If they can transplant heaRts, you can transplant any vegetable. But then again, not evry medical doctor can do heart transsplant. So it takes know how and pracice and extra care. I have bought cucumbers many time in those little 4 or 6 packs. In ecah pocKet if I had 4 PLANTS, I would separate then into 2 time two and plant each 2 separately and they will grow. What I do is soak those plants real good for about 30 minuts. They will eat and drink as mucH as they can. Now they are full. Take them out, pour more water on them if necessay , loosen them up separate them And plant them AND, WATER THEM RIGHTAWAY, GENTLY THOUROUGHLY, PACK FINE MOIST SOIL AROUND THEM, WATER THEM, FILL SOIL UP YO THEIR SEED LEAVE. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Ok! So now the dirt and the sweat is washed off, and the garden is "where it would have been at the beginning of any other olde year!" Time for a break--and a few slow walks to admire the Fruit of Your Labors! There's not many things I delight in more than walking past the things I've finished---over and over and over---to just look at what I accomplished---and the longer it took and the harder it was to do, the more fun it is! This year I decided I was gonna de-clay my veggie garden! Ok! That's not entirely true, but I decided I was at least gonna try to get the potter's clay out of it! It took me 3-4 weeks, but I went out there day after day (whenever the weather was halfway decent) and dug up one shovel full at a time, down about 8-10", and then sat down and went thru it clump by clump with my hands, breaking it up into tiny pieces, and throwing anything that changed shape rather than "breaking up" into a big pot, and lugging it to the dumpster. Had to space the crummy stuff out in the dumpster every week, 'cause clay is HEAVY, and if the truck can't pick it up, they might get out and look to see what I had in there---and I don't think we're allowed to put "dirt" in the dumpster! So for several weeks I was dumping a bunch in, and testing the weight, and dumping more in, and testing the weight---and saving the left overs in other big pots for the next week. Shovel full by shovel full, and clump by clump, I got half of the garden done! That's an area about 3 1/2 by 14 1/2, so it's really only about 50 sq. ft., but, oh, my, what a job! When I started, I was gonna do the WHOLE veggie garden (minus the tomato/eggplant area), but, uh, that's not gonna happen this year! The cukes and carrots and beets and parsnips and squash are gonna have to bide their time for one more year in the BAD clay! That side's a little bit bigger, more like 65 sq. ft., and my hands and back are simply not gonna consent to doing that this year! BUT--oh boy, is it ever FUN to walk out there now--over and over and over--to look at the good (for MY garden) soil that's on the lettuce/spinach/pea side of the garden now! And all those things are planted now, tho it's been pretty chilly since I put them in about a week ago, so definitely no action yet! But, cold or not, I have something to stare at every day now! :-) It was HARD work--when I was doing it---but it's SO much fun NOW! Next year the other side!!! With all the massive gardens you plant--every year--I have trouble believing that you're "round the bend" at all! Yeah, the bod hurts in a couple new places every year (found out a couple weeks ago I have bursitis in my hip--I already knew it hurt, but now I have a NAME for it! Woohoo! And found out last week I have four seriously deteriorated discs in my cervical spine! Woohoo?), but the joy of going out there and looking at what I've accomplished somehow seems to make the pain go away---for a while at least! And if I didn't have the garden, I wouldn't have anything to "make the pain go away!" Definitely time for a break and a chocolate Easter egg! And that's from somebody who just finished a very large piece of Marie Callender Chocolate Silk pie! (Chocolate helps with "that pain" too! LOL) Tomorrow sounds like it's gonna be a wonderful day for a long walk to look at all you've gotten done, Skybird

John, When I had what might be called a "normal garden" as in lrg tilled rectangle, the varmints got it all. 2 or 3 yrs of that and I quit, work kept me too busy anyway. I work from home now with a flexible schedule and have moved to smaller patches, much closer to the house, mainly in areas with motion detector light coverage. I think it was deer that nipped a few squash blossoms last yr but they left the toms alone. I've never seen a rat here though field mice are abundant and no trouble with possums or coons yet since I've moved the gardens closer in. My nemesis has been squirrels and the only thing of several that has actually worked on them is a 22 and a frying pan. Tripling (sp?) the number of plants should help there too. The monsters I was referring to were plants in excess of 6' of which in my little patch, I expect to have many. Black Cherry, German Queen and Mortgage Lifter just to name a few.

Kat, glad to are OK now. That must have been an ordeal. Glad you posted because so many people think they can make it to the hospital, and cannot. I had that experience about 15 years ago and sure glad my family decided to call 911. The second time was last week - even after I was home recuperating from my thyroidectomy. I actually tried to drive myself to the hospital because I was having muscle spasms and shortness of breath. Turns out I was critically hypocalcemic. Luckily my neighbor saw me in the street and rushed me into his car to take me to the hospital, where I stayed for 3 days before being stabalized. Please everyone don't do it - don't be afaid to call for help. Glad you are OK Kat. Hang in there and take care of yourself. gneegirl