Gardening

I am currently planning this year's container veggie garden. I learned a lot last year about what not to do, so while this year will still be pathetic (as I'm a self-taught beginner) it'll hopefully not be quite as pathetic. I'm frustrated with the fact that despite living on the coast, all the online garden places keep telling me that I'm in Zone 8, along with most of inland and south of us. They claim that we shouldn't plant until the last frost in April, but the trees here are budding and it's only February. Planting in April would only give two months (or less) before we're living in the 90s temp range. So I may just go ahead with things. We'll see. Either way, it's making me hungry.

Things I Grew Somewhat Successfully Last Year

• Tomato (2 varieties)
• Green Pepper
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Marjoram

Things I Killed Dramatically Last Year

• Cucumbers
• Strawberries

Things I'm Contemplating for This Year

• Tomato
• Green Pepper
• Dwarf French Beans
• Basil (new plant, old plant died in winter; Rosemary and Marjoram are still good)
• Dill (anti-bad-bug herb)
  
• Green/Spring Onions
• Strawberries (done right, none of this silly pre-packaged cute pot kit things)

I also intend to add some flowers around this year to keep the bad bugs away and the polinational bugs close. Some, but not all:

• Geraniums (anti Japanese beetle)
• Marigolds
• Nasturiums
• Zinnia
  
• Asters

I also need some tall wire tomato holder-uppers, and I need to see if I can find a fine-mesh crate to put over the strawberries. Apparently they make fruit cages to keep birds away, but they're enormous and made for walk-in greenhouses. I also have to find a corner of the yard to dump out last year's old dirt. Also, our spray nozzle on the hose cracked because we were dumb and forgot to drain the water before it froze. Oops.

I hope the garden centers are ready for me!