Hmmmm.... maybe my flies have more attractive stuff than UCG .... becaue the buckets full of SB UCG don't seem to attract any. The gist of these messages was to keep trying to find a way that works for each store manager. /////////////////// snips from another thread on subject of SB: ]] I no longer get in the customer line, in case that annoys. I go over by the end of the counter where the opening is. The busy cashier may not want to be bothered with me, but another less busy person usually will ask if they can help me. ]] The woman running the place told me they do the grounds thing for gardening in spring because otherwise they aren't picked up. Even here in Louisiana. I told her I compost year round and I would be happy to pick them up. She did not mind saving them for someone but her main concern about saving them was they could not be left in the store overnight. I told her I probably could pick them up a few times a week and asked if I just stopped by if I could get what they had and she said sure. I was thrilled. ]] Our local starbucks puts UCG in heavy-duty trashbags (maybe 25lbs each), tie a knot in the top and places these in a neat wooden container on the back porch. They are available year round. I usually get 3-4 each trip and I don't even go inside! I have probably composted 10 bags of their grounds for every 1 cup I have purchased...:)[this post from mendopete .. so suspect the mendocino area] ]] Last week I finally went by my local Starbucks to ask about getting used grounds. The staff were really enthusiastic and said it was no problem at all, tell every gardener that I know about them. I took in two clean five gallon pails and they have filled them both every day for me for the last week! Today the manager stopped me and gave me some mumbo jumbo about not being able to have my clean, bag-lined white pails on his floor. Something about Starbucks policy or local health bylaws. He was unsure of why he was telling me that I could not leave buckets. I gave him my best "whatever is best for you, I just really appreciate your help :-)," and he agreed to keep supplying me, but I was left feeling somewhat uncomfortable. I had heard from some of the counter staff that the new manager was not big on saving grounds for gardeners, so I was not totally surprised. ]] As a former Starbucks employee, and a current AssMan at another chain coffee place, I can tell you that there *is* a bit of concern regarding buckets of grinds left sitting around. This isn't a problem, if people come to pick up the buckets.. but can result in a bit of a hassle for the store if they get forgotten for days on end. A couple of reasons. Space is one. The SB where I worked had virtually NO back room. A hallway with the manager's desk, shelving up to the ceiling, and the sink. There was no room for more than two people back there, let alone extra stuff. And yes.. that evil dreaded health board. Depending on who you have checking out the premises, there's no reasoning with these people if they see 'garbage' stored under your counters etc. Surprise inspections are a stressful thing, even for a place that knows they're up to code. Having something around that could get a frown from the inspector does get a managers heart racing. Having a 'fresh' bucket of grinds is usually managable. When you're not scared to open it and show the inspector. No mold, no smell. Just 'Grinds for Gardener Steve'. He'll be by at 4 to get em'. Not so bad. But if they've been sitting there a few days because Steve forgot *again* to pick them up.. that poses a bit of a problem. SB has gotten around this, by launching their Grounds for Gardeners' program. The grounds are labelled and actually displayed. This helps a great deal. And people who take a garbage bag, there's no complaint there. Though Im sad to see that most SB in my area now are combining ground garbage with other garbage. When I asked the other day, I was told they didn't do that until the spring. I suggested I just take their ground garbage off their hands, and they told me it was all combined. Boo. They said they only separate them in the warm months around here. It's disappointing. But it's good to hear that they're not all doing it. I wonder: In the cities that have composting programs. Toronto etc.. does SB and other coffee places have a'grounds bin' that goes? Or are those composting programs not for businesses? ]]FWIW, the SB near my home collects them on request. I call in the morning on a weekend, and by mid afternoon they've got a nice large trashbag full. They said they used to bag them without request, but not enough people took them, so they gave up. ]] After reading about their corporate commitment to give grounds away, I called my local Starbucks ahead of time, spoke with the manager and introduced myself. I work across the street two days a week and we agreed that I would bring in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day. I went to a local paint shop that supplies contractors (Sherwin-Williams) and they happily sold me 3 super solid plain grey 5 gallon buckets with very tight fitting lids for $3.50 CAD each (this could be a problem if closed by accident by SB people as they have to be pried open with a screwdriver... so far, I have just kept the lids in my car and no-one at SB has asked for one). I drop off the bucket in the morning and pick it up on my way home after work. People are friendly, even excited about seeing the grounds go to good use and usually offer to help me carry it out, which I decline. I want this to be easy as pie and a full bucket weighs about 30 lbs I think, so quite manageable for me to carry. ]] Some Starbucks supervisory folks and local "health" officials looking for minute "problems" have raised "issues" (I am a physician once worked for a county health department so I know how the system "works.") We've managed to overcome all objections. Support from local employees has ranged from one manager who had the employees come to her home to enjoy a meal based on the vegetables we'd been providing to an "eye-roller" greeting us with little enthusiasm. Just hang in there and remain unfailingly pleasant. ]] have been having poor results getting UCGs lately, but I walked in to Starbucks today, too embarrassed to ask for anymore, and the manager acually asked ME if I wanted any. She said she had "about 8 million tons of them" saved. I really almost teared up. :) It didn't turn out to be quite that much, but a good sized bag, and a nice barista even offered to carry them out for me! Yay! Here is a link that might be useful: Thank You SB thread

A site in the Bay area where you can build a house...What a lucky person! I would think that you would want to put the most beautiful and well designed and built structure on your property as possible. Given this rare opportunity, I would suggest that you find an architect - one who designs 'green' and is sensitive to the land. In the end, for many reasons, an architect can save you at least the fee that she or he charges, help you develop and express your own unique vision of home, and create a structure that will be a testament to conscientious building rather than another blight on the land. As an alternative, you may find architecturally designed homes on these websites: healthyhomeplans.com or architecturalhouseplans.com These plans have been designed and built for actual clients, and are offered as an alternative to standard stock plans. If you find a plan, you could take it to an architect or engineer to detail for your particular codes and conditions. I think there are a number of plans that were designed for sloped properties. An architect or engineer could easily modify the plans to work with your conditions. Good luck with your project!

They grow. I had one for years.in a time when I hadn't really got organized,so it stayed in a pot too long,then I planted it where it was overtaken by a Bougainvillea. The cold of 2007 and cold rains finished it off. But I know it still had a few flowers,and if I tried again...full sun,more SUMMER water, and protect from freezing. It did seem a bit rangy..but not so fast you cant tip prune or tie up. Sunnyvale should be fine for it. Much better then the fog belt bay area. btw,I had Belle of New Orleans.

papaya need a LOT of sun and heat to grow and fruit. often without it, they will just not grow. there are several varieties... some are dwarf. i have one that hasnt gotten over 3ft tall and has 2 fruit on it. i am just hoping we dont get a hard freeze this year... this one is only 3ft tall, hard to see the fruit, but it has 2. ----------------------------- this one is next to my house (south side) gets a lot of sun, and the warmth of the house protected it last winter (it hit 26F)... the top died off, but it came back and produced leaves and fruit... it took a few months, the first ripe fruit i had was in September i tried seeds for Mountain papaya 3 times... i think they were old every time. i could use some fresh seed if anyone has some. ----------------- FYI... Vasconcellea pubescens is one of the parents of the 'Babaco' papaya, a hybridcultivar widely grown for fruit production in South America Mountain_papaya / Vasconcellea pubescens https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mountain_papaya