One good tip I learned (from trial & error, then much research) is to plant and harvest things at the proper time for your growing zone- even in places like california where people might tell you "oh you can grow anything there all year round"... not true! some plants are warm season, some are cool season, some like to overwinter, some are annual, some are perennial, some are biennial, etc. Research each plant, and also don't assume plants that seem similar will have the same needs, for example peas and beans both come in bush and vining varieties and grow in pods, but peas like cool weather while beans like it hot- except for a few certain beans that actually do prefer it cool... Also, potatoes can tolerate cool weather while sweet potatoes don't. Kale & lettuces grow best in cool weather while chard seems to do fine in hot or cool. You get the idea. If you plant things at the wrong time you'll be wasting your time and the seeds- I tried lettuce when it was too late to be planting it and in the heat of summer it went straight to bolt. I've planted zucchini and tomatoes when it was too cold for them and they grew poorly and didn't produce fruit. Harvest times are just as important as planting times- I planted radishes once and they didn't seem to get big enough by harvesting time so I thought I could just let them keep growing for a while longer- but found out that if you leave them in the ground too long they get tough and too spicy and shrivel up instead of getting bigger! Also it may be tempting to let a zucchini get huge, thinking it will just provide more food when you let a fruit get 2 feet long... No! Harvest them young & tender and about the size they sell them in the grocery store (or smaller), any larger and you get a hard shell, lots of seeds, and very little (and quite tasteless) flesh. Moral of these stories is to research each fruit or veggie you want to grow & follow the "directions", it will mean the difference between success & failure! Also- healthy soil is #1 important thing for plants - no chemical fertilizer! Compost is your best friend. Mulch is your other best friend- use what is available & free- leaves & pine needles are what I use. Good luck!!!

paulns, send me an email and let me know how you get the pictures in! That looks great! Here, in California, we have only two poisonous snakes, and I've never seen either one in the wild. Rattlesnakes and coral snakes. Since we have horses, we LOVE snakes--they sure help keep down the rodent population. I envy those of you who have snakes to watch. I live in the city, and although we have tons of rats, mice, and raccoons, a fair amount of possums and skunks, and an occasional coyote, the snakes haven't been able to survive as well. :-( Regarding cardboard, Michael's craft stores have TONS of cardboard shipping boxes that they just bale and dispose of. Just give them a call, and they'll let you know which day the shipment comes. The boxes are rather flimsy corrugated, so they're not hard to handle and would probably soak up fluids easily. They will be happy to give you all you want for free. Our family has always been environmentally conscious, reusing or recycling everything we can, and eating low on the food chain. With the current economic climate, and my job loss, I have started a garden, and will be expanding it to grow as much as I can. I can probably grow bunnies for meat, but I haven't quite gotten that far yet. BTW, we have horses, but we board on inexpensive private pasture. My home is in a suburb. If I had my own land, I'd have a large garden, small orchard, a milk goat, some fowl, and a little pig.

Tips on setting up a swap if you don't have any in your area already. 1. Pick a date/time and a place. (find a partner or 2 to help you) The date: Your date should be sometime around the average last frost or later and not on a holiday weekend. This gives people time to do the spring bed clean up, and divide perennials that need dividing and pull out extras of what ever they want to pass on, and also get them potted up and labeled. When people take home starts of divided plants they'll want to get them in the ground as soon as they can and give them the best shot at getting established with the least amount of stress possible. The time: Some swaps start at 9am... some later. Its up to you. Try to gage travel time and set up time. Most of the swaps around here are on Saturday to give people time to get things planted on Sunday. But lots of people can't come due to work or children's sports activities. Carrie and I tried Sunday afternoons and it works out just fine. More people can make it then and plant out when they can. The place: Any place that has lots of parking, shelter in case of rain and restrooms close by. Parking is the most important, shelter is second in importance. Plants are messy.. so if you chose to a swap someplace indoors you'll need to be prepared to clean up. Outdoors is much easier, all you'll need is a broom. :) We tend to hold them at public parks, which means someone has to reserve the pavilion, and pay the fees. You can solicit donations if you want. Carrie and I just pay for it ourselves. It doesn't cost much for only 2 -3 hours. I have been to swaps at people's homes and its great. You get to see their gardens and it just feels more laid back. However if your swap has lots of people it doesn't work out so good with people trying to park and needing restrooms and traipsing all over your yard and house. :( 2. Rules... read the rules other swaps use, and take what you want. Just keep it simple. Too many rules will confuse and keep people from attending. Each gardener makes their own trades and now has to do a trade they are not happy with. 3. Promote! We use garden web for most of it. Post on the exchanges pages. We watch our State forum and contact any poster who is close by to invite them. You can also use other garden forums where you can find local gardeners. Encourage new gardeners. Even if they don't have plants to share, they can bring other stuff to trade. Eventually they will have plants to share. I chat up people I meet at garden centers and Walmart too. :) About a month before the swap I print up fliers and drive around locally. If I see a home that looks like someone _really_ gardens there I stop the car knock on the door and talk to them! Be sure to praise their hard work, tell them about yourself and your plant swap. Personally invite them to come. Hand them that flier with ALL the details and a way for them to contact you with questions. I put my email address on it and the link to the Texas Garden Web exchanges page so they can check out all the pre trading going on. If the gardener isn't home, leave the flyer for them. I also sent out info to everyone in our HOA via email. Just talk it up. Church, work, neighbors, PTA, what ever other groups you are involved with. If you live in a small town, perhaps contact the local newspaper about it? If they (or you) can write up an article about it ahead of time, that could get some people to show up. Supplies for your swap: I bring: extra tables, and a wagon for hauling plants. If possible have some teenagers to help haul plants to and from the parking lot. a clip board with extra paper and pens name tags and signs to put on various tables. We set up a check in table: name tags, and sign in sheet. On that sheet get names, phone numbers and emails. You'll want to be able to keep in touch with these people! We've established a little group on a yahoo list and have get togethers and garden tours of each other's yards and meals together a few times a year now. We do swaps in Spring and Fall. Munchies...if you want or not its up to you. Pot luck meal or snacks what ever you decide you want to mess with. We're about snacks and drinks.. frees us up for more plant talk. I usually bring coffee, cups, sugars, creamer and a cooler with bottled water. Door prizes... if you want. There are several ways to go about it. We set up an Orphan Table... this is where people put plants they do not want to take home and no one has traded for them. These are for anyone who wants them. If in the end there are still orphans you can take them home or pass them on to any group who can use them. Most of the gardeners I know are just happy to find someone to give their extras to and help someone get started. Have someone prepared to take photos! You won't have time to do that yourself. You'll be busy meeting everyone, introducing people and talking plant trades! Most of the people coming probably won't know each other or have never been to a swap, so its up to you (and your buddy) (s) as hosts to make everyone feel welcome and answer questions. Its all pretty laid back and informal. Natural leaders in the group will emerge. Just try to make sure everyone feels welcome and valuable. Grandbaby is calling... if you have more questions just ask..I'll be around.

Just a quick note....well maybe not as all of my other posts have been quite windy! Luvs....so good to see you again! I am so glad that you are coping and at the "acceptance" level. While reading your post I thought about the change that are happening here at home. I am only 3 years younger than DH, but I am starting to notice small things, not major as you have, but just the "old age" things that creeps up on one. DH driving not quite as skilled as it once was, more "rest" time and the old "early to bed" thing. And I guess I am to be really truthful....I forget things and have a slower time with most everything, except sleep....never seem to be able to sleep through the night and I am just to darned stubborn to take a nap...waste of time and then I sleep less at night. Ah! Here I go getting long winded again! I have been using my Cricut and what fun. Can't wait for the show to be over and then I can really learn what it can do, I still haven't gotten the Design Studio to work, just not willing to take the time to figure it all out. Made the cutest little flowers that use a Tootsie Pop as the center, found the idea on YouTube and added a few touches, such as a green leaf. And with using scraps of paper I have on hand from bygone projects, they cost almost nothing to make so I can keep the price down so that kids can buy them. Do you all remember you allowance? Mine actually got up to,as I remember it, a dollar a week, then I was babysitting and making my own money and the allowance ended. That was really "back in the day" when an allowance was more of a gift than an it is now. Thanks for the pictures...love the "Uncle Sam," might try to do one..might not! But he really makes me smile and that is good. I actually thought Summer had arrived, we had two days of really beautiful, sunny, warm weather and now we are back to the rain.....will it ever stop raining? Gosh! I am complaining while so much of the country is underwater, how sad! I really do know what they are feeling, although our water came up and went down all in 24 hours, not staying around for weeks and weeks. I sure hope FM and Punk are doing well....I miss them! Guess we all have to take a "time out" once in a while. Gotta get with the painting thing.....gosh its almost fun! Doing a Santa by Chris Haughey in Q & E Dec 2010. Was leery about the lettering but it went smooth as cold butter on warm toast. The face is done and now working on the beard, so many base coats, maybe only 1 or 2 more. Everything else should go quicker. Do you paint the back when it will hang on a wall? I usually do the primary color, but what a waste of time and paint. Well, Santa won't paint himself...silly man! so I'd better get at it! Please take care! Belle