I once moved roses and other plants 840 miles from CA to WA. I had to dig them up in the middle of summer, which is a very bad thing to do in CA due to the heat and dryness, but it had to be done. I dug them ahead of time, and potted them up, and then sat them in a cool shady spot until moving day came. I wanted to see which ones were going to die immediately and toss them before packing up. Then the potted survivors went into the car for the overnight drive, and were put in a cool shady spot on arrival - plenty of those in WA even in summer. They were planted the next winter. If you're not driving and everything has to go in boxes, you can box potted roses too, but you'll have to trim them down severely. Root ball too. Nurseries shake off excess dirt from the root ball and then pack the root ball in a plastic bag, not a pot, to save weight. Then put the whole thing in a box and wedge it tightly with packing material so even if it gets turned upside down, it doesn't move and crush itself. Water well before packing, wait til the last minute, and unpack immediately on arrival. I found that the biggest problem I had moving roses long distance, was the difference in soil types between the old garden and the new one. Not one of those roses lived more than a few years, they all developed root rot because their roots were still encased in heavy adobe clay from the old garden, and now surrounded by a loose gravelly loam in the new garden with WA's famous heavy winter rains. The clay rootball was waterlogged all winter long. Growing in clay wasn't a problem when all the soil was clay, and heavy winter rains aren't a problem when all the soil is the same type, but combining the heavy rain with a ball of clay sitting in gravel was a disaster. It would have been better to bare root them completely that first winter, wash all the clay off even at the loss of most of the roots.

Dora, Having grown up in UCLA(Upper Corner of Lower Alabama), I can tell you that most of the black walnuts you'll encounter there are not much to write home about. If you want a really good one for nut production, I'd recommend that you plant some good, grafted, named-variety BWs, like Thomas Myers, Daniels, or Emma Kay. See linked nursery below - your best source. Apples: Jennifer's recommendations follow those of the Extension service for low-chill selections - though I don't know how well C.Strawberry or Cinnamon Spice will do down there. MonArk is a great early-season apple that will do fantastic for you - good for eating out-of-hand, cooking, and unlike most early apples, it will keep for 6-8 weeks under refrigeration. Centennial apple-crab works well down there, and is primo quality. Callaway crab, an ornamental, is a favorite in my family for eating out-of-hand; guess it'd make good jelly, too - but we eat 'em as fast as they get ripe - it's a heavy producer of big clusters of 1-1.5" tasty little crabapples. There's a lady, Joyce Neighbors, in Lay Springs,AL, who has been collecting Old Southern Apples(as well as more contemporary varieties) for decades; she's scaling back on her operation(she's 80), but would still be a good source of real-world information, and she's still going to be grafting a few trees every year; could be your best source for apple trees. Here is a link that might be useful: Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery

First,Â.. CHILL!!! I can feel your stress from hereÂ. If you are expecting, I would start out slow like a 4x8 bed, or 2x6Â. 1) Have soil tested. We're in a new development and have concerns about backfill being used in our yard. For get thisÂ. You are using mels mix! 2) Start compost pile. Posted on the soil forum for suggestions on a "nice looking" composter and composting ideas. This wont be rocking for 6 months is it a priority right now, with a baby on the way? 3) Determine square footage needed for a garden. We are currently a family of 3. No clue how much space we will need (or how much energy I will have at 7 & 8 months pregnant, in July and August heat, to maintain my garden.) exactly, start small better to expand later than be overwhelmed and fail or quit!!! 3b) Determine appropriate amount of plants to plant per square foot. Again, no clue. The faq shows this, or read the new SFG book, check your local library! 4) Start seeds or find local nurseries. (Am I too late for seeds in Northern Virginia? Should I go with plants this year?) 5) Contact local co-op to determine appropriate planting time and plan accordingly. For both of these, look on your local extension or master gardeners site, most will have a chart that shows you when to sow seed or plant starts! 6) Determine best place for a garden. While fenced in, my yard backs to woods so deer are a HUGE issue. Someplace close to the house I would thinkÂ. 7) Order dirt to fill-in raised bed and amend soil. Suggestions on organic sources? Your local garden centerÂ3 dif composts, vermiculite and peat moss donÂt worry about the soil under.. it is moot. 8) Frame out raised bed, although I want it almost at ground level. No clue what building materials to use. Want it to look attractive (darn HOA) but do not want to use any chemically treated wood. Home depot has rough cut 2"x12" by 8 foot boards in garden by the masonry stuff and arbor walls, they look nice enough, use interior simpson strong tie corners and screws makes a 2x 6.5 Etch out veggie garden spot and either rent tilling machine or buy DH new pitchfork. Make hubby his favorite dinner for a week straight. With mels mix, you donÂt have to do any of thatÂ. Maybe work the ground under the bed for good drainage a bit, but no tiller needed Plant veggies at appropriate time and mulch (can I just use wood mulch like we use for flower beds?) with raised beds, mulching is mostly just for water retention, weeds are WAY less of an issue Weed, water, weed, water, etc... Eat veggies in 6-8 weeks. :-D hells yesÂ. I think you should read SFGÂ. It answers allot of your questions in depth especially the spacing, and the internet is your friend for local planting time.

Hi You could consider posting a tribute on the web to show your caring and feature his mother along with any photos or video of time you may have spent together. Also you could create a special message or poem to show him that you are sad for his loss whch is also your loss because you will not have the option to experience his Mothers Joy. My son in law lost his mother last year. Like many men, it is hard to show emotion. There were cultural difference between our families. Our daughter showed her love and support by just being there for him. Even though at times she was ignored becuause his pain caused him to be unbalanced at times, she did not take this personlly. As the 'dust of his emotional toil' began to settle, and he could see further from his centre, there in the distance was his sweetheart.... wating and knowing that one day they would be each others strength. Never be afraid to show that you love him, and that you are there for him, inspite of others who may not always understand you.