[upcountry miss]

Like Wneighbor, I am so behind on this thread, I fear I will never get through what I haven't read. Granny, you would be proud of me. I had an area under my bedroom and pantry windows all ready for my beloved flowers, but as I looked at that lovely loose loam and compost, I thought of your disdain of wasted space that could be used for veggies and decided that a root crop would thrive in all that loose viable soil and have planted beets, radishes, parsnips and carrots there instead of my flowers. Later after last frost date, I will plant tomatoes and zucchini there also.

I fear for all the new gardeners who get over enthusiastic and plant more than they can possibly care for, especially in new hard to cultivate soil. I stress to any new gardener asking me for help not to start too big and just get discouraged early on. As DelaWhere tells us, properly tended, a small space can yield great results.

Strawberries, raspberries and grape vines are in, the fruit trees have had their first spraying and the veggies in my makeshift greenhouse are crying to be transplanted (they have almost a month to wait-I always get impatient and start them too early.)

Wneighbor, I started spring cleaning, got the living room and kitchen mostly done before the outside got too alluring so the rooms that most people see are presentable but the smoke and wood dust in the other rooms will still be there next fall, so you are not alone.

[CottonBall]

Wneighbor, I started spring cleaning, got the living room and kitchen mostly done before the outside got too alluring so the rooms that most people see are presentable but the smoke and wood dust in the other rooms will still be there next fall, so you are not alone.

Howdy, ucm. I was wondering what the term 'spring cleaning' meant to - after reading Wneighbor's post - and I guess it's from people having fires all winter. Makes sense. We heat exclusively with wood at our cabin and the next time I go up, there will be lots of soot and stuff to clean off of everything. I never realized I was doing a traditional 'spring cleaning' by doing that! Pretty interesting how these old terms stay, but the meaning gets lost.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I thought of your disdain of wasted space that could be used for veggies and decided that a root crop would thrive in all that loose viable soil and have planted beets, radishes, parsnips and carrots there instead of my flowers. Later after last frost date, I will plant tomatoes and zucchini there also.<<<

My sister calls her flowers “soul food”, and I also admit the soul needs a few bright colors and healing at times with beauty.

There will be more bees in the garden with the right flowers, so mix a few in and along the borders.

LOL, you might guess that I drive a traditional farmer insane, with my mixed planting, weed that I like to eat and crooked rows.

Bill quit helping lay out my garden rows, when I objected to his perfect straight rows, that took more time to get straight, then it did to dig and plant.

He couldn’t deal with crooked rows, or my “contour plantings”, but had no problem eating the results.

I am so glad that you are planting, that is the main goal.