Like what was said you'll have to mulch because there are 100s of weed seeds in the soil already. What has worked for me recently when doing a garden at our camp's nature center with lots of weeds is make a path down the middle to divide into 2 plots that are 2 1/2 feet by your 8 foot length going north to south, so plants don't shade one another too much. Divide it how you please, but no wider than 4 feet because you can't reach across it to tend. That way you don't step on the garden beds and compact them. Shovel soil from the path to the sides to make 2 raised beds. Then spread straw, wood chips, wood shavings, pelleted sawdust as sold as horse bedding or wood stove fuel, shredded paper or cardboard, upside down carpet, burlap, etc. in that middle pathway. I've often filled the gap all the way so the soil doesn't wash down into the path and my kids didn't say my mounded beds look like graves. Just don't mix up the soil with the path material or it robs the nitrogen from the soil. Before you add your final amount of pathway material you might want to add a good layer about 3-6" of weed-free compost or planting mix on the surface and plant transplants right through it to then top with mulch. Try to avoid mixing up the soil and bringing weed seeds up to the surface. Just use a tool or your hand to poke into the soil and insert the seedling. A putty knife is a great planter to stab into the soil & rock back and forth to open it up a bit without stirring, then gently push the soil back. When you water the seedlings in gently the soil will smooth itself out around the plants. One way to check compost for weed seeds is to put in clear plastic bags to encourage seed sprouting if there are any in there. Roll the bag around to stir things up every few days and after a few weeks it will be weed free. Bagged compost isn't always weed free, but usually less weeds than homemade uncovered compost. Used coffee grounds mixed with dried brown grass clippings spread over sheets of newspaper on moist soil are easy free mulches that reduce weed sprouting. IF you DIRECT SEED your garden be sure to use a bagged weed free compost or planting mix to top the bed or row before planting or you won't know weeds from sprouts. Squashes are easy to tell from weeds, so you can direct seed them. Transplants might be easiest way to go this first planting, then you will know what sprouts are weeds & pull them right away. Mulching will help a lot, too, because weed seeds get blown in from the surrounding area. Once you learn what the plant sprouts look like you'll be able to direct seed your garden. Hope that helps, Corrine

Yes, Jeff (regarding the ternstoemia). Me, too. It's one of the plants that I would like to see another picture of. Any chance of a couple of close-ups of #18 (Japanese Cleyera), ljbrandt? Same with #1. I've wondered about that one being a Helleri. Say....does anyone think that #1 might be Abelia? All of those long little stems.... Ljbrandt, I'm going to suggest that you leave the Crape myrtle alone. It was a very bad specimen to begin with; more like a nursery cull if you ask me. It 'might' have been salvageable as a teensy weensy youngster. However, though it is almost always suggested that crossing and rubbing branches be eliminated, I would hesitate to do so on this tree. What you'd be left with would be very awkward looking, indeed. To say nothing about how stressful the removal of that much mass is to the overall health of the tree. I'd like to see the upper branches of this tree. Have the original owners topped it (whacked it down) at any time? If not, it might not be bad looking, after all! Don't go crazy with your pruners! The worst thing you can do is whack things off before understanding how, when, and why...and IF something should be pruned. For now, go ahead and remove all of the growth coming from the bottom of that Ligustrum (#5). You want to maintain a trunk just like a pretty tree. Remove any stems that have died, too. A pair of sharp hand pruners for this job. Looks like about a 5 minute project. Same goes for that ornamental whatever-it-is. The pretty pink flowered tree you mistook for a dogwood on your photo album. ALL of those long stems coming from the base of the plant need to be removed. The wrap holding the stake to the main trunk MUST be removed. Poor little thing. That long line of Euonymus needs to be sheared. I hate what gas powered or electric shears do to plants, and would get a good pair of long handled shears to keep on hand. Good job on the grass! Keep us up to date on your progress! Before and after pictures are fun.

Just to clarify, the reason everyone wanted to know where you are is that it is NOT true that you "can grow just about anything here....", even in Southern Cal. Soil (Fla is a good example of a warm climate which requires steps to deal with the soil and nematodes), diseases, and yes, climate, affect which roses will be happy. There are some gorgeous old European roses which need WAY more "chill days" during the winter than they would get in So Cal. I tried one or two here in No Cal, and they hated it. So, I decided to try and grow roses that really like it here. You got some good suggestions above, but if you can be more specific about where you are (even in So Cal, coastal conditions are way different than more inland ones, for example) you will get better suggestions for roses which will like your exact conditions. Jackie

In all honesty, full sun is best for many veggies, especially in zone 5. Part sun varies from 2 hours or so to over 6 hours. For many heat-loving veggies, the more, the better. For things like tomatoes and peppers, you will want at least 6 hours of mid-day sun since early morning and evening sun are less intense since they are filtered by the atmosphere. Leafy greens are much more tolerant of a bit of shade, but I haven't ever tried growing in part shade, having always had full sun available. Hopefully others will weigh in. Choosing types bred for our shorter, cooler season is helpful, and the farther north from Boston you are, the shorter the season tends to be, especially further from the shore and at higher elevations. For instance in my location, just north of Concord, NH, I have found just two varieties of peppers that grow really well, one bell (Ace) and one mildly hot (Hungarian Wax). So I plant those every year since I know that they will deliver a great crop regardless of heat or cool temperatures. I may plant another type or two, but I don't count on them. I usually plant the shortest days to maturity type of cherry tomato I can find since then I will have some most years by mid-July. I don't know if you are planning to start from seed or buy plants. Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.) are best started from seed and planted in succession with a new row or two planted every couple of weeks since they tend to go to flowering and get bitter when they get older (called bolting.) I would suggest that if you will grow tomatoes (if you have enough sun) that you buy plants of a few different types to see which you like best and which do well in your location. Some general advice: If you get down to soil with the upcoming warm weather, now is the ideal time to send in a soil sample since you will get back the results sooner. I usually lightly mulch the ground between my rows or plants to reduce weeds, but I also keep a stirrup hoe out in the garden to remove weeds quickly before they get large. Be sure to have an available water source so you can water as needed.