I just got the mail and the Burpee catalog came! Yeh! So I'll be able to answer that question tomorrow.

Since we have had rain, wind, snow, hail and a little sun in NoCal for a couple of weeks now, I think I'll have to wait another month to start veggies. I know it will include tomatoes, pole beans, squash, carrots and I'd like to try corn after failing miserably last year!

Before then I want to double the size of my veggie bed and maybe fence it or build it up with rocks. I'm not sure what is more work, digging out the existing clay or carrying in rocks to raise it up.

Janna

Been busy around here cleaning up & cutting back the perennials, transplanting a few new trees (2 Dawn Redwoods, 1 Chalk Maple, 1 Nuttall Oak), transplanting some plumbago and rain lilys from one location to another, even put 7 of my tomatoes into the garden. They've all outgrown the coldframe, so I'll be transplanting the rest over the next two weeks. Unfortunately, my garden is small, so that means pulling up some of the dill and chard to make room for all the tomatoes. I'm hoping to create more space in the new garden so that won't be a problem in years to come.

Harper

harper, thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten all about the dill. I saved some from last year and need to get some seeds out.

I am not putting them in the potager though. I actually don't eat very much dill - I plant it in the butterfly garden for the butterflies.

Not much so far. I do have onion seeds up and have digitalis, shastas, several varieties of vinca, three of salvia, Rocky Mt. bee plant and a few others (I can't think of) going under the lights.

We are going to start fencing the garden today because of our new puppy. I could see gardening was going to be impossible.....he digs everywhere. I probably have lost several plants over the winter because of it. I plannned on the double-loop fencing but could not get it locally and by the time I ordered it and paid for shipping (and a delay) the cost was going to be several hundred dollars as compared to maybe $200. I am just too cheap to do that. Besides I plan to cover the fence with roses and clematis and tall lilies so I don't think much will show. The big hang up was the delay.

I have potatoe sets drying and will put those out as soon as we get the fence in along with lettuce and spinach.

We are in a severe weather pattern right now, so may not get to do the fence today. We surely do need the rain though.

my potager is brand-new this spring. i did the layout & enough edging (large cobblestones) to hold the raised beds in place, tilled & amended, then put it to bed for the winter under a thick blanket of leaf compost. i did not plan to plant anything in it this spring - wanted to get all the "architectural" (4-5 courses of cobblestone border, fence, arbor/gate) stuff done first.

BUT plans change ... i thought i'd go ahead and plant some perennial fruit/veggies (strawberries, dwarf blueberries, rhubarb, asparagus) and i'm throwing in some sweet potatoes & fingerling potatoes for fun. as for annual veggies, i'll grab some tomato plants (slicing & yellow pear), yellow squash & cucumber plants when they're available.

meanwhile, i'll dream of *next* year when the hardscape's done and i can concentrate on plants more.

I plan on pole beans, spinach, malabar spinach, sugar snap peas, onions, mesclun, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, purple basil, bronze fennel, parsely for edging, nasturiums and marigolds. I already have an asparagus patch that I plan to add to. I also think I will transplant my rhubarb there also. We are in the middle of a snowstorm tonight, so it will be awhile before this all happens.

Little orange flags are growing, and hoses are peeping up to mark the edges. Fortunately I've still got my imagination.

Just got a few more inches of the white stuff. Only garden related activity I can do is wait for the new gardening book to come in the mail. Wish I could see my garden! I envy all of you.

newgrdenrmn- check out the winter sowing forum for how to garden in the winter - you just might get addicted!

Just in the planning stages right now, lots of hardscaping to do, but planning on getting brussel sprouts, pansies, radishes, spinach, and broccoli in ASAP.

The weather was great over the weekend so I did the last of the clean up that did not get done last fall. Also pruned some perrenials but have a lot more to do. Cleaned out the pot ghetto (DH is so happy!). Set up the portable greenhouses on the deck.

Most of my activity is indoors. I have seedlings of cabbage (red and green), broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, leeks, onions, shallots, lettuces and parsley under lights.

I am also in the planning stages for the design aspect of my beds. I want to make a pattern (think quilt) in my large square beds.

I may be tempting fate, but dh and I put tomato transplants into beds yesterday. (Two weeks earlier than we normally do.) A day or two ago, I put some garlic chives and italian oregano into the herb bed. Basil will go there very soon.

I'm wanting to get some seeds planted as well...

Along with the broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and onions, the garden area is looking quite active. The blackberries are leafing out. We had blackberry muffins yesterday morn from some of last year's frozen harvest.

Happy

Here I am in what suppose to be "sunny California"
This has been the coldest winter ever. I haven't planted anything darn it! It's been snowing at the 1000' level, hailing, raining, frost . . . . and spring is Monday?

Edna