Thanks! that was fast. Hosenemesis, you're right, it roots anywhere there is moisture on the ground. Kind of impossible to get rid of once you've got it present in your yard. Dis, i actually have the two coming up. Mostly this kind without the red/black dot.

I've developed a new kitchen habit - the "slops" jug kept beside the sink. The problem with kitchen greywater seems to be the detergents and the fats, so any water containing neither goes into this. It's interesting much washing-up can really be done with detergent-free water and a good scrub. Detergent is only needed for foods containing fats and oils. A small vege garden plus lots of my precious native plants in pots are easily kept watered a bit at a time with this jug, as they're not far from the kitchen door. The ethics of "water down the drain" vary according to where the water goes. Those of us lucky enough to have septic systems appreciate that it goes back into our own patch. Water that ends up in the inland river systems must only add to the national good (though it's interesting that the Toowoomba citizens who voted "no" don't seem to mind that their wastewater is used by other Australians all the way to Adelaide for drinking water, with no better treatment than systems which are decidedly of lesser quality than the one they so firmly rejected). Where wastewater is pumped out to sea, there is certainly an urgency about recycling, whether it is by use of greywater by individuals, or by government-built systems which recycle it back into the taps of the citizens. To capture freshwater high in the catchment thereby removing it from the river systems, and to send it more or less straight out to sea with none but the human race having got any benefit from it is not fair on all those other organisms, is it? The form our water restrictions take is pretty idiotic, too. Gardening is the only activity where humans use water to benefit the ecology and slow down the transfer of water from upper catchment to the sea.There should be more of it, not less, in a drought. A more ecologically aware (and perhaps more democratic) system of would restrict the amount of water to households on a litres per person basis,and let us decide for ourselves how to use those precious litres. We might prefer to bath less and water our gardens more! At present we allow members of our government to impose their own personal opinions as to which kinds of domestic water use are more wasteful than others. So we can legally fill our spa baths as often as we like. Trish

Thanks!

Bonnie, I did my very first graft last April and I’m up to 11 successful grafts so far lol. It’s definitely a disease, as Hershell Boyd describes it lol. There’s also something so rewarding and satisfying about growing a tree that you grafted. Welcome to the club, my friend! At 33, I think most young adults do not manage their priorities well at all (Pot AND Kettle, here). Personally, I would rather opt out on owning the latest and greatest technology/car/home/decor/etc, in order to maintain my hobbies. A day spent fly fishing on a remote mountain stream, or quick ride on my horse after work is much more rewarding than binge watching shows on a $1500 TV or playing games on a computer all night. I drive a reliable, 17 year old car, with no payment. In the mornings, I drink my coffee and walk amongst my unhealthy number of citrus and fig trees, and enjoy the fruits of my labor (hah!). Of course, to each their own, with no judgement from me. I simply choose to invest in my outdoor hobbies, which bring me great joy and even peace in this crazy, hectic life.