Denninmi took the words right out of my mouth, starting with "Here in Michigan..." Heck, up here, the average last frost date is May 26, but the range is so wide that there is really no way to plan. Sure, I may get a frost on June 1st, but that is after 2 Warm, frost-free weeks. Weeks that I won't waste waiting for a maybe-frost. So, yes, never, ever, throw away an old blanket, sheet towel, tarp, etc. I don't like using those small tomato cages but I have tons of them from a MIL who love to go garage saling. They are great for laying down between plants to hold up the sheet. And yes, even a sheet is enough protection for a light frost. It isn't the cold that kills the plants. It is the formation of ice crystals on the leaves and stems. A sheet will take on the ice chrystals, leaving your plants safe for another day. Kay. ps. Basil. In the garden. In APRIL! I am sooooo jealous.

Hi, Barbara I'm glad you tried it it. It is super simple and gives you something unique. I checked out your site and you have a lot of neat pictures to work with. I bet you could do some neat slide shows of just your plumed grasses, succulents and floral studies. I found that you have more control over video clips than I thought. I put in some video clips of the (almost) finished community garden in the latest update to one movie - it sort of symbolizes the garden coming to life, or something along those lines ;) Check it out - it's in the link below... Here is a link that might be useful: An updated community garden video

I think you can send/take a soil sample to Cornell to get testing done. They can probably test for lead if that seems likely to be a problem as well as pH, major nutrients, and organic matter. You can do some basic tests as outlined here: http://organicgardening.about.com/od/soil/a/easysoiltests.htm http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/hows-your-soil-texture.aspx?id=81680 Adding organic matter to the soil is always good, particularly if it is clay (yours sounds like it has quite a bit of clay) or sand. Some options to get additional compost might include: Can you borrow a truck? Could you hire a landscaper to deliver city compost for a cost that seems reasonable? Can you rent a truck (I think some of the big box stores rent trucks by the day/hour)? Is there a soil/mulch/compost supplier that can deliver a quantity from their bulk stocks for a price that seems reasonable to you? In future years, you may be able to pick up other folks leaves curbside to create more of your own compost. How worried you should be about contaminents may depend on where you are planting. For instance I live on an old farm, so in general I don't worry, but I don't plant anything edible near the house or where other old buildings stood since lead was used in house paint for many years, so I just assume that the soil near the house has a relatively high lead content. Likewise, I wouldn't plant next to a busy road since lead was a gas additive, but if your land has no history of industry, I wouldn't worry beyond that. Covering the grass is a great start since it will add organic matter as well. If you used enough layers of newspaper and it has been on long enough, most of the grass will have been killed. Grass will grow sideways into the garden under the stone border, so I would add a V shaped trench a few inches deep that gets refreshed a couple times over the course of the growing season to help keep the grass from growing into the veggie bed. Keeping mulch on the surface will help prevent weed seeds from sprouting and keep moisture levels more even. There is a vegetable gardening forum and a soil forum and also I think a composting forum here on GW where you can also ask questions.

San, Fine Cooking magazine is always a great source for new ways with vegetables. We love the recipe from them for Roasted Green Beans: Roasted Green Beans with Garlic Source: Marilyn (from Fine Cooking) 1 1/2 pound fresh green beans 1 small head garlic (I use only 6 to 8 cloves) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt Fresh ground pepper to taste 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Wash, trim and dry green beans. Position oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 450° (425° is using dark pan) and place a baking sheet in the oven. Peel each garlic clove and cut each into 4 pieces. Place green beans in a large bowl along with garlic, oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly and pour onto hot baking sheet in a single layer. Roast beans for 10 minutes, stir and continue to roast another 5 minutes if beans are slim and another 10 minutes if beans are thick. Remove to serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese. And yesterday I made a wonderful cauliflower dish from them. The cauliflower is browned first so it makes a beautiful carmelized combination: Browned Cauliflower with Anchovies, Olives and Capers 1 medium-small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds) 1 large clove garlic pinch coarse salt- sea or kosher 6 oil packed anchovy filets, drained (I used 1 tablespoon anchovy paste) 1/4 cup EVOO 15 black olives, pitted and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste (this really made the dish pop!) 2 teaspoons capers, roughly chopped (I left these whole) 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I left out) Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes Clean and cut cauliflower into chunks, keeping florets attached to pieces of stem. Crush garlic with salt into a paste and add anchovies and pound them to a paste as well (since I used anchovy paste I just stirred it into crushed garlic). Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, olives, lemon juice and zest, capers and red pepper flakes; stir well. Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add half the cauliflower pieces in a single layer, cut side down. Cook until cauliflower is well browned on all sides then transfer to plate. Add the remaining cauliflower and more EVOO if necessary and brown on all sides. Add cauliflower from plate to cauliflower in pan and turn the heat down to low. Carefully add 2/3 cup (I only used 1/4 cup) water; cover and let steam until the stems are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and pour off all but about 1 tablespoon cooking liquid (or place in a serving bowl). Gently fold in anchovy mixture. Serve warm or room temperature. *This is my new favorite way to eat cauliflower! Marilyn