Definately HERITAGE and PRETTY JESSICA. They get blasted for poor disease resistance, which hasn't been my experience. I can think of other English Roses, which get heaped with praise, that are a lot more susceptible to black spot. Both are also dependable bloomers here in the Mid-Atlantic. My biggest problem with the English Roses is the sketchy repeat, but I can always count on Heritage and Pretty Jessica to be generous bloomers. Then there is all the griping about shatter-syndrome with Heritage. Well last year, as an experiment, I cut a spray of blooms from my Heritage while the flowers were still in tight bud. Every other day I recut the stems and changed the vase water. In the end I got 5 whole days of beauty before tossing the spray. The petals were still attached. The only reason I tossed it was because the blooms had started to decompose and rot. Heritage & Pretty Jessica are GREAT roses. Another English Rose that gets dumped on by a certain California rosarian is THE PILGRIM. I have two specimens being grown espalier-like in partial shade and each is a gorgous performer. I can't stress enough the difference that own root makes with the Jolly Green Giants. It is simply the only way to go with the more vigorous Austins. Patrick

pushindirt: If you are referring to the bubble, if you buy it in 2 ft. widths, it should fit between the aluminum polybars on most standard aluminum & polycarb GH's. If you cut a piece the size of the polycarb panel on all or just one of your roof vents, it should allow the vent(s) to operate. If not, the heat shrink film would certainly not overweigh them. You could also cut out only the bottom and sides of a pool cover where it covers the vents, as many people do with sunshades. Double faced tape or velcro might work to hold the cover onto the vent sash, to prevent it from blowing back, leaving the vent uncovered when you don't want it to be. Solar pool covers are far heavier than any bubble wrap and also have bubbles, but much smaller. However, in larger sizes, they can be quite heavy and as another poster noted, getting a large one up can be a real challenge. Our's was so heavy, we cut it into two sections and overlapped them on the top of the GH. The wind took one off shortly after we put them on last month, which fortunately taught us a lesson before it became too cold to work outdoors. I bought some nylon webbing and tied it to some bungee cords that are connected at the base on either side of the GH. It goes over the top and holds the overlapped covers down securely, yet gives just enough as to not put undue pressure on the polycarb. We also used a strong braided nylon rope to wrap around the GH from one side of the door and around, to the other. It's holding the cover tightly against the kneewall and has proved a far better solution than laying bricks and timbers along the bottom as we did last year. We learn as we go.

Until two years ago sending small seeds such as tomato seeds was not a problem, and I've been sending seeds to many places including Canada, Mexico and many places over seas for many many years with no problem. As an aside, I have always used a bubble mailer when sending more than about 12 packs of seeds to one place. What's happened is that USPS has been installing new sorting rollers and seeds sent that weren't adequately cushioned were getting crushed, depending on which specific large USPS centers they went through. Last Spring I did an experiment with the variety Orange Minsk by sending seeds to two folks, one in VA and one in W NYS. Each person was sent two envelopes, one had the seeds in the normal coin envelopes I use, attached to folded over paper which I also use, but no padding, and the other envelope, the control, was sent with seeds and padded just with a folded over paper napkin. Germination tests were done and the results were conclusive. Tomato seeds not sent with padding CAN BE crushed. Again, it depends on the exact route that your seeds go in terms of being sent through that new roller system. Last Fall I bought a large roll of bubble wrap as well as those thin sheets of foam, but I've found that those are not necessary if one just uses a folded over paper napkin to cushion the seeds. I can't tell you how much individual bubble mailers cost b'c I buy them via phone by the case from Staples, and all is delivered right to my front door. And while I could look up the case cost for the different sizes, and then calculate the per mailer cost, I don't wanna. LOL Earlier this year I did my annual free seed offer, had 80 participants and packed up and sent out close to 400 coin envelopes with seed, all padded with just those folded over paper napkins; the bubble wrap and foam remain unused. To date no one has reported any crushed seeds. If I send padded seeds in a large standard envelope I have to add 20 cents extra if the contents are more than 1/4 inch high. The same goes for too thick bubble mailers. I send seeds for trial every year to several commercial places where I know the owners and trust them and how they run their companies and I always use bubble mailers for that purpose. What I end up doing, bubble mailer, and I have several different sizes or standard small or large envelopes, depends on the number of packs sent as well as the number of seeds sent/pack. Since I've been constrained by this walker I now have to use following a fall in Dec of 2004 I don't drive out in the winter or bad warm weather either, but since I have a Federal hadicapped permit my mail is delivered to my home. And when I'm baffled as to how much postage to use my mailperson will take my money, take it back to the PO after the run and mail it for me. This year I've been using an obscene amount of postage, especially to those countries overseas, b'c I hate to ask her to always mail the larger stuff for me. And yes, I know Tania very very well and have known her since she first started putting up her T-base data. She is absolutely meticulous in everything she does and is trustworthy as can be. From Tania's website: Seed packets Seeds are packed in transparent plastic ziplock bags (2X3" and 3X4"), and a label with detailed variety description is included, often with a colored photograph. Packaging and shipping options standard envelope with custom padding to protect the seeds less than 8 tomato seed packets: $2.00 for US and Canadian customers, $3 for international customers 8 or more packets: free for US and Canadian customers, $4 for international. bubble mailer: $4 (US), $3 (Canada), $7 (international) We recycle packaging materials, as we take any opportunity to protect our environment. So as long as Tania clearly states that she custom pads seeds sent in regular envelopes I can't see the need to ask for a bubble mailer. And that cost involves the cost of the bubble mailer plus the normal shipping charge to wherever those seeds are going. Just my opinion. Carolyn, who was a bit amused with her recent seed offer b'c she clearly said that all seeds would be sent back in the SASE provided and seeds padded, since several folks sent their own padding stuff with the SESE, which I used. Summary; there are quite a few folks out there who are very concerned about crushed seeds. I ask for feedback info on germination, for several reasons, and have a thread set up for that, and that's so that folks can compare germination rates for specific varieties. And I do that b'c I know from experience that if I send out fresh 2009 seed that the germination rate can range from 0%, yes, I said 0%, to 100 %. And that has nada to do with padding, it has to do with how well folks do at germinating seeds and that includes the mix used, temps, moisture,whether or not those stupid domes are used and on and on with many variables. ( smile)

I remember living in a house like that growing up. We cleaned and cleaned the bedroom and then found that the smell was comming from the headboard of the bed that was in contact with the exterior wall. Got rid of the headboard and kept all furniture 3" away from the walls. Now I know why it happens. insulating to the interior as described above or the foam injected into the blocks would be the only ways I would know to solve it. for climates where the vapor barrier is to the inside it would work, for climates where the vapor barrier is to the exterior..frame and insulate interior of walls. best of luck to you!