You can start peppers and eggplants inside now. You probably would be OK starting tomatoes now and transplanting them outside in late April. For everything else that can be grown from transplants, look at the spring planting date for your part of the state, and start your seeds 3 to 5 weeks prior to that planting date, with 3 weeks being ideal. THE FALL GARDEN: You can plant almost everything in the fall garden that you would plant in the spring garden. Some plants do better when planted in the fall than in the spring, including brussels spouts and (for me) cabbage and other cole crops. The hardest part of planting a fall garden is that you must, by necessity, start new plants and seeds during Oklahoma's hottest, driest, most miserable weather. You can get around that by starting seeds in peat pellets indoors where it is cooler, hardening them off in semi-shade and the transplanting them into the ground, preferably on a cloudy day (or in the evening, so they have all night to recover). You also can give new plants some shade while they are getting established, using shadecloth and other methods, including spraying them with Wilt-Prufe. If you keep them well-watered, the tiny summer-planted transplants will catch hold and grow although you may not see a lot of topgrowth until the weather cools a little in September. Here's approximate planting dates for a fall garden in southern Oklahoma. If you are significantly further north, you may want to plant 2 weeks earlier so you can get a harvest before frost arrives. June 15th-July 1st: Cantaloupe, muskmelon, watermelon and any other European, Asian or American melons (seeds or transplants) July 1st-15th: Tomatoes, eggplants and peppers (all from transplants, not seed) July 15th: Sweet corn (seed) (I pre-soak it in water overnight to help it germinate more quickly, especially if the soil is very dry. July 15-30th: Cilantro (seed or transplants), pole beans (seed), southern peas (black-eyed peas, crowder peas, cream peas, etc.)(seed), winter squash (seed or transplants), pumpkins (seed or transplants) July 15th-August 15th: okra (seed or transplants) July 15th-September 1st: Summer squash (including zuchinni) (seed or transplants) July 25-August 10: potatoes (seed potato pieces) August 1st-Sept. 1st: collards (seed), brussels sprouts (seed or plants), cabbage (seed or plants), swiss chard (seed or plants), kohlrabi (seed or plants) August 1st-Oct. 15th: spinach (seed), mustard (seed), August 1st-15th: Rutabagas and turnips (seed), carrots and parsnips (seed), broccoli (seed or transplants), August 1st-October 1st: parsley (seed or transplants) August 15th-Sept. 10th: lettuce (seed or transplants) August 10th-20th: Bush beans (seed), lima beans (seed), cucumbers (seed or transplants) Sept. 1st-15: beets (seeds) Sept. 1st-Oct. 1st: peas Sept. 10th-Oct. 1st: Leeks (seed) Sept. 15th-Oct. 15th: Garlic (for a spring harvest) HEIRLOOM TOMATOES: I'm going to list the ones that not only have great flavor, but that have great production. Some that have INCREDIBLE flavor, like Brandywine, might only give you a few fruit per plant so they are VERY frustrating to grow. Black Krim (maroonish-greenish-reddish fruit) Cherokee Purple (or Cherokee Chocolate or Cherokee Green)(all taste about the same to me, only difference is skin color) Nebraska Wedding (Orange-gold fruit) Hillybilly or Royal Hillbilly Aunt Gertie's Gold Dr. Wyche's Yellow Mortgage Lifter (pink fruit) Dr. Carolyn (ivory to yellow cherry) Arkansas Traveler or Traveler 76 (not technically an heirloom, I suppose, but has been around Arkansas so long that I think of it as one) Earl's Faux (flavor almost as good as Brandywine, not technically an heirloom, but a sport or cross grown from at least one heirloom parent) Porter, Porter's Pride or Improved Porter (pinkish-red) Bradley (pink, an Arkansas heirloom) Marianna's Peace (pink) Snow White--another ivory to pale yellow cherry, fruit are larger than Dr. Carolyn Black Cherry--relatively new on the market, so I guess it is not an heirloom, but it has that special heirloom-type flavor Sungold--is not an heirloom, but it the best cherry tomato ever If I could only grow 5 heirlooms, I'd grow Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Mortgage Lifter, Snow White and Arkansas Traveler OR Nebraska Wedding. And, if I could only grow 5 hybrids, I'd grow Brandy Boy (flavor incredibly close to Brandywine's), Better Boy, Sweet Million, Sungold and Porterhouse. If I could only grow 5 tomato varieties total, I think I'd grow Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Sungold, Better Boy and Mortgage Lifter. That's my list of favorite tomatoes, heirloom and hybrid. And, if you asked me on a different day, you might get a different list. Each heirloom has a flavor that is unique and special, sort of like fine wine. And, flavor can vary from year to year and also varies due to soil and growing conditions. You didn't ask about paste tomatoes for canning or cooking, but some of the best ones are Opalka, Amish Paste, Grandma Mary's Paste, Martino's Roma and San Marzano Redorta. For sun-dried tomatoes, you can't go wrong with Principe' Borghese.

Absolutely agree with tina61. My reference marker of age 50 to set out your estate, was an "at the very latest". We actually started doing our wills when DD was born. Trusts, trustees, physical custody, education provisions and medical decisions were all spelled out plainly. Traveling often for business, medical needs of DD and just being prudent, motivated our decision to put our desires in writing. If you have children, you definitely need to do estate planning as soon after they are born as possible. Of course, we have amended our documents over the years, but our initial wills were drafted and signed when DD was born. DH and I were 30's at the time of her birth. rilie - I am the attentive one. I make all arrangements for medical care for both of my parents as well as transport them to and fro. Errands, needs, wants, all are my gig. My DB works hard and has little free time. However, he is also MIA when it comes to family occasions and holidays. He avoids it. Also, there have been no children born to the marriage. Seems as tho it may have a bit to do with his DW. She's an odd sort, very hard to get close to. I think everyone has a story, and her childhood may not have been a walk in the park. Her attitude toward family (her own) I think influences his decisions about being part of ours. I cannot blame her, he is an adult and should/would and perhaps does not get involved because he choses not to do so? Just figures I'll cover it, as that is the way it has always been. I still believe my parents' estate should be equally divided.

To answer the question, yes I would buy a place but they better disclose it. MN law is or at least used to be that essentially anything the seller knows that could impact the buyers use and enjoyment of the property must be disclosed with certain exceptions. Don't remember the exact wording. But, with some people freaky about ghosts, goblins and their own shadows, to find this could freak them out which could result in a negating of the sale or worse. There's been cases where large sums were awarded for rather trivial items all because the seller tried to cover something up. Selling "as is" does not necessarily remove all liability either. The idea is that if they happen to be on a flight path, have abnormal traffic at certain times, frequent power outages, low water pressure, etc, these things need to be disclosed, and rightly so. On a parcel your size, I'd likely leave it alone unless I wanted to do something there. But on a 25'x50' lot, I'd probably consider removing them. I wouldn't have the attachment the previous owner did, although I would have empathy. I don't understand peoples' need to have the remains so near to them. Why not cremate them and put their ashes there? I have my pets cremated and I don't want their ashes back even though they meant a lot to me alive they are now DEAD and having their body close won't bring them back. Even having their ashes would mean nothing to me, I have their memories, maybe some pictures, I don't need bones and hide. If I did, I'd have them stuffed. I guess I essentially agree with Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack, that the two biggest wastes of real estate are golf courses and cemeteries.

Just received more flower seeds through the mail from Botanical Interests, what a great company ! Several hours after completing my online order, I got an email stating my seeds had shipped, that's the fastest I've ever seen, sent almost before I ordered. I love their presentation- a beautiful box, rice paper Happy Growing announcement, my receipt, seed planting guide, and a free package of seeds, all for ordering just 2 seed packs. And to top it off there was free shipping . My fluffy Cosmos will be waving to their companions in the breeze. The vintage wild fringed Dianthus have been on my wish list for several years ( Botanical Interests sent me email notification when it was back in stock ). It will be a feathery addition. There's too much for my small flower bed but lots to give away. Today I noticed the first white pincushion flower sprouting from it's seed pot, some white to go between the pink and red roses. My dwarf Columbine seeds have not popped up yet, they will go in a circle in the shade with the hostas. The Alaskan Raspberry Nasturtiums got planted today. The birds, bees and butterflies will be happy in the garden this year.