Rhubarb is a perennial, so you have to wait a bit for it. Celeriac is a hard to germinate as celery and needs a *long* cool season we just don't get. You might try it in the fall. Sweet peas... the ornamental? Or you want sugar snap or snow peas? They grow great here but don't delay getting them in the ground. It's a smidgen late to plant them. If you are looking for spring edibles, you might try salad turnips (like Hakeuri). Kohlrabi is another cool season unusual veggie -- it's quite good, but it doesn't really have enough time in the spring -- it does well in the fall, though. Also salsify and parsnips and rutabaga, although the last three I hate with a passion!

I too have been suckered in the past by the easy sprouting seed packs of cacti at WalMart. I think the answer lies in what you are willing to do. I have scaled back on the bigger cacti as I run out of room at the sunny windows, and I'm not willing to spend money on lights and greenhouses and so on. I've had a Cephalocereus senilis since the eighties, but his life hasn't been a bowl of cherries. I've cut his cephalo off several times and rerooted a small piece as he just gets too big and heavy for me to carry in and out of my house. It's brutal. My neighbor about had a cow when he saw me cut the top off. It was such a cute little plant when I got it that reminded me of what my dh looks like when he wakes up in the morning. One thing I do is I don't water my cacti at all when there isn't enough sun to support good growth. If you are into cacti for the long haul, I would try to buy ones that stay small longer. My favorite one of mine is a gymnocalycium that has a jillion little off sets all in a tiny 3 in pot, and it blooms for me every year. Perhaps someone here knows of a smaller cactus that would be as cute as a C senilis.

Well I said I wasn't going to bring home as much this year, and I didn't. In the past it's taken me weeks to get it all done! Good luck with your foundation bed. That will be really nice! We did ours the first year we were in the house, and it made such a big difference. Still waiting for all the stuff we planted to reach a good size. What kind of shrubs are you going with on the redo?

We dip veggies in guacamole all the time. Bell pepper strips are great for this because they have a "hook" for catching the lumps. :) We eat hummus with veggies too. What makes a good dip for veggies is anything that has enough body (often fat, but there are other ways) to stick, and a strong flavor. Thinner dips are good with chips because too much is overwhelming and they stick to the broad surface. With a carrot you get a little ball, so it needs to stick. Veggies have more flavor than chips, too, so strong flavors like onion, garlic, hot peppers, roasted veg, salt, strong cheese and pungent herbs come through a lot better than a simple yoghurt dip. Try roasting a few mixed veg and pureeing them with some cream cheese. Thin with a little milk and/or a drop of wine. Just a drop, though, or it'll taste boozy. You can actually puree almost anything to make a dip. How about a little leftover duck breast, sauce and all? How about herb custard?