Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I love compost. It has the appeal of alchemy for me---black gold from trash. :) I had a hobby pile one summer with my partner's old molded hay bales that was 2x3 hay bales wide and long, and three hay bales high. I filled in the middle. It was such fun--just a scaveger hunt for things to put in. I worked at the hospital and had a new spare biohazard bucket for the coffee grounds, went to a friend's grandfather and helped clean his rabbit cages(great stories he could tell) , went to another partner's garden just to cut his old corn stalks down cuz I wanted them to stand in the middle for oxygenation path. LOL! I put old tobacco sticks through my chipper shredder until I got a little nauseated from the dust. How people chew tobacco is soooooo beyond me. :D That was the year of the livestock yard, and toward the end the hay bales walls collasped inward to add. I really thought it was grand! Then we had to move. Boo hoo! I'm so new I didn't know there was soil and compost forum! Lordy, lordy! Other people like me??? But it stands out in my mind the way a compost pile....well, composts. The first half (maybe) of the decomposition stage is the most dramatic as everything disappears and the pile shrinks unless you feed it vigorously. It seems like lasagna raised bed would get lower and lower and need more on top to maintain height. I'm guessing that would eventually essentially bury anything planted there for more than a year or two. Seems like it would have to have several layers of actual soil to stabilize it. Heh heh. Maybe I could get caught up in another compost hunt for a lasagna bed--that would help me keep my hands off my nice daylily seeds till spring.

Della has put in for about 4 Gister Ghost from her wholesaler...whether she will get "any" is a question...you may want to email her at conwayd@embarqmail.com ... she will be picking up her orsder in march I think. She is likely the only person who will ship a larger /older SG and she is on the east coast...Her trees are 4+ years old ...but I wouldn't expect anything real large as far as Siter Ghost ...it is pretty new /rare / and in demand...If you can live with a first year graft contact John Herter at jherter@twave.net he has been offering many of the Ghost series on Ebay ( don't know if Sister Ghost has been or not) there are a bundle of those Ghosts. I gurantee you if you get it from him it will be tiny and need alot of attention. On the West coast they are available but a bit pricey for their size which generally is small even there Oh if anyone is looking for rare Jm's they can contact Della at the above addy ...she has put in a long list of mostly rare cultuvars this year and should find out shortly which ones she will be getting...She would be more than happy to send you the complete "request list" ( don't get your hopes up though that they will be on the "got" list) and / or the actual 'will get" list when available so you can actually reserve a tree... David

Have you looked at millwork suppliers?

I need to find a supplier in the Toronto/GTA or Muskoka area that builds all wood counter stools that can be painted with a specific white colour. I really like the cross-back style like the Crate and Barrel vintner's stool. Any ideas?