Time to plant fall bulbs

Have you been tilling and composting and getting your beds ready for fall vegetable planting? I wish I could say I have. You know that saying about the best-laid plans of mice and men and how they oft' go astray? Well, this was going to the year I planted a fall garden, but if I don't get my butt in gear, another year will have come and gone.

The past few years, Joel and I have putting our energies into the inside of our home. When you live in a modest 100-year-old farmhouse, there's always something that needs to be done. So we have a wonderful new kitchen with granite counter tops and new cabinets and wood floors and our dining room looks great and the guest bedroom (decorated in a garden theme, of course) is taking shape nicely.

But work outside has been limited to post-hurricane cleanup, brush control, mowing and small ornamental bed planting and maintenance. The garden has yet to be dug, let alone planted. Here's what I planned to grow, along with the dates they should be put in the ground in Jefferson County:

Broccoli (Aug 15-Oct 1)
Cucumbers (Aug 15-Sept 20)
Lettuce (Sept 15-Oct 15)
English peas (Oct 1-Nov 1)
Radishes (Sept 1-Oct 15)
Tomatoes (July 15-Aug 1) Ooops!

To those of you who are on target with your fall garden, good for you! I hope we'll be able to join you soon.