Rdubow, thank you for the very informative link. I printed it out to use as a reference. It looks like I was right on time with the cucumbers, pumpkins, and beans, but the carrots were a little late, since the bed wasn't ready early enough. Actually, I did start the peppers earlier using the winter sowing method, but something ate my first set of sprouts, so I had to resow. My garden in VERY small, so there is only one place to put the peppers, other than in containers. When I plant these store bought ones, I will be digging where the seeds I already planted are located. All of my herbs, lettuce, spinach, and swiss chard were winter sown without any problems. The peppers, chives, and onions were the only failures. This was my first year to try winter sowing, which was great for me since I don't have room for a big light/seed starting set up. Maybe I will have to make room for the peppers indoors, because I had to settle for varieties that were pretty generic locally.

Don't mean to be a "fly in the ointment", folks, but remember what's "going on" in that pile you're waiting for. Keeping track of temperatures as often as you can (and writing them down) is a REALLY good thing. If you don't use a compost thermometer, you really DON'T know what's "going on" in that pile (you're just guessing) - but with temp control and some research, you really can recognize the microbial population "shifts" and know EXACTLY the "perfect time" to turn your pile. It really is more 'exciting' when you understand the "mechanics" of pile decomposition. Microbes do the work. They 'eat' organic material and 'poop' nutrients ready for plant uptake. Different bacterial/fungal populations "take their turn" at 'processing' the various "stages" of decomposition. But you MUST wait and allow EACH of the various microbe populations to "colonize - reproduce - populate" to optimum levels in order to REALLY appreciate what they do. If you turn your pile BEFORE the right time, you have just disrupted the process - and extended the time that it will take for your product to be fully "usable". There are 3 MAIN keys (yes, there are others): temperature food supply Oxygen/CO2 content All of these keys "translate" into time, depending on what your pile material consists of, how you constructed the pile, what process you use to turn (re-aerate) the material, what the moisture content is, and all the rest of the "mechanics". Every pile is different, with different climatic conditions, yadda-yadda. But chances are, you have about the same kind of materials to build with, use the same methods for turning, water about the same each time, etc. The MOST critical of the keys is the Oxygen/CO2 content of the soil. Microbes "breath" oxygen, and "exhale" CO2 that BUILDS UP in the pile to TOXIC (lethal) level. If you put a bag over your head, and just breathe the CO2 that you exhale, you will die. Suffocate while still trying to breathe. That's what happens to microbes when a pile is not turned at the "right" time. Populations begin to decline rapidly, and temperature decreases (lowers) at a certain "rate (degrees per day depending on the biomass of your pile). Easy to see this happening with a compost thermometer, and understand what's happening inside that pile. Catch this decline early enough, and your pile "recovers" more quickly to continue (renew) the decompostion process. So look at this process in relation to the constants (do/use the same things over-and-over) and the variables (the things that change). This will help you determine the differences, pile-to-pile, and make the correct assumptions and adjustments. Well, yes - what I'm talking about is REALLY "getting into" your pile - ENJOYING each pile to the fullest. Appreciating every TURN to the max. Seeing, feeling, smelling - and marveling at nature's wonders. Yeah, this is what's called INTENSIVE pile management. But, THAT'S what makes me a compost WHACKO, no? Robert

Another aspect of patience is prematurely judging a rose before it has matured and settled in to its surroundings. We sometimes forget that rose trials give bush types two years in the ground, in the same place, and climbers three years, so they mature and establish themselves. Very often, accurate judgements can't be made about the real value of a plant when it's kept potted as many just don't perform well in pots. The rose Ralph Moore named for me, Kim Rupert, is an excellent example. "I" am not happy "potted", but put the plant in the ground and let it establish itself and it pushes good growth and continually covers itself in the mossed, striped flowers it provides. Until the planted rose has a chance to put feet under it, produce the root system required to support the top growth expected of it, is there any wonder it doesn't please? Add the necessary time the beneficial fungi and bacteria which establish themselves in "happy" situations which can help to reduce, even prevent disease and some insect issues, and it becomes even more apparent how premature we can be in condemning a rose before giving it a fair break by getting it into the ground properly, where it is best suited and leaving it alone to mature and establish itself. A thoughtful friend really wanted me to have a plant of a florist rose she felt I would enjoy. It honestly wasn't something I was drawn to for garden or breeding use, but it was important to her, so I graciously accepted. It wasn't very impressive in a gallon pot. It didn't flower much and the foliage wasn't very attractive. Plus, it was rather prone to black spot in that pot, so I still wasn't favorably impressed. I figured upsizing it into a two gallon to keep it alive would be the only fair thing to do, so I repotted it. I shouldn't have been surprised when new foliage began pushing all over the plant and it began flowering much more impressively. And, the black spot appeared to be reduced. Increasing it to a five gallon has really allowed it to show me how much better a rose it can be than I had originally thought. The foliage is actually pretty nice for an unspoiled greenhouse type. The flowers are significantly better, lasting a very long time on the plant, probably a bit too long as they hang on long past their attractive period, but that's what a cut flower is meant to do. At this size of plant, it actually impressed me as possibly worth playing with in raising seedlings, and it accommodated me by being fertile both through pollen and setting a decent crop of seeds. Whether the seedlings will be of any value will take time to discover, but the improvement in the quality of the plant and my impressions of it are dramatic. As a band, I probably would have rated it as "not worth the effort to shovel prune." As a two gallon plant, I considered it as worth further evaluation. As a more mature, five gallon plant, it's definitely one I am willing to give soil space. It's ONLY taken me two years to get it this far. Kim

HI ALL, Paula, I got your package, thank you, it was a five minute task! Treasea, I opened your package and all of your seeds are in there loose with no names so I'll treat them as extras and toss one into each envy until they are gone. I wish photobucket wasn't having issues, I'd love to post a pic of the extras that have been sent in. I'm waiting to get all the envies in before I begin the drop one in each until all the extras are gone. Lisa