I wanted to share with you guys that we had a wonderful times at the WCDS (White County Daylily Society) today. My friends told me that they were intersted about daylily at the meeting today. The people are so freindly. One lady knows little signs. I was so happy to know people can try to communicate with me. I got some daylilies home today. It is Pink Embers and Hazw Souffle (hard to read words on tag)... I join WCDS as a member today. Kat

You should make all your final decisions on cabinets, granite, etc. BEFORE making a final decision on a backsplash. BA can be tricking because there are alot of variations. Pick your slab then your backsplash. There are alot of photos here on GW of BA aka white diamond with backsplashes. I just posted a peak of my back splash in the "backsplash" thread.

Bea...the amount of STPP will vary depending on water chem. Person to person..I use 1 part STPP to 2 parts detergent. ..at first get your load started once its filled with clothes and water decide how much detergent your using if your using say 4 T OF detergent than use 2 T STPP first, dont add detergent yet let it agitate a minute than feel the water it should feel slippery, if not add some more..after you do this than add the detergent. .this way Bea you will know the correct amount to use. DONT be nervous using it...it won't hurt anything. Its best doing it this way the first time so you will actually know how much you need per load..there's no use in using it if you don't add enough to condition the water. I should say after the waters slippery..or soft feeling..add the detergent, but add half the amount you planned to use and watch for suds, you can always add more if its not sudsing up..this will be trial and error for the first few losds. ...as far as soaking in STPP ..I do..but if you use enough STPP you will find a 30 minute soap is enough for even the dirtiest load.

The benefits of joining a local garden club are numerous, especially because you can exchange ideas (and plants, seeds, etc.) with other gardeners living in your own area. They know best which plants are ideal for adding to your garden, based on their experiences gardening in the local environment. The more members the club has, the more useful it is for everyone. Over 1,300 gardening families around Naples and Fort Myers have already become members of our own group, called Gardeners of Southwest Florida.Everything in our club is free: instant membership, gardening classes, light foods, soft drinks, etc. As the group's leaders, my wife Suzanne and I pay all the expenses, to encourage Floridians to become better gardeners. Two-hour classes are held in the gardens of different group members each time, usually on weekends, two or three times a month. The class hosts show how they care for their favorite plants, and demonstrate their gardening techniques.Over shared snacks and drinks, from 10 to 83 members and guests have attended the 123 past gardening classes so far. Everyone is taught, often by horticultural experts, about the best plants to grow in this semi-tropical environment. Topics include raising flowers, vegetables, fruits, cactus, succulents, bromeliads, orchids, bonsai, native plants, tropical plants, flowering shrubs and trees. Other classes teach subjects like organic gardening, water gardening, vertical gardening, butterfly gardening, wildlife gardening, landscaping, composting, fertilizing, pruning, indoor plants, invasive plants, pest management, and permaculture.As shown in these photographs, occasionally classes take place in our own garden in Naples (Zone 10b). It includes a wide range of bromeliads, flowering shrubs, productive fruit trees, a small pineapple plantation, a raised desert garden, and large fish ponds with water lilies, papyrus and other aquatic plants, plus hundreds of goldfish and other species. Everyone is welcome to join the group for free, and to attend the classes to meet other local gardeners. A few attended a recent class in the screened enclosure of our own garden are shown below. Hundreds of photos and full details of past and upcoming classes are on the group’s extensive and informative website at www.meetup.com/FloridaGardeners.At right: Peter Kacalanos and Suzanne Cherney, group leaders, Gardeners of Southwest Florida