re Graduation: I'm working on it. ;) I'm a mechanical engineering student with a minor in math, but I'm planning to go into research. I'd like to work to develop systems that will run more effectively on alternative fuels. It'll fulfill my need to save the green things. Until then, I've got some plants. :) re Community Gardens: That sounds promising, but I really do not have the time to go out and do that. I take an average of 18 credits per semester while also learning Swedish. (Going to Sweden for study abroad next Jan.) As much fun and joy as growing things gives me, I cannot devote that much time to finding somewhere here and going back and forth. I also just really do not feel safe at all leaving campus. re Sprouts: I saw this the other night and it looked interesting so I hunted around in my little "mini-kitchen" (a little plastic thing with some shelves, a microwave, and a minifridge) and all I found was some popcorn. I only get the plain kind in the plastic bag that you have to put in a paper bag yourself. The package didn't say anything about them being pre-treated, so I looked up sprouts online and these should probably be done some time tomorrow if what I read was correct. I was rinsing them today and saw that they are growing tiny little things from the end of the seeds! That's so neat! re Chia Pets: Chia pets sound fun too. While I couldn't eat them, if I were to find that they were not toxic to rats I could probably give them to my darling rat-girl when they are done growing. She loves to dig. :) re Lights: I went to home depot and got a little setup for $12 that is a ballast and 2 48" flourescent lights. Each light is 40 watts, 3300 lumens, CRI 70, and 4100K. I am not sure if that will be sufficient for the current veggies, but even if it is not then it was not much money lost and I'll have an extra light in my room! I tried to set it up today but I do not have the proper hooks in the ceiling. Tomorrow I will get duct tape. ::maniacal grin:: Do you think that mushrooms would grow more easily in low light? In nature they grow in the forest, which is dark, right? I love portobellos... I'm not sure how things will work out with these veggies, but by the end of the summer I am quite determined to have found a few things that I can grow here that aren't flowers. Because I hate flowers.

Jeff, the swap itself begins promptly at 2 pm, but I'm hearing many people are arriving earlier, some with food in tow. It is located at the Lake Cunningham Recreational Facility where I have reserved the covered area for the day. This park is on N McElhaney, right near the intersection of N McElhaney and Rte 101 (behind the fire station). Here are the original rules I established to help keep things from being totally chaotic: 1. If you bring one plant, you take home one plant. If you bring two, you take two, etc. 2. Houseplants, annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees, vines (did I miss anything?) are all welcome. Seeds or cuttings can be swapped for other seeds or cuttings. 3. I prefer to separate the live plants into "swap rounds". Each person will put one plant into the "round", and numbers will be drawn to see who gets first, second, third, etc pick of that round. New numbers will be chosen each round so the same person doesn't always go first. If you brought only 3 plants, you can only be part of three "rounds". This may not be the way you have done it before, but I'm appealing to you to humor me and try it my way. 4. Since I don't want to keep everyone for hours, I'm limiting the live plant "rounds" to 6. We can swap seeds/cuttings in rounds after, if needed. 5. Please schedule your personal trades for a time that does not conflict with the actual swap. I believe the park is open sun-up to sundown. The Plants: * Please make every attempt to label the plant with its latin name, including the variety. Plastic cutlery or popsicle sticks work great for this if you use a Sharpie. * Please bring plants that are free of bugs, disease and/or weeds. * Please remember to water the plants thoroughly the night before, not the day of the swap. This will help prevent muddy messes. Sandi

In Orange County residence can get up to a pickup truckload of the compost that they make from the yard waste. Now we usually got it from the transfer stations but it isn't always available. That stuff is pretty well broken down and looks mostly like black sandy dirt. However there will always be some chunks in compost (acorns, bits of sticks, and the bits of the garbage that people seem to insist on putting into the yard waste bags.) Yes, I always find bits of glass in the compost as well as other bits of non organic stuff that people rake up with the leaves and put out with the yard waste. I have also gotten mulch from one of the Lake county landfills. That stuff is big and chunky shredded yard and tree waste. We really like it when we can get a tree service to dump wood chips at our place. Use those all over the place (who cares if it is a bit too chunky, it's free.) It all breaks down over time.

no.. not advertising... got enough weddings... I just have a lot of plants that make a lot of babies... willing to give away or trade but college station is too far to go to a plant swap in dallas or something.. I am trying making rose cuttings, but am semi successfull, but i have lots of vincas, a few petunias, bluebonnets, cypress vines, alium bulbs, amarylis, day lillies, daffodills, narcissis, yarrow, rose mary, whydllia, etc... sorry for the misspellings, but im running out the door... just wanting to find people around here to trade with.