** sob ** All my beds are still covered in snow and ice.

We're heading to the "big city" this weekend and I'm thinking of what I need for gardening this year...

I'm considering trying my luck with African violets this year. I know they can be finicky, but my grandmother and mom do great with them, so maybe it's genetic? I need something more colorful and less edible this year!

Are you planning on growing them indoors or outside, Kim? I can't imagine growing African violets outside, at least around here. I've had great success with my violets by using those special African violet pots, and giving them fertilizer every time I add water to the pots. I keep them on an east-facing windowsill in the kitchen, and they seem to love it there. They're big and healthy with tons of blossoms on them.

hmm, I will have to check into those cottage... I am one who doesn't have luck with them! lol. Brown thumb with anything indoors!!! except my Jade plant that looks fabulous! lol... everything else truns brown though!

I'm the same Rikki. I can grow anything outside but unless it can survive with no water and no attention and isn't attractive to cats, it doesn't survive inside!

cyndi- I would totally imagine my 4 cats have something to do with the problem!!! I now have a tropical house plant, one of the tall ones with the fanned out leaves that is one tall thin spike that hasn't fanned out yet because the cats ate the rest of them!!! It really looks rediculous!

I like to think its more them than me anyway!

I am so glad I found this thread while looking around!!! LOTS of great info in here...thanks.

I haven't done veggies in a few years as I got tired of battling with the crows, critters & bugs. Our growing season is so short too & there are lots of farmer's markets in the summer.

This year I am taking over my Mom's incredibly huge & beautiful heirloom flower gardens. Many of these plants are older than me (that's OLD! ) and some of her rue (ruta) plants are from the ones my grandmother brought from Lithuania. Last year I pretty much let nature take care of it but this year I want to get in there & make sure I keep these plants going.

Thanks for the composting info. Mom had one of those plastic composting bins that I was afraid to open last summer for fear of what I might find (ants, hornets, etc.) I'm going to open it this week while things are still frozen in case there are any surprises in there and maybe start using it this spring.

Thanks for all the info & I'll check back here often.

Chickies, does anyone have good advice on Japanese Beetle reduction? I read an article in the NYTimes about using beneficial nematodes to kill off Japanese Beetle grubs. Has anyone tried this? Is it worth the time and work? I do a lot of manual removal each year and successfully trap a ton, but I'd love to get 'em from the ground up, as it were, if possible.

Also, I know there's a plant you can grow just to mow it under in order to fertilize the soil. I don't remember what is is, though. Does anyone know?

Beachgal -- A couple years ago, we had a time with Japanese Beetles. I asked an old farmer in dirty overalls how to get rid of them. He thought for a second and said, "Git a chicken."

Beachgal, there are a lot of plants that can be grown and then tilled under to enrich the soil. Try Googling "Green Manure". I know buckwheat is one of them and clover is another but I'm sure there are loads more.

Laurie, I'll send Calvin over. He's a whizz with the vacuum cleaner sucking those little buggers up!

Laurie - I hope you aren't buying those Japanese Beetle traps. The teacher in our Master Gardener class actually joked that the best way to get rid of the beetles is to buy the trap for your neighbor. They actually attract them and do more harm than good.

I was thrilled when my neighbor put up a few of those beetle traps, I didn't have any problems with Japanese beetles on my roses at all. I hope they put out a few again, this year.

My problem is with aphids, though. I spray for them, but after a few days and a good rain, they're right back and with a vengeance, it seems.

Cottage - you need ladybugs. Do you have anything in or near your garden that attracts beneficial insects? I keel an herb bed with chives, garlic chives, oregano just because the good bugs like their flowers. Anything to keep the lady bugs happy

I love Ladybugs!

Yup, I use the Japanese Beetle traps. They catch hundreds of them--I tried going without one year, and I found that I literally couldn't keep up with the beetles on my plants (I hand pick them off and drop them in soapy water) that year, so even though everyone says they just attract more, I find it helps me.

Unfortunately, in the past, it was just our roses that they went after, but we now have a very happy, healthy raspberry patch that's right next to the roses, and they started attacking that last year, which means WAR in my book.

Oh, Chelby, that's awesome! I wish we could! My SIL has some, but she's in Nashville.

Has anyone ever tried the beneficial nematodes and milky spores? I'm a bit confused after reading about both yesterday--my DH uses chemical fertilizer on the lawns and I think one of them has an anti-grub mix in it. Would that be taking care of the beetle grubs?

Thanks for the great advice, chicks! I may take you up on the offer, Zeff! My hands can only pick so fast!