Well, I'm presently working on the stump of a diseased austrian pine we had to take down last year.

We hoped it would rot on its own but it didn't happen. I realize I could smother it in rock salt, but I figure there's enough problems with our soil - a large lot with pines and maples - needles everywhere. So I don't want to add to the problems.

Someone from America suggested setting it on fire but you know how Toronto is - there are bylaws against so much as blowing your nose.

I'm just cutting and cutting at it. Yesterday (in that marvelous 11 celsius weather) I worked on it for about 3 hours - praise be for Ben Gay and Tylenol for Arthritis.

This is the toughest job on the lot right now, so I'd like to have it out of the way before my gardening season starts.

Once it's out, completely clean of its extraneous roots, I want to put in mulched leaves, level it out, add some organic soil and plant some juniper clippings I've been raising all winter.

I put the clippings into small containers outside the window around the middle of October. They have remained green all winter so I figure they've taken - yahoooooo!

I'm really looking forward to seeing them in that spot where the stump is.

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I am going to work with some vegetables this year - Barbara Kingsolver's book 'Small Wonder' has an essay of hers about growing your own vegetables and buying local. She has convinced me that each of us should try to grow at least one thing to eat - even if you have only a balcony.

I usually do some herbs like oregano, basil, etc., but I'm making an effort with parsnips, broccoli, peas, green pepper, etc., this year. I think I'll just use containers outside the window.

I put my seeds into pots about 4 days ago - the broccoli has already sprouted! They're in the windowsill of course - this mild weather every few days doesn't fool me into putting them into the ground. I'll leave that for the southerners.

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I have lots of coleus - it's holding up well indoors this year. I'm not going to just hog it on my table garden (which I usually do). I'm going to spread it around the lot.

My husband superintends an apartment building and we have a lot of grounds here - if you'd like to see some of it, go to the gardening section on my writing forums . . .

http://wildcity.proboards14.com/index.cgi?board=gardening

Feel free to participate there, if you like. It's only me and another girl, but others are certainly welcome.

We were hoping to buy the house next door to us and section off the back part of that property for our own use. I had a new garde already planned for it, but we didn't get the house. We were outbid. So now I'm looking at my yard trying to decide where to put some holly bushes that I can grow to use when I make wreaths. I could always plant them at my parents house but it's so nice to go out in your own backyard to take cuttings.

So far so good. I guess I'll know for sure once I get out in the yard. (I'm back home now but I have all months hours to play with in the next few days.)

Once I replace my car I'll stop and knock on doors, on my way to the next city where I get prescriptions, to let people know I have admired their lots....perhaps new friend and exchange partners for plants.

For now while my activities are limited I'm searching online catalogs and my snail mail mags for ideas.

My goals for this year:
build raised 4' or less wide beds
"dry wells" for wet places
over flow gullies to spring hole
bog plants along the sides of permanent wet area
clean up years old "dump pile" from old farmer
container garden surrounding front deck base
work on raising drive soil level
transplant berry producing shrubs (thin out and move)