I only refrigerate seeds to prevent germination until the weather is SUPPOSED to cooperate, Jay. The traditional press on germination has stated they stop germinating when temps rise about 70 F, but that is NOT what I have experienced here the past three years. Supposedly, the weather here in SoCal is to cool and begin raining around Thanksgiving. Years ago I selected that as my targeted planting time because of that and my schedule. Some years I have been able to hit the target, some not, planting as late as January. I do know if I plant before late November, it's going to be HOT, DRY and WINDY, none of which are easy conditions to attempt raising seeds in. I created the seed tables with the thoughts that 8" deep soil insulates tremendously better than anything shallower and remains damper longer. The tables are 2' deep by 4' long, providing a huge soil mass for insulation and water retention. They're made of fir fencing which is inexpensive and readily available. The dimensions were also chosen because they require two cuts per standard fencing board size, so I could easily, usually free, have the store accomplish all of my cuts so I don't have to break out the saw at home. That large of a soil mass also permits them to remain in the tables until I transplant them into individual pots when readying the tables for the next batch of seeds. Sequoia transplanted throughout summer because they could put them under mist to stabilize before putting them inside a greenhouse to harden off. I can't, so they must remain growing in the tables until repotting. You may consider using something larger and deeper than flats, unless they're inside a greenhouse where they won't dry out quickly. I don't sterilize my seeds, but I do attempt to remove as much of the pulp as possible so they don't mold in the storage bags until I plant them. As long as the pulp and fibers aren't wet, they usually don't mold. Sometimes they remain in the refrigerator quite a few months. I recently harvested self set seed from one of my seedlings to sow this fall. Those are fairly clean and I've allowed them to air dry before storing them in the refrigerator because I can't successfully plant them for another five and a half to six months. I'm sure there will be seeds which are harvested when I plant. Those won't be cooled (stratified) at all and most simply won't need it. I planted seeds from another seedling this spring straight from the hips to the soil and they're germinating. If it remains cooler (lower than the eighties) in your conditions, and you can keep them properly watered, go ahead and plant them. That won't be the case here! It is guaranteed to be hot, windy and dry. Add the overly brilliant sun and newly germinated seedlings will fry quickly. My situation and conditions don't permit me to protect them from the extremes. "Baby" plants won't tolerate them any better than baby animals or people will. We've already experienced the range from mid forties to low triple digits since January and more seedlings are pushing through the surface each week. Only those which emerge during cooler, less extreme conditions make it. It's disheartening to watch them emerge and dry out, like feeding emerging faxes into a paper shredder, but I figure only the best are going to survive, so that should help in the culling process. If their root systems are sufficiently vigorous to maintain them through the hottest, most brilliant periods, they should be decent plants. I can already see which are healthy and which are definitely not. More than likely, those which are already heavily mildewing would clean up substantially if I budded them, but that would possibly supply more varieties which would make bad own root plants. I may miss some beautiful, interesting novelties, but at what price? I hope I've helped give you some useful ideas to tweak your method. Good luck! Kim

chuckling,.. Michael, lately I seem to get the bus situation on a regular basis, with no regard for actually being a car. I'm sure that here in Alberta that is where the truck limo came from. answering the REAL question: no you have not achieved fuzei. Fuzei is in actuality a specific air of 'fresh breath/breeze of mountain', that is, go to the highest mountain, where the air is the purist, crispest cleanest, most envigorating that you have ever felt, combine this with a deep ancient forest earthiness, that connects the souls of your feet in a sense of completeness,... now perhaps we are getting close to the sense of fuzei. --however, I am trying to use its concept as a working design tool. You would need to ponder what your definition of 'tranquility' is. I actually read your needed 'air of fuzei', as '+happy thoughts+balanced immediately'. comments on the rest: - your viewing platform is the key. It should be a rustic outside teahouse (chaso) that has the stream running through it, with a finished interior to the barefoot standard. It would be surrounded by woodland. -This would likely be the elevated part of the garden, with the waterfall emerging from directly outside one wall to the inside 'flow through' area. This outside area would be defined by the sense of deep woodland, large leaves, high humidity, cool, etc. that would eventually when built answer 'fuzei'. The inner patterns would be attuned to your cultural taste. I would suggest that the entering waterfall area be natural (so) with stone (perhaps with an inset basin, and within a foot or two after the basin, transition to become highly finished (shin), the (perhaps offset) kneeling stone being the transition device. After this point the stream would be of high finish, and by using several right angles or reversals (Okinawan pattern) would slow the water. - At 39% or 61% of the length of the teahouse, the right angles will again transition through gyo to so, using both manmade finished items and natural stone, which has one internal 2" waterfall of stones tuned in the mid and low range. At the edge of the teahouse, the stream would emerge off center with another slight waterfall of 3". -Koi would be able to swim into the teahouse and back out to the pond. Alternatively part (39%) of the inside floor of the teahouse could be cut inwards, under the roof, as a 'bay', docking area, with sitting boat stones doubling as walkout stones. The stream would run directly into this 'bay'. Details for the stream are numerous, not mentioned here for simplicity. -The inner workings of the teahouse: I would suggest that the shape be a large square, or if no limits exist on budget, an elongated 8 sided teahouse. This would be to accommodate the inside stream, the outside area, and provide the high level of acoustics that fulfill the separation of outside and inside. The inner roof panels, the angles should be adjustable, lowerable for control, when entertaining. The construction of course goes back to your cultural patterns (childhood = 3 generations). These roof panels or side panels that are part of the design of the walls would also direct cool air or retain heat when the sunken hearth is in use. Once you've built this much, or something more attuned to your taste, and feel a sudden need for an intaking refreshing breath of purity and air, that is invigorating to deeply inhale, physically releasing to exhale, you are getting close to a feeling of fuzei. ______ An alternative would also be to use different heights inside the teahouse. Highly controversial at first thought, yet practical & suitable if designed well, using outer perimeters as 'levels to the inside'. This would create a 'boathouse + teahouse' combination. The definitive social order of 'approach' would need to be well addressed in the design and building phase. small refinements along the way: your 'enclosure/perimeter' would be the Douglas Fir forest, the 'device' by which you bring the pattern of that forest into the garden, is shakkei. -if separation is wished from the house then use the stroll garden to do so. -any elevation except what is gained from pond excavation is not really needed, unless more of the up/down plane of motion will help you separate from the 'outside'. -that would be the time to call the trucks with soil, I would first call the backhoe. fuzei has more connection with human perception ( & scientific reality) of the sensory experience of space, its enclosure and our response to it, specifically in regard to 'how good it makes us feel'. At one level of the art of placement (fusui/fengshui), this overlaps in that 'if fuzei exists, then everything must be in its right place'. Beyond this, in my experience so far, no other relationship exists. edzard

Hi BahamaDan, I'm succesfully growing several varieties of blueberries in South Africa. I posted a long reply here that disappeared when I changed tabs :( I'll be brief now. My best performing variety is Brigitta which I believe was developed in Australia. Second best is Centurion. I use a mix of 1/3 each of perlite, acid compost and peat /coco peat in my pots. I top them with a mulch of big pine bark chips. My father-in-law bought some expensive German potting soil for azaleas, for the blueberry I gave him but his plant has been struggling for the past 2 years. I use only a half handful or so of Ammonium Sulfate per plant in the larger, half whiskey barrel sized terracotta pots. I do that in early spring and early summer. I almost killed one of the plants with a massive dose of the ammonium sulfate, so I'm very careful with it now. On a weekly basis or when I remember, I add a weak dose of either fish emulsion or an organic and water soluble fertiliser for acid loving plants. Below is my 2 year old Brigitta (one of two in the same style pot). In front of it are O'Neil and Gulf Coast recently bought for me by a friend, as they are said to taste really good and do well in warmer climates. The Brigittas were much smaller than the two in front when I first got them.

I built our paver patio (750+ sq ft) over 20 years ago. On graph paper i plotted a slope away from the house and a crown off to the sides. Marked elevation changes probably every 2 feet. Calculated the height difference from the level line at the house and drove stakes with the paver base height marked guided with use of a transit This sounds complicated but wasn’t. You can easily screed between stakes 2 feet apart. Still live here and patio has held up. Good luck.