im sorry, i dont have the details anymore, they are lost in history that is my mind. but the most interesting story that i remember is this white moth orchid of maybe australian decent. this had a spur of 12+ inches yet no insect was found to have that long of a tounge. Darwin said, keep looking!! years after his death, sure enough. a (night?) moth with a 14" inch tounge was found. reinforces the evolutionary theory of 1 - 1 evolution quite well. Olbrich botanical gardens in Madison WI had that orchid and that was the second time i heard the story, first time being in botany school. certainly someone here can give the name and maybe even a link? froggy

Ketzel - I write while LOOKING at my garden. Being IN one would be better, but it was 91° at dawn (37 °C for you metric folk) and it's headed for 112°, with humidity. tandyslashcrazy - "so what do people in this forum do? post essays and stuff and then discuss them?" Ask me to write an essay and I'll ask what the pay is. :) It's more about writing as a way of earning money - contracts, editors, how to get article ideas - than writing for the sake of writing. It's not a matter of skill, it's a way of thinking ... I have no problem being crassly commercial and selling my brain children, innermost thoughts and random musings to any editor who writes checks that don't bounce.

IÂve only had our Quadra-fire pellet stove insert for a couple of months. When working, it produced heat for our family room/kitchen. IÂm trying to get it working again, and as I check forums for leads, I come across questions in forums that I should have asked and information I should have been more aware of. I still like the idea of having a pellet stove, but those thinking of buying one should be aware of and discuss a few things with your dealer. First, a pellet stove needs electricity to run. ItÂs not like a fireplace. Second, you will be responsible for picking up and storing the bags of pellets. In California they run about $5.50 for a 40 lb. bag. On really cold days (for CA) weÂve gone through a full bag. This is cheaper if you buy (and store) by the ton. Third, you will be responsible for maintenance (and in my case, repair) of your pellet stove. This entails a fair amount of work. Be sure before you buy to review all literature/DVDs that go over what you have to do to keep the stove running. Also be sure you have a written and signed document that details what you are responsible for and what your dealer will do for you. Pellet stoves are a big investment. As long as you go in with your eyes open (and mind well educated) you should be fine. RiChabot

I literally just replied to that thread (I hit them before I come over here, b/c their traffic is so low). Here's what I wrote: Trumpeter is one of my very favorite floribundas... I have three of them! I've never heard the term "dwarf floribunda", but it stays fairly small... ~2.5 feet. It blooms like crazy. One of my favorite color combos in my garden is two Trumpeters flanking one Lavaglut... love the dark red of Lavaglut next to the orangish red of Trumpeter. But Trumpeter blooms twice as often as Lavaglut, just to give you an idea of how wonderfully prolific it is. The only thing I'll add is that your pic of Trumpeter looks a lot more orange than mine are. Mine are what I'd call orangy-red. You made a great choice!