A few years ago my husband and I constructed a "potting shed" for my mom out of all recycled materials. I'll post pictures as soon as I can retrieve them from my dead laptop. Mom is 4th generation born in her 150 year old house, and we used the original small hardwood doors for most of the walls of the shed, an antique storm window that was in the barn, other antique windows from the barn, and a greenhouse window we got for free at the dump. This year we're dismantling it to move it to our new house in the country, as Mom just can't get out there anymore. We're going to expand it and add a greenhouse section made from windows from a friend that were taken out during a reconstruction project on his house. Ooh, we also have an antique wooden gingerbread style storm door on the front!

A few tips from a northern horticulturist now living south of Santee. 1. Soil is sand with very little nutrition and high in phosphorus. Do not use fertilizers high in phosphorus. 2. You will find that many plants grow best in high shade or morning sun, afternoon shade. 3. Epsom salts will be your best friend. It is magnesium which is necessary for plant absorption of iron. Don't be afraid to scatter it around plants. 4. Sandy soils are best amended by placing compost/manures on soil surface under pine needle mulch. Don't dig them in. Compost everything you can get your hands on. You will need it. 5. Winter gardening is fabulous here. Prowl the growers on St. John's Island near Charleston for plants and advice. Spring bulbs should be purchased when they come on the market in the fall, refrigerated until Jan. 1, then planted. Carleton is the best daffodil to grow here and is one of the few that will rebloom every year. Be certain to attend the hidden garden tours in Charleston for great ideas. 6. Careful selection of disease free rose varieties and many of the old shrub rose varieties will prove to be valuable garden additions. 7. Study on-line catalogs such as Plants Delight and Singing Spring Nursery for helpful tips. Best to buy plants rated for Zone 8b-9 to grow in this area. Be prepared to say goodbye to many of your favorite plants and be ready to learn about many new ones. Also, you will find far fewer insect and disease problems here. No Japanese beetles! Fire ants...yes. Numerous northern annuals are perennial here. You will have an enjoyable learning curve and quickly adapt to gardening in this area.

We are talking late blight not early blight. Two totally different animals. Yes, Timmy, I am well aware of that. However that wasn't specified in the OP and the label "blight", when it has no further distinction, means many things to many people. Unfortunately it is a very loosely used label. That is why I specified EARLY blight in my post above - to point out the distinction lest the uniformed panic thinking late blight was what they had on there store-bought plants rather than plain old early blight. :) Dave

Wow, it's funny how people have such different ideas of what is worth seeing. I've been to Niagra five times, with and without kids. I could stare at those Falls endlessly. Every time I go I do every possible "tour" of the Falls. The Cave of the Winds is not to be missed. Sometimes I get off the MOM and get right back on the next trip, and the next. I'm mesmerized by those Falls and the closer I get to them the better. I'm not fond of the cable car over the whirlpool, but I do it if the others in my group want to do it. I heard the cave that goes behind the Falls is closed now and if so I'll be heartbroken as that is a fantastic experience. I am told that Goat Island is the best of all the attractions in NF, but somehow I have never managed to get over there. There is a safari/amusement park between NF and Toronto...my whole family loves that place. The only thing I've really enjoyed seeing in TO is the "castle" that is there. I spent a week at 1,000 islands once. It was a long week, lol. The highlight of that trip was also a castle built on a privately owned island. NF does have a horrible area full of mini golf, funhouses, ripleys, etc.