Usually, if you can find an experienced artist or two - and I don't mean a traveling presenter that does workshops & demos, just a couple of practitioners proficient in the art, you can get something going. You could start by contacting a few folks and baiting them by saying, "If I can find us a place willing to let us have a monthly gathering, would you guys help support the endeavor by attending the meeting and helping me get the word out?" It's not easy. I'm a past president of a club that was around fore more than 30 years, but went under in Jan due to lack of commitment. We had SEVERAL thousand dollars in the treasury we donated to the MI Nurserymen's Assn so they could offer it as a scholarship. A club is definitely very helpful, but it's not absolutely necessary to the future of budding artists. What IS essential, is a thorough understanding of soils and a good working knowledge of woody plant physiology. If you don't put some effort into increasing your knowledge in those areas, it's likely that your enthusiasm will before long give way to frustration. You can place whatever value on what I said that suits you, but I've seen a lot of people come to bonsai, enamoured of the pretty little trees, and as many give up because they couldn't keep their plants alive or healthy. That's a priority ..... or should be, IMO. Best luck to you. I really do admire your enthusiasm! I love to see that in plant people and always gravitate toward that trait. Al

If your going to use a herbiced I would spot spray only. (read the label carefully) Proper management practices that encourage a dense, thriving turf are the best method of weed control. Healthy turf shades the soil so sunlight can't reach weed seeds ready to germinate. A thick turf also minimizes the physical space available for weeds to become established. There are several management practices that will promote a healthy, dense grass. If turf is over-or under-watered, over-or under-fertilized, or mowed too low or too infrequently, the turf is weakened and cannot compete with weeds. Damaged areas resulting from using unsharpened mowers increase time needed for turf recovery, allowing for weed invasion. It is very important to understand that weeds don't create a void, they fill a void. Mulch Mow High 4+" with a sharp, balanced blade Water deeply and infrequently with 3/4-1" water. (no more than once a week in summer) What variety of grass do you have? When was the last time you fertilized?

Another thing to do, not as exciting as playing with roses but a good way to spend these last days of winter is taking care of your tools. Take your pruners apart, clean, oil and sharpen them. Same for your loppers and even your shovels. Survey your tagging system if you use one and see which tags need replacing...or start one if you've been meaning to do it. Draw a garden map and label your roses. (This can get you thinking about what you can still fit in or replace with new roses this spring.) Check your chemicals if you use them and order anything you're low on, including fertilizers for the upcoming season. Gather your material of choice for tying up roses whether it be old pantyhose or velcro tie strips. Get everything you need to start out this spring in one place so you know where it all is when you need it. Check your supply of sunscreen and find your best gardening hat. There is a lot to do as the sun gets warmer and the snow gradually fades away if you just stop and think about the tasks to come. Oh, and something very important: if you've been a couch potato all winter, it's time to start exercising and doing stretches to limber up so you don't hurt so bad when the real work comes. Now, I need to go and follow my own advice. LOL

Not to worry Mari. As others have said tilling is not necessarily needed. My tiller was never effective in this rocky, hard clay and usually just bounced all over creation so I stopped trying. I've been doing exactly what you did for the last two years with great results. I'm slowly reclaiming what I thought were impossible areas just by putting down a couple of layers of cardboard right overtop of thriving weeds and making sure it overlaps properly to prevent sunlight from penetrating. Then I cover that with a thick layer of mulch/dirt, etc... (heck, sometimes I don't even mulch if it's an area that isn't easily visible and won't be an eyesore. If there are already established plants in the area I just cardboard around them and pull whatever weeds may reach out around their bases. Otherwise I just wait until the weeds are dead before planting new things. Even if a few stray weeds or runners find a way through it's much easier to eliminate those few once all the rest are dead. I had an area that was completely taken over by wild blackberry vines taller than me. They spread 15 feet closer to the house in just one season! So I whacked everything to the ground and then blanketed with the cardboard in the summer and everything underneath is dead now(yay!) I have yet to find a chemical brush or weed killer that actually does what it's supposed to and kill the root of the annoying weed grasses, thorny vines, etc... This takes a little longer but will not waste your money or time like spraying. I also just borrowed a large rubber liner from a relative and I'm going to use that to try and retake my gravel driveway and parking area one section at a time. I have heard this "solarization" is not always recommended for areas where you intend to plant though because the heat will also kill the beneficial microbes & organisms that are in that soil. Weeds in gravel are an awful pain. I look forward to a day when we can afford to blacktop it. Sincerely, Danielle