Thanks for trying to educate us about this. I know first hand what can happen. I have been growing water plants for several years. But I also have a lake on my property. It has been invaded with 4 leafed clover that was brought in (we assume) on the feet of the Canadian Geese or Prairie Geese that are EVERYWHERE these days. It has completely covered all banks of our lake. No one seems to know how to rid us of it. The Extension Service is at a loss. We want to maintain our large mouth bass, but we may have to sacrifice them to stop the spread. You don't have to go dump it in a river. The geese and Fishermen( who go from state to state for tournaments and bring plants on their boats and motors)and other water birds can bring it right to your DOOR !!!! Thanks again.

That particular site ventures that it "may be" Hotta Yu Shotten, and that is believable because it even 'looks' like it could come from the 20s/30s era. I found an exact duplicate of your Dragon ware on a site and they were asking $159, I believe. FYI, the seller stated that it was circa 1910, but said that particular set had paper labeling. Like said, it's not a tea set. I've seen them called chocolate pots, and also seen them listed as demitasse sets. I suspect your 'cake plates' are the saucers. The set I found online had a sugar and creamer included. The mark "Japan, made in Japan" does not necessarily date a piece to pre-WWII. After the occupation ended in 1953, makers once again resumed stamping their ware for export the same way they did pre-war. Also, if the maker's mark is stamped in Japanese, it also does not make a piece "from the fine era". It may have been made in Japan and purchased as souvenirs by the thousands of military families who lived there in that time frame, and brought back home. A LOT of dinner and tea sets came to America that way. I'm just mentioning both of these issues as caveats to look for if you are buying or trying to evaluate Asian porcelain. I can also identify a lot of common artwork I've seen from the Vietnam War era. I have the exact same carved cat statue from Vietnam as my son in law's British father has sitting in his study. LOL. Seems my husband and he were in that area at the same time. This isn't 'worthless' clutter. They are usually exquisitely made and still appreciating. I have seen the dragonware broken up from original sets (pity) and sold by the cup/saucer for mega bucks, and entire dragon ware sets go upward of $350 if in perfect condition.

"I believe the code calls for us to stay 20 feet away from protected trees." It is not your tree, and you may already be within 20 feet with your addition. I would ask very carefully what the exact rules are. If they are as you describe you probably have already violated them. Ejector pumps (also called macerating pumps) require a completely sealed pit. I would worry about how the plumber plans on providing a vent on this installation. You could end up with a nice 2 inch inverted U vent in the yard above the crock about 1 foot high (or higher depending on flood rules). You do not want storm runoff entering the system. High quality ejector pumps are actually pretty quiet and last a long time. Cheap ones are noisy and have a lot of problems requiring frequent maintenance (as in open the pit, pump out whats there, then fix the problem).

I found this container by my compost bin. I guess I thought I would take care of it in the Spring. I haven't a clue as to what it is. the leaves are the slightest bit waxy. the stem has a little woody growth to it. there is no smell when you break a leaf. it appears there is a thin stalk from last year that maybe had a bloom on it. any suggestions? thank you. Amy Image link: