It never fails to amaze me what organic molecules bound up in protein cell walls exhibit in response to stimuli. Most folks tend to believe that plants are inanimate for the most part, except for growth. Yet flowers open, close and follow the sun like little moving radar dishes, leaves fold or curl and some plants recoil to touch. The thing plants lack is the more complex capacity to respond which we find in fauna and call sentience. And they are damn slow about their movements, blushes and other responses. It's often hard to tell why they respond and what they are responding to. The 'nastic' responses aren't always easy to peg, let alone the 'pathologic' or illness responses. I'm not the guy with 4 years of plant science like Huey, but it does seem odd to me that a plant should extend more energy at a time when its metabolic ability to produce energy is taxed, ie. the accelerated growth of larger and in the case of the "Ice Cream" and "Super Dwarf", darker leaves in shade. I questioned for some time his statement about anthocyanins producing the zebra bars on the zebrinas as it seemed odd to me that the zebra bars were being produced on the "Ice Cream" banana only now, precisely as a response to the diminished light of partial shade. If the Zebrina lives naturally in full sun, then why does the "Ice Cream" banana produce the bars when subjected to shade? There seems to be a contradiction here. Do Autumn leaves turn color due to reduced light as the Solar azimuth increases or due to cold or both? Are the zebra bars a similar response? I don't think my banana are in danger of illness. They do get light. It is just not the full on direct UV hard light. Instead they get the diffuse reflected light that comes in the Patio windows. Granted, the intensity of this light is much less than the direct light, especially at the current seasonal low azimuth of the Sun. It must be worse for folks with Banana farther north and their tactics of overwintering their corms in storage may be very necessary. Those folks also get more cloud cover than we get in BKF. Cloud cover is rare here, although as it gets colder, we may see Tule fog that hangs on the ground till late morning or longer. I have developed however, a great appreciation for the harshness of solar radiation. Despite our protective magnetic, atmospheric and ozone planetary shield, the natural summer radiation levels are indeed harmful and destructive to those amazing organic molecules I referred to above. There may be some plants that require the full dosage, but I think some shade, even from cloud cover is often the means for healing or even better health. I grant you, that certain pathogens are better able to survive in shade and those, fungis, molds, viruses etc., may be causal to plant illness and that should rightfully be a concern. But I think the metabolic needs will be met in my overwintering scheme. I think I can get by here in BKF with my current strategy of overwintering inside. The shortest day of the year is less than 30 days away, December 21st. After that we may get colder, but will start seeing longer days again. Grow lights are an option if I think I need them. I am committed to continue as I have started and should things get ugly, well ... I suppose in any case, I'll both learn from the experience and be able to provide folks in this forum a useful example. Fingers are crossed.

kimmsr: -I could go out every hour as many JBs as we have and that's all I would do. I simply do not have the time. Just got my better half out of the hospital from pneumonia and with all the extra medicines and treatments, I simply do not have the time to do this. I just hate to see these horrible things devastate my roses. I guess I will just resort to covering them with net. Even the leaves are being decimated (sp) and they just look so sick.I don't even have time to spray anything--taking the time to mix and all. Thank you so much. Sorry about your asthma. Can surely understand all about that. My grandson has it. I will just have to sweat it out until they are through their sexual orgies and go away--to come out doubly next year. - Barb

Well, we're all spoiled by having the real thing, but yes, there's that much of a difference. Almost all of the store tomatos taste like cardboard. A few of the greenhouse and heirloom types aren't too bad, but the prices are crazy -- heck, the bad-tasting ones are up to $2 a lb nowadays. The only ones that really taste like they should are the little supersweet grape and cherry types -- they're sort of the commercial version of a sungold or sweet 100.

I confess I have mixed feelings when I respond so positively to queries about soapstone. On one hand, I'm so pleased I followed my heart and instincts, did some research, and put it in my home that I'm eager to share encouraging info with people who are drawn to it. On the other hand, it's nice to have something that is different from what is in everyone else's house. Already, someone who went to look at our sunroom windows with our contractor came away dazzled and decided on a kitchen redo to include SS. Yeah!.....kinda.... I do like sharing my experience and delight with people on this forum, though. Seems the people who come here are really interested in learning about what will work in their kitchens and are investing their time in creating a special space. It's not so much a case of "I want what she has because she has it." I think SS will continue to grow more in popularity, but I don't think it will ever have the mass appeal that granite has had. I don't think it has the "Va Va Voom" that draws a lot of people to granite or the cachet that marble has. I'm happy that I got my slabs before it peaks,though, while there were still some to be had!