Thank you, Laura... such wonderful sentiments! :-) Our weather has been crazy, too... but we half expected it. Last year, we were already laying out soaker hoses and starting to water...and this year, we've gotten so much rain that we're completely saturated! We're just now able to get in and cut grass, and talk about tall! It's hard on the mowers, I'm sure, but what can you do?! If it's grass, it has to be kept mowed at least semi-regularly... and if it's garden beds, they must be kept weeded or the grasses, thistles and other nasties take over! So, we're darned if we do and darned if we don't! Mother's Day was nice... calls from my kids, and the husband made a nice dinner... while I spent the day relaxing, for the most part. There are certain chores that must be done regardless of what day it is, like cleaning and feeding dogs and other animals, but that's no big deal... I have it down to a science! ;-) I finally got the old guy to help me get photos off my camera, so I thought I'd share a few this morning... Here's a mama and her twins... My very best mouser... I call her Vixen! The next generation of excellent mousers... one of Vixen's 3 little ones... Walking from the shade garden area toward the new rose arbor... A young Peony Tree in the dappled shade garden... notice the rambler rose runners everywhere on the ground! Closeup of the flower from the Peony Tree... Another Peony Tree in the front yard... north side... And this is a Trillium that opened white and is turning a pale pink shade. It's among a patch of purple flowered hybrid Trillium I planted several years ago... you can see the mottled leaves of the hybrid... I didn't plant the white one, though... And finally, the first of the Irises are starting! I hope you enjoyed a walk around the yards with me... stick around as all the roses begin blooming and other perennials begin to color the gardens a wonderful rainbow of scented color! Thanks, Al... I can finally view Youtube, but the monitor I'm using has no sound on board... for a girl with a technological genius as a husband, I'm always the last to get upgraded! Would you believe I'm still using Windows XP?! I desperately need an upgrade to Windows 7, which should be coming shortly... when he has time to upgrade me. :-) It's kind of like being the plumber with the leaky toilet handle that sticks, or the barber that doesn't have time to cut his own hair... when you're in the business, you're last in line! :-) It looks to be another gorgeous day... sunny and hot with strong humidity... I may spend some time weeding and edging today, instead of killing myself cutting grass! Hope everyone has a lovely day! And... Happy Gardening!

Ok, ok..I am givning in! I am on the prowl for either those birds or a couple of green singing finches. Jojo, you just made me realize how much I miss hearing the singing of birds in my home.lol It made winetr go by so much better than the dead silience in my home. I think I know who named those birds..lol. Such cute names that only a kid or two can come up with. I would love for you to raise them along side of us, all the way to the brood, hatchlings, and babies. I would love that Jojo since I have a thing for birds. Just love them and you have yourself such a beauty of a pair! Hi Al, Jodi, Josh, Jodik, and Laura! I missed all while I was sick.;-) Laura. I have been sooooooo sick and now that I have got better nergy, it's time to catch up onmy e-mail. I am sorry about the delay bust just know that I appreciate you and the rest of the bunch here. I am SO BLESSED to have such great friends as you all. Love you all! Mom, says to send a group hug to you all! Mike

The following was stated: "Also, I don't think anyone in this discussion is farming any GMO corn or soy..." H.Kuska comment. The part of the link that I cut and paste had to do with the subtopic discussed by Wayne and Marshall as indicated in my lead in sentence: "Wayne and Marshall, the link below discusses another farming mode." This subthread is about alternate farming modes. The distinction between farming and gardening is a blurred one. I feel that some/many? of the readers interested in this forum are interested in reading about other possible agricultural practices especially if they find that some of the suggestions could be applied to their organic gardens (with zero or very little modification). The Union of Concerned Scientists actual detailed statement was linked to in the last link that I gave. In case some missed it, I now give the actual link below. The quote below should give the reader an idea of their suggested direction. "Healthy Farm Practices How can farmers turn all this theory into practice? Our experts have identified four key healthy farm practices: A landscape approach. On a healthy farm, uncultivated areas are maintained as a resource, providing a home for beneficial organisms as well as a buffer to help keep farm nutrients from polluting nearby waterways. Crop diversity and rotation. Using long, complex crop rotations, and expanding the farm's repertoire to include fruits, vegetables and/or energy crops, can yield multiple benefits, including healthier soil, reduced need for pesticides, and even higher profits. Integrating crops and livestock. Well-managed pastures help maintain biodiversity, while the manure they produce is a valuable resource for soil fertility. And animals provide a market for some alternative crops, facilitating complex crop rotations. Cover crops. Planting cover crops when soil would otherwise be bare reduces erosion, improves soil fertility and water-holding capacity, and helps keep weeds under control. Healthy Farm Benefits Together, these principles and practices add up to a healthy farm��"and the benefits are many. For instance: Reduced need for chemical inputs. By increasing soil fertility and pest resistance, healthy farm practices enable farmers to greatly reduce their reliance (and expenditure) on chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides. Drought resilience. A healthy farm's soil is better at retaining water, so the farm is less susceptible to the devastating impacts of drought. Increased biodiversity. A healthy farm is a far more welcoming home to pollinators and other beneficial organisms than its industrial competitors. Reduced environmental impact. Common environmental impacts of industrial agriculture, such as nitrogen runoff and toxic pesticide residues, are greatly reduced on a healthy farm." http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/healthy-farm-vision.html Here is a link that might be useful: actual statement

I really should check posts before sending. That number was supposed to be 230 squares. the plan is for 350, but I'm 3 4x8 beds and another 4x4 corn bed short yet. You can see from the pics that it's a pretty simple layout. three rows of three 4x8 beds and a 4th row of smaller beds. The plan then calls for a fence around the whole thing 5 feet out with a 2 ft wide bed all around the inside. It's not going to be all veggies though -- gotta have flowers too. I actually planted everything over at least 6 weeks. I'd build up a bed, plant it, and move on. So obviously some things are farther along than others. I've planted tomatoes(9), beans (bush and pole), lots of herbs, too much crookneck squash, zucchini, assorted peppers, okra, eggplant, cantaloupe(vertical), honeydew(sprawl), butternut squash(vertical), cukes, sweet potatoes, One peanut (ask later), lots of flowers (marigold, nasturtium, sunflower, zinnia), broccoli, lettuce, carrot, radish, corn, watermelon, Swiss shard. I probably missed a few, and will be adding some in the fall when the weather starts to break a bit (like Brussels sprouts). Were I to start from scratch again, the only thing I'd do dramatically differently is to add another foot to the aisles. They're 3 feet and 4 would have been better. I had the room ... I started a blog with this project, and threw up some pictures on it a few minutes ago. They could be better but give a general idea. Some people seem to be able to drop inline pictures, but I don't see that option. As for the trellises, they're pretty simple. I used the 1/2 inch EMT pipe, but build a T brace in the middle from a piece of 2x4 with 3/4 inch hole drilled across from the side and up from the bottom since I had an 8 foot span. I slid the EMT onto rebar I drove in the ground on either side of the boxes and attached an EMT anchor at the top of the box for that extra bit of support. I used concrete ties and that handy tie tool to attach the concrete mesh to the EMT. So far so good. I decided on 7 feet high from the ground. The concrete mesh is 5 ft. and the box nearly 1 so that's a 1 foot gap from the ground. I can reach the 7ft without a ladder and the gap at the bottom gives good access. I also did a funky triangle across a 4x4 section for the pole beans. Yes, there's a shadier back, but they seem to be doing fine with it. Oh, and the concrete mesh is rusty, so I'm glad I took the time to get a paint roller and cover it with rust-o-lium. Much nicer, though I missed a few spots. As for the size, I've been amazed at how little actual daily stuff I've done. I'm a bit calm about the bugs - - though I did have to get some pirethrin for the flea beetles on my okra and eggplant, and something is nibbling annoyingly on my tomatoes. But the weeding has been almost nil. I landscape fabric/mulched the aisles and edges, and think that probably helps with the weeds too. David Here is a link that might be useful: my blog - David's Folly