Thanks, Ruth! That helps.

By 34, I think Jenny mean the Sunset gardening zones I mentioned earlier. I find that they are really helpful. Jenny, I haven't run in to problems with critters eating my tomato plants. Squirrels often steal the tomatoes--I don't know of any easy way to protect them, though. The only bug I've had to deal with is white flies--and it's easy to buy a sticky board that you hang next to the plant to get rid of those. A little fertilizer is good, but as Ruth said, you don't want to overwhelm the plant.

I watched a great video on rhubarb harvesting yesterday and am excited to harvest some in hopes of getting another harvest later on.

Now I have to hunt down why my hellebores aren't blooming every year but seem very healthy otherwise...

Thanks, Beachgal. I wasn't aware of that - not in Canada, I guess.

Yup, keep picking that rhubarb so it keeps on producing more leaves and cut off a flowering stalk before it flowers - although plumes of rhubarb flowers are spectacular in a big vase!

Ruth, how do you feel about throwing the rhubarb leaves into compose?
Sophie

Sophie, one of the articles I read said you could throw them on the compost heap. They have oxalic acid in them, which is bad for us, but I suppose it must break down during composting?

Thanks Laurie, I was wondering about that. I knew someone a while back that would chop her rhubarb leaves, soak them in water for about three days and then use the water in a spray bottle to repel bugs. I haven't tried it but she swore by it.
Sophie

I usually cut the rhubarb leaves off out at the patch and tuck them in around the base of the plants. They act as a sort of mulch.

My dad would always cut off the leaves as he harvested the rhubarb and lay them on the pathways between the rows of plants.

Our veggie garden is growing apace...tons of little sprouts!

I harvested several asparagus stalks, but only one was big enough to really eat. It was divine! Should I cut the other really thin stalks to push it to make more? It's only the third year, so maybe that's why it's a small yield? I need to do some research.

I planted a mix of annuals and perennials in our front bed. I found some dwarf astilbe, columbine, lupine, dianthus, and sweet williams. It looks really colorful! Here are some pics:




This is a close-up of the flowers. I love how colorful they are!

very pretty-looks wonderful!!

Your flowers look so pretty and colorful, Laurie!

We bought 4 tomato plants and planted two of them in topsy-turvy planters, and planted the other two in the ground. So far, the ones in the upside-down planters have doubled in size!

Hey all!

I didn't read all the posts, but thought I would share what I did this year. Since we were late getting started my husband and I went the easy route and took a hint from Mother Earth News. Just buy bags of garden soil and lay them flat where you want your garden, cut an I into the top plastic to expose the dirt, leaving a little on the sides so the soil stays in the bag instead of spilling out. Plant your plants and viola! Instant garden! And no weeding! No tilling! The plant roots will break through the plastic on the bottom side on their own and actually start conditioning the soil underneath. We have 2 inches of sand on top of very hard Texas clay, so we will take all the help we can get. We started with 5" plants from our local Home Depot.

It has worked wonders. I have black thumbs, but this has been VERY successful! I have already harvested some cherry tomatoes and hope to have some bell peppers in the next couple weeks and onions later on.

Good luck to everyone!

Andrea

How neat to read about everyone's gardens, and Laurie, I love your yard. It's gorgeous!

My husband and I began with 1 raised bed last year, and added another this year. The beds are 4'x6'. This year we planted 6 tomato plants, 3 sweet bell pepper plants (a yellow one, red one and purple one), 2 summer squash, 1 lemon cucumber and 1 canteloupe, all planted around the end of March/beginning of April. I always try to buy varieties that aren't available in the grocery stores, especially with the tomatoes.

We also have a huge blackberry bush (is that what they're called?) growing along our back fence, and my sweet husband keeps it watered well, so we usually get big, fat, juicy blackberries...yum!

I bought some organic chicken manure from a local nursery and added it to both beds, as well as some new top soil for the original bed. I cannot believe how huge our tomato plants are, and that we've already harvested one of the summer squash. Wow! I sure love California weather

We're also planning to plant some sunflowers and corn along the back fence, and I wanted to thank the person who posted about getting the bags of soil and using those as planters. That's what I'm going to do.

I'm new to gardening, and I love it. It's so much fun.

I'd forgotten the bag of soil trick and will probably use it this weekend to plant my lettuce seedlings. Looks like my back garden won't be tilled until it dries out a bit - hardly likely with rain in the forecast again tomorrow.

Beachgal, your flower "ribbons" are very pretty and will look even better when they fill out more. I adore white cosmos!

Ok, I understand this is not a gardening thread, but I need help and I know that some of you ladies are gardening experts

I have planted 3 zucchini plants that have bloomed wonderfully, they are so big and beautiful and covered in yellow flowers, but this has been going on for the last 2 weeks, the flowers bloom and after a few days they fall off and no zucchini....

My yellow sqaush is producing an abundance and they didn't flower until after the zucs I am getting concerned

Zukes have both male and female flowers and perhaps you don't have any female flowers yet.