I was hoping that you all would tell me to rip them out, but to make hubby happy I was entertaining the idea of salvaging some of them. We are in zone 6, Cincinnati. I appreciate the compliments...it is a cute house. It's actually a tri-level sears roebuck-you don't see too many of this style. The proportion of the windows etc keep throwing me off but I just don't have the money to throw at structure right now. I would love to add a small pergola (like this https://www.houzz.com/photos/over-window-pergolajpg-phvw-vp~743169-Window-Pergola-jpg---) over the window to try to balance everything out. I'm a hydrangea, hosta smoke bush kind of girl. I love a relaxed cottage style garden and I feel like it will compliment the house well. Any specific holly suggestions?...I noticed so many beautiful hollies over the winter. I'm so looking forward to getting my hands dirty with this project....I'm still petrified of the bald house look though!

There is another possible solution when you cover your new GH, A GH structure and supply salesman told me that they have new types of poly film that disperse light better and also have coating that causes water to flow along the plastic rather than drip. I've never tried the film because it costs about 50% more than standard 6 mil UV poly. I have a similar problem on certain days with greenhouse tomatoes but running my circulation fans seem to help. Usually it happens on rainy or overcast days when outside humidity is high so I aviod running exhaust fan during those times. In my IPM opinion you would be wise to consider a fungicide if you cannot control the condensation. You didn't mention the types of plugs you started but a host of different molds will thrive under those conditions and if your plants are suseptable you could have a major problem in the near future.

The plant in the first bloom looking like it could be Hoya chlorantha or filiformis. The large leafed plant could be a form of Hoya macrophylla, clandestina or perhaps Hoya latifolia but the veining on the leaf is not right for latifolia although there is still confusion about these species so it's hard to really tell. You could call your plant Hoya sp aff. macrophylla for now. The next large leafed plant looks like Hoya juannguoiana to me. The next one may be Hoya vitiensis. The next is from the Hoya finlaysoni complex which is pretty large with new species being found. I would not consider your plant a hybrid. Most of the hybrids are from Michael Miyashiro a Hawaiian growers collection and they are not as common in the trade in other parts of the world so I doubt they are common in collections in Hong Kong or Asia in general. I am not sure what the last Hoya is but it has very beautiful leaves that are quite unique so it should be easy to identify for someone who is familiar with the species. Mike

I've no doubt what you are feeling is as all wives, children, and family members feel when the people they love go off to war or are commissioned in a war zone. When my nephew (I am 3.5 years older) left for Iraq, I begged him not to go. I knew he could get out of it, despite his regiment being deployed. He has been an army man all his life, joining at 19 and served two tours of duty. His plan was to make the army his career. He had a back injury from a car accident that he was able to hide but when they found out about it, they refused him a third tour. He was able to join the army reserves and has been there ever since. He was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and then to Iraq because he almost begged for it. I knew he wanted the combat pay and asked if he would still go if it weren't for that. He answered an emphatic "Yes! I have wanted it all my life." I guess he really reflected on our conversation that day because he called me the next morning to tell me, among other things, "I need you to understand I am a military man." Despite my anger with him for wanting to go; despite not understanding anyone in their right mind wanting to do this; despite my disdain for this war; despite my own fears he might not return, I had to respect his wishes, I had to respect the man I now knew him to be and forget the little boy I grew up with, and I had to love him all the more. Acceptance flooded over me like a cascading waterfall of tears, humility, and the realization I have no influence whatever. My nephew came home January 2006, and his daughter left a few months later. She served 18 months in Iraq and came home last September. Naturally, we went through all the same feelings and feel incredibly blessed they both arrived back safely and free from harm. But, when he told me she was going, I simply could not believe my ears. I sure do understand your feelings and fears, and you are perfectly entitled to them. Try to remember though there are forces greater than you. What he needs is for you to be strong and hold down the homefront while he's gone. Cry and be angry, and then pray if you are a believing woman. Pray for his safe return. But for him and your children, be the pillar of strength they need you to be. Who else can they turn to? You will okay, but you have to decide to be. Falling apart won't help anything at all. Come here to let off steam or talk to friends and family. In the presence of your children, don't let on one clue. In your letters to him while he's away, be cheerful, optimistic, and loving. Then come here to let off steam again.