yes! thank you. i now have 2 of those smaller, more blue-gray ones, and i think you're right -- that's the brevifolia. i seem to remember seeing it labelled as such at the place i go to look at plants [for sale]. humm.. i guess DARTMOUTH was wrong about the name?? i dunno. anyway, thank you very much for your reply. the little guy seems to be doing fine. i think one more leaf started getting brown at its base, and i quickly pulled it off.. there's weird little brown splotches on the bases of the lowest leaves on it, but they're not really soft. they're on the thin part right next to the stem, you know? the white part. i think they're fine. the stem seems just fine, and that's what counts, right.. i guess i should not have watered it directly after transplanting. oh well. i've been RACKING up my succulent collection creating boxes, pots, and a bed full of them, preparing for the heat. i suppose it's not transplant time, but i make sure they don't get TOO cold. since the frosts have stopped, the nights have been around 40 degrees lately, and my plants don't seem to mind too much. i mean the ones inside are making flowers right now, heh.. the ones outside are just continuing to look healthy. i'm keeping them as dry as i can stand (watering's too much fun!). i'll send photos and MORE QUESTIONS sooooooooon. thanks again, paul

Pieter, Nematodes do travel through wet soil and hibernate in soil. They do need plant tissue to live. This is why I suggest that when hostas are determined to have a virus that "nematacides" be used in conjuction with killing the plant (removing the required source of food). Perhaps a better way to approach the problem would be to perform the nematode testing to determine whether they are evident first. In many cases Nematode damage is readily determined by characteristic elongated brown streaks. If there is no nematode infection then using an insecticide would still be a good idea as it would be difficult to determine the thrip or other insect population and spraying would be "cheap insurance" to prevent transmission to other plants. In any event a combination of a non-HVX virus with nematode or thrip infection would be a difficult situation. I think these are the only practical ways to approach the problem. Extensive and expensive laboratory testing may or may not determine the virus or other disease involved, but that still leaves the problem of treating it when the plant is in a bed which you are trying to preserve. I don't know of any other prudent next step other than killing the plant, in situ, and ensuring it is completely dead. Killing it before taking steps to address nematode or thrips first or concurrently will speed up the spread as we know that nematodes or thrips live on tissue and killing / removing the plant alone will simply cause them to go elsewhere. If the action where taken with ground freezing immenent, then your suggested scenario of hybernating nematodes infecting new plantings may be possible. I think this would be a very unusual and improbable situation as hostas would be dying off before any real ground freezing. There are no over-the counter approved nematacides, however cholinesterase, the ingredient in Bayer Systemic is listed as a nematacide and might work as well as anything available to the homeowner. Of course bleach and ammonia will kill them undiluted, but the problem of how much to use and preventing damage to neighboring plants is a big problem. Spraying with a 10% solution of ammonia is done for slug control, so this might be an option to help. I simply don't know of any sure-fire nematode control other than professional treatment. Jon

So glad Mr. Amity is feeling better! I just had slate floors installed in a mudroom and when I asked about grout, the tile store salesman said, "Everyone just goes with Bone or Natural". So I went with Bone. I LOVE it. I have no pictures handy but I found some pics to give you a visual of slate plus lighter grout, hope this helps! [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-island-mediterranean-kitchen-cleveland-phvw-vp~34358) [mediterranean kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mediterranean-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2109) by san francisco interior designer Jamie Snavley [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/bathroom-with-custom-cabinetry-and-slate-floor-contemporary-bathroom-san-francisco-phvw-vp~52443) [contemporary bathroom design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by san francisco general contractor Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/back-patio-entryway-entry-phvw-vp~45674) [entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741) [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/back-patio-entryway-entry-phvw-vp~45676) [entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741) [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/various-mud-rooms-entry-calgary-phvw-vp~48149) [entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741) by other metros interior designer Veranda Interiors [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/various-mud-rooms-entry-calgary-phvw-vp~48148) [entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741) by other metros interior designer Veranda Interiors I think you're tile would look great with a very slightly gray grout , something similar to good old plain concrete. I only found a few pics with grout similar to the slate and they were all uniform charcoal colored slate and it made the floor tiles blend together. You have nice variation, maybe you shouldn't blend, I'd wanna see those tiles! They're awesome!

Smartest? He's still at large! Question: How many unsolved murders are there? Answer: No one knows. There are a large number that are known to the police, but they haven't found the perpetrator. Statistics on that. But ... how many that got away with murder ... and it was considered just another regular death? No - one - knows - that - one! How many perfect crimes have there been? Same answer. o j