The pictures are so lovely! Speedy recovery Joyce. You are incredible. So this site is not only about lotus, also about survival-? The lotus seems so full of life maybe there is a connection-?:)) I am looking for advice and tips too - being a novice lotus grower or wannabe. The lotus out on my balcony, which are all in containers, are struggling but haven't given up yet. I planted them in regular potting soil, so perhaps not enough nutrients, and they are getting half a days worth of sun? Should I replant them in early spring with compost? I have six from seeds, but I haven't seen an aerial yet... still they are trying but the leaf browns out of water... one grown from root has a few floating ones... which is probably Momo Botan, the seedlings I don't know. So they are not dormant yet, with Mediterranean climate. I really don't need seven lotuses, but who knows if they make it! Other question... the seedlings are in jugs, like big juice jugs, should they go into bigger pots packed with compost even now they are struggling? Thanks... Tarja

I am in awe of the progress and the difference, kdw72697 !!! And your Little Helpers are just toooo precious! Let us know as soon as you decide what you are going to do with the track lighting, and any other changes, of course! :) THIS is my kind of Topic....anything to do with the words "Super-Cheap", and I'm there. Fantastic Suggestions throughout this topic and I'm so grateful you all posted them! Everyone who posted pics....THANK YOU! I am always on the look-out for new ideas, inspiration, anything "budget-minded" to freshen up my own home. The colors you've used, the kitchen set-up...all ideas that motivate and inspire me! Igloochic, Your home....always an inspiration at every turn...especially since I use paint and paint techniques to create something a little nicer than the norm (the 'norm' that I can't even afford!) ....I've used your home pics more than once to get me motivated. Here's my latest budget project...maybe someone else can benefit from it in their own budget-minded kitchen. Real Travertine Tile Trim was NOT in the budget but the discounted/discontinued tiles we purchased looked so nekkid without something on top (the discontinued tiles didn't have bull-nose or anything close to matching). A length of cheapy wood chair rail molding, some left-over stucco in the bag from an earlier window re-do and my paints and some good sealer..... (I DID resize these pics to make them smaller...I hope it worked!)

Oh yeah. If it isn't blooming they won't buy it. Could be a 6-pack so root bound and heavy with flowers that it keeps falling over, but it will sell. It's also when they will find the plant for sale. Come in September looking for forsythia? Good luck, they were available in April. All 6 of them. Over 30 years ago when I first started the nurseries tried a campaign to encourage people to plant in the fall. "Fall Is For Planting!" posters were put up everywhere. It's the best time to plant in CA except for tropicals. The weather is starting to cool down but it's still warm. You usually only have to water until the rain starts. The plants have a long cool wet winter (well, most winters, lol) for the roots to grow well and get established before the heat of summer. Well, it was a total failure. Most people, being from somewhere else, just couldn't wrap their head around the idea of fall planting. Plus most of the plants were NOT in bloom. Even with pretty pictures of the flowers on the tags, just couldn't imagine the flowers. They'd rather buy them in May when they're blooming so pretty, stick them in the ground, forget to water them in June, cause it was just raining wasn't it? Then wonder why they were dead in 95*+ July. Heh heh, I'm not cynical after all these years, am I?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/area53/albums/72157594206929596 I get from 8 to 20 blooms in the container in my pics. The lotus I grow are also considered the giants. Not small ones. I grow 10,000 Petals, Russian Red, Giant Sunburst, First lady, & Green Maiden. You can see in the link what pots I use. I buy them online on Homedepot (You have to watch). The last two Menards had cheap sale on in Spring of 2015. I over winter them in the garage. Take them out in Middle of October, put the tubers in the types of Pots you have there, fill 75% with Dirt, place a couple layers of newspaper over soil, then tubers, then another layer of Newspaper. Put soil over the paper/tubers and leave about 3 inches from top to then fill with water. http://www.maccourt.com/products/ponds/pp3814.html