ironing board behind it. I have both a real ironing board, and a tabletop one. I find that I use the tabletop one most, but I do sometimes need a bigger working surface, or I want a separate one bcs my table is being used as a cutting board. I'm lucky to have a closet that I can stash it in, up against the wall. Good luck w/ those big, odd-shaped things!