Thanks to all who replied to my question. I read both the WS FAQs and SS thread. I honestly never thought I had to cover anything I planted outside when the weather was nice - just let Mother Nature do her job. Now, I'll put the stuff I had inside, outside with a cover. I especially liked the FAQ "Poster Suggestions for Flats from Recycleables" and also, the suggestions posted to this thread regarding containers. I needed to know what to start saving now in order to WS as economically and environmentally as possible. What wonderfully invented ideas people had. I had asked about coffee cans a few months back but did not get a resounding "Good Idea" so I guess I'll put those in the cycle bin and stick to the more widely used plastics that light can get through. Great to hear from my New England and Canadian neighbors - we can all commiserate together about all this rain (what was THAT last night?). Also, thanks to all for the "Welcomes" to the forum. I appreciate your time and thoughtfullness in helping me out. I'm sure I'll you'll be hearing from me again with more stupid questions! Zahzeen

I always bring my spikes in over the winter. I have a sun porch that I heat to stay above 40°. I love that the spike plants get huge! By the 3rd year, they're too big for a window box, but they're an awesome large accent plant in a BIG planter, garden or landscape. Easy to keep in the house too with a little sunlight. Inside, I water with rain water/melted snow to keep tips from yellowing from the city water.

My toad recipe: Buy Camellia shrub. Plant camellia shrub in nook formed by corner of front porch and house, near hose for watering ease, near porch for enjoyment ease. About a year after planting said shrub, acquire large yellow female dog. It is not known if size, color or gender of dog are factors in toad attraction, however this one is large (107 pounds) and yellow, and female. This one is a lab cross of some sort, but as she was acquired by responding to a plea from a friend working on a construction site where she and a companion had been "living free" for two months (companion wandered into road, rip buddy, sorry your previous owners didn't do better for you), her precise heritage is unknown. Judging from said companion, now located under backyard next to elderly cat, there is some mastiff in there too. Locate outside water dish (dented stainless steel mixing bowl from kitchen) under outside tap, again for ease of watering. (Are you sensing a theme too?) When the local climate becomes hotter than said large yellow dog would like, make arrangements for dog to be outside for extended periods and look the other way while dog burrows under the camellia shrub to excavate a nice shallow trough large enough to accommodate dog's ample butt. (Those construction workers must pack some awesomely fattening lunches.) Decide that you don't really want the dog to excavate under the camellia bush, and rake some leaves under there. When this does not deter her (Her precise words were OOOOO Cushy!) allow small children to "fill" water bowl, look other way when it overflows and begins to fill wide shallow butt depression, flooding dog out. After all, the camellia bush needs water too, right? Note that dog is a wuss when it comes to water, and rake more leaves and lots of sticks under shrub. Really mound them high to remove cushy factor and encourage slime factor. Watch dog give you sad, sad looks while forlornly shoving her way under tall, pointy evergreen looking thing that the previous owner swore was a cedar and randomly stuck in the yard after accepting bid on house. Happily allow dog to set up new digs under the too-rapidly-growing-to-be-a-cedar cedar because mowing under it is impossible and you're tired of cutting each blade of grass by hand. Dog had grass rooted out in two weeks, max. Cedarish thing doesn't appear to care. Wait a year or so until some of the leaves have broken down under the camellia bush, stick your hand under there to retrieve the sprinkler the teen aged son decided belonged under the bush instead of in the shed, and get startled into screeching when all the hoppers go jumping away. Voila! Toads! They've tried to lay eggs in the water dish so I'm looking into acquiring a small pond or water feature sometime next year, which is how I found this thread, and I thought I'd share my toad recipe.

Consult your PB and ask if it's ok for it to be empty over the winter. Their structural engineer should be able to provide that information as well. My own structural engineer designs our pools so they can be empty through the winter. Generally, we will fill the pools at least 2/3 of the way up the shallow end wall. If your site has wet conditions or a high water table, I would consider filling it. Water actually will act as an insulator and it will protect the pool floor and up the wall at whatever water level you maintain.