There are several perspectives re whether or not it makes a difference when you repot a plant. Some people think you should be able to repot whenever you feel like it, with impunity, others feel that working with the the plant's natural rhythms so as to take advantage of the plant's strengths and avoid unnecessary stress by performing heavy work (repotting, root pruning, heavy pruning) not when the plant is in the weaker portion of the growth cycle, but when it's more robust. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn't much care what we think is fair, choosing instead to force the plant to pay a penalty in terms of longer recovery periods and higher susceptibility to insects and diseases during that longer recovery when appropriate attention isn't paid to timing. Spring (as in early spring) isn't a good time to repot your PT or most other succulents and houseplants. In most cases, plants are at their weakest in early spring, which is more than enough reason to avoid repotting until they've stored some energy reserves and longer/brighter days ensure maximum food-making ability. Father's Day is easy to remember, or the summer solstice. Both are good target days around which to plan heavy work like hard pruning and repotting, with its root work. I regularly run into folks who are very quick to tell you how much difference 'when you repot' DOESN'T make; but their reasoning tends to center on the idea that because their plants didn't die after they repotted over Christmas vacation, there is no reason not to take advantage of that time frame (or something similar). That's faulty reasoning. Strong people in good general health recover much faster from surgeries than weak people whose health is questionable. To think that plants are different in that regard isn't logical. So, in the end, I can say with a great deal of confidence that when you choose to repot DOES matter. It may not determine life or death, but it's hard to envision any justification for levying unnecessary stress on a living thing of value unless it was required to ensure it's continued viability. Learning to work with your plants natural rhythms not only benefits the plant, it also helps the grower feel more in tune with the needs of the plant. We all have that nurturing bone, and one of our greatest rewards comes from knowing we're being good nurturers. Learning about timing is a step toward increased rewards. Al

papnnana........I think nature waxes and wanes. I know I got water snakes in my little watergarden for a number of years, then nothing for the past 4-5 years. I try not to be happy about that! I've saved a couple frogs from the jaws of the snakes......but they need to eat too. It's hard to know who to cheer for! So.....you might be in one of those "not very many frogs around" years. Do you live in the city/suburbs/country? I live in the country and pretty close to a creek.....so I do wonder if that brings them closer. I never heard tree frogs until we had a couple little stocktank ponds......now there are a ton of them in the summer. I wonder if you have a pump in your pond? Sometimes I think they hear the water running and that attracts them. And of course, the kind of predators you have around can make a difference too. Let us know what kind of pond environment you have and maybe we can give you more suggestions. I found about 8 dead frogs in my inground 300 gallon stocktank one spring. I was soooo sad. I think I figured out that I was keeping it too warm all winter, with a deicer that was much too large for it. So now, I keep the pump running for as long as possible, and when it starts to get frozen (the pond and the pump), I put in a very small deicer.....just to keep a small hole open in the ice. I just keep my fingers crossed that there's enough oxygen in there to keep them alive until I can get the pump going again. This weekend it's supposed to be around 1 degree at night. :( What kind of frogs did you used to have? I have mostly tree frogs, then green, and once I had a couple bullfrogs who didn't stay around very long.............which was sorta okay with me. I love hearing their croaking......but I've heard they eat everything and everything, including small children. ;) I'm a big bird fan, so the last thing I want to see is a bullfrog eating a bird. But.......I guess that's just nature, but like I said, it's hard to know who to cheer for! Good luck with your frogs!

Lol, hehe, the mud splashes and finding the other half solves the mystery now that you've found them. That's what I figured. A dog out on a lam always leaves a trail of destruction, they are incapable of making things "vanish into thin air" as you originally described. Beth, uh-oh, your dog may have that hyper Border Collie gene--you can see those border collie eyes and eyebrow set! The forehead is more broad though, but the proportions of the eyes are definitely B.C. In this case, I hate to tell you this but rawhides and chews aren't going to be enough. The best is to keep her with you when you are outside gardening. Do NOT leave her unattended because what you have to do is to train her in the "leave it" command. Anytime she approaches a pot or a rose tell her leave it! Make a small shake can (small metal container) filled with beans. Border collies have super sensitive ears and they hate that sound. So if she refuses to listen after the first warning, shake that small shake can. Also spray bunches of ropel, pepper spray around your roses too. Then if she stays away from a rose reward her. She may very well have that B.C. trait of going wacky over a ball or a frisbee. Use that as a means to reward her for leaving the roses alone. If you are lucky she will have the B.C. smart genes, she will figure out the association almost immediately. When Eluane was only 10 weeks old she knew what Quiet time was. I had to train her that there was a time I needed to be on the computer. Because if I didn't pay any attention to her she would do a puppy howl and thrash on the carpet or run and place her teeth to the couch (not bite the bottom, but just pretend to). but with a reward system, she quickly got the picture. Also B.Cs are very needy. They crave interaction, and if you don't give them enough attention they will get into lots of trouble, I have heard. I was very, very lucky! Eluane is extremely well-behaved. When I worked as a 3D animator, I had ridiculous crazy hours and the commute was 46 miles round trip. If I knew I had to pull an all-nighter I would have to come home around 3:00 p.m. to play with her, then 9:00 pm. I'd come and play, then 5:00 a.m. I'd play with her and then take my shower then go back to work and all the while Eluane would remain uncrated, she was that dependable. But whenever I got home she got tons of undivided attention from me and when I didn't have those long hours, again, tons of attention. When I freelance I have to take a 10 minute break every 1-2 hours to play with her. They are needy dogs, so that is why most B.Cs end up in Rescue. They are not dogs to have if you are too busy to spend time with. However, the rewards of the companionship is UNBELIEVABLE. I will never own another dog EVER, except for a Border Collie. They are that fun, that smart, and yes affectionate and VERY DEPENDABLE, loyal, and beautiful in the way they move and think. So try training your dog new tricks too. It can turn out to be a new fun adventure for you and your family :)

I think they look fine. Kind of like having three palms planted close to each other and each leaning away from the rest. Check out some of the photos of beaucarnea recurvata on davesgarden.com, there are some pics of multi-trunked ponytails and some single-trunked ponytails, as well as some pretty good information. Here is a link that might be useful: click here for pics & info from davesgarden.com