We planted tomatoes in "earth pots" that we made using Home Depot 5 gallon buckets and for other plants used plastic bins. We got the idea online. We drilled holes in the bottom of the bucket and took cotton clothesline from Dollar General, cut it into lengths and pushed them through the holes. We knotted the ends so they wouldn't fall out. Sat a brick in the bottom of another bucket that had drain holes drilled into it around the sides at a certain height and then sat the first bucket into it. Filled it with a mix of Jungle Soil and garden soil. Tomatoes went nuts! One place to see directions is www.instructables.com Hope this helps! Good luck! Val

Hi Courtney! It is raining here now as I write this and it was raining at bedtime last night. In our county, April through June is our best chance for rain. Some years we receive little if any rain in the summer months, although rain often starts up again in very late August or early September. In a bad year, the rain may not start up again until October or November, so I know we need every bit we receive. After two years with a lot of drought and the corresponding low humidity, it is a little hard to get used to the higher humidity again. I am really dreading the onslaught of mosquitoes, which has already begun here. I won't spray insect repellent on my skin, but will spray it on my clothes if the skeeters are abundant. Your ornamental sweet potato is probably Marguerite, which is the one that's been around the longest. There is a newer one called Sweet Caroline Yellow, but it has a different leaf shape and is not as rampant of a grower, at least not here so far. Two nights ago I noticed blooms on my Sweet Caroline purple. I seldom have blooms on my ornamental sweet potatoes, but they are pretty, somewhat resembling a morning glory. Isn't ornamental oregano gorgeous? I don't know why it hasn't caught on more with the public. It still is fairly rare in nurseries in our area. The first one I ever saw was 'Kent Beauty' but my current favorite is 'Amethyst Falls', although 'Rotkugell' is lovely as well. Rains like we are having now is why I have to build raised beds for almost everything, and also why I am constantly trying to amend my slow-draining red clay soil. At this point, our soil is so wet and there is so much standing water that I feel like I am living in the middle of a pond. We have not experienced much flooding, just the creek being up a little out of its banks briefly, so I feel very fortunate. Your DH has my undying respect for his service to our country. I hope you both will remember that there are many, many of us 'anonymous Americans' out here who appreciate everything they do and have done for our nation and for the cause of freedom around the world. My DH and DS both work at D-FW Airport. One of their favorite parts of their work is the chance to help welcome home arriving troops. The folks at D-FW try to give all the arriving military troops a big welcome. On a day when DH or DS has been a part of that process, they come home raving about how wonderful it was. I am glad you are having butterflies. Red Admirals are all over the verbena bonariensis in my garden this week. I just love the butterflies. My very first garden bed on this property was a butterfly bed right outside my kitchen window so I can watch the butterflies even while working in the kitchen. I love the fact that your son considers the butterflies his 'friend'. And 'Norm'? Oh, that is just priceless. I think everything about having a garden and landscape that attracts butterflies and hummers and other forms of wildlife is great for kids. It does provide you with numerous opportunities for 'educational experiences' and you son will be having so much fun, he won't even realize how much he is learning! Dawn

Thank you Woodnative, I ended up planting them this weekend and went with about 20% perlite, I wanted it porous but also to retain some moisture and decided on that as I was mixing, it rains pretty much year round except for July/August and I don't mind watering daily if needed then. I am not familiar with growing much from seed so this is a total crapshoot for me. I don't have a place to start them indoors so I am taking the chance outside, I did both basils, cilanto, dill, flat and curly parsley and marjoram from seed. The marjoram packet specifically said to start them indoors so I borrowed a grow light from my Lemon tree for that one. The others I planted and misted with water then tucked them under the eves of the house so they wouldn't get drowned by the rain. I'll go out and check the dampness daily to monitor, I don't have super high hopes of success but here's hoping nature finds a way ;) All of my plants I planted from small starters are doing wonderfully though so it wont be a total loss. I went way overboard and planted 3 kinds of Thyme- Compact, Lemon, Variegated Lemon, 2 Oregano's - Italian, "Hot and Spicy" , 4 Sage - Pineapple, Purple, Tri-Color, Berggarten, 2 Rosemary - Barbeque and Arp, Chives, and 5 kinds of Mint- Orange, Chocolate, Spearmint, Peppermint and Mojito mint. All of the mints are in their own 3 gallon pots. And I have two unknown sage's from last year that I didn't much care for have managed to come back but they have very small leaves and not much flavor so I am not sure if I want to keep them. I use herbs daily in my cooking and beverages so I am happy that I planted a larger quantity this year. I'll snap some pictures of them later so if any one is curious to see how they look. I also plan to post an update of two throughout the summer and fall for anyone curious about how the root pouches end up preforming for these herbs.

In other parts of my yard, phlox, bleeding hearts, and columbine are blooming, but the sun in this area will be way too much for them ==>> both phlox and columbine should be full sun plants ... in in fact.. some phlox mildew in shade.. but the same plant might not in sun ... as your plants in other parts of the garden .. multiply .. you will have to start digging them up to divide them.. to maintain vigor .. then you will say hey.. what am i supposed to do with all these duplicates.. and i say.. move them around ... and why not out there by the alium .. and you say.. no way.. and i say.. yes way ... lol and when the allium have multiplied like rabbits.. move some of them into what you call shade ... there isnt much shade that is so dark that plants cant cope .... and besides.. you have extras.. yes way ... many things that are labeled as shade.. are simply shade tolerant... its not that they require it... and most plants that require shade ... are heavy water users.. and losers ... [plants transpire].. and the reason they need shade in the heat of the day.. afternoon ... is so they dont wilt every afternoon ... sooo .. even those plants.. if watered religiously.. can cope ... think of it this way ... grass is a full sun perennial .. how thick or happy it is.. in what you call shade is an indication of just how deep your shade might be ...if the grass cant grow there.. then its probably a shade issue.. complicated by tree competitions for water ... the trees of course.. making the shade ... but if the grass is lush and thick.. vigorous.. then you can probably .. maybe plant anything in it ... dont get too caught up in what is shade or not .. just plant things ... and thats your learning curve boost for the day ... the heck you say .. lol ken ps: as noted above.. there are 3 bloom cycles per season for many of us ... early mid and late .... it is not uncommon.. to have lulls.. in between each ... no matter what you want .. and sometimes ... you might only have one or two things blooming.. no matter how you want to plan ....