Indoors about a month ago I sowed Mary Washington asparagus in cells, have about 18 seedlings (ca. 75-80% germination), about 6 to 9 inches tall. Couple pots of parsley and thyme were sown at same time and are couple inches tall. Bought one of those plastic clam shells of organic rosemary for $2.49 and stripped the stems apart and rooted in water. Now I have 9 four-inch baby plants, sure beats starting rosemary from seed and waiting forever. Sowed hot and sweet peppers in cells two days ago, also three varieties of tomatoes (some tom seed was nine years old, but it sprouted OK last year...!) Next on the indoor agenda, maybe: chard, kale, scallions, leeks, bok choy. Also maybe lettuces and spinach. Outdoor garden is covered with a foot of frozen compacted snow here in mid-Hudson Valley, so my unheated enclosed porch will have to be a surrogate for the cool-weather crops.

Hello! I use santolina bushes as insect repellants in my strawberry bed. My raised bed is about ten feet long by three feet wide. I interspersed three santolina bushes. Haven't had problems with insects in that bed since then.

I too am a planting rookie somewhat- I was hoping to grow some healthy producing strawberries in containers, since my soil is mostly clay and very poor. I already have had to replant one of them, I tried it in the clay and it did poorly. I have read through all the advice and it seems to differ... Should I pinch off the flowers and let it just grow? And should I be giving them plant food for veggies and herbs, or something else? They are in basic potting soil, do I need to add sand and compost? Any help would be great. Btw I am in Prescott Valley, so mid to high elevation if that matters.

My raised bed is on the ground. In the past I have had a 2'x4' bed full of garlic. I had read about planting on the edges of the bed and I had worried about my bed being so small. I cannot remember the weather patterns, but I do remember that almost all the garlic did come up. I bought tulips this year and tried not to get to close to the edges of the raised bed for the same reason Mr.Brown suggested. Even though my garlic did survive in the past. :> I have another raised bed, about 4' off the ground so it's pretty high. Nothing survived in it after my winter. Do you think styrofoam on the underside would help? Heating cables? Just a thought.