We should be so lucky! Got another 4+ inches yesterday with 30 mph winds...Another mess out there...So sick of it this year! Monday is March first...at least we'll get a few good days to make the bad ones easier to take... I've got old 6 foot drift with another foot or more on top now! Might be July before we get all melted... Eliot

Yes, we pretty much all get volunteers that come up in the spring. But think about how many seeds are dropped to the ground compared to the few that actually sprout. I have tried to recover some varieties through use of seeds from fall frozen greenies or from mummies left over till spring and have not had any success. Freezing a seed before it is fully dry kills it because the process of freezing a moist seed ruptures the substance and structure therein. I suspect that the seeds that do volunteer in the spring might have fallen to the ground very early in the summer and then bake out to pretty dry before freezing in the late fall.

My KD told me the same thing: pick out your cabs and stain and then get the stone. No way! As far as I'm concerned, there are lots of different stains out there that I'd be happy with. Lots. But the stone? They're all different and like individual works of art. I have an idea what I want stain wise, but just an idea. I'd rather be led by the stone that I fall in love with and then work with that. On Tuesday I went to a granite yard "just to look". I had it all set in my mind to walk down the rows in an orderly fashion and see everything. I practically got whiplash when I saw this gorgeous granite the next row over. lol But I kept my orderly fashion and waited until I got to it. OMG! It was pure, unadulterated lust at first sight. I wanted it bad! lol I moved on and continued my orderly perusal only to sneak glances at it every time I could. Went right back to it when I was done and proceeded to fall madly in love. I'm sure you can see where this is headed. lol I have four slabs on hold and am taking hubby there tomorrow to see it in person. I'm beyond thrilled and am 1000% confident with my decision. I had my faucet on order in a weathered copper finish (to go with my copper sink) but ended up cancelling the order and changing it to ORB. I can't wait until the three of them meet (granite, sink and faucet in case you got lost). lol My cabs are just along for the ride but I know they'll be beautiful.

" It works sloooowly. I find it hard to understand when blood meal is called "fast acting". It isn't. " For an organic amendment, blood meal is very fast acting. It is highly soluble, very readily available and if improperly applied, can burn plants. When applied at the correct time of year - during the growing season - it only lasts about 4 months, far more rapidly than a "year or more". Blood meal as a fast acting nitrogen source. Alfalfa meal is not quite as rapidly available but still faster than most other sources of organic N. But both will still depend on the soil microorganisms to convert them into plant usable nutrients. Provided your soil stays warm enough for them to do their work now - must be above 45F for any significant microbial activity - the N they produce will not hang around to be of benefit when spring planting comes around. N is extremely mobile - the reason why it is almost always shown as deficient in any soil test (if tested at all) - and it will leach out or cycle out or volatilize into the atmosphere long before planting season comes. Wait until spring before application. Or plant a nitrogen fixing cover crop to be dug into the soil before planting time.