I wouldn't toss your SuperThrive out just yet... Personally, it's done me a world of wonders in saving some of the worst cases of dying plants (carnivorous and non) I've ever been through. I bought a rather healthy looking mongrel of a nepenthe about a year and a half ago and it was doing really well. Then it almost overnight was invaded with a dark reddish-orange blotching. Rust. Extremely common with nepenthe purchased from your average large supermarket or garden centre type stores. I'd been given conflicting answers and a lot of people didn't know how to diagnose or treat it. I'd lost two plants to it already, so I went on what I could and actually contacted the owners of several large greenhouses, a biologist and a few semi-famous (in our circles) authors on the matter. Using a combination of neem oil and powered sulfur, I managed to stop the infection in all of them. I'll get a shot of my worst victim; it's literally a stick, and I am not kidding you. Using superthrive, I was able to entice tiny green and healthy buds out of this 'stick' and I'm seeing the beginnings of recovery. Granted, I used many different natural chemicals and remedies, but I fully believe all working together caused this complete turnaround. I fully agree with what you are saying about your 'working' plants, if they're doing 100% there is not really a need to go mucking about their surroundings and possibly harming one of them. And yes, S.T. does smell like a malty, yeasty mixture. Like something you'd use to start fermenting your own beer. :)

Dig up some of the 'bulbs', starting from the outside of the plant and working in. They won't be deep, but they'll probably be tight and not easy to dig - fairly easily separated when out of the ground, however. Chop off most of the green leaf - this CAN be used but usually isn't - if you want to save it, tie it into small bundles. Each bundle can be used like a bouquet garni. Larger bundles can be used for a muscle-relaxing bath. Wash the remaining 'white bits', cut off the roots if you're feeling mean (each bulb with roots can be used to propagate from), and wash off the dirt. For transportation, pat dry, and put into plastic bags, or wrap in plastic wrap - heck, even a piece of cloth to wrap them in, or a paper bag will do to get them from A to B. I gather the recipients aren't too far away. The bulbs and green bits CAN be frozen or dried. You COULD ask the recipients how they'd prefer you to package them! And if they want the green bits.If you're still in doubt - I'm sure the group will be willing/able to send someone to do the harvesting for you - and show you how to do it. You can dictate how much you want to give away and how much to keep. As I said above, all you need is a single bulb to start a new patch of lemongrass.

If it was me:) And hence the name I have a passion for bamboo. Bambusa Multiplex, Alphonse Karr planted on 5 foot centers so you would need 20. A beautiful yellow culmed clumping bamboo that will get maybe 20 feet high but can be hedged at any height. You can also get the green culmed Multiplex as well or inter mix them. All plants need water especially during establishment so if you are lazy or forgetful as I am:) You go to Lowes and buy 100 feet of 1/2 tubing made by Mister ($11) and you buy the 180 degree sprinkler heads ($5) per 12 so you would need 2 packs. You simply pierce the pipe and screw them in...put them on a timer to water once or twice a day and fool proof. I have probably 3000 feet of that system running and I adore it, so dang easy and so fast to install. If you mulch the plants and put them on a water system that bamboo would grow fast. Here are some pictures....the first is a 2.5 year old plant. Can you see what is behind this row of plants? Nope, which shows what a fast and awesome screen they make. This past March I cut single culm (stem) with some roots from those 2 year old plants and this is what those 6 month old plants look like today. Each plant will double in size yearly, both in height and number of culms for the first few years. Eventually you can thin the bottoms out so you just see the culms and they in themselves will block your troubling view. At the left of the picture (behind the weed) you can see the orange "Mister brand" sprinkler head and the black poly pipe. Remember 6 months ago that was just a single culm (stem) 5 foot tall and if you look closely in addition to the culms in the pic that you just see their bases you will also see 4 more culms just emerging from the ground that will be 10 feet tall in just a month which will bring it to about a dozen culms total IF those new 4 are the last of the season. Next spring it will produce more, perhaps 20++. This picture shows part of the new run of Multiplex planted 6 months ago as the single culms. It is part of what will be over 1000 feet of multiplex planted on 5 foot centers and in 2 years it will be both a physical and visual barrier. Because it grows mostly up and becomes dense it does not take up much area of the yard as some hedges do. This particular run is along a fence that borders the neighbor. I am a bit biased toward the bamboo I admit:) And no, I do not sell it.

ok..i was over at the house last night rearranging and rearranging. Here's some different looks... 444 - loveseat is infront of window. couch on main wall. 446 - this is to show how far the loveseat would be from entertainment stand if you put it to the right of the entrance when you walk in. 447 - loveseat is angled 448 - shows how much space is wasted behind with loveseat being angled. just looks outta wack. 452 - this pic was standing inside the room. loveseat is on left. sofa is infront of window. e. stand would be on main wall 455 - shows a different angle with seating arrangement like 452. ruler shows how far stand would come out from wall. and that's if the stand were centered on the main wall. I'm honestly thinking that i'm going to have to put the entertainment stand on the back wall (415) when you walk in. It does fit on the broken up walls but because there will be no room on either side i think it may look funny. Plus, the wall to the right when you walk in has all the light switches so it would have to stick out a little more. gk5040 you said about float the sofa straight infront of the tv wall.... would you stick it about mid room? or back farther? i didn't try the floating arrangement last night. what about all the wasted space behind then? You're right, my furniture is DEEP. i'm glad i waited to buy end tables. the ones i wanted are again HUGE bombe style :) I'd actually consider selling the entertainment stand before switching new furniture. I had a heck of a time in the stores trying to find something and i really like it. I could always just use the middle piece of the e. stand but..... thoughts?