I'm very annoyed by the fact that when the heat of the summer arrives, I will have bare/brown spots left by the POA annua while at the same time, I will be unable to seed because of the heat. Soooo... I'm going to conduct an "experiment" (I probably subconsciously recall this experiment from 3rd grade science class). I started some pans of sod (the disposable aluminum pans used for cooking); poked some drainage holes in them and filled them with soil/organic material and spread seed. I now have one pan that is completely filled in with thick grass that I am using on other areas in need of some patching where seed did not initially take (I cut to size and fill in). Thus far, there is one or two small weeds in the pan of turf, but no POA (give it time, I'm sure). I will time the others so they are ready for laying just about the time the POA dies off. Would it be easier to just buy sod when I need it? Probably, but there's just something about growing your own and having it on hand (and matching the existing turf) when you need it during the POA war. And, if it works (probably a big "if"), I won't be so miffed about not being able to overseed in the fall when the pre-emergent goes down. Obviously, if your yard is large with a sizable infestation of POA, going this route would be an exercise in futility. But, if you will only be left with a few bare spots come summer, it might be worth a try.

snip and drip ... snip it off at ground level.. apply 100% [which is actually 41%] roundup or generic.. on the snipped part.. use the handy .. expensive applicator at the link for precise application of ONE DROP .. ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

yes, I will. Good idea. Thanks for that suggestion, although I am reading this in Saturday, and Monday is Columbus Day. I finally heard back from Bayer, they said the pasture would be safe 24 hours after spraying. I am still a little (a lot)paranoid though. We have had cooler, drier weather for a few days now. Most of the Nostoc is black and dried up/crunchy underfoot. I tried to rake it up but it just breaks up, plus takes forever. I am wondering if dried Nostoc is no longer "living" and therefore safe...or maybe it now has concentrated properties and is *worse??* I may start a new thread asking about that. The weather is so pretty and I would love to see the horses out there, enjoying it! FYI, the horses are NOT stalled, they have stalls attached to large shady paddocks and can go in and out at will. If all I had were stalls I would be borrowing a friends' pasture to make sure they got out to graze and stretch their legs. I just want to make that clear.

I hear ya D2G, we all have plenty of those missed opportunities in our homes. I know I have tons! It certainly doesn't make your home any less beautiful! However, I would not draw attention to it with a FP screen, except maybe one of those fold over types Flo mentioned-they tend to stand higher. I also wouldn't buy anything else for the mantle. You don't need to match the art, and you have so many lovely things. I would sooner see your beautiful clock and candelabras, though not "perfect," because they are a piece of your story.