I know it's not exactly garden-related, but do you (or does anyone out there) have any recommendations for plants that do well indoors? I can't really do flowers (allergies), but I'd like something living other than myself in my office.

I am going to be writing about this in a week or two, but think about orchids. You can buy them at the grocery store, for heaven's sake, and they are inexpensive and bloom for months and months.

Anybody else have any thoughts?

Susan! This is so exciting! About 2 weekends ago, I bought 2 peony roots at BJs. Last weekend was cold and busy, so I've been sprinkling their roots and resealing the bag. This weekend, they go into the ground, no matter what! I'm also looking at Lilac bushes, although the ideal spot in my teeny-tiny backyard is where I buried the German Shephard about 3 years ago. (I don't want to run into him)

Enough chattering. This is going to be fun!

This is so funny, in a morbid kind of way. My lilac was a gift from a dear friend who died. And it didn't bloom for years and years. I moved it two springs ago and got a couple of small blooms. Hope to have more this year, but the darn thing is taking over!

Elizabeth gave us the heads-up on your new endeavor. I look forward to lots of lively discussions here. By the way, I am thinking of doing a extensive herb garden this year. Suggestions on suppliers and best choices are appreciated.

Got to go. Elizabeth made us promise to come right back and we always follow our leader orders...lol.

Homestead Gardens and Valley View Farms will have hundreds, I am not kidding, hundreds, of herbs for sale this season for only a couple of dollars each. If you are worried about varmints eating them in your yard, which always happens to me, consider planting herbs in pots on your deck or outside your kitchen door. Not only are they safer there, you are more like to reach for them when you are cooking.

Hi Susan.....
I love your article on bees, it is concise and informative, and so needed to inform gardeners how we can help the bee population to continue to exist.
What would we do without honey in our kitchens? It is a healing food, does not need to be refrigerated,and it never spoils.
Here is a recipe for a..........
HONEY CAKE
13/4 cups honey
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup strong , HOT black coffee
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 cup chopped walnuts or toasted almonds
zest of 2 oranges

1. Beat together honey, oil and sugar.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Mixture will be quite liquid.
3. Combine hot coffee with baking powder and soda. Use large bowl - mixture will bubble.
4. Sift together flour and spices and add alternately to honey mixture with the coffee mixture.
5. Dust nuts with flour and fold into batter.
6. Bake in 3 greased loaf pans for 70 min. at 300 F.

Enjoy..........
Maria Springer
Maja's Viennese Kitchen
410-561-1157

The last time I had lilacs, I know I had to prune it "vigorously". Something about suckers and draining off the energy. (That last sort of gave away my hippie days, doesn't it?)

This is from the site I've linked:

Far too often you see a lilac that hasn’t seen pruning since it was planted. Plants that have been let go this long only produce a few sparse blooms 10 feet in the air and old trunks look decidedly unhealthy.

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/lilacs/03/pruning.html

Susan,
Today's gardening signs of hope:
Crocuses are up, star magnolia buds are pushing out of their furry pods and about 150 geese in six flocks flew over my house this morning during just the 10 minutes that I happened to be watching. Soon, my dog won't be the only one digging in the yard.

Susan -- This is exciting. I expect to be a regular reader.

I love having fresh herbs ready for the picking, and grow parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and sage in the ground, but keep chives and mint in containers, because they'll run amok if given a chance.

I have lots of bulbs, including daffodils along both sides of the front walk that were originally planted by my grandmother several decades ago. I thin them every few years, and they're going strong.

This year for the first time I've got a veggie patch in the back yard. I've put in (from seed) tomatoes, squash, jalapeno peppers and mixed lettuce greens so far.

We have two dogs buried in the back yard, too. I have some bulbs above each of them, and am planning to put a little bench between them as a nice place to rest.

I'm looking forward to reading more!

Lovely garden in the photo, but who mows your lawn? It looks shaggy.

Ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to introduce my husband. And believe me, his grass never looks shabby.

Welcome to the Blogosphere, Susan. Nice to see some of my cyberfriends from D@L here.

What do I need to know about sending you garden photos?

The picture of your garden is wonderful. I've been a fan ever since your first column and I can't wait to see and hear more from you.
You are WONDERFUL to write. Thanks for joining me on this new journey!</i?

Inch by inch
Row by Row
Gonna make that garden grow
Gonna mulch it deep and low
'Til the rains come tumblin' down
:-)

Thanks for the post. I go to my garden center when I need a break from everything too. It's a nice feeling to make something beautiful while thinking about life and the challenges posed therein. Again, thanks for the post.

Beautiful.! I am starting my own garden and would love any tips you have to offer. Do you have recommendations on year round plants? I don't want to have to replant new flowers each year.

The first thing to ask is your temperature "zone." Where do you live? -- Susan