It is a month later and they look fabulous! Still short to the ground but flush with leaves and new buds. Perhaps this was not such a bad idea after all! Have started my first ever batch of alfalfa tea and will feed them that this weekend. Thanks to those of you who gave advice (as opposed to making snarky comments about my husband) ;-)

I have been reusing a set of salad boxes that Alberta gave to me when I was a "newbie" for at least 6 years. Thanks alberta! When I am using jugs, I,like Barbe (above), I try to get the "soil brownies with seedlings" out in one brownie without cutting the jug. But if I can't, I have found the "topless" jugs to be great transporters to share seedlings with others. The "removing from the jug" technique is truly trial, error and experience. You have to get the seed starting mix to the "right" moisture level. You have to get a wuird grip on the bottom of the jug. You have to have the nerve (I didn't have it for years..) to turn that jug upside down, knowing thatt, yes, your "babies" will be standing on their heads on your hand for a nano second, then flip them around real quick. I always dislodge browies over a large tray with an edge. If any go flying they are caught on the tray. If I dislodge a tight squire, I use a sharp knife to cut up the brownie inot "HOS"s and plant.

Hi Kasha, That's quite a collection you have going there. This year I'm trying something new. I have a few year old root balls I want to keep, as they do grow so much better the next year then their first but also because I don't have the room to grow a cutting of each throughout the winter. My new idea is to use those big rubber maid totes. I can't keep the covers on for stacking purposes due to guaranteed mold, but I can get about 4-6 1 year old root balls, stacked in each and not worry about the messes I usually have. The bottom ones will have to be cut right down to an inch or so but it'll work. I'd of used a tarp underneath my bagged pots and root balls had I known that water would seep out. I just hope these roots are good and thick (about magic marker thick, at least some) when I take them out or I'm in trouble as they'll need to be potted with soil around them. Last year I pulled bare root noid single whites through with no soil, just bagged, sealed around the lowest point of the stalk/stem. Last year I went through the trouble of trying to keep above the Y for two reasons. 1) To keep a good sized tree which worked of coarse and 2) In the hope of early blooms, which due to record breaking brutal heat, I did not get. Tree sizes are very big for my garden space anyway, as now I have more specimens, so I don't mind not keeping the stalk/stem on most. The link below has some helpful pictures. Some are double pictures as I made a slide show and needed doubles for explaining purposes. It's there to. Good Luck, you certainly worked hard enough for them. -Sandy Here is a link that might be useful: Some pictures of prior year storages

Have you considered a round table? Glass top would be lovely but I am a lover of glass topped tables. You could even use the chairs you have and cover the seats with a lively color/pattern. Chandi should be moved over to center of table and lowered. Bamboo rollup shades on the windows. About the sink splash...could you build a small ledge behind the faucets (dining room side) probably about three inches tall by the width of your sink. Granite the color of your counter would be nice but I would try making it oak like your cupboards first to see if it works (keeping the splash contained). Glue it down until you see if it is something that will work. If you put bar stools there, it will cut down on your dining space. Very nice kitchen.