A friend actually did what you suggest, but he used heavy cardboard over the grass. He placed the cardboard -- actually a double layer of cardboard -- on the grass. He then placed the seed potatoes on the cardboard and covered them with about 10 to 12 inches of straw. The potatoes vines came up right out of the straw; and he lifted the potatoes out of the straw at harvest. It seems to me that if you actually did a bit more layering it might work even better: cardboard, then peat moss or compost, then grass clippings or chopped dried leaves, then another layer of compost, then a sprinkle of bonemeal and rock phosphate to up the phosphorus and potassium for strong root growth, and an inch or two of topsoil on top in which to set the seed potatoes. The potato root action this season should help finish preparing the bed underneath for next year. Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com

A white Christmas is really beautiful and romantic, I agree. But after the 5th snow fall warning, the other inconveniences start to take their toll: 1. I ran out of Advil for my aching back 2. I had a near hard attack when I thought the roof of the greenhouse had caved in. Fortunately, it was just that the 12 inch layer of snow had slid off - which was a good thing. 3. In the brief thaw of 27th December, we were driving through puddles as big as swimming pools. 4. I hate, hate, hate, hate the guy who drives the snow plough through our little street. I believe he hides just around the corner of the block, observing, waiting till we have done a thoroughly good job of clearing the driveway. Then, he fires up his little demon of a machine, roams past our house and dumps those boulder sized, concrete hard, compacted snow back on the street side of the drive way, totally blocking it off. (At one point, I was browsing EBay looking for a spike strip, then it occurred to me that a snow blower would be a better and saner alternative.). 5. I am absolutely irritated by neighbours who throw the snow back onto freshly ploughed streets. But there are a few fuzzy, warm thoughts 1. The guy who drives the huge grader, contracted to clear snow off our neighbourhood. An excellent job, dude! But what is with this permanent big grin on your face? Now, that's a guy who loves what he is doing. And the closest I have ever gotten into that state of absolute joy was playing with Tonka trucks as a kid. Digger would probably comprehend. 2. Our next door neighbour who shares the snow clearing job on the public pavement between the two properties. alameda I won't describe it as a continuous bloomer. It is very stingy and virtually a once bloomer in it's first 3 years (here is why I believe people give up too soon on this magnificent rose). This bush, planted as an own root in 1999 (I think)gives a heavy display in spring, goes through a lull in late August, then has a moderate flush in September till the frost bites. But it does have blooms at all times. And, no, can't detect any scent, Bustopher. Pauline, I haven't checked my e-mail accounts (except my work ones) for a while, and had been too busy lately to visit my regular on-line gardening haunts. I will check. Your property and garden look fantastic. Mine is nothing like that at all - more like a disorganised jungle. Trospero, I am not worried about any of my DA shrubs - they are proven survivors. It's the increasing number of HT's in my garden that I worry about. Beth, I keep complaining to my 18 year old son: "If there is global warming, give me warm weather so that I can grow bananas and durians and rambutans here in British Columbia, not this bone chilling cold" But he corrected me several times: "Dad, what you see is the localised effect called "climate change". Which in turn is secondary to "Global Warming"." I think I get the gest of what he is telling me, and now I am ever so slightly scared. Karl, I go by the rose version of Yogi Berra's "It ain't over till it's over", that is "It ain't dead till it's dead". That is, I am too timid to make a hasty decision - my definition of dead is "no signs of life by first of June". These days, I have own rooted container versions of my favorite roses around, should the original not pull through. And the container roses are sitting nice and comfy in a cold green house at zero degrees celsius.

Just finished looking a ALL the pictures and enjoyed each and every one!!!! I did the slide show, but probably should have put more seconds in between. I so enjoyed the one picture of the rocks. The suttle shades of color were amazing. I can see that you are very much newly weds! LOL Makes me wonder where the spark went from my 46 + years of marriage. I think there is a tiny flame still flickering somewhere. LOL Connie

I would put down cardboard or several layers of newspaper over the grass (it will break down in a season and the tomato plants will dig through it). You CAN rent a sod-cutter and cut the sod but that is still a significant amount of work. Usually if you put something flat and heavy over grass, it dies. Just in case, put another weed barrier on the top of the tomato bed. I use black plastic, it works well for me because I never have to water and I don't have problems with disease. Some people do not like black plastic ("kills good organisms in soil") you could use wetted newspaper laid around the plants covered with a mulch (grass clippings, straw, bark mulch). This way, the grass would have to make it through 2 barriers . As a "organic-ish" gardener, if the grass makes it through that, I'd suggest going out with some round-up and a paintbrush and getting rid of it for once and all, 'cause it's not from this earth. (LoL)