Wow. You all really know your stuff! I had no idea how much I didn't know (shades of Rumsfeld). I gardened a little growing up with my mom (organic, compost, raised beds outdoors) and thought now that I had outdoor space, I'd try growing a couple plants on my deck. I live in Baltimore, MD, which is 7B (I think. I just looked this up 5 min ago). My first plant just died (basil...sigh) and my cilantro looks pretty weak. Also, my nasturtiums are starting to look a bit yellow. I obviously don't know what I'm doing. :/

I've posting a bunch of pics in hopes that if there's something glaringly obvious that I'm doing wrong, y'all will tell me. I'd really like it if my swiss chard and morning glory stuck it out. Also, any advice on what to do when I buy my next basil seedling? I took these photos today at 1pm on a cloudy day, with a high of 81. I'm using EarthGro Topsoil and EcoScraps plant food (trying to be organic and staying away from Monsanto).