Leppotone

You'd probably get better advice from Wizzy. I'm lucky sometimes, and spend a lot of time babying what DOES grow, but I don't really know the rules of what and when to plant.

I usually plant everything at the same time, almost always during the Memorial Day weekend. By then there's little chance of frost, plus sometimes the plant prices have been reduced. I don't really know a lot about what and when to plant, I usually just rake in some manure, overstuff the garden with a variety of plants and seeds and then try to take good care of what survives. I have started Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans (from seed) in early April before and they did pretty good. Beans, "greens" and even broccoli seem to last well into the colder days of Autumn.

If you buy plants from a "box store" they will die!

Buy ugly, half-dead plants at reduced prices from a nursery or a farmer. They will serve you well on the cheap! Plant  seeds as close as you want, rules are for suckers!

Speaking of hoes, I dreamed of trees on Sunday night, trying to pick just one fruit tree for my front yard. I think I've settled on serviceberry.

Anywhoodle, yes, you can plant cool-season seeds like chard and peas RIGHT NOW!!! But other warm things (tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc. etc.) prefer you wait until Memorial Day weekend, 'tis true. And yes, then the plants are on clearance. Composted manure (if you've got leftover chicken manure, it has awesome nitrogen in it), old leaves, etc. raked into the soil is always good. If you really want to get started, you could prepare your beds now, test the soil, amend it to recommendations, and then you'll be ready to plant on Memorial Day. Sorry, that's the official master gardener advice. Tree's advice is also good. Plants don't read the rules.

I did start some seeds, but mostly flowers. I'm planning on just cramming in vegetables with the rest of the flower garden. Wait until you see my rainbow chard with pansies!!! It might be crazy!

We have an evergreen tree (pine or somethin', I don't know, WTF?!?!) on the corner of our lot. It blocks our view of hoodlums standing on the corner. So this weekend I took a hacksaw and cut down all branches four feet or lower.

I showed my good wife my accomplishment. She looked in horror and exclaimed, "Our tree!!!"

I explained that I knew what I was doing. And I was. You don't have to have branches of a pine going all the way to the ground.

Now I wonder what to plant in the area covered with the pine needles. Acidic soil, I think. What would go well there?

Also, what to do with near-barren areas that get splashed with road salt by plows every winter? What does well in salted soil?

The damned. 

Lot's wife. 

Cod.

But not salted cod, sadly. Again, I sadly have to recommend the soil test. It might not be as salty or acidic as you think. Also, if you are able to get soil for the test, you will know that the tree roots are not hogging all of the soil and water, which is also a possibility.

Oh, now I re-read and realize those could be different areas. Also, Lot's wife makes me laugh. Isn't that slightly blasphemous?

The tree is near the salted lands. The tree also is thinnish on the side that gets sprayed by the salty road spray.

I'm thinking some nice perennials, myrtal or such, that wouldn't need deep roots.

There is also a mound of rocks under the tree, that I'm sure is a beloved pet owned by the previous owners. People don't just pile rocks like that.

my dog remodeled the back yard....lots of tiny holes everywhere...when can i plant grass?...serious.

how about 2 large maple trees 6 feet from the house... should those be cut down?  or do they just need a trim?  One has carpenter ants.  Yes, that's bad.  I sprayed the crap out of the house so they wouldn't come in here (inside and ouside) but I don't want them in the tree either (half of it is dead, the other half, not so much).  Also, grass refuses to grow nicely, and I assume it's because of said maple trees, so what to do instead?  Ground cover?  Make the grass grow?  Halp!

Make it all dead. Especially if it has ants. Call an ant professional, ask them what they think. Call Over the Garden Fence Saturday morning, AM 590,  ask that goofball what he thinks.

Whew  I was worried about Tree. 

We had a huge HUGE maple tree growing up next to our house, had insured professionals come out and cut it because it was a squirrel highway to our roof (and attic)  It was hollow on the inside and rotting, cost about 800 bucks but that's cheaper than a roof.  It had huge overhanging branches that would have cut through our roof like butter.  The next year we had wind blow 2 other trees in our back yard.  I say money well spent.

thanks to Ava, we have an eco freindy army of bug killers.

Check out the general here.

She might be generous if any of you want some, we have like 150.

CRAZY LIKE A PHLOX!

150 praying mantisesesesessss?