Krystine, Two weeks ago, I took my pelargoniums out of the dark in the basement. They were still very good, and so I cut stems and placed in pots. Out of four plants, I could possibly have 29 new plants. I know I definitely have 17 after last night's check since new leaves are already growing on those. In terms of the other stems, well, they are still strong so I'll wait. I could have potted more, but this amount will be fine. If you want to increase your chances, you can purchase a rooting hormone. Lee Valley has a good one. It's a gel which I find better than the powder. I don't normally use rooting hormone, but am propagating more and more in the last few years and decided to try it. I have a holding bed full of propagations from stem cuttings which I did last year without rooting hormone. The plants include 3 different Phlox Paniculatas, Chocolate Joe Pye, Rose of Sharons, Butterfly Bushes, and Hollies. It's a great way to increase the number of plants in your gardens for no $$$$!!!

One good piece of advice since most peoples tubs are normally far away from their water heater is to install an instant on water heater (gas or electric) in your bathroom. It takes the load off the main water heater, particularly if others are washing, showering, doing anything with hot water. I just bought a Sanijet 660 (roughly 72" x 43" x 23" deep) when they had a 50% off sale on their pipeless water jets. We bought the 6 jet system, chromatherapy in 7 colors with multiple ways opf using them, matching drain hook-ups (or if you want nickel you can get it), and 9" or 12" holding bars if you want them in matching colors. Since there is no water running through the pipes (there are no pipes, just jets that suck in water in one end and propel it out the other)-this means you can safely use whatever bath products without worrying about bacterial growth in the pipes. Depending on the model and package there are 4 to 8 jets. You can easily unscrew all of them in seconds and put them through the dishwasher to keep them clean. I think they are having another 50% off sale come August 15th. But who knows, if you call them they may help you out now. Itis more sanitary than any other waterjet models out there, and waterjets are much more powerful (and adjustable) than air jets, and they are numerous times more quiet than air jets, which can be deafening, particularly when you just want massaging water and a relaxing bath. Greg

I have the Treviso as well and don't have any problems at all with mine. 1. I'm looking for a pull down faucet that has a nice, solid button for the spray (not the flexible rubber ones). this is a big one for me. I know a previous poster said theirs is rubber and I had to double check mine, it is definitely a hard black plastic. I also got mine from Faucet Direct on ebay. If you decide to go that route you may want to ask them about the faucet they will be sending you. 2. it would be nice if you can engage the button and then it stays a spray, rather than having to hold the button in. Mine stays in the mode you put it in. When you turn the water off however, it goes back to the default setting which is stream. The slide adjustment to control the pressure on the stream stays put though which is nice. 3. i like the idea of being able to adjust the water pressure/stream right on the head....is this what the PF faucet has and is there any other? any more explanation of this feature? The only time I use this feature is when I have it in spray mode...then I put it on full blast, makes cleaning dishes off easier. I do like the feature though and it was a selling point for me. 4. when you are finished with the spray head, i'd like it to dock securely and easily back where it belongs. magnetic? weight? screw it in? Mine is magnetic and I haven't had any issue with it not staying in place as the previous poster stated. Overall I'd definitely buy the faucet again. I have had no issues with leaks, the spray head not staying put or anything of that nature. I will caution you to make sure they set the faucet up correctly BEFORE they drill the holes. I gave the faucet to my fabricator and he didn't use the ring at the bottom of the base when he checked for clearance. When we installed the faucet it was too high so we had to do without the ring at the base. It doesn't effect the function so I've learned to love it as it is. Good luck...for some reason choosing a faucet was a hard decision for me!

Hello Desertgarden I remember before you going thru the same dilemma. You and Jasminerose4u or somebody kept talking about it. It sounds like you are trying to talk yourself into moving. I remember back then I wasn't going to answer anymore but alas, here I am. I think moving in order to have a job must be a lot easier than just deciding where to live. I think I would move with others to Santa Barbara:) Anyhow, I have lived here for over 50 years and was born 100 miles from here and have a sister that lives in Boulder City, NV and works in Vegas. I go every year and have for many years I would not have to give her advice to move here because she would never do it. It's more like a great place to visit but wouldn't want to live there with her, even tho' every year she complains about her summers from H*ll. She's been there over 40 years. Every place has their own set of problems. Too hot, too cold, too rainy, etc. etc. etc. She freezes here and I tell her to put more clothes on. DUH!!! First of all, I would worry about you more than your roses. Roses grow almost all over the world. Look how many members around the world this forum has. Every rose we grow is just an experiment anyhow. I see you got some good answers on your rose concerns. I will try to give my answer to some of your other concerns. 1. Zone 8 is just not cold for most roses, including tea roses, but I know that Sun, and Summer heat to an extent, is something most seem to enjoy I am zone 8A. The zone map says Min 10 to 15 degrees. Rare but not unheard of. I am in the urban area so warmer than suburbs. Mom used to say this was the banana belt. I've never lost a rose to the cold, doesn't mean it couldn't happen. And if it did, just a reason to try something new. Not the end of the world. 2. Seattle receives less rain than the U.S. average.. definitely less than many states in the middle of the country but likely with more cloud cover, and I know that there is a time where the city skews towards dry and sunny. Don't move here if you can't handle the gray. We may not get a lot of rain but we can make it last month after month after month. I find it cozy but it would drive my sisters crazy. Some people move here and love it. July and August and some Septembers are usually our dry months. https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/cloudiest-cities.php But man, it is gorgeous on a sunny day. It was 96 degrees today and broke a record from forever. Most of us do not have a/c. Back to the 70's tomorrow. 3. I recently visited the Woodlands Zoo Rose Garden ( an ARS test garden). A few roses had blackspot (Bolero was the worst), however, some had missing leaves, so I am assuming that was due to blackspot. The vast majority of roses appeared extremely healthy in this organic garden. Woodland Park Rose Garden is 3.5 miles from me. I don't worry about blackspot so much as Powdery Mildew. Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! Even the new landscaping we just had put in has it. Hey, but we don't get as many weird bugs as other places. LOL! 4. Portland - the city of roses???, also known for beautiful roses 143 miles SOUTH of Seattle. Different city, hotter, colder.....not the same city. 5. Most of the roses were modern hybrid tea roses, rugosa, floribunda with Austin's here and there. At the Woodland Park Rose Garden? It's a test garden. Or maybe they found those grow well. It gets a lot of tourists and a lot of weddings. 6. Sheilah's PNW, Oregon/Rogue Valley garden is breathtakingly beautiful, filled with healthy plants including Tea roses. Rogue and Heirloom are both in Oregon)..???? Rogue River, OR is approx 425 miles SOUTH of here. Completely different climate than Seattle. Sheila is probably near there and I think her garden looks lovely and she puts a lot of work to make it look that way. Thanks Sheila:) I love South Western Oregon and would move there if I didn't move to Santa Barbara. HA! 7. Beautiful, healthy roses could be seen in every neighborhood/area we visited. Was my visit to the PNW at the prime time and not indicative of the norm? June and July are prime for roses. I would say my roses are good, some May, mainly June and July and start to slow down August and September they are gone. Or at least not that good. That's it! Seems like a pretty short season. 8. The Rhododendrons were magnificent. Are they a problem to grow also? Rhodies are tall as a lot of houses here. I don't have any but see them everywhere in the Spring so I don't think they can be too hard to grow. Probably just need the correct soil. I would be more concerned about: gray days, traffic, home prices, Seattle freeze (with so many newcomers not as strong), the convergence zone if you are a little north of the city (it is real) and other things. Every year you seem to have so much angst and I wish I could help you to just go with the flow and enjoy life and roses. If I had to move to Las Vegas I would probably feel angst too. A big change. My sister was telling me how beautiful her neighbors roses were this year in Boulder City. Seattle is a small city. With your husband being a tech executive he should be able to get a good paying job. In the future when your children have children it will be more important to be a grandma and to be near your parents. Enjoy your children while you have them. They'll be gone in a blink. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-is-a-world-class-city-for-traffic-congestion/ http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/seattle-once-again-nations-fastest-growing-big-city-population-exceeds-700000/ http://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/newcomers-talk-about-the-seattle-freeze/ http://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/more-records-fall-median-home-price-hits-722000-in-seattle-and-880000-on-eastside/ A lot better than California https://www.zillow.com/nv/home-values/ Las Vegas median home values PS: Have you ever driven from Seattle to Vegas? When you do you will realize it is a different planet;) You don't get that same feeling in a two hour flight. Good Luck!