Welcome back to the wonderful world of gardening! :) (I'm in a happy mood because all of my crocus are blooming!) Without going into too much detail, rotating is used mainly for two reasons: to help prevent the build-up of disease and to help avoid depletion of the soil of certain substances. Any basic gardening (vegetable) book will usually go into detail. But essentailly it boils down to moving plants so that you don't grow the same types of plant in a spot year after year. I started listing what shouldn't go where, but really it is easier if you look in a book. Or online. But corn next to lettuce isn't a problem, whereas peppers where your tomatoes were last year might be. Cheers!

Why wait until next spring to do that soil test? Having a good, reliable soil test done now will allow you to make any necessary changes to the soil so it will be ready next spring to grow your plants. In addition to a soil test done by your state universities USDA Cooperative Extension Service use these simple soil tests, 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to look more closely at your soil for what else needs be done. Here is a link that might be useful: usda CES offices

Thanks for posting! I am amazed at the differences. I have read on this forum many times about changes that can occur from year to year, but the pictures really do tell the tale.

I just visited the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden this last weekend. I was looking for which rose bushes met these criteria: Super healthy, very pretty, lovely fragrance. Hands down -- Grande Dame won the prize. And this was August! I was so impressed with the bushes in San Jose, I'm on the Heirloom website now to see if I can order one! Your roses look gorgeous, @Hoang Ton - Zone 9a!