Hi there, What if we have a long indian summer? You could be in tomato heaven... I don't mind topping or pruning...so I'd prune anything that's not going to make fruit - but I wouldn't want to top plants if they are flowering...until you KNOW you are a week or 2 from a cold snap. If you have these in a row, maybe add a few taller stakes, and string 1-2 wire lines across the top to support any higher fruit? Another idea: I have a friend who uses 10' green plastic coated steel rods (rebar) stakes - with cloth strip ties (I'd use red - to stimulate more fruit production) and his system works great! Bamboo also comes in about 12' lengths and can do the job. Do you have another garden item for support you can move there temporarily? For example - an 8' Arched Trellis, or a tall paint ladder? I don't agree that new fruit won't ripen...sounds like these folks all grow only giants - which I don't. I prefer to get more for daily cooking rather than a few big ones for show. Ripening depends on many variables - the size and variety -and in my experience - your weather, access to light, & level of care/neglect. If they get any color change at all they'll ripen even - even off the vine. As soon as the season turns cold, I pick ALL fruit with any color beginning to turn, and top plants back to then next existing viable fruit. After watering and pruning, I dig and bring in as many as possible to extend the season. other people just add a cold frame - but I don't have anything that large - and still don't trust it to protect plants from the evil black stem. I keep mine going that way for 2 months months - in a chilly sunroom. I think the coldframe people may get just a few weeks. (peppers make it all winter and go back outside) Good luck designing your own system! Here is a link that might be useful: as many staking methods as gardeners!

If I had Monarch caterpillars, I'd be cutting the milkweed back to feed them. Cut it above a node and it will put out new growth. If you do it early enough, it will flower later in the summer. I've already pruned my common milkweed, that is after it flowered, I love the scent and the butterflies and other pollinators love the nectar. Hint: You can also do searches for information. For example, pruning, milkweed. Here is a link that might be useful: Search on

Hello Henry, The grower licensed to propagate cuttings for the Karma dahlias resides here in Michigan. You may purchase trays of Karma dahlias through the following representative vendors: Germania or Gloeckner. We receive our trays in early March, and bump the cuttings up to 4" pots which are grown off in a heated seedling greenhouse for four weeks. The plants are planted in an unheated hoophouse/coldframe the first week in April. And, they generally start blooming the second week in May. This is when our markets start, and we have demand for blooms. For frost protection a layer or two of remay usually helps. Many growers have roll up sides; however, we do not. Our hoophouses are situated with the prevailing winds with wide doors at each end. Generally, we have no problems with mildew since we don't water overhead. Drip irrigation lines are laid throughout the beds. There are three beds in 20 x 96 hoophouses. That is the size that is generally used for growers in areas with snow. These structures are gothic design houses for areas with heavy snowloads. This size house would hold 1,104 plants which would produce two stems or more per plant per harvest. We harvest two to three times weekly for our markets. We can harvest one day, go back out there they next day, and it looks as if we had never harvested the previous day. Karma dahlias are wonderful for growing under these conditions because they can be planted on 12" centers, four rows per bed. The plants do not get bushy as many field grown dahlias typically would. Karma dahlias grown under these conditions provide long, strong laterals. The plants are tall as opposed to bushy. Each plant usually provides many, many blooms throughout the growing season. They are easier to harvest than field grown dahlias. So, that may be some consolation for having to be inside a 90 degree hoophouse during the day. We do, however, try to harvest early in the day, or later in the evening. Generally, we grow the Karma dahlias to get us out in the marketplace early, and they take us up to the point where our field grown dahlias start producing. However, this year with the late spring, the field grown dahlias started producing at least two to three weeks later than normal. It is September, and we continue to harvest from the hoophouses as well as the field grown dahlias. When we start harvesting the Karma dahlias, we usually think they are the most beautiful dahlias ever. Bloom size does wane a little as the season progresses. And, when we move to the field for harvesting, at that point we think the colors of the field grown dahlias are just more vibrant. Frankly, I think all dahlias are beautiful. It's just that we love the ones we happen to be cutting at any given time. Dahlia growers are like that. Hope this information helps. Trish

Wow thanks everyone for good questions and feedback. Kirkhall: I fixed the door swings thanks for that. The split closets on the left bedroom are meant to be a storage room and then the closet for the room. In my latest draft my wife and I opened the right closet to make a nook with a window out back. Less closet space upstairs but we have a ton in the basement. As for the bedroom on the right we want to do a built-in bookcase where the gap is between closets. AlexHouse: All I can say is WOW :) The feeling we are going for is more of the rock arch over the range and then the pizza oven next to it faced in the same rock so as to extend the look. We are using thin sliced stone for the walls to save money. LauraJane02: Thank you for that idea but we still need to think about the door changes for the MBR. Still not sure what will work for us. The new layout is simpler and uses the space better but we arent sure how to shift it. Still taking ideas. AM.E: I dont have any good elevations just yet BUT here is a sample I got from one TF company we asked for a estimate from. Modified Home Plans It is close to what we want except wtill working on the front proch roof line. Overall though it is the correct feeling. We are doing SIPs except the roof in the walkway we are doing stick built. And the garage will be 100% stick. As for the open areas, thats the point of doing Timber :) at least for us. We love that open yet homey feel of the timber frame with trusses. We will build in the fall/winter this year if all comes together :) Thanks again everyone!