Sorry Newhomeowner ! I think we all got kinda Side Tracked lol . As for your information Request ! Well I'm, pretty Well a Farmer as far as lawns go ! If I had my way I would just Cut and Bale . Anyway I think Roadbike did more than a adequate job on the Quality Assurance of Cut and Design Aspects (way over my head) but very Concise RB ! On the more Serious Side you can't go wrong as far as Manufacturers are concerned with Honda , Snapper , Toro , Lawn-Boy , Cub-Cadet . All are High Quality Units. Then you have White , Mtd , Poulan , Husqvarna , etc or Sears , K-Mart , Costco , Wal-Mart , Home Depot , Canadian Tire (Box Store Series) . Personally I like the walk behind Models (Small Acreage) Mulching Models (Hate Raking) Options on Self Propelled are Front Wheel Drive Vs Rear Wheel , I can only attest to front Wheel that I have owned (Lawn-boy and Sears) were ok just lift the front when you wished , did not have to hit the Selector Knob to disable the Self Propelled Mode. I realize that there are down sides to Front Wheel Drive also . As far as Riding Units I will leave that to Individuals with far greater experience and working knowledge , but due to their substantial cost , would suggest you do your homework (test rides , demonstrations) hands on to ensure you get what you need and not what the Salesman wanted to Sell You Dude ... T . P.S. I'am out off here have at it Bro's :)

Those that know can help you grow. And as is so often reiterated here, those with experience in a similar climate will provide the best input. I recommend Anne, annececilia. How I'd love to read lengthy detailed reports on ALL of her roses! Climbers: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/con0815551515838.html http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg0621533929369.html Bucks: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg010004337472.html http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg011855218300.html Easy Elegance: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0917005611209.html On rugosas: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg0101585223240.html On the rather rare: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg0120013810670.html http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg0410005912156.html Reading Material (remember zone 4 isn't just where you are): http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/grtlks/msg012313103472.html General: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0714563528571.html Hope this helps too. Best of luck, Chris

Well, you have to start with a plant light, one that has a more complete part of the spectrum than a CFL. When you get the right lights, your only limitation will be space in the house. Making shelves with the lights hung near the plants and having the plants live in high rises is a common way to save floor space. Keep your eyes open for a cheap greenhouse. Although you might not want to, (or be able to) keep the heat on all the time, you have the option of growing plants that rest in the winter and can take cold. Cacti like Escobaria can take way below zero (F and C) when kept dry. There's likely to be an Opuntia that can live in Z4 if kept dry. It is said that North Dakota has 4 native species of cacti. So my guess is that there are at least 4 species that can live where you are. There are Alpine plants that also can live in an unheated greenhouse, and some that live outside. Sempervivums might be a genus to explore. Some of their flowers will shock you if you aren't familiar with them. Again, the secret is to keep them dry in the winter. An unheated greenhouse gives you about 10F/5C more than the outside temps. It also gives you a few weeks on both ends of the warm season.

I am getting ready to start building, and I'd like to see what other people have used for contracts with their subs. If you have somthing, please email me brian (at) herrononline (dot) com. Thanks! Brian