Schoolhouse, why would you skim off the sod? It's the best dirt on the lot! Just dig it in and let it decay. The old English gardeners used to pile sod up and let it decay for six months, then use it for premium potting soil. If spacewaya skims the sod off, he/she has nothing left but silly putty! Aulani, the gypsum treatment only works well on soils that are saline (salty). It's questionable everywhere else. Especially since we don't know where spacewaya lives, or what the soil conditions are. Spacewaya, why don't you Google "gypsum clay"? There is a lot of information out there. If your soil is already rich in Calcium, you could really screw it up with gypsum. Spacewaya, about your plant problems: you're not telling us anything about your garden. What is your soil mix? How much sun and water are your plants getting? Have you adjusted your pH? Is it really hot or cold where you live? We've got a complete information vacuum! By the looks of things, I would guess that your mix is heavy with bark, and you've got severe Nitrogen starvation, and probably need a good shot of dolomite lime. It might be too late to save this year's crop, but you can learn a lot by experimenting, and then apply what you've learned next year. I've been gardening since the dawn of time, and I have always used sand to lighten clay soil. I've done it successfully in New Jersey, Oregon, California, and Washington state. If you want to learn about it, Google "soil triangle". The only time sand doesn't work is if you have a very unusual kind of clay, of if your soil is nearly pure clay, the kind that you can't dent with a pickax. If you want to try it, buy a 2-cubic-foot bag of coarse sand, spread it over a 2 foot by 2 foot area, and mix it in really well, like with a tiller. If you like the result, you're ready to tackle the whole garden area. I usually cover the entire area with at least 1 inch of sand, and then till. It takes some experimenting to find the right amount. That's why I recommend trying the small area first. Don't be discouraged by all the stories about turning your soil into concrete. Just try it in a small area. You'll find out for yourself if it's going to work. People have been using sand to amend clay for thousands of years, and all of a sudden it's bad. Landscapers use it, artificial soil mixes have it, sandy loam is full of sand, and it's the best gardening soil on Earth, but sand is evil, right? Give me a break.

Central Cali, I agree it was probably the humidity. I think the medinilla is one of those who love that "melt-your-face-off-humidity" lol. I had a different variety before in AZ and that one hated it there. I read they are supposed to be like epiphytes in thier natural enviornment (phillipines). It must be really humid there because this one is planted in dirt and drys out really bad anyways despite the humidity and daily watering. Teresa, I like Tootsie too. A few of her blooms are a little deformed looking at times but some are really pretty. Sometimes they get real yellowish streaks through them and they always hang very horizontal. I will try to find the photos of her more yellowish colors Marian, Are you talking about the FR brugs? I gave mine to my mom because I didn't think they would be what they were supposed to be either. Two of them bloomed and were singles for her-both light pink. I hope yours come out double. Which ones did you get? Jim, Its probably all the rain. I gave them all milorganite twice so far. It really stinks but they love it- greens them up and they put on a ton of growth. I was afraid it might slow down the flowering, to have so much nitrogen so then I gave them some bloom booster, epsom, and superthrive mixed for fert.-then they all started blooming. I also gave them the Worm-Poo Tea and they seemed to like that too. F4F, Thanks. Sure anytime lol. From the last pics of your flower beds it looks like you are doing a good job, I am jealous of your pond! Did you ever find that HI Wood Rose? Gloria, I bet we will all have lots to trade this fall. I am trying to add more perennials and eclectic things to my garden this year (per my new years resolution-remember that thread? LOL!) Chena, I know what you mean, the last place I lived, it would rain less than an inch all year! We got here and it rained that much in a half an hour lol. I wish it would dry out though because all the maters and peppers are rotting from it. Roses are real hard to grow here too because of the blackspot :( eloise, Thanks. I am trying to get more aroids especially EE's into my garden this year. I love them because they always look great and you don't have to wait for them to bloom! The medinilla buds will open up more and turn into flower-like bracts. They still look the same today, I will post another photo when they open more. I am really lazy when it comes to posting pics....I'm trying to be better! Hi Daniella, Thanks. Your place looks great too from all your photos! I still like your variegated weed and Love your green echinacea. ~Lenette

Thanks everyone for your advice. I think that you are all exactly right. I was trying to gradually step up the amount of fertilizer and I think I got a little overzealous and took to big of a step. I would think that It would have to be too fast of an increases, because I always hear about how much people feed them and I wouldn't think that 20-20-20 once a week would be too much. I'm currently sticking with half a Tbsp instead of a full Tbsp. Not to bombard you all with questions, but I was wondering about fertilizing with every watering. Is it better to offer a fraction of the fertilizer with every watering or a larger amount once a week? P.S. Some of you may enjoy this mystery. Shortly after taking that picture, I left for a few minutes, couldn't have been more that thirty. I came back to find about four of the leaves partially skeletonized. Of course, my first thought was grasshopper, but it couldn't have done that much damage that fast. Once i got to looking around there was pieces of shredded leaves on the ground, so they weren't even eaten. There are what look like tiny claw marks on the surface of some of the leaves. Now, there is guttering above and there has been some bird activity, so that is a possibility. However, some of the leaves were on opposite sides of the plant and it's just hard to imagine a situation in which a bird would flail around that much without just falling off of the plant. It is a mystery that has certainly left me in a jaw-dropped confusion.

TRULY ANGELIC and SOCIAL GRACES are so pretty. My daylily season has been a little less than stellar this year, but there is always next year:) My husband did go out and water the flowers a couple of times while I was at work. (catch me, -fainting-) Vickie