Herbs in the garden. I usually make places they can exist by themselves. I do have annual herbs I put in with the vegetables. The main herb I co-plant with is basil(basil does love its own row and does do much better without the competition of the tomatoes). Tomatoes love it. I really don't know if it benefits them though. It is supposed to increase their flavor. Growing organically and growing hierloom tomatoes they are terrifically flavored already..(Using compost really makes great maters). Marigolds which are a flower not an herb but you can eat them...really do work to keep away bugs. I have found they also keep the cats away...no cat scat where I have marigolds. I plant the small stinky varieties around in the veggie garden (these will return on their own...at least they do for me). Perrineal herbs really do need their own space. they need somewhere where they can be left to do their thing. all mints with the exception of lemon balm need their own home with protective root barrier( I use old wash tubs to plant it in) to keep them from encroaching on others spaces...also make sure you keep them from laying down on the ground outside the barrier...the plants will self root where they lay. Lemon balm usually grows in a mound that gets larger and larger. It doesn't jump out of bounds easily. I have had it self seed in very fertile ground. (I don't mind when the plants wander around the garden. If I don't like where they decide to root...then I just pull or grub them out). It is a lovely mint, not growing over 24 inches high. If you have a small yard it is easy to tuck in herbs in lots of places. many of the herbs grow well in pots. In the list you provided in your link. Chives are great in pots...and tuck well at the ends of rows of veggies. sage is good in pots. A couple of plants around in the garden are nice. In my area it doesn't winter over too well...it is to humid. Dill and fennel...beware.......... they are annuals..but are supposed to emit something that decreases the growth of stuff planted in the area the following year. Maybe someone on the list knows what and how that works...I am not knowledgeable in it but have heard of it. Lavender...if you are in an extremely hummid area it is hard to raise. and if you try make sure you have it in an area with lots of air movement and in a raised bed. rosemary...if you want to bring it in for the winter...plant it in a pot..it detests being dug up. thymes...have fun...they love to be in places like rocky areas...and in nooks and crannies...just make sure it is not in a place that gets overly damp. Don't forget to get the lemon thyme (not the varigated one if you want flavor) It is suppurlative for flavoring chicken and fish.

In response to Glo47, I am in zone 7b, which is close enough to your zone. I planted a few tomatoes and peppers last weekend and they survived the frost just fine because I covered them. I always plant a few early in hopes that I get a tomato by June 1. Still hasn't happened. :). Anyway, I try to plant close to April 20th for tomatoes, but I watch the weather carefully and wait until there are several warm, dry days in the forecast. I don't usually plant peppers or eggplant until the beginning of May (the pepper plants this year are an exception, an experiment). I used to plant them with the tomatoes but they really prefer warm weather and seem more likely to go into transplant shock when I plant them in April. These are all plants that I started indoors. I'm with seysonn that if the plants have already spent a lot of time outdoors then they can be planted in the ground earlier. As for squash, I direct seed as early as possible so that the plants get a head start before the vine borer invasion. I started all of my squash seeds the weekend before last. A couple have emerged. The others will come up when they're ready. I've never had a problem with the seeds rotting. -Anne

Albert 135, I loved ronalawns reply. It possibly revealed a grain of truth to something I consider a fallacy. It makes me wonder how many other fallacies might have grains of truth which may be revealed under the right conditions. For those of us who grow some of our plants to seed for next years garden, is it possible our gardens may benefit by planting according to moon phases; since we use no pesticides on our seed? It makes me wonder, but I think I will still lie in bed laughing, knowing some of my friends are out in the middle of the night planting their gardens. Tapla, While it is true some of us are poor observers, it is also true some of us are very good observers and only need to learn how to discern and report the truth from our observations. I think like you, I am trusting of scientific observations and revelations. My difficulty is with "known science" and its definition. I always have to ask the questions, Whose science are we talking about?, Is it real science or pseudo science? Is it scientific revelation with certifications which will pass a wiki search? Is it backyard science without controls revealing anecdotal evidence but passed on as science? I think one of the listed fallacies was sarcastically stated as "if it was in a book, it must be real". I approach most books with almost the same skeptical thought process. If the certifications are not provided, I will usually consider the information as anecdotal. ShouldnÂt the same skeptical approach be applied to what we read on the internet and in forums? I donÂt know what Superthrive is so it would be unfair for me to comment except to say I would probably believe a gardener who made that claim. It doesnÂt mean I will rush out and buy Superthrive. It only means I am happy she got such great results. I am a scientific gardener who believes gardening is ½ science and ½ magic. ItÂs the magic half that keeps me in the garden. Soil

>I've also found it to be valuable regarding when to "go fishing". Bruce, Moon phase very much influences hunting and fishing. No doubt about it. And 'wind from the east the fishing is the least' 'wind from the west the fishing is the best'. But for seed planting.... I no longer pay attention to it. There is at least one person here that just might know. (JohnF) I routinely plant two seedlings of same pepper per 8 gal container for several reasons. You will get more pods per container than if just one plant. And I do think there is some scald protection. And two per container just makes it easier to bag the entire container for pure seed saving. And I would think for hybridizing too although am not experienced yet at that. My 2¢ JohnT