Kate Mailer

Thanks so much for the advice! Im going to implement these things. And I have cut large  holes in the cardboard  around the plants im growing so the soil there can get plenty of water. It has been raining so much my cardboard hasnt dried out yet. The mulch on top is also keeping it moist. Just planted the okra yesterday and will probably go on to the beans now. :)

We have been having heavy rains here in VA and I was wondering if it was still safe for me to direct seed in the soil?  I was going to put in okra, corn, and beans.

I have been planting into new beds I've made with the cardboard and mulch method to tame weeds.  One has very black silty earth underneath from a previous garden. For this plot I have cut through the cardboard and planted into the ground  and then covered again with a small layer of mulch. (will this work?)
The other garden spot was previously grass so the seeds i've planted there are in soil i've mounded on the top of the cardboard. (will this work?)

I am also curious, for zone 7 what else can I put in the ground or start up for this season or the upcoming fall. I am a newbie in the grandest sense.

thanks-
kate