Things I have learned my first year wintersowing??? 1. There is always someone on this site who can answer your question no matter what. 2. Only plant the seeds that you really want, because everything will germinate. 3. Marigold seedlings do not like frost. 4. When planting out, don't let a certain friend help you (that way the plant markers will make it to the same place as the plant) 5. Separate the garden from the dog... or you will end up with just the dog. 6. Grow veggies that family members enjoy, and they will help you maintain the garden 7. Don't keep track of stuff on an old laptop. That way when your laptop crashes, you don't lose all of your info. 8. Don't plan too much...wintersowing gives you way more plants than you ever plan on.

I've taken the lasagna method and adapted it to my own use. I piled up layers of materials on top of some pretty heavy clay. I put it all right on top of the grass and weeds that were there. I started back in July when I found out that our landfill gives out the previous fall's leaf mulch for free. I piled it as deep as I could with as many loads as I could until I couldn't move anymore. Over the summer and fall, it's sat there. I've planted a few things here and there throughout the fall. What I have noticed is that I have a lot more earthworms and pill bugs. I have also found that I can dig in the soil below my layers a lot easier than I could this past spring. Whenever I plant something, I makes sure to dig the hole down into the original soil, mix in and replace with some of the organic material, and even add a little garden soil from a bag. It might not be the perfect method, but my plants seem happy and that makes me happy. Sure, I have weeds. I have some issues with too much moisture in shadier areas, and the beds that I actually tilled and mixed in the organic stuff seems much happier, but it's also in a different part of the yard. I can't say for sure it is the method or the original dirt. I'm doing what works for me. My plants let me know when they need something. Hopefully, I can get into a cycle that allows ME to know before they tell me. My only concern from here on is how to keep everything working.

Today is another nice day and I was outside this afternoon pushing off and taking off mulch that had blown around (fall leaves) off some of the tulips. The three new sections of Darwins (some are shown in the tulip picture I took above) which are now on their second spring are coming up really nicely. I planted them deeply not last fall but the year before. At this stage just from looking I can't see any difference between what they looked like last spring coming up and what they look like now. Meaning the beds looks full with lots of tulips so looks like great return. But I was also removing mulch from the section of the extra early mix I bought from Scheepers. Those are not Darwins, they bloom earlier. I had 200 but from the looks of what is coming up, nowhere near that now. Poor return. Looks like less than half of what I had last year. I am hoping that since it is still early more of those tulips might still come up but not sure that will happen. I should of planted more of those extra earlies along in that same section like I thought of doing this past fall but for some reason I didn't order them and didn't do it. As of now I deffinately plan to add more of them this fall. The section I am referring to is in the front yard between and in back of the daylilies along the stone wall. Then I also have a section in another garden bed. Some perrenials in the back (columbines) then a row of daffs in front of that. Literally a row because that is how I planted them. Then a row of clumps of tulips in front of the daffs. They were planted 5 of a type in a grouping in a hole. Then dig next hole next to it and five more and so on. Well some clumps comming up but bare spots between them which means certain clumps not coming up at all. These were non darwins, don't remember which class, that I bought because they were so pretty. Planted just as deeply. So no knowing if they might show up but not looking promising. I will have to replant there by just marking with a brick each empty spot in the row so I know were to put new clumps in the fall.

Austin has some pockets of really truly cr@ppy soil, and some good stuff. Soil tests are our friends. Learning about the different solutions for amendment. I have heard that some people with red death clay have brought in some composted HARDWOOD native mulch and tilled 6" in and then not done anything with it for a year and let it rot. Others have loaded on 6 inches of compost and let the bugs cary it into the dirt. Sounds almost to good to be true. I used to live on clay. Not red death but a river cut bank with round river rock in it. Everytime I was out their with a shovel, I had compost from the Natural gardener to work into it. It got to be glorious dirt. I could grow everything. I thought I was a good gardener till I moved to 30 miles west of Austin on a high limestone hill with caliche and marl with mostly not much topsoil in the area around the house.. Many natives need to have the clay worked into loam by the bunch grass roots. that have broken it down. Find native grasses that want to break down the clay. Find a way to create structure in the clay. Gypsum, expanded shale, compost . Be aware the adding sand or decomposed granite has to be done in conjunction with more than equal amounts of mulch. One has to add at least 50% sand to have the clay not go back to cement. Research research research. I live on caliche now and I created raised beds in some areas where I grow vegetables because it was easier and immediate. I recommend compost tea. Geo Growers and the Natural Gardener for soil products. If you have a recurring bug or decease problem, step back and let the soil heal itself. I had to step back from squash because of the squash bug. I am giving my whole garden a rest this year and growing green manure. The arugala, leeks, kale and chard have not heard that I am not growing anything this winter.. When it is hot, I start vegetables in pots in the shade.