I grew it this year for the first time. It's beautiful! I bought plants from Walmart last year in bags, labeled "Blue Hollyhocks". I was so eager to see a blue one, but I was pleasantly surprised with two Nigras and one Watchman, which has a little more frill in the center. Sometimes, I suppose, Walmart's misnamed plants are a blessing. Jung seeds has the Watchman on sale for 95 cents: Here is a link that might be useful: Watchman Seeds

PB came back today and brought a quote sheet. Here is what is had on it. Tell me what you think Pool Shell 15x30 shotcrete pool shell 2 main drains, 2 skimmers and 4 returns 4000 PSI shotcrete: 8" thick sides and bottom, 12" bond beam 2 1/2" sch 40 pipe Aquaron CPSC Hydrogel pool shell protector Diamond Brite plaster(Tahoe Blue) Natural or brick coping 6x12 Tanning ledge with 2 bubblers and 1 umbrella stand 2 steps/swimouts. One on each end 1 500w 12 volt LED Intellibrite light Pump/Automation/Salt Generator/ Cleaner 3hp variable speed Pentair Whisperflow pump 3 laminar deck jets Pentair Cartridge Filter Pentair auto leveler Polaris 280 cleaner w/booster Pentair transformer and salt cell Electric service to pool pad provided by homeowner Price $42,750 He said something about using GALVANIZED REBAR. Is this available? Is this needed? Or maybe something needed because of salt pools?? What is the recommended Tanning ledge water depth? Can a spa light be added to the water on the tanning ledge? Is there a wired control panel available instead of wireless?

My sincere thanks to all those who have participated in our dilemma with sage and helpful suggestions and comments. That you've offered to help is deeply appreciated. The young lady in question is my great granddaughter, and she is just recently living with her grandmother, who is my daughter. My only granddaughter is the mother, and both parents of our subject are entirely agreeable that she is residing nearby with her grandmother. Unfortunately, my granddaughter is ill with MS, fibromyalgia and chronic depression, and life is tough for her, but there are a number of other children in the family without disfunction. The eldest, in fact, finished a special high school through which she gained two years of college upon graduation, and has gone on to make good life choices and further her education. The subject of our writings attended the same school, but could not quite make it, and transferred to the regular high school she now attends with good, above average grades. I have always been close to my beloved granddaughter (have a warm relationship with her very special husband), am close to my daughter, and am especially fond of the ggd of whom we speak. She, I have not mentioned, is quite naive for her age. She has a new beau, same age, who is also quite naive for his age....if such details are helpful in any way. Although we'd not before been knowledgeable of dyscalculia or executive function deficit, we are familiar with ADD, ADHD and Aspergers', and had considered them as solutions. Certainly we shall also check out teaching hospitals as suggested by lucille and others. One remark by watchmelol stood out as I, too, have wondered if our gal has unknowingly not been "encouraged to develop life skills" by her parents. This is a firm possibility as, although I am endeared to this family and keep close contact, I do not live near enough or am present often and/or long enough to casually evaluate simple everyday occurences and/or methods. I am positive all the children know how to fold laundry, do dishes, keep the kitchen clean, care for the pet and the like, but that's all I know. There are some manners that bug me, but then I am a few generations apart, and hesitate to be too picky. (One of them is the response "Good" when asked the simple "How are you?", but this may be the accepted answer of all youngsters these days, and may be important only to me.) While I don't want to belabor posters, who are kind enough to give of their time and to care, with too many details, at the same time I am hesitant about forgetting to mention anything that might be an eye opener. I am in this picture out of pure love for all concerned and plan to remain involved, especially because of the additional issue that we almost lost my daughter this time last year, and feel whatever help I can offer is accepted as just that ... help. We are seriously considering all suggestions and, again, appreciate each and every response. Pink

How big is your property, and how close are your neighbors' lawns/garden? Milky spore will only help so much if they can just grow in your neighbors' lawns a few feet away and hop the property line. Same with traps: they will attract JBs from a long distance away and you may end up with MORE in your garden. But if your property is big enough--or if many of your neighbors also use traps/milky spore--then this might make a dent in the local JB population. I'm talking about putting out multiple traps over a large area (and preferably away from your garden) since killing a thousand with a trap will not make much difference if a million of them are living within a couple of miles and are attracted. In the end I resort to manual control: picking them off and shaking them into soapy water. It's just part of my normal garden routine along with pulling weeds, deadheading/pruning, and getting those danged lily beetles as well. I pick some off in the morning when I let my dog into the backyard, and then again in the evening after work and a trip to the dog park. These times are when they are most inactive and easiest to catch anyway. For the smarter ones that burrow deep into the petals to evade capture I use a pair of needlenose pliers to pick them out and minimize damage to the flowers.