Animal control is doing it's absolute best. The staff there and the administrators who run the organizations are at least as well educated re the overall situation of cat over-population as any of us. They resort to euthanasia because they understand it is the most humane option for unwanted animals. If you have an unwanted cat, take it to your local animal control center and let them deal with it in the most educated and humane way possible. People make it seem like "kill" shelters are the evil option. They aren't sitting waiting, drooling, over their next batch of stray cats they get to kill. They have exhausted all other options, and known that euthanasia, while unpleasant, is better than the other alternatives. If you are going to bother putting a stray cat in your car and transporting it somewhere, please take it to the nearest shelter--kill or no-kill. And offer a donation while you are there.

The difference in success from year to year involves so many variables. I've been WS for 6 years now, and even with that amount of experience, the differences from year to year, do vary every year. My success rate has always been at least 95%; success defined by me as germination of any kind in a container, not the number of seedlings germinated in each container, I do try to keep records as to where the seeds came from. Such things as trades, commercial seeds and what co. they came from, my own collected seeds. From year to year, not all seed will germinate the same, even for me. I always put out the perennials first. Being in New England, I do have a few months to get them out and get the cold that they need, BUT, 2 years ago we had the strangest winter. 60 to near 70 degrees in January and I know people that had WS their seeds in Dec. and had seeds germinating in January because it was so warm. Those plants didn't survive. I had a late start that winter and ended up not getting my seeds out till mid February and they germinated fine for me, I didn't have any germination too early. So for me, I learned that I can start in mid Feb and it won't be too late for me. BUT, I've also had some serious cold snaps as late as mid May and if I had not covered my tender annuals several nights in a row, I would have lost all of them. So variables are major things to deal with. Weather is a real problem. One year I had 8 inches of rain over 2 days and all my containers where floating in the backyard and the ducks where swimming right beside and around them. Most survived, but there where some that survived the floods, only to be eaten by the invasion of slugs that I had never had before in 29 years living in my home. When we sow seeds that we traded for, we take a risk. Where the seeds collected when they where ripe or where they too early? If too early then the seeds will not be viable and will not germinate for you. The same thing can happen with commercial bought seeds as well. I've had my share of "no shows" in containers from commercial purchased seeds from big name seed companies. I've gotten my money back, but still had no plants from the seeds I planned on. Watering can be a problem, which goes with the weather. this year has been the craziest weather I have seen in 28 years living in my home. We've gone from freezing temps to 80's and 90's, with temps not staying stable for more than 2-3 days at most. 80's and 90's in early April are not normal where I am, but we've had them. We've had frosts long after it should not be happening and may happen again tonight. I've never had to water my containers before the last week in April to the first week in May at the earliest. This year I have had to water every other day since the first week in April. Germination for me has been very eradic as well. Same seeds, same kind of containers, sowed the same day from the same collected, traded or commercial packet and containers are germinating days and weeks apart. My datura are usually about 4 inches tall now, and most have not germinated yet. They need steady 70 degree soil temp to germinate but they haven't gotten it. And, we have not had a lot of rain. lots of days with rainy showers that moisten the top of the containers but not enough to soak into them. Over 6 years of WS, I've learned to just go with the flow. Always expect good germination in terms of container numbers, sow more seeds than I will need in more containers, which usually will cover the beds planted. Assume that some will not germinate and that's just the way mother nature is. Remember that no matter how you look at it, you will have more plants than you would have if you had to buy them and just WS next year and keep going. The only way you will have a sure fire way to have every plant that you want, no matter what, is to buy them. That's far too expensive for me to deal with, considering the number of beds that i have to fill and keep filling. WS does it for me and I wouldn't do it any other way. Fran

Oh my goodness am I on a roll here or what? First of all Ria by all means send me the smaller ones so you don't have to pay alot of postage. Besides they will probably ship and tranplant better if they are smaller. Maybe I can get more smaller ones if you find some place on the side of the road to dig them up. LOL Karen-gardenpaw, I would dearly love some of your ferns too. As far as I'm concerned I can use as many ferns as I can get my hands on. So by all means I would be very pleased if you would share some of your ferns with me too. Linda, I can't wait to get the bird of paradise plant from you! YIPPPEE Karyn1- I've never been into one of those markets but I guess there is a first time for everything. LOL What the heck is malanga roots??? did you by any chance have the opportunity to check and see if you had any bromeliad pups of ANY KIND? I'm so excited about the project that I'm working on and I can't wait to get everything and share the photos with everyone a little later in the year. I tried to download my camera to my computer and I'm still having problems doing so. ( I'm so computer stupid/dumb it's unreal). I wanted to share some of my blooms in the iris beds with ya'll. I know alot of you would be blown away. Unfortunately for me, it may take me a week before I figure it out. Either that or I'll have to go to Wal-Mart have it put on a disc and then send them in emails. That's about the only way I know how to do any of that. LOL Kylie-I can't wait till you can go to the post office and pop that puppy in the mail to me. I've been drooling every since all of you have said you would be more than willing to share with me. Thank each of you from the bottom of my HEART! Love Ya, Marian

Desertsteph- Yes, by "water" I mean the plumbing. We have a slab foundation, so that would require jacking up the floor, etc. Along with the money, I would save time by taking out that process. There actually isn't a window by the cabinetry, just over by the breakfast nook. And no, the order had not gone in so I'm fine. I was waiting for you, Buehl. I feel you might be holding your tongue. How do you like that protected cook area? The only cons I've come up with- Right now the DW is on the left. Not sure how I feel about it since I am right handed. Flooring. While I love the look of wood floors, I'm terrified of putting them in the kitchen (we are messy). However, that is what I want in the FR. Would it look like crap to do tile on the kitchen side of the beam and wood on the other? I have never had an island. Except for my apartment days, I have had alot of floor space in my kitchens. Not sure about the 4' aisles. Can it function with more than 1 cook? I thought about creating a separate thread about this. Should the trash go beside the sink, or on the island (prep area)?