I have a patch of spearmint growing on the north side of my shaded patio for 3 years now; it only gets sun late spring thru early fall, and even then only a few hours a day. Not particularly showy, but it's reasonably attractive (light blue flower spikes in summer), the insects leave it alone, and it smells wonderful after watering or rain. I use mine for mint juleps ;)

Just a quick tip... look for a patio with an outside faucet. It will make life sooo much easier! I didn't when we bought our condo, and since I had so many plants on it, we ended up hiring a contractor to tap into the inside water line to bring water to it. Also, if it's a second floor, make sure it has good drainage to the outside... without draining onto your downstairs neighbor's patio (speaking from experience, here...oops).

Susan, I love your light stand and always will love it. I realize it was the best solution for you, but if I told Tim I wanted to buy one of those, he'd hand me a hammer and tell me to build my own....which is why I have the one that I have. : ) Mine is hidden away out of sight in a room where guests rarely venture, although anyone who knows me and who knows I raise my own seedlings always asks to go upstairs and see it in the spring. So much for putting it out of sight....I just should have set it up in the dining room or breakfast room or something.... I am sure you'll be deliriously happy with it and will have many wonder seed-starting adventures and I look forward to hearing all about them. I think you got a great deal considering it was Gardener's Supply. I never buy anything of theirs for full price. They have sales often enough (and especially in November when, I think, some of us gardeners are shopping for ourselves) that a person can be patient and get a good price during their periodic sales. I've noticed that prices often are not as good in December when gardeners' spouses or family members are doing what I call "panic Christmas buying" and cannot afford, time-wise, to wait for a sale. I don't think you were repetitive at all. The more we all share about what we do, how we do it and why we do it (as well as pointing out what didn't work for us!), the better for all of us to learn from one another's experiences! Carol, Our weather is just like yours. Our high was 70 degrees yesterday and it was so gorgeous outside I could hardly stand it. I wanted to jump up and down and scream "Spring Is Here!". That was exacerbated by the smell of the orange blossoms on my little orange tree. However, I controlled myself because I knew it was a false spring and that winter was returning today. It was 56 degrees around 7 a.m. here at our house and now it is 36 degrees and we have had very, very light rain but lots of thunder. Phooey on winter! I think you showed those folks at the co-op that one benefit of being a gardener is that it keeps your muscles and joints strong, healthy and fit. I'd rather "work out" in the garden any day, than walk on the treadmill or work out on the weight machine. Who wouldn't? Trees, Nope, sorry, I just haven't gotten to it. I am trying. Watch for it in a couple of hours or in the morning. I'm about to start typing mow after I close up the chicken coops, put out the deer corn for my favorite deer, refill the bird feeders (those little birdies are eating nonstop today trying to stay warm), etc. I'm kind of dreading going out into the cold wind but I need to do it now before it gets dark. I have to warn you that I don't use the same planting schemes every year because I don't want to get stuck in a rut, but I'll try to mention some of the planting schemes in my usual rotation. Dawn

Lars, I'm not surprised you were not successful at growing snow peas, here they don't like it when it gets hot at all, I have to grow them in the spring. If you'd like to try something new, I saved seeds from the Sugar Rush Peach that did so well here last year. I got over 3 bushels of peppers from 12 plants. Yes, that's 3 BUSHELS, the plants got to be about 4 feet tall and had hundreds of peppers. When cut or ground in the food processor they smell like peaches, but then the heat sneaks in. They are not as hot as a habanero, but they aspire to be. They are supposed to be a rare Peruvian heirloom and they are out of stock everywhere this year. I'd be happy to send you some, if you'd like to try them. Robin, that goes for you too, I'd be happy to send seeds. If they grow in Michigan they'd grow anywhere, I think! Just shoot me an email. We got over a foot of snow yesterday and tomorrow it's supposed to be all the way up to 1F. I have a little container of cilantro/chives/basil in the window, they are about 2 inches tall but don't seem very happy, so I'l probably be planting fresh herbs outside before these get big enough to use! Annie