First you have to dig or till the area you want to plant very well so you have loose soil. Then you have to amend the soil with compost or good soil. I don't think they sell corn that's started. No it is not too late to plant corn from seed if you get the right variety. Ours won't go in for 3 weeks yet and we always have corn We usually grow a variety of SE--(sugar enhanced) bicolor (peaches and cream)called Fleet. It has an early maturity date for our zone 3 climate and a sweet tender flavor. If you can't get that variety look for a peaches and cream variety. They are usually a good corn. Each variety has a maturity date and it is usually marked on the package. It can be anywhere from 60 to 90 days so choose one that will grow to maturity in your climate. Corn should be planted in multiple rows for the best pollination so plant 2 rows in your space and not one long row. It needs regular watering and the easiest way to do this is to lay the hose at the far end of the row and between the 2 rows of corn. Then turn it on half way and let the water run with no nozzle. Every 10 minutes or so drag the hose up the row to a dry spot and repeat. This get the moisture to where it's needed at the roots I hope you get a good crop

I can help. Got a bunch of 2 gals from someone recently. Give me a call. Jim 425-223-7249 cell

If your patio is warm and sunny and traps the warmth then you may have what's called a 'microclimate' which can be different/higher than the general local one. This can be really useful for you as a grower. You can maybe start growing earlier and expect plants to carry on growing for longer - just because you have a sunny, warm, and sheltered site. If you have room on your patio for a long table, not too wide - and not too scruffy(!) - you can put your containers up at a height where you can tend them more easily. One with a metal frame would be good. It would be possible to make a small 'tent' frame to go over the containers and sit on the table top, too. If you then covered this with horticultural fleece/frost cloth - or thick, clear glasshouse type plastic - you'd protect your plants from frost and could grow on for longer. Right now, even without having that protection you could plant up fancy lettuces or a mesclun mix (posh name for lots of different leafy plants picked regularly as a mixture) for salad greens and just cover them at night with either bubble wrap or cardboard to protect from early frost. Another plant that will probably tough it out through winter with a bit of shelter - and can be cut a stalk at a time - is Swiss chard. It comes in plain white stem/green leaf - and varieties with coloured stems which lets it double as decoration. What to do with the soil after a crop has finished? Unless you had a diseased crop, you can reuse the mix. Add some slow release fertiliser which looks like little balls, mix it through - and plant something different. If you grew peas - use the mix next time to grow lettuce. If you grew lettuce - move on to carrots. Just don't feed the carrots too much. There'll likely be enough goodness left over after the lettuces have finished. (This is what the books are talking about with 'crop rotation'. It helps to keep bugs and diseases at low levels.) From time to time - add some fresh mix. Say every time you take out plants you've finished with. When you come to grow tomatoes - they are hungry plants and have big root systems - even the little cherry tomatoes. They drink heaps, too, so acquire bigger containers - four gallons is probably useful. Those dear little plants simply shoot up - and down. If there's only you, or just two people in your household - go for the 'baby' varieties unless you love lots of coleslaw, for example. There are plenty of just-for-one varieties now. You can mulch to keep the soil cooler and hold in moisture by using 'dead' things - like pebbles and big glass beads that are about half to one inch wide. Big enough for you to easily take them off the surface to wash in a bucket and reuse on the next crop. (Keeping things clean is more important with containers than in gardens. There aren't so many friendly microbes in a bag of sterile potting mix.) If your local plant supply places are selling strawberry plants now plant them up in a container of their own. Don't buy the cream just yet because they'll need to grow on for a year (unless your local conditions say otherwise) and you'll actually have to take off any young fruit before it ripens. It's worth it, though. And you can use the tent to protect your crop from strawberry-hungry birds if you cover it with some nylon netting.

So I went by Lowes today and saw a couple of Hibiscus I could't live without. They are 2 small plants, but they were $4 each. They are a bright fuscia color. I didn't know Hibiscus was such a pretty flower....so much to learn! So I brought them home. I should of bought some pots too, but afraid hubby will notice a major charge on the debit card. LOL I figure if I keep frequent low charges, they aren't as alarming...LMAO! Yes, I am planning on attending the plant swap. I do need to print up the directions and all. As far as Salvia goes, not sure what kind I have, I'll have to pull up the tag and read it when I get home. I didn't put the seeds far in the dirt. I just sprinkled the seeds on top of the soil and put about 1/8 of an inch of soil spread on top. So they are very lightly in there. Hopefully they'll still be okay. Ooo, yes, I looked up the pics of the Salvia, and I like. And I'll have to look up what the Texas Star Hibiscus looks like, but I know I'll probably like those too if I like the ones I bought already. Thanks so much for your help! I can't tell you how much it's appreciated!