You can do this, Jefferson! I know you can. The only thing a person must have to become a successful gardener is hope. That's it. You don't have to have a head full of facts and figures about growing things ~ that's what books and the internet are for. You don't have to have some sort of innate love for plants either ~ you'll develop that along the way. And you don't even have to have a green thumb ~ you can learn how to have one of those. All you have to have is hope. So long as you don't ever lose that completely, you'll be fine. Now losing hope and just misplacing it are two different things. I've forgotten where mine was plenty of times over the last twenty or so years ~ when the squash borers hit and my plants were all dying, when the cows got in the garden and mowed everything down, when all the tags I laboriously handwrote got washed off first time I irrigated (that time I learned to make sure to grab the waterproof marker next time ;), when I lovingly planted 200 tomato seeds and only a handful sprouted, and many many MANY more times. But I always found it again later. You will, too. "...new sprouts are like puppies, it is impossible to watch them and not get a smile on your face!" Ha! Cabrita's sure right with that one. So, be sure to leave a spot for a chair so you can sit out there having coffee and start your day off with a grin. My best tip for you is to get a soil thermometer and use it. Generally speaking, everything will sprout at 80 degrees F. But some things will sprout better at cooler temps and others at warmer. Here's a chart with minimum and optimum soil temp info for loads of veggies along with lots of other info. Just remember that most of the info on there is just guidelines. For instance, the planting dates probably won't hold true for your zone. And spacing info ~ the chart says three inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart, but I plant mine three inches apart all the way around in wide rows and raised beds (I like to plant intensively). The hardiness info on there is pretty good (though I find broccoli, cauliflower, regular cabbage and kale can stand a lot more than light frosts ~ had 1/4" ice on the ones at work the other day and they're fine). But seedlings are generally a lot more tender than mature plants, so just keep that in mind. Get yourself some floating row cover (agriculture blankets, spun polyester, whatever they call it where you are), or some bed sheets (yes, from your own house) and sticks/stakes to hold them up off the seedlings, watch the temps and tuck your seedlings in if cold temps threaten. Good luck! You can do it! And we're right here with you all the way. :)

Such good quotes! I was hoping someone else would follow up before me, so I skipped my remark first thing in the morning. The sidebar on the right shows bits from many forums ad I always get credit for the quotes - I believe this is set up to catch only threads with follow-ups, anyway, I was hoping someone else would be credited - Don, next time why don't you post a follow up to your quote and see what happens

Thank you all once again for kind thoughts and encouragement. saintpfla ~ Dabbling in photography is fun that is for sure. I've taken a few night shots too with old camera and look forward to trying it with this one. The macro with this camera is 150 cm (W) (0.4 in.Â1.6 ft. (W)). I was right down on the flowers. There is a lot to read in these manuals, I just plod along and practice. It's a learning experience and a fun one at that. treefrog ~ I've also tried to capture the color of the blue sage with old camera and never could. There are a couple of roses I had the same trouble with, so I hope they come out truer with this new camera as the blue sage did. Evelyn ~ You are so right about picture taking being addicting, almost as addicting as some flowers are. : -) Ambersky ~ I looked up what you thought the purple unknown might be and I'm not sure. Someone else told me something else and that didn't quite look right either. I'll try to get out tomorrow to take a picture of leaves and flowers so you all can see the whole thing. You could be right though. Nancy ~ It is a long time isn't it? I think of you everytime I'm around the two roses you gave me, Smith's Parrish, and I think the name of the other one is Old Blush, which is in the main garden and doing terrific. Thank you again for giving them to me. It was nice meeting you also and having a little visit at 2Jay's. I've worked at my job yesterday and again today, so haven't been out to take more pictures. I'm off tomorrow so maybe I can get out to shoot some more then. Thanks again for encouraging me to get out and take more pictures. I always enjoy seeing everyone's beautiful gardens and flowers. I get inspired to get out and work in my tropical/cottage gardens. FlowerLady

txnursingqt, I agree. Kids should never be the communicator. We did not tell her "ask your mom if she can go". I asked her if her mom is making a party for her & if not, I will. Instead of asking her mom "are you making a party for me mom" she asked her mom "can Ima make me a party". Yes, DH should have called her and asked her, but we have had an ongoing problem with BM telling SD lies. So if DH asks BM "are you making DD a party?", BM might say yes and then tell SD "daddy doesn't want to make your party so I am" or she will say yes, then at the last minute.. she will make an 'emergency' excuse that she can't do it. (something like she doesn't have enough money... tells her that daddy takes it all for child support, etc.) In the five years I have known SD, she has never had a good birthday. Age 6: No party. We did have cake/ice cream at MIL's house & BM came. (this was when we were dating & BM was being super nice to me & DH was her 'best friend' ~ all that changed when he proposed to me) Age 7: DH & I were out of the country on SD's birthday and BM did nothing with her. Age 8: BM planned a bowling party after I asked if they are doing anything for SD's birthday. They agreed to a joint party & split the cost. The day of SD's birthday, BM went ballistic at DH's work over the cost & they ended up filing court papers & started a long hostile custody battle. (at the conclusion of the custody battle, BM met BF 2-3 weeks later & moved away, giving us custody of SD) Age 9: Since BM moved away, DH gave her 1/2 the day (after school until 6pm) of SD's birthday every year on paper. In reality, he said she can have the whole day if she's not in school. So, I planned a party for her the day after her actual birthday, assuming BM would have her on her birthday (her birthday was Saturday, my party was Sunday) SD told her I was making a party and BM continually asked if she is invited. SD asked me & I told her that her mom will have her on her real birthday & this is a party for classmates. BM decided that she would rather plan something on her own weekend & not see SD on her actual birthday. Then, the day of her party.. BM's mother & sister show up toward the end of the party to bring SD her gift ~ a bouquet of tulips & a card. My MIL asks her if she wants to stay & have cake and she makes a big deal so everyone can hear and says "oh no, I WASN'T INVITED!" and they leave. SD ends up in tears that night because we wouldn't let her mom be there. I decided then that next year, she can have her mom plan her party because I spent lots of time, money & energy to make it special for her and all she cared about is that her mom is there... and I didn't think her mom would have come if I had invited her. So, threw my hands up and said "let mom take care of next year" (btw, BM never did have a party on her weekend. The day she was supposed to make a party for her, BM decided to go out to a party with BF and left SD with BF's parents... when we picked up SD, she burst out crying) Age 10: DH asked BM if she is getting SD on her birthday and BM said yes. That was last year. She was supposed to have her from 8am-8pm. She got her at 9am (well, grandma got her and BM came around 10 or 11) They did nothing that she told SD they were going to do... go to Sizzler & roller skating. BM had already sent two nasty text messages to DH before SD was picked up so we knew she was in a bad mood. She had SD call DH halfway through the day to tell him she got a rodent from the pet store & DH had to tell SD that she can't bring it to our house. Then at 6pm, grandma says she is dropping SD off at our house. We had gone out to dinner & weren't planning to be home until 8pm, the pre-arranged time. So, grandma brings her at 8pm and proceeds to demand all the clothes that SD has ever brought from BM's house. I take all I can find out to her car & she starts screaming at me because I don't have a pair of jeans she bought. (look up the thread "those damn pants" because it was utterly ridiculous! I tell her to leave & go back into the house to find SD in tears. I was thinking she is upset because grandma and I are yelling at each other in the driveway and she says she is upset because BM went back with BF at 4pm and she thought they were going to do all that fun stuff, but did nothing. What can I do? There's nothing anybody can do for this little girl if her mom doesn't care and that's what she wants. Age 11: So, this year I relented and offered to make a party if her mom isn't. I really didn't want to step on toes and I needed BM to tell SD that she isn't making the party instead of it coming from us. Deep down, SD knows her mom won't make the party, that's why she didn't even ask.. she asked if it's okay for me to make the party. Now BM is on the defensive of trying not to look like the bad guy... so she says "fine, but they aren't going to let me come" and SD says "sure you can come" without asking us. We are going to call her bluff and we did. She was going to call mine so it was a standoff and I was worried that now that she has called my bluff, she will swoop in and steal the show. BTW, I would have let her. I am not going to get into a pissing match or do anything to upset SD, especially on her birthday. I feel terrible for SD but at least she is getting older and she is seeing for herself what her mom is doing and I am doing all I can to be the bigger person. As for next year, I think we may let SD invite a couple of friends and go to an amusement park... BM can go if she wants... lol, at her own expense. She won't do it. She looked like she was being forced to come to the roller rink. Next year, she will have a one year old... and since I have custody of my 1 year old grandson, I know how that will be. [if she thought traveling 3 hours to the party... 2 hours in the party... and 3 hours home was a lot for a 7 week old baby... try a much longer drive and all day in an amusement park with a one year old] and finedreams, Yes grandma came. She left the party to go pick up her prescription (because she hasn't transferred it to the town she now lives in & the party is in the town she used to live in) but she didn't bother to ask for 'those damn pants'!