Terry and all the gardeners that are experiencing really bad spring weather in Edmonton. When should I plant my potted tomatoes and peppers??? The forecast is not looking very promising. When do you guys plant these crops and tender annuals like cannas, coleus ect.??? When the night temp is above 5c and days get to 15c??? I really want to plant the vegetables soon or we wont get a crop! As a side note last week when we had great weather with high night time temps I planted 2 patio pots with cannas, coleus, periwinkle and crotons. The coleus is not looking good! I guess I planted too early.

I spent a couple hours outside Saturday morning carefully shaking snow off my trees and bushes - about 8" of heavy wet stuff, then it started melting faster than it was falling. We got aroud 3" between the rain and the snow. This wasn't nearly as bad as 2007, though. I only lost some smaller branches and some that were growing at too low an angle. I looked it up - it was around May 25, 2007 - I was woken up at about 5:00 AM by the sound of big tree limbs breaking. My planting times - Potatoes go out between May 5th and 10th. The main garden goes in between May 17th and 27th. I plant my perennials out in May, and pansies go out early - sometimes snapdragons, but they break so badly if they get that heavy snow. My petunias will start going out this week, with the really tender stuff like basil and tomatoes not going out until June 7th or so, and getting row covers on top. I know they could probably go out sooner, most years, but I've lost too many plants to frost over the years. I think my latest frost was about July 7th - one of those freaky things. Connie

Here we go yet again... mild and rain with a high of 53 Friday in NYC. Can you believe it Alex. I am not complaining and the palms are doing well. We got about 1.5 snow Saturday which was all melted by Monday. This is a southern-style winter so far. Islandbreeze, your low of 11 is not bad for your zone and you're having a break this winter as well. The cold air in the mid west sometimes moves northeastward and sometimes the core of cold air slides back into Canada over the Great Lakes before reaching coastal New York City. So we do see some of the cold but often miss the bitter cold part. When I see temps in Pittsburg, PA for example in the teens during a cold snap, its usually moderated to the 20s by the time we see it the next day. Wetsuiter, smart idea to experiment with palm seedlings. NJ, you got the most snow on Saturday it sounds like.

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot