Yankees!!!!!!!!......Yankees here?......Oh my Gawd I didn't know they was Yankees here!!!!!!........:) Oh, relax, Paul! I can't speak for the others (you'll just have to watch those people! LOL), but all my people are Southern and I was born in the South, and though by circumstances was transplanted North, I was raised on Southern home training and sweet tea (didn't even know there was any other kind until college, when I started dating a real Yankee). Jim, about the Austins' prevalence: As Jeri and others have so astutely pointed out, that's just marketing. People seem to be obsessed with the Brits and their lifestyles, their names (look at the baby name trends, especially for girls), their TV shows, their movie stars, their accents... somehow, people seem to think, all things British are somehow better and of a higher, more refined and educated stature. So of course they eat up the Austin propaganda. Maybe the Germans need better press. And also, sorry to say, but some folks are just ignorant. Watching QVC the other night (oh the shame!), I saw this female host on a gardening show with this guy peddling an Austin collection. "Oh, I've never SEEN blooms like this; this is a truly EXTRAORDINARY rose." And she meant every single word. Now, we who are acquainted with the antique world know this is nothing rare or super-special, but for those who have only ever seen a hybrid tea... That's why it's up to us to educate. So maybe disdain isn't the answer, just education...

You could email them or call them, they'd probably be happy to send the instructions to you. "Contact Us Mosser Lee's main office is located at the intersection of I-94 and County Highway O (Exit 128) in Millston Wisconsin. Mosser Lee Company W6585 Highway O Millston, Wisconsin 54643-0437 Phone: (715) 284-2296 Fax: (715) 284-4403 E-mail: mosserlee@mosserlee.com" Contact us page Claire

sandy loam is 33% sand, 33% top soil, and 33% Mulch. it's much heavier than manure alone, and I got the same volume, yet I got charged more for the manure. They weigh your vehicle when you buy bulk soil at these places. and I'm not trying to find an answer, I'm just sharing my experience so other gardeners here can see the difference in prices from both places. We've had long discussions here in the past on where to get bulk soil mixes from and pioneersand always gets mentioned. I'm just pointing out that there's an alternative and cheaper place to get it from.

I am going to respectfully disagree with Turtle on many points and hope I don't confuse you. I admire the enthusiasm, and wish you good luck with growing and learning. First, correct on the temp for basil, but peppers prefer a higher temp for germination. Outside at this time of year in Boston would not qualify for either most likely. Both can be started from seed indoors, but without some grow lights, you're just not going to have good success and end up with very leggy plants. However, once it warms up--past frost free dates, and when the night time temps will stay above 50, you should be able to direct seed basil in your window box. I would recommend that it is the only one you plant there, unless you let us know dimensions and if big enough, you may be able to do the pepper too. Basil seeds are small--you won't need many in a spot, but you'll surely have more than one. Without knowing the dimensions of your box, it's hard to help with spacing. Second, while it is theoretically true that you can have multiple herbs in one pot (and you see them sold that way all the time), in reality, most just don't mix. You bought three very different preference herbs. Basil and mint both like moist, but well draining. But, as Bardamu said--mint just doesn't play well with others and will rapidly crowd out other herbs. Also, most mints don't reproduce by seed, but by cuttings to retain the flavor characteristics of the mother plant. What type of mint seed did you buy? Thyme is not difficult to grow from seed if you have the right conditions. It is prone to dying from "damping off"--a fungal disease common to seed starting. Also, it is slower to grow, so if you're looking for harvestability this summer, you're better off starting with a transplant. It is also perennial, unlike basil--the leaves will die down in your winter, but it would come back. It likes it's soil to be very well draining--I add a bonsai or succulent soil in with my potting soil to help prevent root rot. Because it wants to dry out more and will not use as much water, it's a bad candidate for combining with basil or mint. I would put it in it's own pot. Also, it is better to water the potting mix first, or even better--find a bucket or empty tote to mix the soil with water prior to putting in the box. Some mixes straight out of the bag tend to be hydrophobic--they'll repel water. You can end up with the entire center of the box completely dry, even if water is running out the bottom. Then, seeds won't germinate due to no water. Now, if the mix is damp to start with out of the bag, this will likely not be a problem, but I find that it's better to wet first. It also helps with not as much compaction or sinking. You also want to make sure you get a soil-less potting mix and not garden soil. If we know what you'll put in the box, we can help with watering tips then. Again, the size of the box and location it's going will also help--south facing, etc. Shade from trees or buildings?