re-reading, especially Karen & Bill (not that I don't appreciate everyone else--the bottle method really sounds interesting): I've gotten a little more courage reading Bill's final entry and understand much more clearly: essentially, plant what I have, 4" deep, in mostly perlite, water once, give heat & light. But Bill, Karen, anyone, do you think I'd actually be okay, cutting off a branch and make two cuttings? My 1st experience trying to grow a p. was with a Hawaiian Yellow (or was it Gold?). It was a disaster. I was told to try water rooting. Never rooting a Plumeria before, I do what I'm told. --usually when I water-root, anthing, I see roots within a few days or at the most a couple of weeks. And I keep clean water in the container. But this cutting sat & sat and did nothing. After a couple of months, there still was nothing. Since it didn't root, I was advised to take it out of the water; cut off the bottom to check for rot (the color inside was a beautiful white, so ok); soak it in hydrogen peroxide for a couple of hours, let dry overnight, dip the cut into a very dilute solution of bleach/water for good measure, then into rooting hormone and pot up in a sterile mix, setting the base 4" deep, watering once. I did all that. Poured a cup of water + superthrive around the stem, sat the container on a heating pad, and gave plenty of fluorescent light: both going 24/7. Within a few days, it leafed out. Since it couldn't have put out roots in a couple of days, I began misting the leaves on a daily basis, with tepid, tap-water. However, within two weeks the cutting went mushy. I checked; and, the entire inside was black. I suppose, even though I thought everything was sterile and the Hydrogen peroxide killed all germs, the cutting was attacked by some kind of fungus or mold, that must be in my house. If I divide this cutting, how do I keep the demise from happening to each of the new cuttings? (I do have some agricultural sulfur; also a copper, fungicide--as well as bleach and H2O4.) How long do I wait, for the wounds to heal before potting either cutting? Now, for my really, dumb (non-knowing about Plumeria neewbie) question: When growing flowers, usually the center is pinched out, so it will make more branches and more flowers. Making two cuttings out of this one, seems to be doing the opposite: fewer branches, fewer flowers. Thus, a branched plumeria will have more flowers and be more sought after. Why, then, is a single stemmed plumeria, preferable to one that is branched? Bob

cindy103d, thanks! Funny, I was just making a plan to move the 3rd floor sink, microwave and some cabinets down a flight and the washer/dryer/slop sink up a flight, and buy a new fridge, stove and dishwasher, get it all hooked up and live with it for awhile. Heck, we could even buy a "kitchen island" sub from IKEA for a few hundred dollars (we have friends that built a huge "kitchen island" using IKEA products, for under a thousand dollars). I know there are costs associated with moving things around without upgrading but I've had it with the ka-ching nature of kitchens and cabinets and I have a contractor and deck guy otherwise ready to go. I'm SURE I'm missing something somewhere along the line but my husband is on board with this plan. My mother (who is an antiques dealer and knows a thing or two about home renovations - but just a thing or two) thinks this is a bad idea and we should just bite the bullet. But she's retired and I'm trying to keep my day job. And she's not paying for it ... I respect her opinion but she has more time than I do, and I'm at the burnout phase and need a break. I've been working toward this renovation for well over a year, with breaks for mortgage refinancing etc., and have been in the construction phase for 2 months just getting to this point (converting a rental unit into bedroom space for us...). We also haven't bought a new bed, kitchen table, couch etc. in over a decade - basically my husband and I still have the furniture we bought into our relationship 13 years ago, and even THEN it wasn't new, so we also have to budget for that stuff, none of it will be cheap if we want it to last another 15 years, so it's a bit financially overwhelming and I need to let off some of the pressure.

Correct. I live in a very small apartment, so I was going to attempt it on the balcony. Would the wind be harmful for it for the time I'm out there repoting? It can get gusty because I do live up high. Thanks for your input!!

Fresh Mint Cake with Dark Chocolate Mint Frosting Use the first herbs of spring in this fresh mint cake with dark chocolate mint frosting for a simple and yet elegant treat. Prep Time, 20 minutes Cook Time, 20 minutes Total Time, 40 minutes Ingredients Fresh Mint Cake 2 Cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour 2 teaspoons Baking Powder ½ Cup Chopped Mint (1/2 ounce by weight) ½ Cup Butter, softened ½ Cup Sugar 1 Egg ½ Cup Milk Dark Chocolate Mint Frosting ⅓ Cup Milk ¼ Cup Chopped Mint (1/4 ounce) ½ Cup Butter, softened ¼ Cup Black Cocoa Powder 3 Cups Powdered Sugar Instructions Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter & Flour two 8” round cake pans. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream together the butter, mint, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and milk, mixing until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and combine thoroughly. Divide and spread the batter among the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire rack before frosting. Make the Frosting: In a small saucepan, combine the milk and mint. Bring just to a simmer (do not boil or scald). Remove from heat and cover the pan. Allow the minute to steep for 20 minutes. Strain the mint from the milk, pressing to squeeze out all the liquid. Let cool completely. Cream the butter slightly. Add the cocoa powder to the butter and mix well. Alternate a bit of the mint infused milk and powdered sugar and keep mixing until everything is incorporated and the frosting takes on the desired consistency. Spread on cooled cake. Nutrition Information: Yield: 8, Serving Size:1 Large Slice Amount Per Serving: Calories: 643 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 15g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 86mg Sodium: 336mg Carbohydrates: 102g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 66g Protein: 6g We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate. © Kathie Lapcevic, https://homespunseasonalliving.com/fresh-mint-cake/