ladykitsu: I very much doubt that fireblight had anything to do with the problems of your newly planted pear trees. Fireblight attacks actively growing trees, and yours, as you describe them, have never begun to grow. Something else is causing your problems; perhaps bad nursery stock, but more likely something you are doing at planting time, perhaps allowing the roots to dry out, overwatering after planting, or God knows what. If you decide to try again, order in bareroot nursery stock from a good nursery, and plant very early; as soon as you can work in the soil without your fingers freezing. A May-planted tree that has not leafed out by August is dead for practical purposes. When putting in little trees, loosen the soil around the planting hole well, but do not add any fertilizers or other soil amendments in the planting hole. Do not overwater. And please do not try any more 4-in-1 or 3-in-1 trees until you have mastered planting the 1-in-1. You would be better off with two trees of complementary varieties than any of the multi-grafted trees. Spraying your little trees will have no effect at all on fireblight. You don't say what spray material you are using (which you should helpfully specify), but there is no spray chemical in this world that will stop an active fireblight infection once it is underway. I mention this not because I think you have fireblight, but for your future reference. If you have been spraying the trees with such frequency using a dormant spray such as oil or copper, you may have killed the trees with the spraying itself. For lurquizo: While I respect (in a way) your aversion to the use of "poisons" on your fruit trees, I ask you this question: If you had a bad case of strep throat and the doctor prescribed an antibiotic, would you take it? Fruit trees occasionally need the interventions of modern science and technology to maintain their health and productivity, and if you consistently decline to take advantage of them you will end up with dead trees. Fireblight is a bacterial disease, easy to spot on pear trees by the blackened leaves and the shepherd's crook bend at the ends of dead shoots. It starts early, and, while heat and rainfall may favor its spread, you can have both heat and rain and still largely eliminate fireblight by using two sprays of agricultural streptomycin; one at full bloom, and another about a week later. Streptomycin is an antibiotic, not your usual chemical, that stops fireblight before it gets started. Like so many other fruit trees diseases, prevention is the key, since once a disease like this gets going it is impossible to cure. I don't know where you are located (you should say), but here in Northern Virginia we have more than a month of temperatures in the mid-90's and occasional thunderstorms. But I have no fireblight in my orchard of over 65 trees because I applied streptomycin twice; in late April and early May. Streptomycin has no effect whatsoever on honeybees (which I keep here) or other beneficial insects. General "trimming" of the trees in the hope of eliminating fireblight will not work. If fireblight does appear during the growing season, pruning must be prompt and targeted at the infected branches. When you cut through a branch, inspect the interior to see if the wood is completely healthy with no signs of interior blackening. Keep pruning down until you see no more suspicious color within the branches or twigs. Gardening is not so tough once you figure out and cooperate with nature's cycles, and are willing to use carefully targeted chemical interventions when that becomes neccessary. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Calistoga, I know I wont get a full coverage in only a year I just want it to look less like an empty lot and more like a recently planted semi-cared-for area. Empty spaces will get filled in (mulched!) with fallen leaves. If I start seeds now (I actually do have some creeping thyme and rosemary), IÂll have 4-5 months to grow them out in flats. Isn't that enough time? Or are you saying I should be planting outside from flats right NOW? That would be difficult, because the "soil" stays pickaxe hard until it starts raining regularly. Cagary, I briefly looked into hydro-seeding, but it would be quite expensive. A homeowner a few miles up my road did it last year and I didnÂt really like the effect it looked vaguely industrial/unnatural somehow. Besides, I love to garden, so that would take all my fun away! (And believe me, until we get to interior decorating, this will be the ONLY fun part of this project for me.) SusanC, indeed, when I realized how overwhelming the eucs were, I started to do research on eucalyptus understory. (The Australian National Botanic Gardens website is incredible!) I found a lot of promising plants, but most of the seeds were really hard to find, and I donÂt know how successful they would really be. If we were going to stay in this house for longer, IÂd be more willing to experiment, but at this point I think it's safer to go for plants IÂve seen growing well in the area. BTW, thanks so much for the referral to the Winter Sowing forum! I didnÂt even know it existed. IÂve been gardening my whole life, but grew up in NYC, so IÂve never had the seasons (or the space) to try winter sowing before. I'm inspired! Thanks to for taking the time to reply you guys; I really appreciate it!

I've taken some classes at the local Community College, since they transfer to my current 4 year school and are much cheaper and closer to home. While the classes themselves have been wonderful - great professors, good texts, lots of support, great schedule, dealing with the administrative process is a NIGHTMARE. Seriously, no one in administration ever picks up a phone or returns a phone call or email. Ever. Even when I go there in person, unless you get the rare staff member who knows what they're doing, there's a good chance something will be screwed up. I just sent in a letter to try and get transcripts sent somewhere and I'm sending all the positive thoughts I can that this will go smoothly. I may double order, just in case. Even the information desk staff is rude and grumpy. At the 4 year school in which I'm also enrolled, staff is a dream. Very helpful, kind and completely competent. I've also taken online courses, one from a school in Utah - Weber State University. It was a biochem class with lab and it was outstanding. Great class, and while the registration process took a little navigating, it ended up fine. Thankfully, I'm almost done with this process. So, yes, I feel your pain. In a big, big way. AM

I'm a 28 year old only child (not a parent yet, so I can't speak from that perspective).Here is an inside perspective of the good and bad of being an "only". One thing I will concede, is that a child with atleast one sibling probably does develop better socially. I've always felt rather "socially awkward" around peers w/few exceptions,and tend to relate better to older people. I don't see it as a negative, but just the way it is. I was never the "bratty" type, I suppose because I was taught good manners. However, I do NEED privacy. I never had any desire to live in a college dorm for instance. I just couldn't handle someone always being present/no personal space, sharing a bathroom, etc. I have not married yet, I suppose a husband would be the exception, though even then I'm sure I'll need alteast some time/space to myself. At the same time, I also lack the concept of "divided attention", so I dont do well in groups, tend to only go out with one friend at a time, and usually have few friends. I suppose I get a bit obsessed in romantic relationships, and even in platonic friendships,can't understand why I'm not someone's "best friend." I have gotten better handling this with age, as I realize that most ppl don't want to feel suffocated. So, I guess I'm one extreme or the other, I either want total alone time, or I want your undivided attention (as I always give my attention undivided). There is also the issue of caring for aging parents one day alone (mine are divorced yet...), though siblings don't always guarantee help with these things. So, those are the biggest quirks/negatives, but otherwise, I feel it's a good thing and wouldn't want it any other way. Being that my parents are working class ppl, I know I have a ton more materially/financially then I would if I had siblings, however i'm sure not as much as "kids" from wealthier homes have. I also received a ton more attention growing up, and was quite overprotected, which when I was a child felt was a negative, but now I see it's bc my parents love me so much, and if anything happened to me, they have no other children. Well, I hope this provided some perspective, good luck regardless of your desicion.