I have to plan more... I have a plan all set out in my head, but when I find out that shade in a part of the garden that I had planned on putting basil I get all wacked out. lol... I need to sit there for about 20 minutes about 10 times today and find out where the sun is, and what I can put where. I think that is it.

Any good soil conditioners that work well for you guys? I am getting compost from my dads, but so far that is all. What do you think? My soil is pretty normal... needs airation... that is all I think.

Here is a link the what my gardens looked like last year.

My gardens last year! :) (http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85563)

Now all that sod is gone. All of it. I am leveling out the pathways and putting in stepping stones, and hay. Then I am building a cloche and wood box where the garbage cans are in this pic, and moving the cans in to the garage where the wood box is now. I just need to find out what will grow where... because now I have quite a bit more room. Shade plants? What do you all think?

Love Val

If your soil is pretty normal then all I would add would be compost. Is it a nice loose soil? Or is it full of clay?

Is that part of your yard really shady. I love shady greenery with varigation to bring some light into shady areas. It sounds like it'll be nice. Be sure a post a pic as youget things completed ;)

The only part that is shade is the right back... it is shaded by the neighbors house during the day, and then her plum tree in the evening... so it gets a total of about 2 hours sun at most. And this is before the leaves really fill in. So far I have put in mint, Camomile, lavander, marigolds, catnip, pansies, watercress (which likes it cool and moist but I am not sure about shade), and dill seeds. Hopefully it will all grow. The cat has already eaten the catnip down to nubs... I put some seeds in so that he could have it all summer. That should be happy.

The tepee is up... all it needs is beans... the strawberries are moved.... the pathways are laid, although the one along the house is still sod, because there is no good time to take out the most used path in our yard... lol... I have taken all the weeds out, and put in raseberries along the back. I will be building a trellis along there too. I have done a lot... but I have TONS more to do. I am sure you all know what I mean. I still need to build the cloche, need to rip out that path and put down the garden path stuff, need to clean out the tomato bed and put in soil enhancer, and compost... I need to pull the rest of the strawberries out and give them away or plant them in pots. Stuff like that...

When I am done you guys will be the first to see pictures!

Love Val