How to make your good garden even better!

Welcome gardeners around the world! Allow me to offer you a brief introduction to Planting by the Phases of the Moon and Signs of the Zodiac.

This site is devoted to helping you make your gardening efforts more successful by utilizing the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac. And your "garden" can be an acre you raise to sell at a farmers market or roadside stand, some built-up planting beds in your backyard, a couple of pots on your apartment patio, flowers around the house - from roof gardens on high rises to open fields, if you're planting then simply doing so at the best time according to the phases and signs will help.

If you love gardening and planting - and if you didn't you wouldn't be reading this - then you want to get the most out of it whether it's vegetables or flowers. I invite you to give planting by the phases and signs a try, understanding that it can't hurt a thing and I truly believe it will help.

There are two major elements to this system: The moon and the signs of the zodiac. Simply put, when the moon's in the light phase – from new moon to full moon - you plant veggies that produce (that means what you eat) above the ground. That would be things like corn, tomatoes, beans, squash - what you eat develops above ground.

Conversely, if what you eat develops below the ground - like onions, potatoes, turnips – then you would plant in the dark phase of the moon, which is from the full moon until the next new moon. You can check out what phase the moon's in a variety of ways or, just to make this is simple as possible, I'll tell you each day along with whether or not the sign in force is an appropriate one for planting because there are some that are better than others.

Now the signs. This is a bit more complicated than the moon phases and that's why if you don't want to fully understand it then that's not necessary because I'll just tell you whether or not you should plant. Rather than "choke you to death" with this posting, let's just leave the signs element of it right there and I'll go into it in a bit more depth soon, perhaps based on your questions.

Now, let the conversation and questions begin. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. I know there are other sites similar to this, there are Almanacs, etc. I'm not saying mine is right and theirs is wrong, all I am saying is through reading, talking to others who religiously follow this system, and gardening myself I have found this works for me - and I'm offering it to help you, too.

A reader from Oklahoma called me the other day. He gave his name, where he was calling from and then said, "I've finally found something worth reading on the Internet - your column!" I was humbled and don't claim that's going to be the case for anyone else but just give it a look, give it a try and let's see how things go.

Now today, July 15: The moon is in the light phase (above-ground producers) and the sign is in Virgo (the bowels), one of the flowering signs. Today is a perfect day for planting flowers because Virgo and Libra (the reins) are flowering signs or "bloom days." These flowering signs will be in force through July 18. This period is okay for veggies, but not the greatest. Outstanding veggie days are coming July 19-21 when the sign moves to Scorpio (the secrets).