Folks..I ordered some back issues of Fine Gardening magazine on Monday, and they were delivered today..they were issues that were published in 2003 and 2004..and still only what I'd pay on the newstand, at my grocery store, or my drug store. Either they have them left over in a warehouse or they quickly reprinted them, the magazines look right off the press. Of Course, there was a shipping charge but only $3.50 for all 3 magazines. Back in 2003 and 2004, the issues seem to be more pages..So if you feel the need or want any back issues, look on their website. There is a category "Back Issues" on left side of your monitor page. Scan down each issue and it will give the index of the articles in each issues. I'm impressed! Sometimes the public library will save about a year's worth of back issues but they don't have room for more than that, but you can only borrow the library's copies..I bought these.

I'm glad you bumped this, iameve. And I enjoyed the link. This subject has been on my mind, what with early spring planning time upon us. I have a 60' long bed that is 4' wide. 1' in from the west side of the garden there is a fence that runs the legth of the garden that is used for my vining veggies as well as a few decorative flowering vines. Tomatoes, peppers, black eyed susan vine and brussel sprouts are definate thrillers. Lobellia, basil, cabbage, lettuce, snap dragons are fillers. not to mention the vining beans and cukes being background fillers....and that is just what I am growing from seed and under lights. I will be making my annual pilgrimage to the big greenhouses up in the next county for more. Also, there are 6 large pots in there that serve both as focal points, and as a good hot spot for heat lovers like cukes and hot peppers. The cukes vine up the fence, compact hot pepper plants fill in the center and a flowering spiller or two to balance it out. I do have about 8 inches of growing space on the west side of the fence where I plant the green beans. The house is to the south east of the garden and nobody ever goes to the west side except to pick veggies or mow the strip of lawn back there. Last year I found this to be wasted space and figure I will use it this year for cutting flowers and more greens. It won't get any morning sun, with the vining plants shading it, but plenty after about 2 pm until near sunset. Cutting flowers and spillers for the pots. That is what I will need....along with more fillers. I would like to read about what veggie/herb/flower combos people have found to be particularly attractive and well balanced. I can't wait for the snow to melt!!! kay.

When I was working, I would walk for 30 min and I had a 30 min rt commute, so I got 60 min of listening to audio books in every day, so I burned through a lot of audio tapes. I started lisa gardner and they were good, but they got to be so much more of the same, that I'd read the blurb and have no idea if I'd read that one or not. I read some of the prey series...eyes of prey was just too chilling...but given past life events, I can no longer do the super graphic serial killer type things any more...they are just too upsetting. The Grafton alphabets are much more my speed. Now I get books on tape out of the library when we do a driving trip...the two of us have laughed our trips along listening to the Evanovich mysteries...makes driving much more pleasant.

Totally agree with the suggestion of the Kite Runner. Another book by the same author, A Thousand Splendid Suns is excellent. . I have also enjoyed books by Lisa See. She writes about the lives of young Chinese women. Her first book, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan tells the story of footbinding in China, fascinating story. The House on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (the lives of Japanese Americans as we entered WW2). The Invention of Wings (Susan Monk Kidd) also wrote The Secret Life of Bees. Always look forward to the suggestions here....