The new herb garden gets planted today, just waiting for the wind to die a bit. Gonna plant from seed: Florence and bronze fennel an edible malva and an edible amaranth onion chives Rubin basil Mammoth basil Dill, Dukat and fern leaf epazote Winter savory valerian borage English thyme leaf celery hyssop lavender lovage Rosemary - Tuscan blue Rosemary - Arp salad burnet Greek and Spanish oregano French thyme French tarragon Mexican mint marigold sage chives leaf celery commercial ginger garlic Gotta repot the bay tree, it's grown about 4 inches over the winter and needs a larger pot. Also successfully rooted a cutting from the Tuscan blue Rosemary and it will get it's own pot today. I'm thinking of making it into a bonsai. Also have Jicama and Chinese yam to plant out by the west fence in an out-of-the-way place. If my sunchokes come in today they too will get planted. The main veggie garden is ready to plant and many things will go in today. Probably will plant: green beans, crowder peas, corn, radish, etc from seeds and set out the chiles and tomatoes that have been started under the lights and then moved to the greenhouse. They have been hardened off by the simple expedient of opening the greenhouse a few hours each day and then lengthening that time as we go. Would you believe the Tumbler tomatoes in the hanging baskets are in full bloom? With any luck we will have tomatoes by mid-May. Well, we really already have tomatoes. A single Heatwave II tomato survived the mild winter and has four tomatoes the size of golf balls on it already. Also had a mild chile and three serrano plants that made it through the winter and they are in full bloom. The elephant garlic and the stiff neck are growing like veritable weeds and by July should be ready to dig. The shallots will be pulled very soon, maybe tomorrow, and then new sets dug in. I may put them in the herb garden in various places. Miz Anne has a world of nicotiana alata seed up under the lights along with coral lily and veronica. The Shirley poppies that reseeded from last spring are growing well and may even get a chance to bloom if spring continues cool. The torenias are coming up and the viola's are blooming a few at a time. The daffs, crocus, and snow bells are about done and the African amaryllis have huge buds on them already. My friends, life is good in SW Louisiana and with the Shirley family. May your weekend be as good. George