As you can tell we are using a proces of elimination/decison-making to help with your dilema. The check list includes determining status of each of the following: Plant selection, soil/mix make-up, container size and drainage, water regiment, temperature range, light, nutritonal make up, insects, disease, etc. We have an "OK" on many now, but you may have had more than one problem area to start- now we have to find the remaining one(s), so dont get discouraged. Good Watering in containers means that the pot does not get too dry and does not stay too wet. Some growers go for tight moisture control keeping things in a real tight range, some go for looser controls but staying away from the extremes. So before watering, check at mid pot level for moisture level; if dry dry you are late, if still wet wet you are early. if just kinda moist - then about right. Water till some water drips out the drainage holes, then wait till dries to kinda just moist again. Some will debate the exact definintion of the terms, but the principle is the same. REmove the fruit, your plant needs the energy- the fruit would be marginal anyway. remove growth beyond the recovery-able stage. Check your amount of fertilzer, it may be weak for containers- the plant is almost totally dependant on what you give it, there is very little inherent in the potting mix. Organics dont work too good in these containers, water soluable nutrients is what is needed as it is more controllable. anyway these are some of the principles, hope this helps. D

I have Passion fruit vine cuttings that I would love to trade I am a newbie to all this. I am looking for interesting and exotic plants. Im very intrested in money plant/tree '09' carnivorous plant seeds Thank you Cassie cassie_todd@ymail.com

I am a picky eater. DH is not. My kids -- well, two out of three of them -- eat a wide range of foods. But because I am picky and I am Head Chef, my family only gets adventurous foods (my term) when they eat elsewhere! It's become a joke with people who know us. "Can we go to this restaurant? Can you find anything on the menu that you'll eat?" I'm not THAT bad but I am a baby and won't try ethnic foods like Indian, Moroccan, etc... I do eat Chinese food and Thai and Mexican. I can't stand dishes that mix meat and fruit. It just makes me want to gag. I won't eat hummus. I don't get it. Blecch. But it's always in the fridge because my family likes it. I balk at eating casseroles when I can't identify the ingredients. I don't like certain foods to "run together" on the plate -- I got that one from my father. Certain things are okay, but OMG, if I have a cold salad on a plate and it's running into something hot on the plate? IWWWW. Raw oysters or clams? Grosss. But I love lobster and shrimp. I am fully aware that I am a baby and perhaps a little bit crazy in this regard!

Never the same meal for both holidays, either when I was growing up or now. Turkey for Thanksgiving, usually beef tenderloin for Christmas. My first MIL did do turkey for both meals as their dinner was Christmas Eve and everyone could just drop by anytime Christmas Day or evening and all the leftovers were set out on the DR table so one could help oneself. Second MIL - always prime rib, cooked and served by their cook! Sure was nice - no having to be helpful - we were all "guests" at this feast - same at Thanksgiving. Ruth was a fabulous cook and I'd take a Ruth in my kitchen any old day! I'm a very good cook and at one time, loved cooking but health and lack of stamina take a toll on my ability these days. For many years, we did lobster stew at my house on Christmas Eve and then Beef Tenderloin and cheese grits at DD's on Christmas night. A couple of years ago when DS started coming out to join us, we moved everything back a night. He leaves sometime Christmas AM as he gets his children (he's divorced) that afternoon. He didn't want to miss out on any of these wonderful foods, so now lobster stew on the 23rd and the beef on the 24th. DD then makes a pot of soup and puts out the leftovers and I go over Christmas night - no set table, just get some food and eat. She wants to relax on Christmas as she works so very hard the rest of the year. The lobster knuckles and claw meat arrived frozen on Thurs. I will make the lobster stew either on Thurs or Fri before 23rd - it's far better if the flavors have time to come together. Easy to just heat it up and serve it! There will by oysters on the half shell with champagne, before dinner. Then at the table, a salad of Bibb lettuce, ruby red grapefruit and avocado with poppyseed dressing, followed by the lobster stew and popovers. Dessert is always red raspberry sorbet with fresh red raspberries, mini cream puffs (yes, I buy them frozen - real cream, delicious!) dusted with powdered sugar, hot chocolate sauce passed. We then all collapse into a food coma!