It really depends upon the quantity of seeds in the packets and the size of the seeds, besides the quantity of the packets, weight of course, and if they are in laying flat in the envelope and taped in place so they can go as a Large Envelope rate (...must be evenly distributed, ie not bulging, and under 3/4" thick... cheaper) or if they must go as a parcel (more expensive) rate. I said 3 stamps because I have a digital postal scale and know that I can and will pack them so they can go as a Large Envelope... Some folks have Post Offices that overcharge and 'always' say that padded mailers (bubble envelopes) MUST be charged as Parcels. I could go on and on about the what and how the POs rip some of us off by overcharging....but won't get myself upset by that this AM. How is your post office doing? charging you correct postage? There are a lot of posts on the Conversation side of the Seed Exchange discussing the overcharging problem that has been going on for years (May 2007 I Think). btw...Instead of 3 stamps to me, you can just mail $1.05 in stamps...or if you send 3 because of not having misc denominations, I can refund the overage with misc smaller stamps. I keep a lot on hand. Sue

Stage rat. you have to understand the mindset of these engineers, with genius IQ's in math. They are perfectionist's to boot. enough that, sometimes, it can drive you crazy. He'll count just about anything in a seed packet, but even he draws the line when he hit the package of lettuce seeds and opened the inner foil packet and saw way to many seeds for even his patience. I quietly sat there, grinning to myself and thinking "finally a seed packet that you refuse to play with and count." Karen, I'm the one that has been posting the numbers in the seed packets in the burpee seeds on the rack. Been doing it for a couple of years now. K-mart has the seeds in the stores in MA now. I do miss the Martha Stewart seeds they carried when they had a contract with her. She had quite a few seed packets that others didn't have. Can't seem to find a store that carries them now. Fran

I just googled and found this... "How to Grow Peonies from Seed Do you have difficulties growing peonies from seed? Despair no longer...help is on the way! Growing peonies from seed is as easy as growing carrots, except it takes a little longer, ( about 3-5 years). The results, however, are far more satisfying. The way I go about the whole procedure is as follows: In late summer / early fall I collect seed pods from many different cultivars. These are strictly open pollinated seeds, so the variety is huge. Simply leave the pods in an open container to dry, then remove the seeds. About the beginning of October fill 4-6 inch pots with moist potting soil. Plant the seeds ~4 cm. apart and ~ 2-21/2 cm. deep. If you wish you may spray the soil with a fungicide (such as ÂNo-dampÂ) or treat the seeds with a bit of Âbulb dust. Rotting is not usually a problem. Place the pots in plastic food-storage bags. Tie with a twist tie and place in a warm place ( ~ 20 deg.C ), leave for about 3 months. During this period the radicle and also a root system. will develop . Soil can be carefully removed for periodic inspection without harming the little plants. Simply replace soil and place back in the bags. When radicles and roots are sufficiently developed place the pots in a cold spot (just above freezing). That old fridge in the basement is marvelous for this purpose! Leave in the cold for 2/3/4/months...until SPRING! Select a spot in the garden for a nursery bed. Carefully knock the soil and seedlings out of the pot (keep intact as much as possible) and plant at the same depth as in the pot. Insert a plant marker with the seedling information. Keep planting area moist (mulch). Throughout the summer you will see the first leaves appear. Some seedlings may not put forth leaves until next springÂbe patient. Leave the little plants over winter (a further layer of mulch will help them overwinter without heaving) until Aug-Sept the following year. Transplant at this time to about 1 foot apart and at the same depth as the plant was growing. The little peony roots look a bit like carrots with coarse roots. With a bit of luck (and good management) you can have a few blooms the following year (3rd year). You can expect to have plenty of blooms in year 4 and 5. What a pleasure... what a thrill and what satisfaction to see the first peony flower from your own plants! Flowers no one in this whole wide world has seen before!" Should be an interesting journey. Thank you again Marian! Daniella

On your recommendation, I took a big bite out of one of the peppers. You are so right, it was VERY sweet. It was so sweet that 3 firetrucks were rushed to the scene to put out the flames. The firemen seemed to be a bit out of sorts cause I was having so much fun so I shared a couple of pods with them. Needless to say, they really earned the name "firemen" today. They set fire to 17 houses before the water system finally caught up. I was so happy, I had to share the joy with everyone. So me and the firemen headed downtown and had an impromptu parade. Anybody who complained got handed a free pepper to eat. Most folks just stood and watched and clapped their hands when somebody made like a fire breathing dragon. It was a lot of fun until the state troopers took away the pepper sauce. I am NOT as think as you drunk I am. DarJones