I recently read, in
A Greener Life: A Modern Country Compendium by Clarissa Dickson Wright (the surviving half of the food world's "two fat ladies"), that "you must plant, and indeed transplant, your seeds and seedlings as the moon begins to wax, which is three days after you see a new, or crescent, moon." I didn't believe it, but I had an area where I had planted seeds earlier and nothing came up. So, I replanted on the next day, which just happened to be exactly three days after the new moon. Of course, those seeds all came up. All other conditions being almost equal, except for a few weeks of warming for the soil.
The seedlings are what I planted with the moon, the full grown zinnias I bought and planted after the first, failed attempt.
I'm still not sure why it works, but Clarissa Dickson Wright is not alone in her devotion to lunar planting. Marion Owen, of PlanTea, gives some
possible explanations, and this piece from E.A. Crawford (via Kay Keys) gives even more
direction for gardening in concert with the moon's phases. Even
National Geographic has
reported on it. Calendars and software are available at
GardeningByTheMoon.com. Go figure.
I recently read, in A Greener Life: A Modern Country Compendium by Clarissa Dickson Wright (the surviving half of the food world's "two fat ladies"), that "you must plant, and indeed transplant, your seeds and seedlings as the moon begins to wax, which is three days after you see a new, or crescent, moon." I didn't believe it, but I had an area where I had planted seeds earlier and nothing came up. So, I replanted on the next day, which just happened to be exactly three days after the new moon. Of course, those seeds all came up. All other conditions being almost equal, except for a few weeks of warming for the soil.
I still don't know what it is, but these pretty yellow flowers open up during the day...
This is the point at which the deer decided I was getting too close, I suppose. Right after this picture, she took off for the woods across the street.
I don't know what this plant is. Yup, gardening is an ongoing adventure in my yard. 
Okay, I still don't know what it is (see May 1st), but it is getting nice purple flowers now.
The snow is gone, but the creeping phlox is filling in. I still don't know what the healthy green next to it is (something I planted right after I bought the house--it has done remarkably well in the crappy clay "soil" along the house--it is now at several times its original coverage).
A new plant for me this year is allium. I planted the bulbs last fall and here they come. Wow, this picture makes my yard look lush! That is probably the only significant spot of good looking grass. 
The redbud and apple are flowering together. Maybe I'll get to eat one of the apples this year...
The bleeding hearts continue to bloom. What a cool plant :)
I wasn't sure at this stage that this was the bleeding heart coming back. I was pretty sure it was a goner after last year's drought. And I'd never seen one sprout before.
I know that this fence is not keeping any hungry critter out of this planting bed, but somehow these hyacinths are not being munched by whatever is munching the ones along the driveway...
