You should fertilize after you have mowed real grass (not weeds) for the second time. Then you can be sure your roots are awake and taking up nutrients. Before that you would be wasting the fertilizer on the weeds.

Thanks for the eye-candy, Jan. I am seeing a few blooms on my new flowers, but it will take quite some time before I will have a really pretty yard to enjoy. The wonderful pictures that y'all post help to keep me motivated and encouraged....LOL!! hugs and blessings, Beth

70 is the magic number. Most of the common veggie seeds sprout when the temps are around 70 degrees, not too hot or not too cold. Plenty of the plants on your list will handle our winters without a problem but they have to be kinda large to do well since once the daylight shrinks in mid November there just isn't enough light to encourage strong growth. So you have to either start seeds indoors under lights and wait for the summer heat to go away (please please please) or buy seedlings from the garden center. I imagine stuff will show up at the end of August. Carrots taste sweeter if grown in the winter. The biggest problem is that it takes all winter long to get large carrots and they don't sprout well in high heat, and they hate being transplanted so you're at their mercy - sow seeds in mid or late August and don't expect big carrots until next spring. Beets taste better if grown during the cool part of the year also. They're easy and grow fast and don't mind the cold. Chard looks better in the winter but you can grow it pretty much all year long here. (It is just a beet that doesn't form much of a bulb). I've planted my last crop of green beans now and should be picking beans up until frost. There's still plenty of time for them. Bok Choy and all the other Asian greens can be sown the minute the daytime temps get under 85 (hopefully 70). They don't sprout much in high heat. They usually hold up during the minor freezes. The leaves sometimes show damage from harsh winter weather - but usually they do fine and taste better with nightly frosts. Brussels Sprouts are only worth growing if you're gonna leave them on the plant through the winter - otherwise they taste just like storebought cabbage. The sprouts will kinda stand still once things cool off but they get candy sweet when the nights get frosty. I get better broccoli in the winter than in the spring but I usually have to plant store bought seedlings a couple of times to get them in the ground right when the temps cool off - it's always a guessing game. If your garlic bulbs haven't rotted they will resprout and grow all winter - they are unfazed by cold. As far as what else can you grow - I like Arugula or Rocket and any of the small Cress greens. Stuff like Fava beans will grow through the winter here but you don't get beans until mid Spring (keep in mind that some people are allergic to Fava's). I would also plant some Shallots - they do well, are as easy as garlic and you can pluck out a bulb or two whenever you want one rather than having a season like garlic. I protect my winter greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula) with a plastic covering and have never had a problem with the cold. A 4 by 4 space devoted to greens will feed you til next spring when you can grow them without protection. Good luck.

Glad everyone is enjoying these pictures, this time of year the magazines are so full of neat of stuff for the Holidays. My favorite time to buy them. Kathleen, no matter how I feel, I can't miss this show as it's very important. Should my Lacey win, it would finish her. That's dogworld speak for becoming an AKC Champion. She could then retire and I would only have the year old youngster to show then. Lot easier on my poor body to show one with all the walking and running. I think there's a written rule somewhere, LOL, that parking is as far from the rings as possible. I've walked up to half a mile, leading two dogs in one hand and pulling a dolly loaded with crate and stuff in the other. I no longer can pull it tho and have to have someone help. My poor DH got drafted from his golf this Sat, especially as show is 2 hrs away and I can't drive that far with rgt leg issues. But I've been doing this for 35 yrs by myself, and hope to have one more year in me to show Karly Anne thru 08. She will be my last one to show due to the Fibro. hugs, Karen