Annie, Our governor here in Washington just signed the Cottage Food Law in July, 2013. I checked the requirements for your state and they are, fortunately for you, much more lenient than ours. We have to pay $230 annually; have a limit of $15,000 income (you're at $20,000, and go up to $25,000 in five years); and I can NOT use my separate canning kitchen ... because it's not part of the same building as my home. Go figure! (The canning kitchen doesn't have home cooking, or animals, or children, and there's no co-mingling with anything else.) And don't you just love not being allowed to sell ICE? That just doesn't make sense to me either! However, at least we have this law here now, and that's helping many people. But for me it's fine, because I don't sell my items; I donate them to the church and gift them. It's just something that I enjoy doing for myself and for others. That's why my costs of $1.25 to $1.50 per jar is fine. I'm fortunate because I have so much fruit in my orchard; I'm great at finding sales; I enjoy the time I spend creating things and "prettying up" the jars, labels, etc. The time I spend doing this pleases me; the $300+ I spend on supplies is just another donation or gift to St. Luke's so they receive the full purchase prices; and, everything I make is appreciated by those who purchase and use the products. I had to freeze some fruit because I wasn't well enough to do anything right after my surgery 8 weeks ago -- so I have cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries in the deep freeze. I'm half-way through my goal of 20 dozen jars ... still have to make: Cherry preserves; Peach-Brown Sugar Jam; Blueberry Jam; Apple Butter; Apple Pie Jam; Dill Pickles; canned Italian Plums; Italian Plum Jam with Triple Sec; Pear Honey; Pear Chutney; Apple Chutney; Watermelon Pickles; Raspberry Jam; ... and anything else I decide I just MUST DO! I'm donating a dozen jars of each variety, and keeping several of each for my use and gifting. I've enjoyed reading all of your comments and appreciate your recipes. Just wish I could make and (legally) sell some of your Salsa! But at least I can enjoy it for myself and friends! Kathy

I'm with uroboros up there. I like to know as much as possible about the seedlings...operative word being 'like'. That said, I have some Dan Bachman seedlings here that I know nothing about. I think he regularly sells his seedlings. I have a seedling that the seller Perennialist on the LA sent as a bonus...it's really pretty. I can't remember right now if I have others. Of course, the hundreds and hundreds of my own...lol! Someone said once somewhere that if you get a chance to buy some hybridizer's seedlings, you should go for it to really advance your own program (think of folks who have bought some of Larry Grace's). I think, too, a little known thing (at least to me) was how many hybridizers do sell seedlings. At lot of them, you have to actually go and visit them to know that. Some hybridizers themselves talk about seedlings they've gotten from others. It's interesting how our views evolve on things. Now that I am starting my fourth year growing seedlings, I know how much work they are! I think this (famous last words) will be my last 'big' (for me, at least) year of seed starting as room is just nonexistent. It takes me two to three years to see bloom. That said, if I found someone offering a seedling of a cross I like, why wouldn't I want to jump ahead those years?? On the other side, when I get ready to cull...because of space (first) and because a plant doesn't work toward what I want...and if it is an otherwise fine plant, why shouldn't I get some compensation for all that effort? As long as people are clear about it...seedling...whether it is all or not...bloomed or not, etc.....I don't see the problem there. I think problems come later if individuals try to sell them or give them garden names and sell them. But, the thing is...people already do that! The horse has already left the barn! If you're an AHS Display Garden or aspire to that, you might want to be careful. But, if like most people, you just want to enjoy beautiful flowers, who cares. I mean, I know plenty of people who don't know the names of their other perennials and it doesn't bother them. Look at all the people who post on here trying to find out the name of a daylily (pretty hopeless in most cases). For the big guys, most don't keep their intros around for more than a few years because they know people resell them (for less). I don't really think they're threatened by a seedling market as the folks buying those are probably not their customers anyway. I think the big guys (and girls) deserve their money, knowing how much goes into it...however, they're out there really advancing the flower. Most of the rest of us are just hobbyists. I think there is plenty of room for everyone. The newest and best genetics command top dollar (as the new everything does). I can see how hard it is to make money (most of us clearly aren't in it for that...lol), but I'd sure hate to see folks like Paul Owen fail. We need all kinds of different people producing all kinds of different flowers. I thought his offering flowers for people to name was rather brilliant. I mean, I've read about people visiting in Florida and getting daylilies named after them. Not everyone gets that chance. Where I live, there probably isn't anyone in 30 miles who would willingly pay $100 for a daylily. However, they'd probably buy unnamed blooming seedlings for what are bargain prices (not that they appreciate that!). I think for those of us that are collectors, we're going to continue to collect. I still see lots of green lawn everywhere...lol...so there are plenty of folks. Some will eventually move up the ladder to pricey ones (like a lot of us)...others will be just as happy with their $5 bargains. It's all good. Let me just conclude with the thought that if you belong to the AHS, a local club (or two or three), the robin, hang out here, etc, and have zillions of labels all over your yard.....you are not the 'average' daylily person! For those folks, registration has meaning. (I thought I was concluding...lol) I remember vising Mr. Benzinger's garden on what was probably his final open garden (Buttered Popcorn, among others)...and I don't think he had any registered daylilies that I could see. Had a sign up for you to see from the road...something like "Daylilies $5"....and you walked around and picked out what you wanted....they were all seedlings. I still have one (oh yeah! forgot about that one!), a nicely speckled diploid (that I had to figure out for myself!). It's appealing to me because it is something I might work with. I mostly prefer...without a doubt...registered daylilies, but that doesn't mean I don't like to play with seedlings!

In the 4 months since I saw Metroflor Hybrid Plus, I have not been able to convince my husband to go to the flooring store to look at it. If I did return to the store, I would hope the owner could share some customer experiences with the product. I hesitate to be an early adopter with any new technology. In my mind, the product would suit my needs perfectly but I would like to talk to at least one person who has taken that plunge ahead of me! It's also a little weird that Metroflor hasn't put Hybrid Plus on their website yet. What is up with that?

David, you can buy potted roses from local rose nurseries. Some nurseries even have leftover roses from previous seasons (ex: when I visited Regan a couple years ago, they even had a big The Wedgewood Rose, see below pic.) If you want even bigger (more mature) roses, you can post your request here and some local rose gardeners near your area will give you some of their mature roses. Last time I had about 10 roses to give away so I listed them here and people just came to my house to dig them. Helen