Short growing season is definitely a problem here. That's what I get for wanting to live in the mountains. I hate playing tug-o-war with Mother Nature! I will be doing a lot more info-searches on squash and pumpkins this weekend, and will include Cheyenne Bush Pumpkin. Thanks for the info, eaglesgarden. Great idea re: clear plastic for a thermal boost for squash. We planned on doing that for peppers and tomatoes too. How long into the season do you leave the plastic on? Don't want to cook or starve all the earth worms I've worked so hard to coerced into staying. LOL .. With peppers and tomatoes, we thought we'd take it off when temps get around the mid/high 80's, then use mulch or half/three fourths finished compost. Normally, night temperatures don't go too far into the 60's at any time in the summer, but we get large crops of peppers anyway. A while back, we had a couple of years with many days in the 100's and nights in the 70's.. don't want those temps back! Ken, parrots don't need grit in their diet. Actually parakeets don't either, although there are still some few people (no professional breeders) that debate this question. That is a hard one to get novice bird owners and some back-yard breeders, to accept ...because it is still given as fact by many pet stores - most who only sell birds/supplies not breed/raise them. Wild birds: The gizzard is a very muscular organ, but because most of our native birds eat at least some seeds with the hull left on, the gizzard needs help. Particles of grit grind within the gizzard against the seed, to remove the hard outer coat so the embryo of the plant can be digested. bejay9.. re hubbards: I'll have to check into maturity times. Friend of mine said that they are all her family used for pies but she is from another state. I haven't thought of dehydrating squash/pumpkin flesh. I will have to do some and see if the feathered family would like it. They are not very fond of dehydrated carrots - it's the texture, I think. Maybe that would be accepted better. jmsimpson9, Baker Creek seeds lists a couple of 'seed producers' Pipian From Tuxpan and Silver Edge. Both sound very good, but they dont list days to maturity. More research to do.. I'm beginning to believe that I may end up with (too) many different Cucurbita - just to try. (Is anyone else surprised at how expensive some 'seed packets' have become? I haven't priced veggie seed from catalogs for a few years now.. c h o k e)

The individual blooms of astilbe do not last very long. It is not at all unusual for them to go over or start to fade and dry (turning a rusty brown) in a month or so. In fact, very few perennials have a bloom season that lasts more than a few weeks to a month. Some folks like the dried look of the spent flowers stalks and leave them in place, others remove them. One way to extend the season of interest is to plant different varieties that have different bloom times - some cultivars are very early, others offer flowers quite a bit later. As to why the peach and purple didn't produce the colors you were expecting is hard to say......depends on what cultivars they are. IME, 'Peach Blossom' produces flowers that are a rather insipid and very pale color and they do not hold long. FWIW, flower color has typically little to do with growing conditions, other than too much strong light can bleach out certain colors. Otherwise, it sounds like you are providing pretty much the condiitons they want - a rich, organic soil and sufficient moisture and partial shade.

Many sets of china are made witihout a teapot. Do you know where your grandmother got the china? There was a lot of china during the 70's that was sold/given away at supermarkets, drugstores and the like....you saved your register slips and with say $50 of slips and $5 you got a place setting.... I suspect that the companies which made the china for these promotions were larger companies making a specialized pattern. I have a set of 24 plates and mugs and salad bowls that are made in England which I boughtw ith the register slip and cash program. My daughter has a set of "Liberty Blue" which were my mother's, that came from the register slip and $5 program Some patterns were very popular....others not so much. It's pretty stuff....keep looking, it'll show up! Linda C Here is a link that might be useful: Liberty b lue

You aren't alone in that. My first reaction to a "Show me " post is that a person isn't willing to make the effort to do their own research. I don't mind being helpful, but the time I spend here is R&R for me, not a job. Don't make it feel like one. If you've done some homework and have a question, plenty of folks are willing to share what they can. Another one that irks me is the title being "anyone have a" or "anyone ever" followed by something fairly popular. That's another one that suggests a person isn't willing to search and just wants to be spoon fed. I cna't tell you how many times I've been tempted to reply and say "No. No one has ever had a single bowl sink before" or something similar. If the question is really "Are you happy with your XYZ after a year or more?" at least say that. I admit, I have pulled out a magnifying glass to try and read some drawings, but I do it less and less often. Readable is so important. Photos too -- a picture really does speak 1,000 words, so save us all some time and learn how to use them. If I can do it, I'm pretty sure you can too, and your payback will be more than worth it.