I remember finding a recipe on rose forum...Lets me see if I can find it now.. Here is one post I kept: Angela, I do what Pete does, just put a cup or so of alfalfa pellets under the mulch and close in to the base of the plant, and then soak with a little water. But, to get to your question, a good recipe to start off with is probably the original recipe for alfalfa tea, as described by Howard Walters, the Rosarian Rambler, in an ARS article: "Alfalfa tea is a great spring or fall potion that doesn't interfere with normal seasonal processes. Alfalfa tea releases a growth hormone that makes everything work better. Just add 10 to 12 cups of alfalfa meal or pellets to a 32-gallon plastic garbage can (with a lid), add water, stir and steep for four or five days, stirring occasionally. You may also "fortify" with 2 cups of Epsom salts, 1/2 cup of Sequestrene® (chelated iron, now called Sprint 330) or your favorite trace element elixir. The tea will start to smell in about three days. Keep the lid ON. Use about a gallon of mix on large rose bushes, 1/3 that much on mini's. And keep the water going. When you get to the bottom of the barrel, add water to fill it up again! One load of meal or pellets will brew up two barrels full, but add more fortifiers for the second barrel. You'll see greener growth and stronger stems within a week." I stir the "witch brew" almost every day...Keep it or 3-7 days, and then water everything with it- other plants besides roses will appreciate the "potion". Gardeners from upnorth recommend using it a few times a year, but I use it here a lot more often. I like to put a trashcan out in the rain, so it gets filled up. Then, add the pellets and wait for it to brew. Hope it helps :) Olya

Hasenfeffer (Sour Rabbit Stew) SUBMITTED BY: NXNER "Original German rabbit stew recipe passed down from my great-grandmother who immigrated to US in 1889. This is a lot of work to make but well worth it. It is an acquired taste dish; once hooked, you can't get enough. Serve with fresh mashed potatoes and celery sticks. Use the stock as gravy for mashed potatoes. Always tastes better as leftovers. Hope you enjoy!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PREP TIME 1 Hr COOK TIME 1 Hr 15 Min READY IN 10 Hrs 15 Min INGREDIENTS 2 3/4 cups red wine vinegar 3 cups water 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar 8 whole cloves 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 5 stalks celery, chopped 1 lemon, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon pickling spice 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 (2 1/2 pound) rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces 3 tablespoons vegetable oil DIRECTIONS In a large pot, combine the water, white sugar, whole cloves, onion, celery, lemon, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, pickling spice and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn off and allow to cool. Place the rabbit pieces into the mixture to marinate. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread flour out onto a parchment or aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour is a light brown color. Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry. Strain the marinade, and discard the solids. Reserve the liquid for later. Heat the oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat the chicken with the toasted flour. Place into the hot oil, and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan, and set aside. If there is oil left in the pan, sprinkle enough of the toasted flour over it to absorb the liquid. In a jar with a lid, mix 1/2 cup of the marinade with 1/4 cup of the remaining toasted flour. Close the lid, and shake vigorously until well blended with no lumps. Heat the pan with the rabbit drippings over low heat. Gradually stir in the marinade mixture, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat is falling off of the bones. You may remove the bones prior to serving if desired.

Janice, whenever I can, I plant mine directly into the ground. Only time I pot first is if I am extremely indecisive about where I want to place them, or if I have to create some space in a bed first (or make a new bed!)... Personally, I must admit that I do have a few sitting around in pots right now (a couple recent acquistions and a couple leftover from last year), but I am going to plant them asap. I learned my lesson from recent experience on planting them late in the season/early fall... most of mine that I planted late last year did not come back for me this year :-( My personal opinion is that the more time they have to get well-rooted in the ground, the greater chance I have that they will come back next year. Just my humble opinion, Buff

Brett, Please keep us posted on how they do as we move into Spring. The late winter can be a trying time for plumerias stored this way. Around Feb or March they may want to start growing, but if temps and light are not favorable, they can get some tip rot. Does your garage heat up during the day? ...or does it remain in the 40s 24-7? I found that if my garage stayed in the 40s for a long time - with no daytime warm-up, the plants didn't like it much. So keep us posted. I'm always trying to learn new things about the best way to 'store' these plants.