OMG, I just got cola up my nose!! Thanks for the laugh Cindee, and I'm so glad you're getting rain! I've been through a few droughts, I know how it feels to look out and see the rain. Now, we're getting more snow here as I speak. I'm glad I've come to terms with it and realize how important it is as insulation for my perennials against the cold. Enjoy your rain and warm weather girl, and wiggle that half booty!

"So I can just start adding stuff on top of the garden soil?" Sure thing. The thicker the mulch made up of layers, the less chance weeds have. I would clear the garden of weeds before I laid the layers and yes, the most persistent of weeds will prevail. They should be few enough though that hand weeding would take care of them. "Compost and stuff won't do anything to the plants? I read somewhere about plants getting "burned" but that would be if I used chemicals, right?" Chemical fertilizer is usually what people talk about when they refer to 'burned'. If compost hasn't been composted enough, it could steal nitrogen from your plants. "When I put paper down before the weeds grew long and came up at the edge, I had to pull up all of it to get to their roots. How do I deal with that if I shouldn't disturb soil?" If your layers are thick enough, most weeds won't survive. Those that do, disturb them. Pick them, hoe them, remove them. "Can I put down something around the edge, how can I get the layers to peter out so that the mower can run right up to them?" Absolutely! I use boards to frame my garden plots. Kinda like square foot gardening. You can use stones or anything to frame it and if it grows in height with lots of layered mulch, you have raised beds which are wonderful. "If I plant broccoli in august will it grow?" Yes. :) "I think I will definitely plant spinach, carrots, lettuce, and peas in august. Should I start them inside first or do I just sow them in the garden?" Some people will start lettuce inside early srping to get a jump start on the growing season. Since you are sowing for fall, the vegetables you named, you can seed direct to the soil. Seed them in soil, rather than directly to the mulch. Move the mulch aside if you have to. Add some soil if you have to. There's some wonderful books at the library on gardening. John Jeavons, Patricia Lanza and John Seymour are good starts. There's also the Oregon Extension website with gardening calendars for your area. They are on the upper left hand part of the page to click. http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/ Have fun! ~tom Here is a link that might be useful: Oregon State Extension

Hi Karen, It is raining! My pots are outside right now up against the garage wall. The overhang (roof) from the garage gives them a bit of protection. Yesterday, I put out two brugmansia pots to get some sun -- I forgot to bring them in and hope the rain didn't knock down the buds and blooms on them :-( There is always something! Going to see The Wicked today at 1 PM; hope the rain doesn't create a problem with us getting there.

It isn't so bad in Stanley this morning altho', I guess 35o was the low and the WS says it will be cooler the next 2 days. The thermometer didn't make it above 55o here yesterday and there is rain with 25mph gusts this morning. I just went outside to see if there was snow falling with the rain but, no, it is just larger drops blowing off the trees . . . Tomorrow is summer in Caribou County just like up here for us, mla2ofus. I am always hoping for more warmth in May and June but it didn't happen again this year. I bet your elevation is pretty high but my early planting of peas were looking okay when I put another set of strings on them this week. The greens should soldier thru. The eggplant and peppers must think that this is pure torture. . . . One hoop house is still up but the construction-grade film won't be able to take it much longer. About 3 months is all I can expect from it and, that's okay. Here is an idea, think about 2 hoop houses instead of one for that much ground. Or, build it out of something a little stouter than mine. Maybe not the film but the frame. I have 1/2" pvc pipe for one and 3/4" pipe for the other. One has no frame on the ground but both have framed windows and doors. They are both really protected from the wind by fences and surrounding buildings. The only real problems I've had is with the weight of late snow storms. The cool-season plants have been fine in the open garden for the last few weeks. It is always great to get some of those things started early in the hoop house. It is the warm-season plants that suffer year after year from the late-spring wind and cold. But, that's all going to change after tomorrow! Right?! Steve