Just an update on my first venture with the gritty mix. The Japanese maples are going on day three of their new life in containers. So far, no leaves have dropped and I'm seeing no signs of distress, although I feel sure that some signs are not so obvious. So I'm not ready to call out the rescue squad ... yet. A poster who provided a great running commentary, together with pics, about his root pruning and repotting said that Jms were among the easiest of plants to root prune. If that's the case, I've erred badly. Each of mine had at least three large roots (3/8" - 1/2" in diameter) together with a huge mass of small, tough, wiry roots. Are these feeder roots? (I had the idea that feeder roots were supple.) So I removed the large roots with a pruning saw and used a small garden hand rake (?) to remove every bit of the previous mix. In the process, some of these small wiry roots came off. I also removed all roots that had "hooked around" and were growing upwards, as well as roots growing directly beneath the root mass. When placing them in their containers (6-7 gallon), I kept the mix at the same level they had originally been in. (It's said that this is critical when planting in-ground. Is it critical for container planted trees also?) My biggest obstacle is keeping the trees solidly upright in the containers. One in particular, 'Shaina', is about 3 1/2' tall and in dire need of pruning (read top-heavy). I bought the trees last fall and kept them in their original containers. In removing the large roots, it now seems wobbly; I've placed four bamboo poles around it and will affix them to the trunk with string. I don't dare move it! In time, as feeder roots develop, will they help stabllize the tree in the mix or should I expect to continue with the bamboo supports. (For sure, any additional Jms I purchase will be much smaller!) Sorry to be running on and on. I have more questions and need suggestions. If I should start a new thread, please let me know. Thanks. gary Grace: Loved your pics and commentary! They're beautiful!! I feel so dumb; I don't know how to pronounce many of them. Perhaps you'll give me some (lots) of pointers with houseplants when I get there! BTW, do you root prune these plants?

I am by no means a cow expert and am learning as I go . I had always helped out at the ranch decades ago but have just been back here to live permanently for the past four years . I have two partners who own most of the cattle and together we ranch 165 acres of contiguous land . I am here full time and they live about 10 miles away . I do not know what breed of cow the new mother is but I can find out . My pet cows or the " house cows " as I call them are Limousines , Black Angus and a Brahma/Angus mix called Brangus . In the 70's we had a lot of Brahmas and today the newest popular breed is called the Beef Master . Manature - if you drive the back way to Gainesville , you have probably driven right by my place dozens of times . Ask your neighbor - Kathy . Tropicalfreak -- Harley is a good boy - most Angus are really very sweet - but I give him plenty of room since he is SO big and I am a small person . Even the tamest cows like to bump me and send me flying at times . Now you are all edjamakated for your trip here in the Fall !

I usually leave the labels in the ground by the plants, Christie. That's the extent of my keeping track. I do try to take pictures when they are blooming so if I want to take cuttings in the spring, I can see what color I'm getting, if the label is lost. Sometimes all the labels I get on those little three inch pots are the color, no names. You know, "assorted mums, yellow", etc. I particularly like the rusty red/orange ones, and the whites really stand out. I did get some whites this year that aged to pink, so you really never know what you're getting. "Orange" turned out to be salmon color, lol! I still have some flowers on my Knockout roses, the apple blossom pink is still pretty. We are on top of a hill so the frost hasn't been too bad. It did get the top leaves of the periwinkles and the elephant ears, but I pruned those off and they are still good for a while, until we get a hard freeze anyway. I covered the nasturtiums and they are still pretty. Crape myrtles still have a few blooms, and the black and blue salvia is still going strong. The impatiens didn't get hurt. I always cut the tall asters back hard in May, and then some more in June so they don't get as tall and flop all over everything. This year I put some at the sunny east edge of the woods with some of those tall mums, ditch daylilies, money plant and the wild yellow bidens that blooms in Sept.-Oct. Kind of a wildflower area, and I've scattered some goldenrod seed and Queen Anne's lace too. Ought to be pretty down there and the deer should leave it alone as they don't like that stuff very much. There are also some irises in the mix. That end is where I usually plant the leftovers and culls from the upper gardens. Better than honeysuckle anyday! Sandy

Love all of these Bathroom photos! Thanks for posting! I'm in the middle of planning 4 bathrooms myself. I think Ann Kathryn is correct about why people don't post. After all of your planning and hard work, it's difficult when people are less enthusiastic about your project, even when you know every single flaw yourself! Posters need to be mindful of individual taste and geographical location. Certain remodels may not suit everyone's style, but that's why there's chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. My Mother used to say, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!"