Hi Linda, It's a shame there are so many left-wing loons living in CA. They ruin it for level headed folk like you. I don't know how much good it would do, but you can always write your congressman about the lunacy - but then again you got people like Nancy Pelosi!!! now Speaker of the House and she's from CA. How she ever got to where she is is beyond me! I like the idea of a Garden Junk Commission. We would be the most anti-PC people ever hired! LOL Insisting that there be no limit as to artsitic expression, ect; freedom would RULE! And I could use an extra 115K a year! How do I sign up? LOL In Melbourne the dams are something like 30% lower than they were in 2000 and we have tight water restrictions placed on us. The greenwashed loons have lobbied hard against new dams being built and the state has agreed! Yet the population has risen by almost the same percentage and we're expecting a further population growth. How the state govt expect to 'water' all these people has yet to be seen. They're so busy 'thinking ahead' combating 'man-made' climate change they're missing the point. There won't be any water left down here and the poor future kiddies will be dead from lack of water long before CO2 will kill them. So I understand about the greenwashed getting their way when it comes to progress. The greenwashed just don't want anyone living comfortably - except for themselves. Luna, what a great idea. Rid CA of the illegals and then see how much that state could save on EVERYTHING! Cait

"I would have thought the difference in leaf size and vigor can be explained by the difference in the amount of light each plant receives for photosynthesis" pietertje Thanks, good observation and probably the right one. Both are in constant water reservoir pots and you are right I'm getting a lot of growth in full sun. The other thing I notice is many go through a browning edge condition just prior to the new divisions and the new growth. I'm assuming we are turning on and off plant signals that leads to this condition. The answer would be to check dormant root dry weight or drive off all the moisture and weight a group of plant roots and controls to see if there is more growth (roots) for next year. This is not a research step I'm going to take. Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of Dream Queen before and after

The little lizards are everywhere lately lol. I just took one out of our bedroom yesterday and put it outside on the ginger plants. I looked out the bedroom window and saw this green form bouncing up and down and it was a lizard inside our window lol. I also found a little pinkish lizard with suction cup type feet (maybe some kind of newt??) trying to get into the clothes dryer last night. I couldn't catch him. I have been finding the tiniest baby green tree frogs in all the rose flowers here lately. They are feasting on gnats or something that fly around the blooms. As for the huge roaches or palmetto bugs...our Key West rescue hens love to get them and rip them apart! They actually fight over who gets to devour them first LOL! They must have got a lot of roaches on Key West because next to bread, roaches are their favorite food lol. I have a phobia of those big roaches so I was delighted when we got those Key West hens because they gobble up every one they find. ~SJN

Love your living room, dyhgarden! Is compromise an option? The scale of the existing bench works. Would "upholstering" or "slipcovering" it be an option to add a color and/or pattern that you'd love? A layer of foam would make it more comfortable - not as much as a full settee, but better. Unless you pick outrageously expensive fabric, it shouldn't cost a lot. Depending on your skill, you might be able to do it yourself.