Xuan, there's a saying in the west, 'A watched pot never boils.' I think this applies to AVs too. Remember, the word is 'patience'. Korina, still learning the word

That's great! I have one clump of no shows, can't remember what they are. I learned the hard way, and most transplants I lose a season of bloom. Some other ones even if I don't get them planted exactly right, they eventually do their own thing and bloom. I think it helped some to bloom faster once I read on this forum to leave some rhizome exposed and trim. But one huge bunch I planted too deep took 3 years to bloom and now they are too many for where they are, blooming like crazy.

It was 100 degrees or close all of July here. The tomatoes ripened all at once it seemed. In the fall I will have big green tomatoes that take forever to get ripe and sometimes frost threatens them before they do. It is your climate. You need varieties that will suit your climate and a warm spot with lots of light because you are far north of me and most people on the forum. Unless they look at your page, people don't know you are from Great Britain. If you put that in your question you might get a proper answer.

That's a good question... :-) Ours will probably be about 8 months from when we started with the foundation. Maybe 9 or 10. But the main difference I see is that we are 2100 main floor, 2100 lowel level completely finished, 1350 upstairs completely finished and about 1200 wrap around porch that has electrical and plumbing and enough lights & speakers on it just like it was a house.... but I know I will love it when we are using it but I looked at it last night and thought it is almost a house on the porch. Rain has been one of our biggest issues. Rain, rain, and more rain. I would also think that by building your own, you could make decisions pronto, whereas some things get delayed until I can give an answer. They just move on to something else until they get an answer, but when I get there, they have to explain it all to me, explain all my options to me, check on this way or that way for me, etc. Electrical has been our biggest thing. 5 miles of wire seems to take a bit of time.... :-) I have to go over with him where I want this or that. Can you move this or that, whereas building your own, you just know. I dont know why it takes so long, because everyone is working their best it seems. I am very happy with everyone. But I will be very VERY happy when it is all done.