I like scattering seeds around the roses, but if you want to avoid seeds accidentally falling at the base of roses. try covering the rose base with newsapapers or plastic which you can remove after the seeds have been planted. Bulbs I plant in clump form, which is I layer the bulbs and preferably early, mid and late season bulbs, in a single hole and top it off with daffodil bulbs. The idea is to create a seemingly longer bloom time for those bulbs, and the daffodil prevents squirrels from digging up the bulbs. Daffodils are bitter and squirrels won't come near them. If this is a straight border I would recommend setting the holes in a zig zag fashion, that way you can see all the flowers growing either from the front or from the sides. Another way to determine where annuals go is to practise wintersowing which is to use pop bottles as a form of cold frame. In late spring, start transplanting the seedlings to their ideal location. I also like this method because sometimes I don't know how tall annuals can grow. And another way to kill off any seedlings that go astray, is to simply disturb with a hoe or a trowel.

Hi LL, nope I don't think the Blue Mist would make it, it's good to 0 Degrees. This picture I've shown way too many times, but shows the mulch, won't last much longer with the way things are growing. I'm with girlgroupgirl, try to keep water bill down, it just seems a must here in the south if we want any kind of garden or growth. I'll be getting more this month. I'm glad your husband is doing better, will say a prayer that he'll be home for Christmas with you! (No, I don't miss Montana a bit except for the beauty!) ogrose

I put out Broccoli this weekend. I like indeterminate tomatoes so I know I will get them all season long...so I will be patient putting those out. I have a tiny garden this year so I may only get one tomato plant in. Year before last I lived in Alabama and planted out around April 1st or so...about 10 days too early I found out much to my chagrin. They survived but after much finger crossing and hovering on my part. It was my first non-container veggie garden and it overwhelmed me. Here's what I planted: (all heirlooms from seedavers.org) Indeterminate tomatoes: Stupice (a tasty tomato) Mexico Midget (a cherry tomato) Amish Paste (a paste tomato) Gold Medal (a yellowish tomato) Peppers: Beaver Dam Buran 2 Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries and 2 Watermelon plants (not sure what type...they weren't any good because I don't think I had the soil rich enough for them.) I don't think I will even think about planting out warm weather veggies here until at least May 5th. I just don't want to risk it. I learned some valuable lessons. Never put out too early unless your willing to hover and baby your transplants. Tons of compost is almost always necessary. You will never find enough time to weed so mulch your garden well. And start small unless you have plenty of family and friends to give your extra harvest too. Good luck. K PS The most valuable lesson I learned. Never plant a garden near morning glories. ( I didn't know they were there) I had to beat them back EVERY DAY. They vine out and literally grow inches a day! And that's why I HATE MORNING GLORIES!

Thanks everyone. You would think I would keep the weight off with 2.5 acres to take care of and me doing most of the work but not so. I am planting 6 tomatoes, 3 different kinds that grow in the fog belt of the CA coast. Sweet pepper called Banana pepper. And a new squash called Banana squash, never had it before. I always like to try something new. I have rhubarb, globe aritichoke, beets, romaine lettuce, carrots, onions and chives already up. I will be planting Jerusalem artichoke, peas, carrots, parsnips, butter lettuce, garlic, green onions, Italian green beans, kolhrabi, summer yellow squash, winter squash - Lakota, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, and Turbin. Heat loving plants don't do as well because we get a lot of fog in the summer so gave up on eggplant, cukes and melons. How is everyone else's garden doing? Clare