The last that I checked, Sunshine Nursery in Clinton does not sell clematitis, but Sherry, the owner's wife did have clematitis established at their home with no pipevine cats several years ago. She was not willing to sell any of her personal clematitis with me at the time. I had always planned to share some cats with her when I started getting some. They may have found her plants by now. Edith lives near downtown OKC, and works at the OKC Zoo. I met her several years ago at a Monarch tagging at the the Zoo. We got to talking about Pipevines, and my dream of getting them started. She happened to say that she had a colony at her house, and invited me by to see them, and shared some clematis plants, and a few large cats at the time. My vines were quite young, as they had only been planted that year. That was the first that I and Miss Sherry had ever heard of clematis. I may check with her later today, to see if she would want your eggs. She may not want the eggs, but may be interested in newly hatched cats. She may not, if her vines are full of cats. That year, the outside butterfly garden at the Zoo was gorgeous. And, there were several pipevine vines thriving. Last year, when I went to the OKC 1st Butterfly Count, the outside garden was pretty sparse. There were no pipevines, and most of the native milkweed had died out. Years of drought, triple digit temps, lack of funds and help, had caused a significant loss. The money went to the newer enclosed butterfly garden, and now the big Centennial trails. So, the outdoor butterfly garden has been neglected. :( Last year, when I visited with Edith, she said that she did not have 1 pipevine swt. The drought had killed out her colony. Hopefully, they are getting re-established again.

Larry I will post some information from the Ronniger's site where I buy my seed potatoes. I will also add the link to their site. They have very good information on how to grow them. I think this will answer all of your questions better than I can. But if you have any more just ask them. I will say I doubt if hilling no would be beneficial in my opinion. Jay Page 5 Cutting Seed Potatoes l Cutting Seed Potatoes All tubers the size of a hen's egg (1-3 oz.) may be planted whole. For larger tubers, cut the potato using a clean, sharp knife so that each piece will contain 1 or more eyes. Pieces should be cut with plenty of flesh around the eyes, since the plant will utilize this stored food during the first 2 or 3 weeks of growth. If the variety has many eyes, try for two or more eyes on each piece. This provides opportunity for more vines to grow and thus yield more potatoes. Seeds may be planted immediately after cutting if you have good control of soil moisture. If theres a chance the soil may be too wet for a long period of time, youÂll want to allow the cut pieces to dry out prior to planting. Spread them out on a table in the shade or one layer deep in shallow boxes for drying. Avoid shriveling which may weaken the seed piece. Also rec- ommended for wet soil conditions is the application of sulfur or Fir bark dust to the freshly cut pieces. Place 1 or more table spoons in a large paper bag, and toss the pieces around to cover them with dust. This may guard against threat of infection by bacteria and fungus in wetter soil. If you are able to plant cut seed successfully, then there's no reason to go through the extra steps of drying and dusting. Planting The rule of thumb to follow, for the earliest planting time, is to plant 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Then of course,you can plant anytime after that, giving yourself at least 3 months growing season before a major fall frost. Some growers plant later than this for better growing temperatures. Check with the locals. A good beginning soil temperature to plant in is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The width between rows is determined by the size of your garden and method of cultivation. Farmers need 30" -36" be- tween rows, while gardeners can get by with 20" -26". You might adjust your spacing to suit adverse conditions. Wider spacing can help alleviate stress due to drought or poor soil. Tighter spacing may give you a uniform canopy of foliage to cool the soil in summer. Dig a shallow trench about 6" - 8" deep. Plant your seed potatoes about 12" apart. Using a rake, cover the seed pieces immediately after planting. Do not cover too deep, 4" maxi- mum, and leave the remaining soil for later. Hilling In approximately two weeks, depending on soil temperature, green leaves will emerge. When the plants have grown to about 8" high, gently hill with soil brought up from both sides of the plant using a dull hoe. Bring the soil up about 3" inches leaving 4" - 6" of the plant exposed. Hilling cools the soil and creates space for tuber development. All tubers will form at the same depth of the seed piece and higher. Another hilling of 1 to 2" is beneficial 2 - 3 weeks later. Keep the blade of your hoe well away from the plants so you do not damage the roots. If you see potatoes poking out of the hills, add more soil to cover them. Potato Growers Guide Hilling is crucial to establishing your crop. By gradually building an ever-larger hill of soil around the plant, you are building the site for your potatoes to develop. Give them plenty of room between rows and build your hills wide and ample to produce your bumper crop. Raised Bed Method Make your raised bed at least 12" deep and fill with soil. Plant seed potatoes 6" deep and cover to the top. If you are crowded, space them 8" - 10" apart in rows 20" apart. If you have room, plant 12" apart in rows 24" - 30" apart. Cover to the top. If you live in a wet climate, only cover to 4" deep so that the potatoes can get a quicker start. Then cover to the top later when the plants are tall enough. Mulch Alternative Method The Mulch Method is a good alternative if your soil is shal- low, rocky or compact; if youÂre planting in the heat of sum- mer, or have problems with scab in your soil. The best mulch to use is loose, seed-free hay or straw. Leaves and dried grass clip- pings can be used. It is important to have plenty on hand. Prepare your seed bed. Plant the seed pieces. They can be placed on the surface or lightly trenched, spaced as usual. Loosely shake mulch over the bed, 6" - 10" deep. As the plants grow, continue to add more loose straw, as if hilling. Be sure you keep the tubers well covered so that sunlight doesnÂt get to them and turn them green. The mulching method provides ex- cellent weed and moisture control and reduces stress due to heat. At harvest, pull back mulch. Your nest of potatoes will be clean, uniform and easy to harvest. Cage Method Alternative Grow potatoes in vertical boxes, cribs, barrels or wire cages. Set your cage on prepared soil. Plant strong seed pieces 6" - 8" apart and cover lightly with 4" of soil. When the plant emerges and grows, begin adding mellow compost, mulch or soil always leaving at lest 6 inches of plant exposed. Continue this process until the plants stop their upward progress and/or blossom. Then let them finish out their growing season providing them with plenty of water. As the plant stems lengthen, so do the length and number of underground stolons, which are what produce the potato tubers. More potatoes form in less space and the yield is increased 2 or 3 times. This is a great way to grow a lot of potatoes with limited garden spac Potatoes need about 1" - 2" of water per week. Keep the soil evenly moist, but not too wet, from the time of emergence until then end of the season. Try not to let the soil completely dry out as this will cause sudden re-growth when watered, giving your tubers ears and noses, splits, or hollow heart. Each time you water, let it soak down 8" to 12". A few thorough waterings,along with your efforts at hilling or mulching will be an adequate program to conserve soil moisture. Come up with a schedule, every three days or so, to check the soil moisture down at the roots.

I taped it on the DVR, the kids were too wound up to sleep. And here it is 10:30 and everyone is asleep and I am posting instead of sleeping. It is just nice to sit in the quiet and type and read with out chasing everyone down.I haven't slept well in weeks with my gallbladder and everyone sick and hospital stays, I can't wait until normal or anything close. Stacie

Oh, boy, can I relate to this!! I've also been looking at on petfinders. I had talked to this one lady via e-mail at length, have filled out the application first of the week, and still nothing. I had also seen a poster at my vet's office. This was local and I called and made arrangements for the lady to come to my home, bring the dog and see if we were "approved". Each time I'd get so excited about the dog coming over, but she called and rescheduled twice!!!!! The last time I told her I was just going to go to the shelter and see what they had. You would think they would jump all over anyone willing to take these dogs and give them good homes!!!! We found one through our local shelter that is in a foster home. He is special needs as he is sight-impaired. He also has a horrible ear infection that has not cleared up. He is a pekingese and a very sweet and loving dog. My husband and I have an empty nest now, and my sister says I just need someone else to take care of! We already have 1 dog and 3 cats. I'm a little nervous about taking on this dog's health issues, but I think we can handle it.