Carolyn, really appreciate your detail explanation on your old tank setup. The fan I have only has one setting -- ON or OFF. It is about the size of computer fan, but more industrial heavy duty in comparison. It sure churns the air a heck lot harder. I haven't really try my hands on rigging a computer fan to a DC adaptor but I'll see if I can get my father-in-law, who is a electrical wiz, to help me when we visit him during summer. In the meantime, I will try moving the fan outside on the top of the hood blowing down thru one of filter openings (it currently sits on the bottom of tank, blowing up,) and see how that goes. >>If this setup is in your home, use a very small fan that barely moves the air so that it is just enough to pull the hot air out from the top & allow the humidity levels to stay up.Ray,thank you for explaining about the air movement expected within an aquarium. My poor plants have been exposed to hurricane!! KC

I just found out how to protect the feeders from the squirrels. I got a new double shepards crook from Tractor Supply and have only had time to put one feeder on it. I can see it from here and the squirrels are having fits. They are hanging on to the small redbud and trying to grab on to the crook and it just keeps sliding out of their paws. Its hilarious! Up until now they have done in every feeder I put out. Sandy

Well...I'm not Mr. B either...oh wait, yes I am! *ahem* Clara is right. -the end- j/k She basically is though. I cannot quibble with anything she said. One thing the esteemed Mr. P from OHG will tell you is that air flow is overrated. He visited our OS last year and went to some of our member's greenhouses I think. Anyway he said that the air where many of the plants we grow live, is quite stagnant. I visted their greenhouses earlier this year and the air is very buoyant but doesn't have nearly the 'wind' that my main grow area has with the oscillating fan. Consequently, I've tried to use the fan less. Problem for me is that I use the fan to blow mist from the nozzles and vapor from the humidifier, so they cover more plants. Perhaps that's a digression... Stewart says that fastuosa lives from 100-1500m in the SW of Madagascar, up to the highlands. 1500m is really fairly high, thus cool/intermediate; and 100m is really quite low, thus warm. Since there is a range, the plant ought to be fairly adaptable. But still, I would move it a little out from the window. Stewart also says the leaves are leathery. Honestly, I've noticed quite a few of my plants leaves have that leathery look. The problem is that it *could* be from temperature or lack of humidity issues. Or it *could* be from no/poor roots. Or it *could* be from mites or other 'pests'. Oh, yes, that is most likely a spike nub just starting. Its too soon to tell for sure but it would make sense if your plant bloomed in March. In fact, I'd wager that it will bloom at nearly if not exactly, the same time as before. Interesting side note: I had two, one from the southern hemisphere, Madagascar, and one from California. They both bloomed at exactly the same time. So I think the bloom time for them is pretty well hard-wired into the dna. Lastly, I would not dismount it and pot it. The one I killed, was potted. The other one began to languish, and I mounted it, and so far so good. You seem to be able to give mounts what they need, so I wouldn't change anything. Why take it from growing in a fairly natural way to trying to force it to grow in a way that is alien to it? Too risky. IMO. Can't wait to see the flowers! -MB

Maybe, maybe not. I have seen clematis in pots at big box stores that often get hit and miss watering with dried stems but new growth pushing up from the crown. Good sales bargains for the knowing costumer. Go ahead and plant it or sink the pot in the ground and keep it watered. Most stores will allow one to bring back a plant throughout the season. Suggestions for planting new clematis. Plant tilted towards your trellis, several inches deeper than the top of the pot. Also trim the stems to 6-8 inches to encourage more stems from the crown. Pllease let us know what results.