I first learned about astrological gardening back in the early 1970s from author Louise Riotte, who was a ghost writer for Organic Gardening. At that time, I was living in Louisiana. She also was the author of many original book publications. In the back of her early books and original publications, there was a section with her home address and phone number. She welcomed letters and phone calls and loved to talk "gardening". I learned much from her back then and I still reference her books. She was such a darling old lady - home-grown and plain spoken. She was such a character - she almost always had her hair done up in pin-curls and even posted her photo in some of her publications with her hair like that. :) Astrological Gardening: The Ancient Wisdom of Successful Planting & Harvesting by the Stars - Astrological gardening has been practiced for centuries, and author Louise Riotte's 40 years of planetary planting have confirmed its usefulness. She identifies ideal astrological conditions for planting and harvesting a wide range of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Here is some information I found about her on the web: Astrological gardening has been practiced for centuries, and author Louise Riotte's 40 years of planetary planting have confirmed its usefulness. She identifies ideal astrological conditions for planting and harvesting a wide range of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Author Biography: Beloved Storey author and life-long gardener Louise Riotte passed away in 1998 at the age of 89. She wrote 12 books on gardening, companion planting, and garden lore, among them the ever-popular Carrots Love Tomatoes, which has sold approximately 515,000 copies. Her father taught her to believe in and practice astrology, while her mother was a practicing herbalist. Together they inevitably influenced her life and her books, Roses Love Garlic, Astrological Gardening, Sleeping with a Sunflower, Catfish Ponds & Lily Pads, and her most recent book, Raising Animals by the Moon. Her own line drawings are included in all her books. Before authoring books, Riotte was a ghost writer for Simon & Schuster and for Jerry Baker's radio gardening show, and she wrote a number of articles for Organic Gardening as well. Riotte took pride in her garden near her home in Ardmore, Oklahoma, which her son Eugene helped care for in her later years. She also wrote: The Complete Guide to Growing Berries and Grapes; Success with Small Food Gardens; Grow the Best Grapes Grow the Best Strawberries: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-190 Planetary Gardening: A Guide to Organic Gardening by the Signs of the Zodiac and probably more that I don't even know about. Below is a LINK to a website that pays Tribute to Louise. I hope you will buy her books and treasure them as much as I do mine. ~Annie Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening by Astrology

Hi Harry! I wish that you live closer, I would invite you for lunch today.:) This is the first time that I am growing the Okinawa sweet potato, I really have a small garden so I planted them around the blackberries and sugarcane. I kept cutting the vines so they wouldn't run over other places. You can keep the vines as small as the bush ones cutting them. Next warm season I am going to plant them in the raised beds. I will double the amount, let's say if I am growing 6 slips of the bush porto rico, I will grow 12 of the Okinawa. The color keeps a deep purple even after cooking, I suppose after some curing they will taste better. They are excellent now! You must be busy shelling all those BJBB,lol. I am very busy too making papaya chips in the dehydrator, they taste good with salt like french fries but better for you... Thank you Wildatheart - You should try to do a lot of gardening now since you like the cold, me on the other hand likes the heat, after living in Arizona for 10 years I put gloves for anything. This morning when I went to walk my dog on the trail, I was thinking that is time to take out the leather gloves to walk and I had scarf too.lol. Silvia

Randy, I was wondering how the clean-up was progressing, but hesitated to ask 'cause I didn't want to "bring you down" if it was going too slowly....or getting monotonous or depressing. So, is this storm clean-up now your least favorite gardening chore ever, or can you think of something even worse? (How about digging a lily pond by hand...in clay soil....that's a pretty sad and monotonous task, and my least favorite thing I've ever done in the landscape.) I hope you'll winter sow a few things next week. It is always nice to get a head-start on spring, and it sounds like you could use a little break. I'll be winter-sowing some flowers and herbs next week and also starting my tomato and pepper seeds indoors under lights. I am tired of clouds and cold temps. and NEED some sunshine and blue skies....and warmer temperatures! Dawn

Sweeby, I could give you a big hug! I think you are absolutely right-- especially in my room, the table will fade into the background. In fact, I knew that all along but it never clicked-- that is why I didnt buy the French Heritage table I fell in love with last summer when Parma ordered hers. My room wouldnt do it justice.. it doesnt have the view or space to showcase it. What IS important to me is that the table is round and works well (rather than against) the other elements-- that explains why I am all over th place. Painted, copper, even mission tables have been on my list-- the only common threads are old/old looking, round, european-ish. Thank you .. I have more focus now and it really makes sense given my decision earlier today-- I am going to order the chandelier and maybe paint before I get the table. I think it will make a big difference and will give me time to decide on a table. I love the chairs with rush seats-- I could even use those with my current table. I dont see anything like them on our local CL but I will watch ebay and the consignment stores. (sorry if i am babbling and not making sense-- it's been a long day and I wanted to be sure to respond because your post was really helpful to me. )