Cait, any place that sells paint should have the "primary colors" as they are called. And a coat of gloss poly spray would make them really pop like these. Or enamel paint tho I always use acrylics. Easy, I think all the curves would be fairly easy to cut out. Looks like the sides are just scored to give that appearance, tho you could paint that effect on easily enough. Winfield sells the patterns for these birdhouses, but to be honest, I'd just blow up and print out one and make my own pattern. Sometimes if I want something a lot larger, then I crop a photo into several sections and print out each one. Then tape together a big pattern. These wacky bird houses are very cute, tho I think a little too colorful for me, LOL. But I still like the design idea and may try it on one. I like this birdbath so much that I am thinking about buying the pots and just painting them. We've got some very pretty painted terra cotta pots in our albums that I'm going to see if one of them is what I'd like to try doing. My tipsy pots are hunter green with sponged white rims and I like how they turned out too. hugs, Karen

All things considered with the lousy weather, your garden looks pretty good, Karen - at least to my eyes. I suppose you're used to it looking much better, but look at that nasty bed! And those Yvonne's salvias! Terrific! The toppled over LLB has an artistic flair to it. We've had a weird summer here as well; we have had a couple of good rains - like the one that crippled the mass transit system last month, but mostly it's been hot, hot, hot or overcast with no sun. Lots of my stuff got fried, and what didn't get fried has mildew, mold or rust or something. I'm still waiting for a few things to bloom - but basically my garden will be put to bed early this year. I know my situation up here on the 11th floor is in no way comparable to those of you ground-gardeners who have suffered through the drought and heat wave this summer, but I just want to put in my two-cents and show my appreciation of what you've accomplished despite it all. PV

MOst of the pots of the larger plants started out as either 6 or 10 inch. SOme of those plants have since "gone native" on their own, rooting epiphytically onto nearby mounts, into the sphagnum moss of other plants, or sometimes even into the ground. WHen I find that has happened I usually separate those alternatively rooted segments from the main plant still potted and let it go its own way and develop a new "colony" as it will. The Pachyclada is in the equivalent of a one gallon container. Many of the other small rooted plants that I have potted are in either 4 of 6 inch pots. Having had a nursery for a few years, I have containers of all sizes, from tiny 2" net pots to 35 gallon containers for trees. I usually have a container for any occasion, LOL.

Count me in on the not liking the goreie side of halloween, but I love the pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, scarecrows. I guess you might say that the harvest side of the holidays are what I enjoy more. I never decorated for halloween, either until this forum, and I have bought all kinds of halloween deco this past yr at TS and goodwill.I bought a big ceramic lighted Haunted house at GW right after the holidays last year, and the other day DH cut me out some little tombstones to put in the yard. I have painted them black, but not got the eppitates (SP) on them yet. Just think about all the fun I have missed in years past! Janet