You hear some interesting things working at a nursery. Customers say the darnest things. My favorite came from early this spring. If this were a book I would entitle it: "IS THIS MUSHROOM EDIBLE?" So I get this phone call from a customer asking me if I know about mushrooms. Just to confirm I asked the gentleman (sounded like he was older) if he meant how to get rid of the mushrooms in his lawn. He said no, he wanted to know what mushrooms were edible. He said he thought he heard that any with gills were poisonous (flawless logic...). You know when something strikes you so funny that you laugh, even though you know ya' really shouldn't? That is what happened to me- though thankfully I was able to turn it into cough that lasted awhile to add a air of authenticity ;-) My only reply was that I REALLY was no expert on mushrooms and I would advise seeing if there is a a local mushroom-hunting group or specialist and asking them before eating ANY found mushroom. The guy even asked if I knew the phone number/how to get in contact with them. Yeah...I have that in right here next to the numbers for Skagit gardens and Monrovia. LOL. "Is this edible" has popped up before too with regards to other things. Hate it when I am asked that. Because obviously you have to be 1000% sure it is, otherwise they are NOT going to be a repeat customer, if you know what I mean, lol. I once told [a thankfully good-humored customer] that pretty much everything is edible, the question is whether or not you would survive the attempt. One thing I never EVER what to hear again (but know I likely will if I work at the nursery again next year) is "what is that grass planted around town that looks like wheat?" Talking about Calamagrostis. I can't for the life of me understand why people think it looks like wheat. Drives me nuts. Also for questions on the Euphorbia polychroma/epithymoides planted in the beds. Seems I alone get three questions a day about it when it is in its prime. "But it doesn't look anything like that plant" they say, holding up a not-"blooming"-anymore-1 gal.-potted version of the Euphorbia. SIGH. Ditto the "that plant looks like a weed" and "that yard looks kinda' nice, except for the lawn". CMK

I think Newcombe's Wildflower Guide is the best plant ID book available for the northeast. It is based on a simple key system. If you take the required 1/2 hour to learn how to use the key for the first plant, after that it will go much quicker. I find that I can identify most plants on the first try very easily. You will only be able to ID weeds that are blooming this way, but basically no guide will allow you to identify seedlings or non-blooming plants. You can learn to ID seedlings, but the first one of each species has to be identified by spotting it when it is small, allowing it to grow, and then IDing it. This is true for most all plants and I think is how most of us learned. One nice thing about the book is that it also includes all of the wildflowers. No matter what method you use, it will take time to learn the weeds that are common in your yard.

What is "large"? What is "decent" height? How long are you hoping the tank will last/survive? Depending upon where you live, the plants you gather may or may not need a cool/cold dormancy. Some annuals may produce seeds that require stratification to germinate. Drainage layer is unnecessary unless planning on water feature. Instead make sure all of media is a rather light "airy" mix. Addition of perlite, bark, and/or gravel can help in this matter if using soil. Type of media you plan to use will be a factor. What are you planning on using for a light source? Window lighting will not be sufficient in all likelihood and if the sun is allowed to shine on the tank, high odds of overheating and killing everything in the tank. With what will you be watering? Most tap water is high in ds (dissolved solids) and -- especially if "city water" -- will often contain fluorides and chlorides. Regular filters like a Brita will not remove most of the solids nor all of the fluorides (can't remember if it will remove the chlorides). As such, using tap water is generally inadvisable as it will eventually kill the flora in the tank. Rain water, distilled water, or RO water should be used if you want the tank to live a longer time. Sealed tanks tend to have major fungi or bacterial issues. And unsealed tank (can be mostly closed off just not totally) and/or with one or more pc fans installed inside is recommended.

Wow, I would be happy with either. I recently moved into this property. The "garden" was a sand box in reality. A friend brought a truck load of mushroom soil & compost so it has been an adventure to say the least. A 9' dill plant has sprouted up out of nowhere. It's exciting to see what results have come. I am a horrible gardener! So anything that is thriving under my watch is certainly an accomplishment!