Hi naikii, The mix that you just made looks wonderful! I have been following this thread with great interest as well. Most of my trees ( tropicals) and C&S are in the Gritty Mix or the 5-1-1 and are all doing great! This mix has really helped with all of my tropicals trees growing to their maximum potential and I am always amazed at the amount of beautiful blooms that I have now that I have changed their mix from a "bagged" mix to this more aerated mix that has shown me the difference in the root system which in turn delivers me the maximum bloom production during the summer with my Plumeria and Adeniums. I have learned that this mix makes my roots happy and not have any issues with the perched water so they are not rotting as in the past using other soil. The key to a happy and healthy plant starts at the roots... I am always looking for another alternative for the Fir Bark that I use. could you tell me the name brand of the last pic of your Pine Bark that you are using? Looking back up thread, I couldn't tell what the brand was. It looks great to me and if I can find it here in my area that would be helpful! Thanks for taking the time to post all of your information... Great thread! Take care, Laura

You're growing some beautiful roses and I really like the clematis. Those are really pretty. Your flower bed looks really nice. Are those climbers planted in front of the trellis'? Or are you just using those for pretty supports on tall roses? Just curious. Leslie

The problem with 'neutrals' is, that you can't always mix them with each other. And one poster who has a thread about trying to make Restrained Gold Work against Latte illustrates this very well. When you have a pink-toned color in the cool zone and a warm golden toned color next to it, the effect becomes muddy and not pretty. I tried (and tried and tried) to make the grey-blue vanity tile in my master bath work with some of the warm colors that I use for my furniture upholstery and walls. I kept thinking that I could pull it off. Finally, I gave up and did my walls in a cool periwinkle blue to work with the tiles visible from the bedroom, and worked in some golds and deep pinks in my drapery fabric. The result only depressed me. I need the warm tones in my house. We broke down and spent the money to re-tile the bath. Now I can paint what I want and use the fabrics I like. If you can get your rugs and fabrics to tie in more undesirable tones at a minimum of cost, then, go for it. But keep in mind, that sometimes it's like trying to plant plants that need Full Sun in a mostly shaded area. They live, but they don't bloom. Red

Well, I knew this would happen, I found some of the answers to my questions. Noting them here for anyone with the same questions. Al (talpa) on the subject of fertilizing after repotting, and whether to water with or without fertilizer first. Link here. "You can fertilize when you see signs of new growth or after a couple of weeks. What will you be using for fertilizer? The only time I moisten the soil before I fertilize with soluble fertilizer is if the plant is obviously very dry. Even then, if I'm using reduced dosages and fertilizing often, I might fertilize a plant I suspect is dry. It's always better to err on the side of caution, though, so your plan to water first and then fertilize a few minutes later is the safe bet."