Hi, I think we are in the same situation right now. I planted to different aloe seeds Aloe ferox and Aloe vera(barbadensis miller) on the 3th of this month but nothing has sprouted yet. I covered the pots with plastic to lock in the heat and humidity. So right now i'm patiently waiting till i see something sprouting. Please update me with your progress.

lazypup, You bring up some great points. However, my solution I think to be better for my application because: 1. My water heater is within about 7-8 feet of the kitchen sink and so I never have to wait for hot water there. 2. The upstairs bathrooms will get very few visits throughout the day, but when it is used, the times are often quite different. Our schedule is rarely the same. The downstairs bathroom is used mostly throughout the day and won't have / doesn't need a sensor. In the end, I'm betting that the pump will run less for our application by being controlled by motion detectors than with a timer / aquastat sensor. .....and it's entirely possible I could be absolutely wrong, at which point I'll eat crow as I'm removing the sensors and installing the thermostat / timer. -Scott

I say, go with your heart. However, I would caution that you take a look at your quartz against a marble arabesque. A lot of real marbles don't mesh well with the simulated patterns in quartz, even with the shape to break up the pattern. You could also go with a solid or beveled ceramic arabesque. (Disclaimer: we combined marble subway with quartz, but in contrasting colors. we used a dimensional arabesque on our fireplace).

If possible, purchase bulk veggie soil from a reputable soil/compost expert in your area. "Reputable" in this context means (1) the components and ratio have been selected to match your climate and gardening goals and (2) the soil you buy is guaranteed (in writing) not to contain crabgrass or nutsedge. This approach is preferable to big box bagged soil, much of which contains ingredients that were included without taking the Texas sun into consideration. Now that summer temps have arrived, your best chance for success with a summer veggie plot may be with hot peppers (transplants) or okra (seeds), though 12" may not be deep enough for the latter. Check with the Texas gardening forum for more suggestions. If you haven't done so already, start composting. The organic matter included in your bulk soil may be top-notch stuff, but it will hardly last the entire growing season (the higher the heat index, the faster OM breaks down), so you'll need a reliable way to replenish it every few weeks.