I have Cahaba Lily and Giant White Spider Lily if you're interested in them to trade for some of your unusual stuff like the one pictured with the purple looking flowers, crocosmia bulbs or rooted brug cuttings. Obviously plants that do well in the desert, indoors or out. Info on Cahaba can be found here: http://nativeplantsfromala.blogspot.com/2010/03/most-beloved-lily-in-alabama-cahaba.html\ They do grow in moving streams and rivers and I've also seen them in a very large pond in a greenhouse in San Francisco but I and others grown them here in the desert in the ground with average water. They usually bloom here in the late summer even in high temps well over 100 deg. The plants are very impressive even when not blooming. These are pretty large bulbs. The giant spider lily grows up to 5 or 6 ft. tall and produces 12 in. wide bloom clusters of 35 to 40 white 5in spider shaped blossoms which are very fragrant. I have rooted pups of these about 6 in. tall. These do best with afternoon shade if grown in high temp areas. Let me know here if you're interested and we'll communicate through e-mail.Thanks!

dg, You might enjoy the alliums forum. Also take a look at Johnnys seeds web site and take a look at the different varieties of seeds and bunches of onions. These are just a few of many that are available. For growing large onions the most important factor is finding a variety that grows well in your area. San Frans climate is very unique and it might be fun finding out what works for you. Are there any large onions grown commercially in your area? This would be the variety that you want. In my area of Ohio, it's the Candy variety, down in Georgia it's the Vidalia, in Washington State it's the Wala Wala. Have fun. luke

Central/north florida grows better brassicas than the rest of the east coast, excepting the very far north where winters are cold enough that cabbage moth does not exist; conversely cabbage moth cannot survive the very long hot summer of florida. I just cut a wonderful dense head of red cabbage yesterday, not a mark, a spot, a bite on it. Clean as a whistle without any control efforts whatsoever. At home I can't grow a head of cabbage, hardly. The major change you will experience, and it is very major, is getting used to having essentially no octane in the soil. In addition to severely low nutrients florida sand - unamended - does not hold moisture. The solution to both of course is to add a lot of OM. As well it advisable to add some broad spectrum minerals, whether in synthetic form, organic or rock powder of some kind. Most patches of well-drained sand will benefit from lime initially for common garden crops. A lot of gardeners in florida use containers with bought soils to avoid nematodes, and that more or less works, but it's expensive and considerably limits plant growth, plus fertility wears out quickly and ph goes up from the high irrigation requirement. We've had very good results in the last few years growing in the ground after considerable amendment, and using rainwater for irrigation to avoid driving up the ph (florida groundwater is alkaline) as well as avoiding the plant-unfriendly compounds in municipal water or even in lake water. We recently switched a garden from lake water to all rainwater and the improvement over six weeks has been marked.

I think the jury is still out on these "anti-fungal" diets. I think diets high in refined carbohydrates can have all kinds of health side effects, (weight gain, high cholesterol, and as mentioned, diabetes or pre-diabetes, allergies, etc.) and one would be wise to limit them, if not cut them out all together. However, I don't recommend going without grains all together, since I personally need the fiber. Lack of fiber, IMHO, is another thing that causes health problems in people who eat high sugar/refined carb diets. I personally don't believe it is just "yeast" that is the culprit. There are approximately 6 billion little bacteria that live on you and in you. You are an ecosystem, and you can get out of whack. Good stewardship of one's body can help. No cure all, but neither are all the creams and pills, which often do not cure at all either. I followed a no-gluten diet for months to curb menstrual cramps, and it had no effect. Exercise on the other hand, goes a long way for me in helping that problem. However, following a diet high in fiber and with a good balance of carbs and protein helps with a whole lot of systemic health problems. Good fuel keeps the body running well, and that in turn helps the immune system fight off yeast infections. Also may help good bacteria establish themselves in your gut and also on your skin. That's a whole other aspect to the story. Modern vinegar is a far cry from the original fermented product. We're using all kinds of weird bacteria and doing all kinds of things that cause bacteria to mutate, not just "yeast." People are getting mutated e-coli establishing itself in their guts too. I have persistent urinary tract infections that are hard as heck to control too, and I've tried all the suggestions of conventional and alternative medicines, and spent THOUSANDS on tests that showed NOTHING. Here's is a recipe Web site that I like. I am no purist when it comes to anti-yeast dieting, but I think the recipes here are very good and very healthy. Oh, and then there's the issue of all the pesticides and hormonal mimics, and food grown on unnatural fertilizers, etc. It is no wonder that many of us are feeling unwell. We're stressing the earth's immune system and then wondering why our own immune systems are having a tough time. Trying to find good wholesome food, fresh air and pure water and time to de-stress and exercise are quite the luxuries nowdays. I have to balance the cost of healthy food vs the benefits, which is hard to do. I also recommend coconut oil, it is a great food. Not a panacea, but worth including in one's diet. Don't know about yeast issues, but oatmeal is a godsend for helping me with my IBS. But not the instant stuff, that's very refined, the old style rolled oats or oat groats. Modern yogurt, dairy and cheese is a far cry from the old style stuff with natural bacteria in it. One of the worst substances for health is this ultra pasteurized milk that is on the market too. They even sell "organic" versions but ultra-pasteurizing things is not a good idea as a substitute for good hygiene in the processing of food. Here is a link that might be useful: Candida diet recipes