There is a great feed & seed in Atlanta! Standard Feed & Seed: 2339 Brannen Road Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30316 You can not get the corn gluten as meal, you need to buy it pelletized and it will break down sufficiently with some rain. I used it. It's working great. They have various sized bags of alfalfa, they also sell 3 sizes of grit which is good for a) moles/voles, b) rooting stuff c) rock gardening, troughs and plants that need exceptionally well drained, free running soil. I have not asked about the rest of the stuff you are looking for. Another place to buy lots of really nice ammendments etc. is Atlantis Hydroponic Supply. They sell things like large bags of pearlite, large containers of fish and kelp fertilizers and a large variety of rooting hormones. There are three locations in Atlanta and one I think in Athens. GGG

"I don't think it has one iota to do with "the Home Depot Reputation" or the "Lowes Reputation" at all. Or Talbots.." I think it's pretty clear that there are company/store initiatives and policies driving the behavior of the staff at some stores. You will find each store has its own personality, same phrases repeated, same routine each visit, a fairly consistent experience. Large companies often have a company motto to drive the culture and a CS initiative in place. I don't go to department stores often anymore but also notice they don't have staff around anymore like in the old days. It's a real hunt, lol. And agree, the constant interruptions at some places that have their CS vamped up can really be annoying. By the time I've left, I feel like I've been bombarded by sales people. Now Talbots can be unpleasant. I know more than one person who won't go in any more. Sounds like it hasn't changed. But what I really don't understand, is some of these people who need these jobs, why don't they take an interest in what they're doing? Instead of standing around or whatever, get to know your products. Some of them have been there long enough to have done some research, even if it's their own on-the-job or at home training. They guy in Appliances has been there for years, internet access in front of him, and he still doesn't know product features.

Alas, Crysanth, I think you have found all there is to find! I live in the Orlando area. We only have one shop that isn't JoAnn's that also isn't exclusively a quilt shop - The Sewing Studio. They have a large selection of upholstery, bridal and garment fabrics in addition to quilting fabric. I am not very familiar with the west coast but haven't heard of any fabric stores other than quilt shops. There are a couple of Hancock's in Lakeland, but my experience there is that it is equivalent (or less) than JoAnn's. Donna

Got my brazilian cherry at wholewood, too. Victor is quite nice. They do tend to spam craigslist a little bit, but it all seems legit. Be careful, though...his prices do change, so this is one area where it's worth it to order more than you might need. Also, get the entire list of wood you need from your contractor. My guy was not at all organized when it came to the stairs, so I had to keep going back and forth with Victor as to how many risers and whatever other little parts they need to build stairs, and there was no bargaining room by then. if anyone wants to work with a chinese cabinetmaker in south san francisco, you can try Gao's Group. I think they have a website. I pushed them, and they got my cabinets done in just over 4 weeks. of course, now I've been in for 9 months, and there are still a few little things left, but he did get the important stuff done when I needed it! They actually make the cabinets, I believe, and definitely have staff who speak english. They were also 20-30% less than Precision cabinets from Brentwood, partly because they'll give a discount for cash. I got my floor tile/slate at Terico tile (absolutely love that place - I'm not one to need 10,000 choices, so this actually worked for me), and my backsplashes at Bedrosians, with some Terico, Unitile, and some Oakland place mixed in, while looking for my granite.