I planted a fall crop of bush beans a couple of weeks ago here in NH. We can get a light frost around July 18 so I plan to put a row cover over them about that time. It would be great if you had room for 4 bean plants. Sure, you could blanch and freeze beans (google for directions) as they come in but they are best fresh from the garden. Some varieties continue to produce better than others. If the beans look like fish hooks, the plants aren't getting enough fertilzer. If you don't have enough beans for a meal, consider stretching them by adding something else. Cooked and cooled green beans are good with French dressing and sliced onions, for example. You probably have time to plant kale now since it's very hardy and can withstand some cold weather. I don't know if it will winter over for me because last winter the deer ate mine. I don't think I would wait until September. See how many days to maturity are specified on the seed package. Yes, it will take longer to grow this time of year since the days are getting shorter. Yes, most flowers turn into a fruit or vegetable unless that kind of plant has male and female flowers. Zucchini, for example, have both so only the female flowers produce squash. The are larger with a bulbous base which quickly turns into a squash.

This is my first year wsing so I was scared to loose my seeds but I am doing it all. I kept a couple seeds of each just in case. But I figure if all of you can do it I can too. So here is my list 2/2/2009 Gloriosa Daisy Shasta Daisy Gaillardia Fanfare Rudbeckia ÂCherokee Sunset Aster  Crego Mix Echinacea  White Swan Chinacea  Sunrise Columbine ÂMcKanna Giant Carnations 2/2/2009 5-Blackberry lily 5 Balloon flower 5 Dalhia Uniwin 5 Bat flower - Tacca nivea (white) 5 Clematis ÂSweet Autumn (Can this be winter sowed??? I did but wasnt sure) 2/7/2009 Clasping Coneflower Zinnia  Green Envy Giganteum Poppy ÂPapaver Somniferum Amaranthus Caudatus 2/8/2009 Mary Washington Asparagus Asparagus c. NEED CONTAINERS FOR: Lobelia Kaiser Wilheim - Mix Petunias - Sunshine Petunias - Wave Pink/White/Purple Mix Impatients Nicotianas Pansies Aquilegia  Star Red Amaranthus  Candelabra Gerbera Daisy  (3) Pink, Mix, Orange Geranium  Mix Acroclinium  roseum goliath Lavendar  Augustifolia Lavendar  French  Purple Ribon Lavendar  Verea Celosia  Red Velvet Bachelors Button  Mix Cleome  Spider  Four Queens Mix Hollyhock  Black Hollyhock  Bright Pink Hollyhock  Hibiscus trionum "Luyona" Echinacea  Purple coneflower Calendula  Mixed orange/yellow Balloon Flower Agastache Blue Fortune Agastache Blue Licorice Agastache Golden Jubilee Begonia Hybrid  Show Angels Chinese Paper Lantern Malva Zebrina Maltese Cross ÂRed Moonflower vine  white Dahlia  Bishop  Mixed colors Dahlia  Uniwin Milium  Purple Majesty Malva  Windsor Castle Morning Glory  Star of yelta Impatience  Balsamina Don't think I will get it all done this year so I am organizing it by want most - to least on what is left. Tammy

Today was my most productive day so far, and I gambled all my expensive delphinium seeds and others by not holding any back for spring sowing. I may regret that, and I doubt T&M will replace them if they fail because I WS'ed them and didn't follow their instructions. One or many containers, clear cups, cell packs, 4" pots, 1/2 gal jug. I think the clear cups with the lids in daisy trays go the fastest if the seeds can be handled individually or a few in each cup. Otherwise gallon jugs or large containers sprinkling seeds go even faster per unit. The cups with lids I fill to a certain line, tamp down and have 3", the lids are a little awkward but faster than baggies (once I have them prepped). Strawberry Sundae Pansy Delphinium Bicolor (lavender and blue) Delphinium Purple Pagan Geum Triloba (Prairie Smoke, my seeds came from Prairie Moon yay! Aconitum (Monkshod) lots Celandine Poppy (scattered some in the 1/2 gal jug)

I wait until the soil warms for seeds like zinnias, nicotiana, Madagascar periwinkle, tithonia and others that like hot weather. They may be slow to germinate in cool soil. Especially the periwinkles sometimes have a hard time surviving if they're up too early. We need lists of seeds to plant early and seeds to plant late and seeds to plant in the fall that can also be planted in late winter/early spring. Even vegetables have preferred planting dates. Okra planted too early rots in the cold damp soil. Greens like cool weather. Nell