From "GLOBAL WARMING"  to "CLIMATE CHANGE".  Global warming makes you think it should be getting hotter outside, but it isn't.Read more...

The sign of a healthy bed for growing vegetables or flowers is the presence of lots of worms when you dig into it.  But worms must have something to eat or they will migrate out of your beds.  Make sure you have plenty of 'food' for the worms so they don't eat your plants.  Things worms love to eat are:

Compost (finished or unfinished)

Manures (rabbit pellets won't harm your plants)

Mulches (small enough that they break down quickly to a size the worms can handle, like straw)

Wet leaves and decaying matter

They will also eat vegetable scraps if you put them through a blender first, and bury it under the soil.

This is really a weather report for gardeners:  Watch Out!  The rainy season in my area is all summer long.  Because we are at 6,000' elevation, our rain can turn to hail.  We get at least one hail storm every summer.  But as soon as the clouds roll away, the sun warms it up nicely and the garden can begin to heal itself.  This summer we have already had hail the size of pea gravel.  The softer leaves of peppers and spinich took a beating, but not so much that they can't revive.  Most of the plants are not big enough yet to have had too much contact with hail.  It would be nice if this is the last hail storm of the summer, but...I doubt if I'll be that lucky.  This is another good reason to garden under a greenhouse at the higher elevations and the more northern latitudes.  Last year the hail occured later in the summer, but the bean plants and tomatoes were under a greenhouse fully protected and I did not have any kinky beans!

Seed sowing chart

If you haven't gotten your seeds yet, go get them!  Now is the time to plant seeds that like it cool in order to germinate. 

Here is a list of early germinators for most zones:

Arugula

Mache

All lettuces

Chicory

Watercress

Radishes

Snow Peas

Chard

Celery

Broccili

Spinach

Cabbages

If you plant under a waxing (getting fuller) moon, you get faster germination, so take a look at your calender before you go out to plant.  It will save you some watering.  In the meantime you can be preparing your beds or rows to receive the seeds, amend with finished compost or vermicompost and rake the soil smooth.  If you keep the beds/rows moist, the sowing will be easier.  You can also soak some of the larger seeds in tepid water until they swell up and then plant, for faster germination.  This is good for peas, beans, corn, any large seeds.

Tip: I use a short piece of 2"x4" wood with a large handle screwed to one of the flat sides for a seed press.  Some seeds you sprinkle right on top of the ground. like lettuce, and simply press them in with your seed press so they won't blow or wash away.  The seed press makes the job very quick and easy to do and extends your reach also.  I use it a lot in the greenhouse when sowing tiny flower seeds as well.  With the larger seeds, once you get them covered, they should be pressed down evenly to firm the soil around the seed for better contact with it.  It also lets you know at a glance which beds have been planted by the pressed surface.  Also, cats are not as attracted to the pressed smooth dirt as they are fluffy rows of soil.

I had the great pleasure of meeting a customer who has spent over 40 years growing Landscaping plants in Mississippi, Very interesting and knowledable man who found a tree from Mandagascar that can be grown easly in his state and add great color and shade for his Landscaping customers. Royal Poinciana, Delonix Rega. Also know as Famboyant tree, Flame Tree and Blue Bell. It is a fast growing tree that fills with blosoms spring and summer and reaches 15-30 ft. This tree is a very fast grower and doesn't do well in sever cold, winter kill can accure. Although I live in Colorado East of the Rockies and do have sever winter cold I am going to try and get my hands on one of these trees and perhaps if kept in a protected area I will be able to get one to grow and bloom for me. It is my understanding that this is a popular tree in Japan, so perhaps a protected Japanese Garden would be a good thing for it. After being told how absolutely Beautiful this tree is I have to try and make a go of one in my Yard somehow.Will let you know when I find one, may have to order from my friend in Mississippi.Theresa Saldivia

Someone wrote today asking:

i recently installed a 16x32 foot garden with 9inches of dirt that came from an old hay field (high clay content, sticks to shoes when wet).  trying to find best worm to place in soil, not in bins.  what kind would you recommend and where to purchase up to a pound of them?  will be out of town for a week but look forward to an answer and getting the right worms to working.  Live in san antonio, tx.

My answer:

Oh yes, the San Antonio garden, it's not too user friendly for happy worms. Great shock to me to find myself living in a place where I could barely turn the soil, much less, once I did, could find not a single worm in it. Back in the DC/MD/VA area, worms are just something that you find in the ground. Not so here. Here you have to work for worms. So, what to do, and what type to get.Read more...

Some gardeners love gardening a lot, but are quite willing to wait for Springtime planting season to start one.  For real self-sustaining gardening year round, you may want to think about using a greenhouse and getting into hydroponics as well.  There are table top hydroponic systems that will allow you to 'get your feet wet' with a new method.  There are also tabletop plant systems complete with lights.  You can have fresh herbs growing on your kitchen counter all year long.

You can keep a worm farm going all year indoors.  No, they do NOT smell.  Save up the vermicompost for the big Spring planting season.  Make worm tea for indoor/house plants.

You can study the seed catalogs.  Try something different this year.  If you grow a new veggie and you end up not liking it, you can always take it to your local food bank.

Plan your garden planting.  Rotate crops every year.  Do not plant tomatoes where potatoes have grown or near each other.   Use companion planting for all your garden plants to aid in pest control.  Draw it out on paper before you plant.  Keep in mind the N/S direction of rows and avoid plantings that will shade another row too much unless it is needed.