And now that I've found a web site for a local source of pine fines (probably), how does this sound: Container mix: This soil-less potting mix is formulated for the commercial grower. An optimum blend of pine fines, compost and silica ideal for all commercial potting needs. FEATURES & BENEFITS: * Designed especially for container plants * Easy cultivation and workability They have a photo of the mix itself as well. It's most of the way down the web page, then click on the 'photos'. http://www.kurtz-bros.com/pages/landscape/cleveland/soils.html

Hi Andrew, I use one propane heater and one electric heater to heat my 12 X 35' greenhouse. I have no experience with kerosene. One thing that might help you on heating though is a solar pool cover. Mine is inside my greenhouse, and it has been wonder this year at conserving the heat in my greenhouse. I absolutely love it. It was expensive but I would venture to guess it's already paid for itself with my savings on heating. You might do a search on solar covers and read some of the old threads about them. Here is the one I bought. Here is a link that might be useful: solar pool cover

Your sunroom sounds remarkably like the setup I had when I lived in Colorado, except for the door on the North end. We bought an insulated wood-clad exterior door and built a small porch with a windbreak on the North side. This door stayed dry inside the porch and a strip of insulation all the way around the opening prevented any draft at all. The contractor used 1x2 framing on the concrete patio deck and laid waterproof cement board on top of that. Then he laid the 1'x1' ceramic tile on top of the board. Even with the concrete just 2" below the tile never was cold in winter, but always felt cool in summer. I believe that the 1" air pocket between the patio and the cement board was enough insulation to maintain a constant temp in the floor. The windows were dual paned windows and only the ones on the ends of the room would open. The three windows that faced West didn't open and we covered all of them with translucent insulating shades. Then we put in a doggie door on the South end which was a lot more cold proof than you might think. It was close to the house exterior wall and was shielded by the eave and some large evergreen shrubs planted close to the door. It also had a solid insulated sliding door that locked from the inside when not in use. Normally the dog could come and go whenever she wanted to and the sunroom stayed an even comfortable temperature year round. We also didn't run any heat out to that room and we kept the sliding patio door closed all the time. That room was snug and warm and humid enough for my orchids to bloom yearly and my angel wing begonia bloomed constantly year round. I had one electric outlet and ran a small portable heater occasionally in winter. There was virtually no difference in our electric bill after we had the sunroom built. That one little heater barely used any power and the room was so snug that even on the coldest nights it didn't run all the time. The only thing I can think of that might be contributing to your heating bill is the door that leaks and the floor that, although you say you have thick pad and carpet, doesn't have an insulting air layer between the concrete and the pad. You also said that you stuffed lots of insulation in the walls. Thing about insulation is that it works by trapping air. If you "stuffed" it in tight, you may have actually reduced it's insulating properties by collapsing the air pockets. I don't know if that's what you meant, but that could be another issue. Lastly, we had to build a small ramp for our dog to get in and out of the doggie door and we laid a pea gravel path from the grass to the ramp so she didn't track in mud. By keeping the glass slider closed most of the time, she couldn't track in any mess and we kept a little bathtub out there to wash her paws before she was allowed in the house. Cheryl

I appreciate all your comments and thank you so much for taking the time from your Labor Day weekend to let me know you enjoyed my post! hostabuff.....Stargate Portal always looks just as you see in my photo(s) and has never had an ugly bloom here. It doesn't seem possible that it can be so perfect, does it? But in my personal experience, it is the perfect daylily and if pressed to name my favorite of all....well this one is numero uno. (And I have close to 500 daylilies). Not sure how it performs or holds it's color where it is hotter but here it is a healthy plant, many scapes and increases well. I can never stop looking at it and am sad when it has it's last bloom. I agree that Royal Jester is a looker, and it is a really good plant too. Sherry, I will try to remember when posting again to let you and others know which are my favorites! Stay tuned. Jean, I always enjoy your comments. You make posting worthwhile! twixanddud, I actually received Capacity for Wonder as a bonus with an order, knowing nothing about it. At first I was disappointed because I already have plenty of yellows... and then it bloomed. Now I know it's NOT just another yellow. Brad, good choice with Pinhill Claret Symphony. It is hard to get an accurate photo of it's color or to show how sturdy the scapes are. But it is a winner. Mine still has many buds left to go as we turn the calendar to September. Avedon, YES that is your Welcome Mat and I posted it for you mostly. I love it. Of course since it was planted last fall and we have such a short growing season it didn't do much this summer but that is how it is with all fall-planted ones in my zone. I have no doubt next summer I will be posting pics of a big, abundant bloomer. I think it is beautiful. (BTW I responded to you on my other post as well). Nancy, I feel the same way as you do about orange....it's not my favorite color but somehow I have a lot of orange daylilies....and I love them. VT Autumn Fires is so brilliant and well-budded that it is stunning in person especially with the late summer sun shining on it. It really does look like it's on fire! And it just laughs at the cold winters since it's hybridized in Vermont, my next-door neighbor. Maryl, NO that is not the same daylily. The one I grow, VT Autumn Fires is by Chris Darrow of Olallie Daylily Garden in Vermont. (The VT stands for Vermont). I believe it to be unregistered which is why it won't be found on the databases. All of Olallie's cultivars with the VT prefix are his or his father's creations and unregistered. I grow a lot of Olallies and many will be featured in my next post. They do have many that are registered that start with 'Olallie'. They are more on the plain side but I like their late-bloomers because they really & truly are LATE with some VERY-late. I usually go pick them up at the farm so I can wander around looking at them in person but they have a website with photos and do mail-order business. Thanks again for the interest everyone. Celeste