Is wind going to be a problem? What exposure [direction] is the patio? I might suggest graphing out the area and charting the sunlight patterns by the hour. The link below is to a gadget that I keep promising myself to get, as I'm always looking for ways to mitigate for shade in my yard.. Looks very handy. That might help you as you learn the ropes of your new zone. May I also suggest Sunset Western Garden Guide? Great idea-sparker and practical advice. I had good results with bush sweet peas [Christmas gift for apt-dwelling family] Ivy Geranium is fairly forgiving of less than perfect conditions. I have a Plumbago growing in filtered shade [prefers sun] and it stays small with lovely blue flowers. Here is a link that might be useful: Sunlight calculator

I completely agree with ddt. There is no way, at least not here in the Northeast, that we could grow actual vegetables without some sort of artificial light setup. The increase in your electric bill would offset any possible savings. I grow vegetable seedlings under lights such as tomatoes and peppers before setting them out in spring--they really need a lot of light. I read "The $64 Tomato" and can totally relate. DDT, as I remember, it also goes into other gardening aspects besides growing tomatoes, a very good read. I have comtemplated trying to grow basil and cilantro in my light setup during the winter--the quality of both has been atrocious around here at the stores. And the price is outrageous. They're two herbs that just can't be substituted dry, but would it be worth an extra $10 or so in my monthly electric bill to run the lights? Not to mention that my electricity is ultimately coming from fossil fuels. I freeze a lot of herbs that store well under those conditions: thyme and rosemary sprigs in a freezer bag are nearly as good as fresh. Chopped parsley does well, as do whole sage leaves. Tarragon butter is great in the freezer. I've tried freeezing chopped cilantro and chives, but both lose most of their flavor. I do freeze basil pesto, but sometimes you just wish for some whole leaves. Fresh mint leaves would be nice too. I also have a root cellar and store onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes from the garden there, dh just brought up the last few onions. We eat a lot of cabbage and winter squash this time of year. Any other "fresh" vegetables at the supermarket look awful, I'll wait til I can grow them before I have them again.

WindMountain, you can use basically the same schedule for Zone 5 KBG. The CGM application would occur in early April (52F-58F average soil temp). Also, the last soybean meal application would be moved to mid October. Many people can reduce the amount of grains used after the first year of an organic program. It depends on the amount of organic material in your soil, the depth of your topsoil, and your microbe activity level. You can try reducing the amount of SBM by a few pounds per 1,000 sq ft each year of your organic program but don't apply less than 10 lbs per 1,000 sq ft. If your lawn begins to loose its color between applications, you'll know that you need more grain than you applied. Simply adjust your next application. Regarding IBDU, other forum members had great success with urea 46-0-0 so I experimented with it instead of IBDU. I applied the urea in early November (after top growth stopped but before dormancy) and my lawn stayed dark green all winter. At this point, I'm planning to continue the late application of urea for at least two more years. Good Luck! -Deerslayer

First, do you know what your soil pH is? It is a well established myth that pine trees make soil acidic - they don't, so make sure of your pH before you apply any lime. Second, is the area you intend to plant the same area where you wil be growing next year's veggies? If so, I doubt you want alfalfa - it is a deep rooted perennial crop and will need to be removed before planting. I'd go with something like Berseem clover, Trifolium alexandrinum, which is a cool season annual and can just be tilled in before spring planting.