I lived in Millington from 00-03. We lived in base housing but I played in the dirt there too. I didn't know anything about winter sowing though...probably a good thing at the time! I don't know deborah, I thought poppies are plants that like things on the cooler side. Maybe it even depends on what type of poppie. I sowed CA poppies, shirley poppies 'falling in love' and 2 oriental poppies back in December. Mine are still rather small but I could tell the CA poppies needed to get out of the container. I haven't planted out the other poppies on my list. I guess you could always go ahead and sow some now but reserve some for later just in case? Michelle

Welcome to Charlotte. If you live in town, one of your best resources is Wing Haven Gardens & Bird Sanctuary in Myers Park. It's a three-acre garden of densely planted bird-attracting plants and trees with formal and informal garden 'rooms,'and it's open to the public. Been there 80 years. Many of us learned to garden in this region by becoming volunteers there. You can also be a member without volunteering; you get a regular newsletter and discounts on their popular symposiums. Also,there are two big plants sales there, in April & October, and members get to shop on members-only day. Take a break from packing and visit there, hours are Wednesday 10-12 and Sunday afternoons. Info is available on www.winghavengardens.com There is a Charlotte Hosta Club. Sponsors a garden tour, heavy on the hostas, every summer. For info, e-mail royal2227@aol.com

Oz, Whether or not you leave them in the peat pellets is up to you. I'd base my decision on a couple of facts: 1) How soon they are going to go into the ground. If you are going to plant them out in March (and with our variable weather, that might be iffy), they should be able to survive that long in peat pellets. Once the plants are 3" tall or so, though, you may need to feed them with a water-soluable fertilizer because peat pellets are essentially "dead" and have no nutrition in them for the plants. You could use the fert. of your choice--I like using liquid seaweed or fish emulsion. 2) How warm the seed-starting room is/how quickly they dry out. One of the problems with peat pellets is that they hold too much water initally when you first add water to them to get them to "expand" and "fluff up", and then once they dry out, it can be very hard to get them wet again. So, water regularly so they don't get dry and hard, but don't keep them sopping wet. If you keep peat pellets too wet, then damping off, which is a disease that kills the seedlings, becomes a huge issue. 3) Potting them up into cups gives them a huge advantage root wise, so I always pot up into cups using a good, sterile soil-less potting mix. Look at the size of your pellets and the size of the roots you can have in those pellets. Then look at a 12 or 16-oz. cup and imagine what size the roots could attain in those. If your plants are going to be inside another 3-4 weeks, your plants could gain a lot of root growth in paper cups during that time. 4) Potting them up into paper cups makes hardening off a lot easier. With larger plants in paper or plastic cups, you'll find the hardening off process will be easier to achieve. Plants in very small peat pellets often dry out very quickly as you are hardening them off outside in the sun and wind. If it is especially windy, they can be blown out of the flat. Plants in cups have a little more weight and hold moisture better, so they are a little easier to manage during the hardening-off process. And, I've grown most of what you've started from seed and they've done well for me here. I haven't grown pilotus, though, and Texas Bluebonnets usually flower in April-May from a fall planting. I am not sure if you'll get flowers this year from seed if it was planted only recently. On the other hand, I have planted "Alamo Fire" (red-flowered) bluebonnet seed in the spring, and those bloomed in June-July. Dawn

Hey Everyone! Just got home about 3:30, am totally wiped out, wanted to post about my package before I fall asleep standing up! Jayeanne sent a really nice package, two packages actually, she forgot to put the dog treats in the first one! I got what I think is a leash holder, shaped like a dog bone, with 3 hooks on it; it says "good dog" but that can easily be changed to "good Kitties"! Pink also sent a cinnamon pumpkin candle, a backpack size hand sanitizer (I use these ALOT), and a very sweet note, with baby Pugs on the front. And then there were the seeds she sent. I AM SO EXCITED! There were Coleus, sweet peas, California poppies and acorn squash. AND THEN, there was Broom Corn, Fleabane and Bishops Flower, all three of which great for attracting Butterflies!! I have one lonely little patch of Fleabane show up in a different spot every year, Now I'll have it where I want it! All three of these are new to me and I can't wait to get them planted! Jayeanne, thank you very much for a great "Dog Days" package. Loved it! If I didn't think I would wake up at 3 am and be awake for the rest of the day, I would go to bed NOW! Tabs and MyrnD were really good for me, but now I know why Chris sounds so tired sometimes, when I call. Gonna miss them, tho! Jeanne, thanks for hosting a great swap! Take care of yourself, please! Shirley!