Ilene, Since you're thinking it would be OK if the onions bolted, they'll probably be stubborn and refuse to bolt! (That's the kind of luck I always have, anyway.) I like your rainfall collection tank. I've wanted something like that ever since we visited the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin where they have a massive rainfwater collection/cistern system that is incorporated into all their buildings and is simply amazing. We have 5 ponds, 3 of which we put in here after we built the house, but they haven't had water in them in months. They do catch a lot of rainfall when it actually does rain, but I leave the water in 4 of them for the wild things and the fifth one is "mine" to use to water the veggie garden if needed. That fifth pond is on the northeast corner of my veggie garden and I can pump water out with a small sump pump or can scoop it out with a watering can. This pond is fairly small and holds maybe a thosand gallons so the water doesn't last as long as you'd think. If I had it to do over again, I would have had Elvis (our backhoe guy--you gotta love the name) dig a quarter-acre pond and I would have had him dig it deeper. It is going to be 75 or so here today, so I suspect we'll have fires again like we have the last two days, although maybe we'll get lucky and have calm winds and no fires. I'm not ready for the cold to return. All the fruit tree buds are swelling--even the Mexican plum which tends to be a bit later than the others. I guess the cold will be a good thing because it will slow them down, but I'd still rather be warm. The plum tree that's been in full bloom for days now probably won't set any fruit, or will set it and lose it to the cold, but I'm hoping the other trees will make up for that one. I looked back at my temperature records and noticed that when Feb. is warm, we always have a cold spell around the first week in March, so this cold front that's coming in is right on schedule. Carol, that is a very smart cat. In the afternoon our cats "collect" on the back porch where the greenhouse plastic and the afternoon sun keep the temp about 10-20 degrees higher than it is out in the open. I guess sitting or sleeping in 70-90 degrees on a winter afternoon is pretty appealing to the cats. That porch almost feels "too hot" to me at times. Sometimes I open the french doors that connect that back porch to the breakfast room and let some of the porch's collected hot air flow into the house. Dawn

Does the ornamental grass Hot Rod grow in MN

They are gorgeous in spring so I still keep a few of them. They do well in this very dry area under a tree where they get plenty of afternoon sun. If you grow them in too much shade they look like wet dirty dogs, especially when it rains. The plants in this picture were shot in spring but have now been culled out and the next batch is up and running, ready to take over next spring-- they are evergreen here in zone 7. Here in Oklahoma they tend to go dormant in summer, as do many cool season grasses, and look ratty with age. I've grown this grass in various spots all over my yard over the years. Once you have it, you always have it, Its kind of a throw away plant that ends up replacing itself nicely with new fresh ones. One year I had about 50 plants massed in and it was a sight to behold when the wind blew. Nowadays I only keep a few because... well, just because.

We don't shock the well. It was tested for safety when we moved in and passed so I read it was not necessary and could cause more issues than fix them.