Your Garden is the Best Teacher

We've had a string of rainy, soggy days.  And it's been hard to get out into the garden to do much of anything.  (Please don't work in wet soil--you'll do more harm than good, wreaking soil structure that you've tried to improve with great soil amendments).

I love to read.  Gardening books are invaluable; periodicals too.  You've probably got a stash at home, but the library is a great resource too.  Or you can possibly borrow a fellow gardener's favorite.  Winter and these mucky spring days are great to learn about something new or brush up on a topic you might have forgotten about.

But there is really no substitute for getting out there in your garden and trying it.  Maybe you want to try vegetable gardening for the first time.  Or maybe you fret about the "right" color combinations (hey, if you like it--try it!  Don't think about right ways or wrong ways here--let the garden snobs worry--you be the adventurer!).  Maybe you're smitten with a plant that is just out of our zone....Try it I say!  You may not always be successful...but then again, you just might be.  What's the harm in giving it a try?  I'll bet my favorite trowel that you'll gain some very specific knowledge particular to just you and your garden that you probably wouldn't find in any written word.  And that knowledge is worth sharing. 

We're trying a few plants for spring this year that might be pushing the temperature boundaries (we're going to plant out snapdragons, sweet peas this week--and yes, they like cool temps, but cold?  I don't know, we'll see...).  We're also trying out a millet called 'Flashlights'...will it do well in a cool, wet spring season?  I hope so.  We're also going to be creating some hanging "ball" baskets for spring, summer and fall.  Will our plant choices work?  I think so.  I'm going to be trying some new veggie varieties that are touted to be beautiful, but will they be tasty too?  I'll let you know.  Will you let me know about your garden adventures?  Are you courageous enough to share your not-so-successful stories along with the super-duper ones?  C'mon, we'll both grow 'n tell!