DFO: Due to technical difficulties, Alice couldn't access her computer to interact much with you yesterday. That's why I'm rerunning her online column today.

"If you want to be happy for an hour, drink wine.
If you want to be happy for a day, run away.
If you want to be happy for a year, get married.
If you want to be happy forever, be a gardener" -- ancient Greek saying.

Now that you are properly inspired, let us go forth and plant! Up to this time, we have been talking primarily about starting plants indoors, purchasing plants and transplanting started plants outdoors. Let us talk today about planting seeds outdoors. Planting seeds in the ground and observing them germinate and break through the soil and come "alive", fills me with awe. I was born with that soul of a gardener. As a very young child growing up in California, playing in the back yard, I would fill up coffee cans with soil, and water them. A miracle happened. Green, living things would grow. True, they were mostly weeds, but occasionally a wild California Poppy or Sweet Alyssum would grow in my "potted" garden. I don't get quite the same thrill starting seeds indoors for transplanting (full column in extended entry portion) -- Alice Rankin/Alice's Garden Spot.

Alice's previous online columns:
The Perfect Tomato (May 29)
Don't Risk Tomato Plants Yet (May 22)
Planting Green Beans, Corn (May 15)
Mulching (May 8)
Starting Seeds Indoors (May 1)

Originally published 10:57 a.m. Tuesday, June 5

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