Hi Lisa, Yes, I would think that they would have their houses up already. My friend who lives in North Dakota has just had her Martins arrive, so it is time. It is absolutely NOT too late to get nesting Martins. It is VERY important to place the house in the very best location possible. Martins need large open flyways from all directions. They do not want to nest next to large trees, but they do not like to be too far away from people either. Location is EVERYTHING to them. Proximity to the Bluebird housing should not be too much of a problem for them. I wouldn't put them side by side intentionally, but many Martin landlords have BB's nesting in close proximity to their sites. What you absolutely cannot do is to allow any other cavity nester to nest inside the Martin house. It must be monitored very closely. If you see another species of bird is interested in the housing, then it needs to be closed up until you see Martins on it or around it. YES, there are many websites where Martin landlords come to discuss their colonies and are very willing to answer questions and offer advice to those who are newbies and trying to learn and establish colonies. Here are some Purple Martin sites: http://www.purplemartin.org/ http://www.pmclubhouse.com/isapi.dll?c=h&htx=page http://www.michiganmartins.com/ http://purplemartin.org/mentorprogram/index.php?loc=MI http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com/ Hope that helps you!! Keep me posted on your progress?~~Angie

I'm seriously considering Quartzscape for our refinish/replaster. I was warned that its colors are inconsistent because it's mixed on-site rather than premixed, but my applicator mixes all his pebble/quartz colors on-site, and I'm told he's very good. Was it significantly cheaper than PebbleTec? I'm told pricing varies by region. Thanks in advance! David

There is no standard price for anything. Dealer costs depend on distance from the factory, volume, special negotiated pricing, and a whole host of other factors. As far as labor, it depends on the market and the scope of work. Higher cost markets charge higher prices. A simple replacement of boxes like for like is cheaper than one where the original 1956 electrical box has to be updated to be able to have a modern kitchen and you want to take a wall down and replace a window too. One thing I noticed from their website is the term "globally sourced". That's usually code words for Chinese manufactured. If that's actually accurate, then 21K for Chinese cabinets is obscene. Find out where they are manufactured. Not assembled. Actually produced. They use a lot of industry hot buzz words without actually telling you much about their products. I'd personally be looking for something US manufactured, KCMA certified, and with longer than a 5 year warranty.

They'll usually just regrow from whatever is left of them. I'd maybe just cut them back to make them look tidy in the meantime. I have a bed of them along the road and they always reseed themselves. They were sprayed with herbicide by a neighbor before and still came back from seed. I've had success with literally pulling some of mine up, cutting them way back and then planting them in a new area and I've also had success with long "hardwood" cuttings just stuck in the ground.