Now I know some people are high on manures...and horse manure --the higher the better -- is just fine and dandy. But, when we think about it...manure in such hot form, is not to the liking of plants. I'd say...all plants. If it were, then I think the fertilizer companies would be selling it more openly as just such... horse manure. That term is often used to explain away such arguments.... From all reports I've read about the subject, they all suggest a more reasonable time interval between the time it exits its source to the time it goes back into the ground to effect what it can do. A year is commonly the time interval from fresh to usable. If such goes into a compost pile, then such interval should be adhered to. Better to treat a new pile, then add to the old. A poster a while back suggested that since she has many horses and wished to partake the valuable resource they offer, gave such freshness to her vegetable garden. Such vegetables then made their way to the dinner table. She got very antagonistic when I suggested she inform her guests, before they sit down, what was added to the carrots and broccoli put before them. Her adamant statement that she has been eating such food for the past many years and she hasn't had any problems, just made up her mind that her horses gave the good stuff. And what's good enough for her, is good enough for anybody who sits at her table. Now everybody knows that rabbit poo is good enough to add to the plants straight away. But, whether it is good enough to top the potatoes in place of a spread..... well, that's cutting the cheese the wrong way.

Hey Hans Down here in SE Louisiana our Hippeastrum continue in a vegetation state year-round. I thought the HWT would give me a better start in eradicating the mites since, I recieved stock from several locations around the U.S. and Holland. My plan was to build an improved "boiler" loosely based on an article by Dave Karnstedt. But, if the general consensus is that the chemical treatment is just as effective, I will instead, rely on rotating between the above mentioned miticides while they are still in pots. I fear some of the bulbs were probably infested and, wanted to treat the plants prior to removing them from pots and planting them outdoors. My objective was to kill the mites before they infected my garden area. We have no idea where this new Hippeastrum bed will be since, the government has not yet informed me as to whether or not they are going to allow me to rebuild my house or, if I must relocate to higher ground. If any of my bulbs have already developed "Red Blotch" as a result of damage inflicted by the "tarsonermid" mite, are they beyond rescue?

I'm with uroboros up there. I like to know as much as possible about the seedlings...operative word being 'like'. That said, I have some Dan Bachman seedlings here that I know nothing about. I think he regularly sells his seedlings. I have a seedling that the seller Perennialist on the LA sent as a bonus...it's really pretty. I can't remember right now if I have others. Of course, the hundreds and hundreds of my own...lol! Someone said once somewhere that if you get a chance to buy some hybridizer's seedlings, you should go for it to really advance your own program (think of folks who have bought some of Larry Grace's). I think, too, a little known thing (at least to me) was how many hybridizers do sell seedlings. At lot of them, you have to actually go and visit them to know that. Some hybridizers themselves talk about seedlings they've gotten from others. It's interesting how our views evolve on things. Now that I am starting my fourth year growing seedlings, I know how much work they are! I think this (famous last words) will be my last 'big' (for me, at least) year of seed starting as room is just nonexistent. It takes me two to three years to see bloom. That said, if I found someone offering a seedling of a cross I like, why wouldn't I want to jump ahead those years?? On the other side, when I get ready to cull...because of space (first) and because a plant doesn't work toward what I want...and if it is an otherwise fine plant, why shouldn't I get some compensation for all that effort? As long as people are clear about it...seedling...whether it is all or not...bloomed or not, etc.....I don't see the problem there. I think problems come later if individuals try to sell them or give them garden names and sell them. But, the thing is...people already do that! The horse has already left the barn! If you're an AHS Display Garden or aspire to that, you might want to be careful. But, if like most people, you just want to enjoy beautiful flowers, who cares. I mean, I know plenty of people who don't know the names of their other perennials and it doesn't bother them. Look at all the people who post on here trying to find out the name of a daylily (pretty hopeless in most cases). For the big guys, most don't keep their intros around for more than a few years because they know people resell them (for less). I don't really think they're threatened by a seedling market as the folks buying those are probably not their customers anyway. I think the big guys (and girls) deserve their money, knowing how much goes into it...however, they're out there really advancing the flower. Most of the rest of us are just hobbyists. I think there is plenty of room for everyone. The newest and best genetics command top dollar (as the new everything does). I can see how hard it is to make money (most of us clearly aren't in it for that...lol), but I'd sure hate to see folks like Paul Owen fail. We need all kinds of different people producing all kinds of different flowers. I thought his offering flowers for people to name was rather brilliant. I mean, I've read about people visiting in Florida and getting daylilies named after them. Not everyone gets that chance. Where I live, there probably isn't anyone in 30 miles who would willingly pay $100 for a daylily. However, they'd probably buy unnamed blooming seedlings for what are bargain prices (not that they appreciate that!). I think for those of us that are collectors, we're going to continue to collect. I still see lots of green lawn everywhere...lol...so there are plenty of folks. Some will eventually move up the ladder to pricey ones (like a lot of us)...others will be just as happy with their $5 bargains. It's all good. Let me just conclude with the thought that if you belong to the AHS, a local club (or two or three), the robin, hang out here, etc, and have zillions of labels all over your yard.....you are not the 'average' daylily person! For those folks, registration has meaning. (I thought I was concluding...lol) I remember vising Mr. Benzinger's garden on what was probably his final open garden (Buttered Popcorn, among others)...and I don't think he had any registered daylilies that I could see. Had a sign up for you to see from the road...something like "Daylilies $5"....and you walked around and picked out what you wanted....they were all seedlings. I still have one (oh yeah! forgot about that one!), a nicely speckled diploid (that I had to figure out for myself!). It's appealing to me because it is something I might work with. I mostly prefer...without a doubt...registered daylilies, but that doesn't mean I don't like to play with seedlings!

Our grout color is "natural gray" from Lowe's because it's what we used on our floors. For switch plates we used ORB. For the ends we just grouted it in, no caps or anything. Here's a pic of my switch plates. They were special order at Lowe's and go very nicely with our ORB hardware and faucet. Igiori, thanks! Yeah, he's my towel pig. We just keep a towel on him all the time. He's a happy little guy. My kids sing the "towel pig" song, if you've seen the Simpson movie it's the "spider pig" song. Again, can't take credit for him, saw him in another kitchen on this forum and since I collect pigs, I had to find him. I was lucky to find the exact same one she had.