How many times has anyone emailed back and forth numerous times over say 2 weeks time or more, working out a big ole trade...that just keeps getting bigger and bigger, as you and the trader 'find' or think of more things to offer that the other might be pleased to receive....until the trade is for 10-15 different items? (That to me is a 'big' trade). As I take the time with emails, digging, labeling, and packaging, I feel it is exchange for the many wonderful things the trader is 'supposed' to send me. I feel with the review forum, I will feel more assured about it being a good or maybe even wonderful trade. I have written many reviews (in my spare time when I should have been busy doing something else here at home), but plan to go through what paperwork I have (I found when my computer crashes I loose everything), and give positive reviews on the many members who have traded with me, or even sent me seeds for sasbe or plants for postage. I would like to give some thought to some of the really special ones, and write a bit more, telling why they were outstanding or 'special' trades or things for postage. Not really sure what I will do with those few who were disappointing...maybe nothing...will have to think on that b4 I put my foot in my mouth there. In the meantime, it has been fun writing the reviews...kind of like saying 'Thank You' all over again for wonderful, and appreciated plants and seeds. Sue

Things have and are changing. You don not have to be a member to shop the BGI Classifieds. BGI is promoting reliable and trusted sources for brugs. EBay is not reliable with a few sellers not being ethical. I have been a member for some time. I really enjoy seeing what everyone is doing all around the world. I'm up in Canada and my brugs are sleeping so I'm getting thru the winter via the posts. If you haven't joined but are considering, I encourage you to give it a shot. BGI is undergoing a lot of changes and is a great place to share your love of Brugs. The opening of the classifieds is just an example of the changes occurring. :)))))

Energy_Rater_La, playsand is too soft for rooting. You want the coarse builders sand. If you don't have any of that left over from projects, you can purchase it at a big box home improvement store. Plain old coarse sand with no perlite or vermiculite is just fine with a misting bed. Misters are really easy to find and greatly increase your strike rate as does rooting powder. YOu can usually find misters at big box stores either in the plumbing section, or in the "outdoor living" as a whole setup to keep a patio cool. I think what most landscaping professionals object to in the LF is the lack of homework the poster has done, as well as the lack of ideas of what they want. That's a deadly combination. If you don't know much about gardening, then educate yourself, and if you're not interested, then definately hire a professional to create something for you. It's imposible to help someone who doesn't have any direction or expresses no likes or dislikes, or even any information about the site itself. It's like asking an architect to design your home and he's never met you, doesn't know how many are in your family, whether or not you're into formal gatherings or informal ones, or even what the site looks like. You'd never expect even a hint of what type of house you'd get, because you didn't provide enough information to begin with. It's the same with landscaping. Landscaping is creating the architecture of the exterior of your home. To be helpful, a professional needs to know a lot of things about the site and your family. And, if you don't know enough to be able to give that information, then you don't know enough to be asking for free advice from someone who gets paid to design in the real world. It's a real busman's holiday for landscapers to come into a forum and give advice, and most do it because they love plants and love good designs. Making it hard for them and getting crabby about the responses you get isn't very gracious. No one is saying to bow down and kiss toes, just do your homework and post all of the relevant information in the beginning, and you're more likely to receive a useful response. Asking a question like "What kind of shade plants should I buy in zone 5?" isn't a very useful landscape question. It's more properly a Northern Gardening question and a question of personal preference/taste. Asking, "What type of transition from sun to shade has been successful for you in a formal design?" is a Landscaping question, and can prompt a useful discussion. Asking the right questions, in any context, is the key to getting the right answers.

I can't help but wonder why some modular owners even post here? This surely must be beneath them to even have modular and manufactured spoken in the same sentence. This forum is named "Manufactured Homes", if modulars don't fit the category why on earth do you even visit, let alone post here? The reason is simple you want to put down those of us who have chosen quality and value over snootiness. Here's a news flash - your modular house is NOT better than mine, in fact they share the same gene pool. I'd be pleased to stack mine up next to yours, board by board and nail by nail any day of the week. I am so tired of modular owners saying things that are simply lies about todays quality manufactured homes. If you need to talk about 1976 mobile homes compared to your McModular to make you feel good you are way out of touch with reality. Lolitta - Actually today's manufactured homes do qualify for 30 year financing when placed on a foundation JUST like your modular. Please do tell me how your home is better than mine? Actually I think Nashua or Guerdon have built stacked manufactured homes, so you are wrong about that too. And guess what, my house will last just as long as yours since it was built with the same components as yours, standard grade lumber, wiring, plumbing, HVAC, etc. And like yours it was manufactured in a factory. Wow would that mean that your MODULAR is a manufactured home? Oh sorry, I didn't mean to call your house a dirty name. Am I defensive about the quality of my home - you bet I am. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. BigDee- We agree at last. "This is a great country but the American public is slow to educate themselves and slow to give up old myths and paradigms". NEWS FLASH - YOU are the one who needs to give up the old myths and paradigms re: manufactured homes. You need to realize that the quality M/Homes of today are far and away better than even 5 years ago, and YES even as good as your modular. Modulars and Manufactured Homes are way more alike than they are different. Many are built in the same factories using the same components, lumber, and construction techniques. My suggestion for those who don't think their McModulars fit in this category, stay away from this "trailer trash" forum.