I pull up my geraniums every year. I've not had to buy any for nearly 5 years. In late fall I clip them down to about 10", pull them up, keep whatever soil clings to the root ball, and stand them up in a plastic tub (like an underbed storage unit). Then I put them in the crawlspace (note: my crawlspace never freezes and has windows so gets some light). Then, every 5-6 weeks, I'll pour a little water into the tub so lightly hydrate the roots. I lose maybe 20% every year, but no matter. When it's time (like late March) I pot each one up with new MG, bring them into the warmer basement and new shoots come out of the old stems. Those with nice sturdy long (old) stems, I cut them back to a juncture, dust them with rooting hormone, and stick them into a little pot of MG. These root and voila! I have all new plants to replace those that didn't make it in the crawl space. Here's a link to my last year's blog post about it. Melissa Majora - roots and tubers Last year I even found a packet of geranium seeds. So I started those too. The one's I WS'd did not fare well, however. Only those I sowed in the basement germinator came up. If I find more seeds, I'll try WS'ing them again this year, just maybe later in Spring (like annuals). Hope this helps. Good luck! Kris

Hi Tatyanna. I'm a newbie as I'm just starting my addiction which everytime the UPS, FedEx or Mail Carrier drives up the driveway my husband turns to me and says "Who is coming today?". This forum is fantastic for searching and getting help. I just love gardening and can't figure out why I haven't bought these beauties before. Oh well, my front yard will no longer have grass (gas prices are too high anyway) as the front yard is my new planting beds. Julia

Hope I'm not too late to add my 2 cents! :-) Here's a little humor for the day . . . An internet search turns up many devices that help women attain urinary freedom, and some that promote the more natural approach. See the following articles written by a registered nurse. http://otoh.org/mirror/restrooms.org/standing.html http://web.archive.org/web/20021201123416/www.restrooms.org/problems.html A serious internet search will demonstrate ZERO danger to using urine, whether to activate the compost pile or to dilute as directly applied fertilizer. I can't find any documented information that germs and pathogens will be spread, only opinions and fears. Even caution about withholding urine fertilization for a certain number of days before harvest seems to be only opinion. I'm an engineering tech, so I might be approaching this situation a little differently than others: 1. It requires gallons of drinking water to flush--water I pay for on my water bill and collected from somewhere for drinking use. And don't talk to me about low-flow toilets. The joke is that there's a sign posted in the restroom stating "Low-flow toilet. Please keep flushing until the paper goes down." 2. Gallons of water flushed add to the burden of treatable waste at the sewage facility 3. Excess algae grows in our waterways from nitrogen NOT removed in the treatment process before discharge 4. Why pay for limited nutrient, refined fertilizer when I make my own? 5. Making my own garden soil is a step toward self-sufficiency Personal compost activator. I like the sound of that. BTW, I'm doing an experiment. I have a compost pile that is about 5' in diameter, about 3' high. For the past week I've been adding ALL of my daily urine output to the pile. I add it at least twice a day, so it is always relatively fresh. There is no olfactory evidence whatsoever. :-) One more comment: I image that those who master the technique in the link above with proficiency to write their name in the snow in BLOCK letters will have tremendously strong "kegels." Skirt

Sandi, I am glad you are okay after your pond encounter. Better the pot and cleanup than you falling in there! We were missing you on here while you were so busy. Thanks for the heads up on the checked napkins at Walmart. I'll have to try to get over there this week. I like the idea of the yellow setting too. Thanks, I'll work on that. You always have great ideas. ;o) Sorry Lee, I got mixed up as to who else was in line for the rug. Gosh, hope I didn't get poor Yachter's hopes up! LOL You are right, should have added a container of eggs on this one. I'll be sure to do that next time. Karen, you can bet you heard me saying "buy it, buy it" if it was silver AND had a rose on it too. Can't wait for the pic. Send it to me, I'll be glad to polish it up for us---uhhh, I mean you. ;o) Just joking. Yachter, those yard sales in your area sound so great. At those prices, postage would not be a problem--well worth it. Now don't you feel bad for poor Sandi. She will be sad all day thinking about that pink checked silverware that got away. Kathleen, you can't be too far behind Karen in this obsession--didn't I hear something about "hiding" new dishware????? Watch out, the voices may come next. LOL Luvs