don't know your first frost date?

Just type in your zip code here. Just used it and it even showed me the data upon which it was based, which is great. I think this only works for the U.S.

THEN, go to Skippy's Vegetable Garden's fall planting calendar (top of page in parens on right) and type in your 1st freeze date.

Ooh, also, you can (per Skippy's VG) also go to a Burpee site for the date of first frost, so I typed in my zip code and got this: http://www.burpee.com/gygg/content.jsp?contentId=Zone8#null. I'm in zone 8.

Excerpt from the Burpee page:

Discover what you should be doing right now.  Our experts share gardening advice, techniques, news, and ideas to make your garden the best ever.  

Here's what's happening in your gardening region:

• Direct Sow Second Season Vegetables
• Transplant Indoor Started Vegetables
• Prepare Your Garden for Garlic and Shallots
• Start a Fruit Garden
• Plan Your Spring Blooming Flower Bulbs
• Plan for Fall Perennial Planting

So, which among those things am I doing now? Uh, none? Oh, well, I did put the dirt back into an area where I plan to put my irises (those which I've not managed to kill by keeping in a pot outside for 2 years).

I practically tripped on a huge zucchini while watering yesterday, then discovered several large cohorts--yikes! This is only PART of what I harvested yesterday (total was 10.25 lbs!), and a loving portrait of my favorite chef's knife and the beautiful cutting board a friend MADE for us when we got married. It's from urban wood (the trees they cut down in the city) so it's SUPER "green." ANYhow... =)

I am getting psyched to plant some fall veggies and just ordered purple broccoli to over-winter. If I get this done and am successful in raising veggies via post-August work, it will be a first.

Baby steps toward year-round sustainable living. BABY steps. 

Winter, she is coming (for us north hemisphere folks)... This was my view out the window in winter at Mount Rainier NP. I'd NEVER lived in a place where the snow bank would climb up your window.

Anyhow, check those sites out if you don't already have a plan for your fall garden, then you should have enough to do to keep you OUT of trouble and INTO vegetables.

=)

biobabbler (ps working on a post with more Merced NWR pics)