Lighten up! It's a common "jokey" thing that hosta are a plant that is given away and if you have to buy it you don't have friends to give it to you. It's "The friendship plant". Now in recent years, since the proliferation of all the new cultivars, the "hosta craze" so to speak, more people are buying palnts. But...I have received many hundreds of $$ of gift hosta from friends amd have given away an equal amount of plants. Last week I gave a friend enough hosta to plant a 20 foot area around his pond, including Krossa Regal, August Moon, September sun, Antioch, Golden edger, Strip tease, Queen Josephine,Wide brim and a few others. She was not rude....she was passing on a friendly bit of folk lore... As I said lighten up....if you are looking for rudeness you are sure to find it!

Carol, I don't like to use much of anything in my garden either. This year, when I sprayed the entire garden with Bt during the massive cutworm outbreak, it was the first time I'd sprayed the whole garden with anything since we moved here. If I "have to" treat something, I usually only spray that specific crop, and not the whole garden. I also used neem once or twice in the spring, but only on specific plants. I've found cabbage worms and cabbage loopers on cole crops this past week. I was going to spray all the cole crops with Bt 'kurstaki', but instead, I've just been hand-picking them. I hate spraying anything. Like you, I do drown a lot of pests in a bowl of soapy water--usually it is either cabbage loopers or imported cabbage worms, or sometimes it is Colorado potato beetles. The cold has finally shut down the grasshoppers for the most part, and I haven't seen a scorpion in about 2 weeks now, but the garden is full of butterflies, bees in all sizes, yellow jackets, predatory wasps, green lacewings, lady bugs and several kinds of flies (like tachnid flies and Southern robber flies, both beneficials) but also a few cucumber beetles and stink bugs, which I just ignore. There's been a little bean beetle damage on some of the remaining beans, but I just ignore them. It isn't enough damage to warrant action. We also have oodles of butterflies. I am glad I took the time to cover up a few zinnias and verbena bonariensis along with the southern peas and beans because everything else froze and the little flying critters fight over the few remaining flowers all day long. I left some henbit in the bean bed when it sprouted there in early October, and now it is just starting to bloom. That's a relief because once the beans are finished, the bees and little winged insects and butterflies at least will have the blooms of the henbit. There's also some chamomile that sprouted about the same time and it is about to start blooming, so that will be a few more flowers for the wild things. I don't get too concerned about fall pests because the cold weather pretty much takes care of them anyway. I have dug up a surprising number of cutworms in the fall garden, and have killed every one. Maybe I'll have fewer of those suckers this spring than last spring, which was epic in its horrible-ness (I know that likely is not a word) but it is appropriate. There's still tons of spiders too, so at least all the beneficial critters are hanging in there, and there's both toads and frogs lurking in the garden every day. With the salt issue in self-rising flour, it is a much bigger problem for those of us who have certain kinds of alkaline soils that are more sodic in nature, so I never would use flour in my clay for that reason. I used flour in about 2002 or 2003 when the grasshoppers were so bad, and it just ruint all the foliage of my beautiful tomato plants. They looked crappy the rest of the summer, long after I'd hosed off the flour....and we still had tons of grasshoppers too. A friend of mine doesn't have chickens, but she has an old mother coyote who has raised many dens of pups in an area near her pond, and she always puts out the stale bread and stale crackers for that coyote. I also have used an organic fungicide (Greencure) and once or twice have used insecticidal soap, but I'd rather flick the pests into the soapy water in a bowl than spray the soapy water on my plants. I don't think I've sprayed a lot of garden plants with a soap spray in about 10 years, though I have sprayed an occasional single plant in a pot. Our chickens are having garden withdrawal because the fall garden is doing so well that I haven't let them into the garden yet to dig and scratch and hunt for bugs. At the rate its going, the chickens may not make it into the garden until January. This evening we came back from a fire (it has been a very busy fire week since about Tuesday) and had some unhappy chickens in the chicken coop. They were up roosting but were chattering even though it was dark. Usually that means a snake is in there, but this time it was a little possum curled up in the corner of the coop. Tim showed him or her the way out and then closed the door. I guess the little possum thought he'd found a nice place to spend the winter. Hawks have been trying hard to get the chickens so they haven't been out free-ranging much, but I planted 5 rows of winter greens in the big garden for them, so every day I cut them a bunch of greens and toss them into the chicken coop. The greens might make being cooped up a little more bearable. When I let them out to chase bugs around the yard, I stay with them as much as possible to keep the hawks away. In this drought, the hawks are having trouble finding enough food and it is going to be a long winter for the chickens with those hawks hovering over the yard. Dawn

Heard of it? Yes, many times. Apparently the pilot has been reading about the Organic Tomato Magic book again and taking it as gospel and then spreading it instead of recognizing it for the fake hype it and all the claims it makes. Not surprising since the author has inundated the web with links and advertising and numerous web sites. Despite all that millions of tomato growers in Europe do NOT strip all the leaves off their plants. See the post further down the page titled Organic Tomato Magic for a link to all the previous discussions here about it. Dave

Thanks Sweeby! I did check your recommendation, it seems that they do not carry the pattern that I am interested in, but they do carry quite a lot of beautiful glass and options for the overall look of the door or cabinet that the glass is ordered for. Very beautiful way to finish a cabinet. I also posted this question on the Kitchens forum since there is far more experience with cabinetry over there and as I expected, I got a few more responses to my question. Here are the replies I received. They're very helpful, which is why I'm copying them here. RE: Have You Ever Heard of the Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cab D Breathe! The glass shouldn't fall out. If you're worried about it, however, there are little clips for securing the glass, and you can add more. You could also nail in a little molding bead. Most important, if you think there will be banging into the glass, get tempered. It costs more, but is harder to break and doesn't get as many shards when it does break. Check your local code. You might have to use tempered, or even wired, in a bathroom, by code, because people slip. I think my glass was installed by my cabinetmakers. They were here at the same time as the glass company was installing my BP backsplash, however, so I'm not 100% sure. Re glass shelves, it depends on what look you want, and what you're going to store. If you want the light to shine through the shelves, you must, of course, have glass shelves. For a beach or cottage look, however, you can just as easily do wood if it has a nicely finished side. Glass shelves might be better for a "formal" look. For a "formal" look, Reeded would be very nice. Glue Chip might be more feminine, however. Any simple, all over pattern would be good. I'd avoid anything that's figural, that is, no bamboo, leaves, raindrops, etc. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 14:15 Are there already plenty of mirrors? With several girls using the bathroom, you might consider another mirror in the door. Here is a link that might be useful: Mirrored cabinet doors thread. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 14:20 Plllog: Thank you so much for your reply, it sets my mind at ease. Good, practical information. Here is a link to the patterned glass that I'm considering. I don't think it is tempered, however. I just hope it has a timeless appeal. My local glass shop doesn't carry this pattern, so I may have to buy it from the cabinet company, which I'd rather avoid. But at this point I just need to move forward. Any other opinions? What do you think of this pattern? Thanks again! Here is a link that might be useful: Morisco Glass RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by growlery (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 14:30 One can't say it would never happen. But it wouldn't happen without warning. You'd notice the joints getting loose, the glass jiggling or rattling, the cracks getting wider. This could happen over the years as a normal part of wear and settling. Just take it down long before anything happens, have it fixed put it back up and it should give you many more years of safe service. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by plllog (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 16:53 Cup, I think the pattern is pretty and girly enough, if a bit busy. It's not what I'd choose for "formal", but if you have some Victorian style elements, for instance, it should do well. You can have any glass tempered. The big problem with cabinet glass (as I discovered to my dismay!) is shipping, especially if the lengths are long. Do you live in or near a city? If so you can call around to see if anyone carries your glass. I first saw my glass at a place very near my house, but then they couldn't do it for some reason (I actually think "crazy" was in there somewhere). The cabinetmaker's glass guy wanted a humongous amount extra to have it tempered. Benheim, online, wanted the same amount because it would have to be crated and shipped by common carrier (like furniture) because it was too long for a parcel service. I had a very emotional week whining about it on GW. One of our members here was very helpful. He found a distributor within an hour's drive of me. Also that this pattern is all made by the same place no matter what the name and who sells it. I was in the middle of planning to use my GC to buy it (wholesale) but transport it myself to the temperer, when the GC had the thought that maybe he should ask his glass guys. (Ya think?) They were coming to install my BP backsplash (mirror), and they carry it, so they could just bring it instead of anyone doing any crating. Sigh. Such a simple answer! If you can't find a local shop that carries it, it might be best to let the cabinet company do it. They're crating and shipping your cabinets anyway. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 19:49 plllog: Everything you've said makes perfect sense. Thank you so much for taking the time to post. And Mama Goose, I love those mirrored cabinets, they are wonderful. However, in this small tub/toilet room, when you step out of the tub, there would be the mirrors, and I'm not sure if my girls would be comfortable with that. I'll ask them what they think. It's a great idea, mirrors add so much to any room. Growlery, you are right as well, the glass wouldn't just fall out of the doors one day, we would have some warning.... now why didn't I think of that? Thanks again to all of you for your comments and suggestions. I am grateful for each and every one of them. ~Cupofkindness RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by vickimp (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 19:57 Yes! It happened to us. We have a large TV wall unit with a couple of upper doors with glass inserts. They were held in with plastic clips. Over time, the plastic fatigued and one day my DH opened one of the doors and the glass fell out onto the carpet. If it had hit his foot, or one of our kids, it would have been trouble. In our kitchen, we ordered some of our cabinets with glass inset doors. They came with those same plastic clips. Besides the safety issue, I didn't like the way they looked, so I had our finish carpenter redo them by gluing the glass in and then micronailing in a strip of wood matching the cabinets. Shouldn't go anywhere....I hope. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 8:38 Vicki: Egads! I'm glad your husband did not get hurt. Was the glass tempered? I'm wondering if you can special order metal clips (those are what I remember seeing many years ago when I did my kitchen reno. The glass was held in place with rubber-tipped metal clips). Do you know what sort of glue your carpenter used? And the wood strip is a good idea as well... between the two I'm sure your glass is quite safe. I wonder what they did 100 years ago? Thanks again! RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by brickeyee (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 9:01 Very small quarter round was the standard for holding glass in cabinets for only a few hundred years. It still works very well. The only way for the glass to come out is if it is broken. In some cases you actually tape up the glass liberally, then break it if it needs to be removed. This makes it easier to salvage the thin strips without breaking them so they can be used again (important if they are finished to match). Plastic clips are an accident waiting to happen, as are any method that does not lock in as much of the edge as possible. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by growlery (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 13:06 Yes, I have some pieces of old furniture that have quarter rounds holding the glass in. Glass has been in doors and windows for a long, long time. Get good hardware, give everything a little wiggle every once in awhile to check it's in good condition, and there are many, many more things you do every day without thought that are more likely to hurt you, unfortunately. I believe, if this is really troubling you though, there is a 3M security product that is a film, essentially like a large sheet of, I don't know, tape or sticky Saranwrap, that you apply to glass, like doors. It advertises itself as being perfectly transparent, but is apparently not quite enough so for most homeowners. It probably gets blurry and little bubbles etc. But for your purposes, stuck to the back of a textured glass, it might be worth looking into. If someone did smash the glass, it would keep it most/all stick to the film, not loose. It might be a small investment in peace of mind. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by brickeyee (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 16:02 "If someone did smash the glass, it would keep it most/all stick to the film, not loose. It might be a small investment in peace of mind. " It is not going to help much if an entire pane of glass slips out and falls on your foot. RE: Have You Ever Heard of a Glass Inset Falling Out of a Cabnt D Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Thu, Jun 24, 10 at 9:21 My thanks to everyone for your replies and all of this helpful information. I'm going to the glass shop today to see what they offer in patterned and tempered glass. I'll keep you posted.