I would love some Pink Canna's! I do have some Red Texas Star Hibiscus seeds I could trade you for a few. Let me know. =) Thanks - Steve

Hi Gang! Can anyone tell me where Bletilla orchids, or just the bulbs can be bought "over the counter?" Those I find on the net and eBay, are too expensive, but I've been told that down south, Bletillas can be bought more or less like any other flower bulb. I don't find them in stores such as Lowes or in garden centers up here in ILLinos. Can anyone give me a few clues? Dave, k9uim@verizon.net

I was afraid of that, SG. I don't think that's going to work for me. Nothing at the office store nor dollar store. We'll see what the people at work come up with tomorrow. I might have to end up saving different kinds of things, here and there over the year. Does your coldframe regulate the temperature? If not, what do you have, or what you can make for a removable coldframe cover? (I'm thinking of something like a wooden doorframe). You might want to consider something that you can lift off easily. I don't know much about coldframes at all but had a homemade one for years here. t was just a box in the ground, about 6 foot long, 1 1/2 feet deep. It was sectioned off in 3 sections (I could fit 2 flats in each section). I covered my frame covers with plastic. I didn't put holes in them but boy, stuff could cook really fast in the box! I never used it to grow stuff. When I took my covers off of my WS pots early on in the season, I'd put them in there. I'd toss the cover over them when it rained really hard. I'm just thinking aloud here that if your holes aren't quite right, you might not be able to tell how hot it is inside and cook your babies. If you have a way to prop open your cover then you can lift it in an emergency. It sounds like you found a good deal on plastic. I have used the really heavy mil drop clothes for my pot covers. I got a huge sheet for about $10 at the hardware store. It's holding up from year to year without any signs of wear.

Whatever you do, please go LOOK at the Kenmore induction range. DH and I went to look at it a couple weeks ago. Personally, i was underwhelmed -- but that could just have been me. The oven shelves felt flimsy. They felt much less sturdy than my 20 year old Kenmore that wasn't top of the line then! The burner layout to me is bad. The large induction units are both in the front which means if you have 4 items going, you're going to be reaching over the large pots in the front to get to the smaller items in the back. The warming drawer wasn't much IMO either. It was really more like a pot/pan storage drawer with a heating element -- no insulation at all. We've really wanted induction but have to do a below counter oven. I had high hopes for the Sears unit but knocked it off my list after looking. Perhaps it will do more for you...just don't buy it based on reviews. Oh...and I had to argue with the salesman that they even HAD a slide in. He insisted they didn't. I had to go online there in the store and show it to him.