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  4 0 If you plant at least 3 catnip plants around the edges or at the corners, the cats won't poop in your garden. Because they eat the catnip, and they won't poop where they eat. If you don't have enough plants, the cats will eat up all the leaves and kill the plants, so there has to be enough to sate them without the plant dying. My catnip all came back this spring, but I don't know if that will always happen if we have a real winter. I also like to grow sunflowers because they are easy and I'm bad at gardening. And thyme, basil, oregano and chives. elenchos answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report 2 comments by elenchos and Luckier… 0 0 Also, if you have cats you know this: whatever cat has the garden in their territory is going to spend time just sitting or lying in the garden near the catnip. They will sit there and think, "Mine! Alllllll mine!" For hours. This is harmless except when you have seedlings sprouting, and they flop their fat asses on top of them. So put a stake next to the small plants to keep the cats from crushing them before they are big enough. And if there is no room for a cat to lay down near the catnip then you've planted everything too close together and need to thin it out. elenchos commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 Awesome advice, Elenchos. Our cat is only allowed outside on a harness and lead, so we can stake her outside the range of the garden when seedlings are sprouting. But she will love the catnip garden around the boxes, and any time she spends by the garden is time the birds will stay away. Luckier commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  4 0 I think garlic is one of those things that is better to plant in the fall. You CAN plant it in the early spring, but I think it's a process. I think you should plant basil, chives, thyme, rosemary, and mint. All very easy and it's so nice when you're cooking to just run out and pick some. Having a dinner party? Make mojitos out of all that mint you have. I also think you should plant nasturtiums, an edible flower that you can decorate your salads with when guests come over. Peppers are easy, and you should grow as many as you can, serrano, bell,... Grow cabbage and your favorite greens. My Grandma always says to dust your greens with flour to keep the bugs off. She also says to sprinkle human hair around your garden to keep animals away...something about the human scent? I dont know if either of those things work, but I like my Grandma and think of her when I do it. And if you were me, you would save a very special place for all those different kinds of onions you plan to grow. Make sure to feed and water your garden plenty. Good luck and dont expect perfection. There is always next year to try another hand at what doesnt do well this year. Hooray! answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report 2 comments by Luckier and Hooray!… 0 0 Great info - thanks Hooray! Luckier commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 I forgot parsley. You can put it in everything! Hooray! commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  3 0 Talk to Seattle Tilth or read Steve Solomon's Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades or (cheater's version) read the headings in the Territorial Seeds catalog for what you can grow and when. For example, Territorial tells me it's already too late to start artichokes from seed (although it's about time to transplant them, so if you find starts you're good to go). Also, you want to make sure you get the right varieties for this climate; some varieties need more hot days than our climate can provide; Tilth, Solomon and Territorial can steer you toward types that are more likely to succeed in Seattle. If I were you I'd split up your plot into half summer/half not summer crops. Garlic is the easiest crop in the world to grow here, but you plant it in early October. It's a good thing to plant after the tomatoes start dying. Storage onions would work now if you want something in the same family. Basil and peppers are common summer crops that work well around here (along with tomatoes). The problem with cucurbits, including squash and pumpkins (a summer crop, believe it or not) is that they demand a lot of space. 24 square feet really isn't enough room for big pumpkins, although if you can let the vines grow outside the bed, you can probably fake it; they just want enough space for all their leaves to catch the sun, and don't really need 24 square feet of bare dirt. Zucchini need less space and are prolific, but also consider lemon cucumbers, which also need less space, don't turn bitter like cucumbers can, and taste oh-so-delicious raw on a hot August day. Note: squash and cucumbers can be frustrating if you try to start them outside; the smallest bit of rain can kill them, as can an untimely hot April day, or they just might not sprout at all. If you find yourself getting frustrated, just buy starts and plant them in May. For not-summer crops, if you have a raised bed, I'd consider carrots or parsnips; they want very loose soil which is hard to create unless you have a raised bed. Around May 1, turn over the soil a couple of times, break up all clods and remove as many rocks as possible in the process, then plant the seed. If your spot remains sunny all year round, you'll have carrots from August through next March (if it gets shady in the winter, the carrots might freeze out). Parsnips are so hardy they won't care either way. Other root crops (beets and potatoes, for example) also need the loose soil of raised beds, but I don't like beets and I gave up on potatoes because I decided such a cheap crop wasn't worth the hassle. Peas are a standard not-summer crop around here (start them soon; they invariably get a virus called enation in June and die), but you could also just go with spinach. It's easy to grow, makes you feel like a gourmet when you make a salad out of it, and if you let a few plants go to seed, you'll end up with enough spinach seed to last you a lifetime. After your spring peas and spinach (around July 4) you plant most of your fall/winter crops. All the brassicas (kale, collards, cabbage, rutabagas, etc.) do great in this climate and provide you with fresh vegetables in the dead of winter. Or just plant lettuce and spinach; they're easy. Finally, you can also go with fruit. Raspberries are easy in this climate but you need to build a trellis to support them. Strawberries will probably bear some fruit in June if you plant them now (and much more next year). For fruit info, try this WSU publication: http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1640/eb1640.html Greg Barnes answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Luckier… 0 0 Greg, awesome advice! Luckier commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Potatoes! Deep loose dirt, or a deep container works great. Fnarf answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 Squashes of all sorts tend to grow like weeds in this climate. Lettuce grows quite well here, as does chard and spinach. We rarely get enough sun for really good peppers. Beware the frumious zucchini, my friend - either harvest them young and small and frequently, or you'll be sneaking anonymous packages of them onto your neighbors' porches by dark of night. Geni answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 What should you grown? How about, "Ow, my knees hurt and I'm getting all dirty!" But seriously, stay away from tomatoes unless you know what you're doing. In some parts of the country (where summers are long and hot and rain is plentiful), tomatoes grow practically unattended, but in the Pacific Northwest, the only tomatoes that do well are the Northwest varieties of cherry tomatoes such as the Cascade 100s. Some people have had reasonable luck with Romas with a lot of care, but forget about Beefsteaks. There's just not enough summertime and sun for them. Still, there are lots of other good choices. People here have made some good suggestions. Bauhaus answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report 2 comments by Luckier and Bauhaus… 0 0 How embarrassing - I didn't even see the typo in my post. I've done container tomatoes before, and have some expert advice available by phone (dad, hardcore tomato grower). But you're right, I'll focus on early girls and other good-in-the-northwest varieties. Luckier commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 Everyone is entitled to an honest mistake or two (or three..or four...), Luckier. Good luck with your garden. Bauhaus commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 2 I don't know anything about growing stuff, but you should totally plant a pumpkin so you can have one ready for Halloween!!! Garlic sounds awesome. I would vote for carrots. Are you going to do any herbs? Basil? Rosemary? Is it too late to plant strawberries? Because fresh strawberries are the absolute best! And...maybe those peas that are in the pods..what are they snap peas? or snow peas or something? spring peas? I don't know. You really need a pumpkin or two though!!! Plus then you can roast the seeds and make pumpkin pie! OH! I almost forgot: ONIONS! Yummy! Kristin Bell answered in Gardening over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by Kristin Bell… 0 0 oh, I also forgot: corn, because it tastes good and it is cool when it grows really high yes, sunflowers and catnip too! also potatoes!!! Kristin Bell commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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