Welcome to Garden junk, sistersunnie! You will soon find your way around the garden web forums. To reach our conversations page, go back to the 'Messages'. the second line says 'on topic ....' and then 'switch to conversations'. Anything that is not strictly garden junk should be put on that page. A lot of people forget that, and we lose GJ posts off the last page.

YIKES! Three years to hit its stride? My tiny plant that arrived by mail order last spring just grew and grew after it hit the soil. By summer's end, it stopped so much focus on growth, and started putting out the occasional bloom. Now it is eating my little rose fence along my lawn, and invading the territory of the rose next door (7 feet away). Of course this is just what I wanted. But in addition to even more new canes, the thing has an uncountable number of buds on it!. I fully expect it could eat my whole city. And all this two years before it hits its stride? Can't wait!

Perhaps rodents are moving your sticks and making little piles etc...something from ground level or underneath since it is not anything from above. Joann

Hello Mark - corn needs a lot of heat - I never have much luck with it in my garden although there is very good corn grown in this area. Everything else should do fine for you - pumpkins take a lot of water - I got tired of being enslaved as the water mule so I don`t grow them anymore but if you have young children, they are a must have!!! If your garden runs east/west, you could try planting your rows north/south so they don`t get shaded out. You will learn a lot your first season about what does well in your particular situation, what you will move around for next year and what else you might like to try. Good luck and happy gardening.