Carol, I think it's wonderful that you're starting a butterfly garden. I think that they need our help. Yes, it does seem that the Latin names are used pretty much on the butterfly forum and I was intimidated too when I first joined, but after awhile I started learning those Latin names too. So now I'm one of those Latin nerds. lol I don't know nearly as many as some people do but do know some. They don't use them to impress people but to different between the plants so there's no misunderstanding what plants should be planted to attract a certain kind of butterfly. For example, there are different kinds of blue vervain and if they'd just say that someone should get blue vervain for a host plant for the Common Buckeye, the person they're telling that to might get Verbena bonariensis (a great nectar plant but not a host plant) instead of getting Verbena hostata, which is a host plant for that kind of butterfly caterpillar. Another example is rue. Rue isn't just rue! lol If you want to have the one that's a host plant for Giant Swallowtails and Black Swallowtails, get the one that is Ruta graveolens. There are many different kinds of rue; e.g. meadow rue, and that's not a host plant. Okay, class dismissed. Haha. At first I didn't understand why they used Latin names on the butterfly forum, but after reading awhile, then I knew why. I bet you'll learn some too after awhile. After you read a lot of posts, they started sinking in my head; I wasn't even consciously trying to learn them. Anyhoo...I hope those names don't chase you away from the forum. I've learned so much there and also here. Yep, Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata), also known as Hoptree, is a tree that is a host plant for the Giant Swallowtail. I can't say that I could identify a wafer ash offhand, but from reading about it, it sounds like a desireable tree since it attracts the butterflies, and I also remember reading that it has fragrant flowers and only gets about 20 feet tall. I just looked up what zones it can grow in and it said 4-9, so you're good. I had bought my seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery. I'm pretty sure those other trees I mentioned would also grow where you are at. You probably won't find pipevine at any of the stores. I got mine from Sunlight Gardens. Just as with the other plants, there are different kinds of pipevine. Mine is Aristolochia macrophylla. A good thing to do if you're interested in attracting butterflies to your place is to go to www.butterfliesandmoths.org and look up your state and county to see which ones were reported being there. The website has their host plants listed and also nectar plants that they like to go to. Like you, we've been removing scrub trees from here and replacing them with nice trees (the ones I mentioned). I could go on and one about what to plant for which kind of butterfly, but I'm probably already sounding like a commercial for the butterflies. Being that this is the wintersowing forum, I'd better shut up now. Ha. Sorry, but I get carried away about them just like I do about plants, and that's why I have close to 100 containers sitting outside that I've wintersown (is it sowed or sown?) Best of luck with things and if you ever have any questions about butterflies, just email me. yomamab2002 at yahoo dot com Cathy

One problem is that glass cutters can handle straight cuts, but curves are iffy. If your table top is round or oval, it is tough to cut, but a rectangular piece is easier to do. I also wondering if codes require the table top to be "safety' glass, e.g., glass that is internally stressed to cause it to fragment into many small pieces if struck. This stuff may be very difficult to cut in the usual way. If Walmart can not supply you with a replacement top, then make a replacement top or get a whole new table. If you make a top out of plywood, be sure to use outdoor or better yet, marine rated plywood. The other stuff will de-lainate in a short time. Finish the plywood with an outdoor rated finish. A marine varnish is good, but ti takes a longer time to dry than other finishes. Whichever finish you use, be sure to soak the edges where the end grain shows. The edge will require much more finishing liquid than large flat surface. Continue to brush the finish onto the edges as it soaks in. Stop the application when the rate of wicking slows, and lastly, apply to the large flat surface. Sealing the edge (and end grains) is critical for long life.

This is why I love this site -- you all help when we need it and then say we did great! The wall color is Benjamin Moore Aura Affinty #500. It's a greenish gray that plays off the slate that is on the floor of the Florida Room next to the kitchen and throughout the house in hearths and bathrooms.

From the pictures, doesn't look like anything is really wrong. Old leaves are supposed to droop and die, then new ones replace them. The Pleiospilos with the flower bud is blooming out of season so it's all mixed up, plus it needs full sun to get the blooms to open, plus it likely is in root shock from the repotting so no surprise it isn't performing at its best. You really should put each plant into its own pot, they don't all share the same growing needs so you can't really take care of them properly that way. Second thing is try to ID what you have and learn about their growth needs. Reading and learning is the key. Don't be discouraged by the inevitable early failures. Read more about appropriate soil mixes, pots, sun and temperatures. If you have the ability to grow these outdoors they will be much healthier than indoors. Succulents are not good houseplants. They are good at tolerating poor conditions but that doesn't necessarily make them for a windowsill. x