Cork - Thanks so much for your kind comments. We enjoyed our visit with you and your wife, and spending the time talking violets and sharing information. I am so glad you enjoyed my collection and were able to see first hand the consequences of violet addiction! Come back anytime!! Russell - I agree it is always nice to have some extra space to grow something new or acquire a most wanted. Brambles - Thanks for the link. I haven't had time to look at it yet but I'm sure it has a lot of good information, and I plan on reading it shortly. I could use some good culling tips. Korina - Thanks for your suggestions but I really don't have too much difficulty in finding new homes for some violets. The ones that don't perform well are another story. I don't want to pass on to others a plant that hasn't grown well for me. It could be my growing methods are the problem(the violet doesn't like me!)or it could be the plant is from weak genetic stock. These definitely are the ones that go into the heap! Your suggestions are great and thanks for sharing. Elaine

Hi. I live in a new development. The only trees are along the old fence rows that once stood between cotton fields. Our lot was a bare 1 acre. I planted saplings/whips to save money and enjoy the growth. Here's what I have, and I'm pretty much at the limit. I have a septic system and had to leave that spot bare. Red Maple 4 Dawn Redwood 4 Bald Cypress 2 Weeping Willow 1 Sourwood 1 Crabapple 2 Washington Hawthorne 2 Giant Sequoia 1 (just an experiment, lol) Loblolly Pine 2 Smoketree 1 American Hazelnut 5 Cherry (3 varities, dwarf) 3 Apple (2 varieties, dwarf) 5 Pussy Willow 3 Mock Orange 3 Wiegelia 3 Azela 6 Norway Spruce 3 American Arborvite (as screens) 9 I don't expect the Spruce to make it and may pull them. We're in a rural area with no sidewalks, and shallow drainage ditches (hence the willow and cypress near spots often too wet). It looks a little odd now, since they are all rather small. Only the Norway Spruce are in danger of crowding, so I'll probably remove all but one watch how it does with the heat for the next few years. I hope I inspire others to plant the development. I will remain responsible with limbs, tree health, leaves, etc. That's the key when having a suburban forest, at least in my opinon.

i lost my senior great dane girl 5 weeks ago to bone cancer. it was sudden and shocking and i still look for her. my remaining dane girl and eden were joined at the hip, pip took the loss very hard and had been grieving so much, it broke my heart. i contacted pip's breeder and one of her former co-owners and asked that they keep an eye out for any adults that any breeder friends might be considering a new home for (retired show dogs, etc.). the co-owner gave me the contact information for one of her people who had a dane boy she had been looking for just the right home for and the rest is history. meet "flighty foto my way", call name "frank". frank will be 4 years old on 5/31. he is a very sweet boy and he and pippin hit it off immediately at our meet 'n' greet friday. they do zoomies numerous times a day, sleep curled up together and are just a perfect pair. pippin is so much happier and that makes me happier. even though i miss eden terribly, i am beginning to heal now that pip is feeling better. frank is a bit on the thin side because he lived the last 4 weeks with a female dane who was going through a heat cycle and when that's going on, intact males ignore food, do a lot of pacing and fretting and routinely lose weight. he's eating like a horse so i'm confident he will gain and be back to his normal weight soon. i'm giving him a few weeks to settle in and then i'll make an appointment to have him neutered.

You are talking about 'black cork'. This is a building grade material (which would then be covered with a 'final' finish like drywall or clap board/siding of some sort) which can be found in thicknesses upwards of 4" (I've heard of thickness as high as 8"...millionaires use this level of product). There are very, very, very few building companies in N. America who handle this product. It is HYPER expensive. Stunning. Amazing. Outstanding. Thunderously expensive. As a subfloor product, I would look at 1/2" cork underlayment sandwiched between GLUED planks of plywood. Do NOT pierce the cork with nails. An install like this would be considered a 'double stick'. Again, nice and expensive; yet highly effective. The glue = $1/sf for each application...and you will need two applications. The cork = $2-$5/sf. Plywood = normal 3/4" subfloor grade plywood - not OSB. As for walls...remember to stagger your framing to avoid vibration transmission via physical contact; double stuff the voids with Roxul Safe N Sound. You will get both HEAVY DUTY noise reduction as well as an excellent fire break. You are welcome to work with black cork. You will need a specialty builder to import it/purchase it from specialty building suppliers...and then you will need special (read expensive) architectural drawings with specific directions how to utilize/install this very special product. There are a few design firms in California who have routinely used this material. You might reach out to them (should only be 1/2 dozen firms in all of California who know about it/have used it) to see if they A. have the product and B. have any advice on how to use it.