Lynn, I have the same problem with onions. I think that I have a lot more problems with disease because of wet soil. I need to rotate also, but my house gardens are small, the two together are only about 2500 sq. ft. Some crops need a trellis, some crops like better soil, then I have peas and okra that will grow about anywhere, but if I can get all soil in top shape I think I can rotate crops easier. What I am trying to do is place trellises about 6 or 7 feet apart so I can till between them. With the trellises about 12 inches above the soil and 7 ' apart I can till very close to the trellis with the tractor, then work under the trellis by hand. If I have more trellises than I need it gives me more options. The crops that dont need a trellis can still be planted next to a trellis, and I can use the trellis for support when I harvest the peas, or what ever I have planted there. I got my compost pile turned, I had to air up 3 tractor tires before I could start the task. I think I have a larger supply of compost and mulch than I have ever had, but I suppose that is a good thing because it seems that those thing are harder to find, plus cost more. I just noticed the min/max thermometer and it looks as though I should have tilled yesterday, the temp is dropping, and we may have snow before I get a chance to till again.

I was outside planting seeds and checked mailbox before coming in. Wow it must be Christmas. Look what Susan sent. I love all of it. I've never grown Acidanthera before, but will definitely get these planted tomorrow. I love black eyed susan vine but it never makes seeds for me so I don't usually have any. And all the other stuff will really come in handy with my planting. Thank you so much.

Rebecca, I know it's not funny, but I had to laugh. I just came in from the porch, I was watching a gray squirrel digging around in the front yard. I grew up on this place, and almost never saw a gray squirrel back then. We did have a lot of fox squirrels, which I liked to hunt. The grays moved around so much they were hard to hit with a .22, plus they are smaller and have less meat. I don't remember starting squash or pumpkins inside before this year, but this year I played a little and started cucumbers and Arabat winter squash inside just for the heck of it. I have 5 Arabat squash potted up out on the porch that are about 2 inches tall, the seeds were removed from a squash last Sunday afternoon. I just wanted to see if the seeds were good. When I was cleaning the seed, I noticed that some seed floated, some sank. My guess was that the better seed sank, so I dried the seeds on a shop light and planted some of the floaters, which were up in no time. I think that this may go along with what Dawn said about getting the plants in the ground soon after they sprout.

Deanna - I’ve been surprised that Hostas come in so many sizes. I have some that never grow larger than 12 inches around. Some of the big ones - ‘Sagae’ and ‘Krossa Regal’ haven’t stopped increasing in size yet, five years after planting. I have a ‘June’ that has been in the ground since 2008 and it’s very large now but not as large as the larger varieties and I only divided it once 2 years ago. I just took out a pie shaped wedge and left the rest and it’s filled into a perfect circle again already. I love the large sizes and if they are sited well, you can just keep them there and never have to divide them. That is my limited experience. I wish my Rose corner was in sight of a window, but it is near the gate by the garage that can’t be seen from the house at all. The back of my house faces trees, shade and part shade. The front windows look out on the full sun bed with the other roses in it. Oh well, I’m out there every day any way and purposely walk past the garage rose corner, multiple times a day in June. I’m seeing that the bloom lasts the whole month! And is still a little fragrant which is all from the New Dawn right now. I’ve just started deadheading it which I’ve never done before to see if I will get rebloom on New Dawn, which I’ve only now learned it does do. Dee, Your foxglove is not a biennial? I didn't know there was such a thing. You have the same plants come back and bloom every season? With reseeding, I am getting a ton of Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ I let them sprout at the beginning of the season and just pull them out where I don’t want them. I always have to weed the whole bed they are in at some point in the season and once I have everything where I want it, I mulch. I’m loving the babies of my Penstemon. Even though it is a named variety, I get both, solid green plants that are taller that must revert back to a parent plant and plants that are almost replicas of the dark foliage. Some plants are so vigorous and shapely, some a little shorter and compact. My problem is I love the seed heads and I usually leave them on all season and I haven’t wanted to limit the reseeding until this year. I’m looking at how many I have and I think I’ve reached the point where I have to start deadheading before they reseed. I'm having a lull in the garden right now. Roses are finishing their first flush, Penstemon is showing seedheads, Dianthus is just starting to bloom and with deadheading that will last awhile. But I see Monarda just opening and Lilies getting ready to. After that I'm waiting for Hibiscus and Hydrangea. Cosmos, Dill and Cleome are filling in and not really blooming yet either. And hopefully I will get another flush of bloom on the roses out front.