Very good points. Thanks,Ewalk! My mower feels as if it has compression release allowing the easy spins. It is the initial seasonal start-up my arm hates and fine with the pull afterwards. “A Big Safety Issues” if you have ever had a “Kickback”, it could take you out. I doubt the none experienced would make the needed Jig. If an electric motor can be adapted to your mower or Etc. that is the safer way to go. The neatest I have seen is the mower that re-coils for the next start when you kill it. Again it could be mean and not start with that charge at the start of the season. Hopefully it will have Compression Release to assist with one or two pulls. If I was not so lazy I would hire or trade with my Yardman, LOL! He walks from 10 houses away with his problems. I call him from 10 houses away when I need Help. Or! Alert him on my 2 mi walk I’ll need help on my return if he has time. He’s a good yardman with yards and helps in a crew…

Hey Orchiddude, I agree thanks so much for the info. I have a few questions if you don't mind. I recently bought a small 6x8 GH & plan on using Natural Gas to heat it this winter. I have been looking at the Blue Flame heaters (199.00 at Lowe's) and have heard they are better than the infrared. Any thoughts?? I want to use NG over electric given that in the past few years I have gone thru 2 ice storms that have left me without electricity for several days. I also plan on putting the Gh right next to my house so that I can easily tap into the gas line right under my living room. Have a line that is capped off where a heater used to come thru the floor. Should be easy to ell over and come outside. I know that I will have plenty of plant materail to fill it up already...brought everything in with our first little cold snap and was overflowing on a 12x9 dropcloth...and of course love the idea of having to add more plants..haha I guess my only question again was with regard to Blue flame verses infrared, since it seemed you linked to one of each. I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks Rick

This is a new reply to an old post, but there are native live oaks in the area roughly between Ft. Worth, Abilene, and Wichita Falls, Texas that should work beautifully in your area. For some reason, nobody has developed commercial cultivars from this area. Live oaks, especially along the northern margin of their range, can vary in their characteristics. The ideal would be one with dense foliage that stays dark green all winter on a non-stoloniferous tree that branches With strong crotch angles. For commercial growers, it would probably require two trips to western North Texas—one in February/March to identify trees with the right characteristics, and once again in September/October to collect acorns. Maybe ten years of field trials would be in order after that. Of course this would be more of a long-range project than collecting an annual or perennial, but it could fundamentally change the landscape in Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Eastern Seaboard up to Philadelphia or maybe New York.

Hi. My name is Amanda and I'm a garden-a-holic. LOL. Seriously though, I only began gardening this year and already have plans for probably the next two or three years. I live in Chattanooga in what used to be my in-laws' house. When we moved in, there were already some hostas, two crepe myrtles, several azaleas, forsythias, two peonies, and a few other things. Well, I am working towards ridding myself of the forsythia. They are lovely, don't get me wrong, but I find them entirely too evasive. And to me, it is simply too much work to keep them trimmed back to a manageable size for something that blooms for only a week or two. I can happily say that I've added much more than taken away. I have planted cannas, daylilies, roses, bearded irises, and clematis. I definitely have plans for more roses and daylilies and cannas - just not sure where I will place everything. I am currently trying my hand at rooting some rose cuttings. I have Seven Sisters, Mr. Lincoln, and Climbing Blaze all struck. It is hard to not check for roots, as I am not known for my patience, but I have managed to leave them alone for the short time they have been in their pots. Finally, my husband and I are anxiously awaiting the birth of our second son. My due date is August 25th, but it could honestly be any day now. Our first son is 7-1/2 years old, so this is almost like having a first all over again. Although we're certainly out of practice, we're looking forward to experiencing all the 'firsts' all over again.