Can't be sure, based on what you said, but something is amiss. Ca and B deficiencies are noted for producing the symptoms shown in your images. B deficiencies are rare, Ca deficiencies not so much and can be a cultural issue as opposed to a deficiency caused by an inadequate supply of Ca in the soil. When Ca is present in appropriate amounts, soil saturation often inhibits uptake. Low light (and the plants are not getting enough), cool temps, and other cultural influences that slow transpiration all contribute to reducing transpiration, which slows the nutrient stream and limits Ca supply to forming leaves. Ca is immobile in the plant, so it must be present in the nutrient stream at all times. Are you actually checking your soil for moisture content before you water? Did you screen the Turface, and did you use MVP or Allsport and not a finer grade? My sense is that watering the plant in the image, indoors, every 2-3 days with a mix heavy on Turface is probably way too much water. I have trees under lights (which increases water uptake) with twice the mass and in half the soil (the basic gritty recipe) that I water every 5-7 days. The other thing that strikes me is, it also looks as though there could be a toxicity issue. Can you think of anything that might have made it's way into the soil that is potentially phytotoxic? What did you use for bark? grit? Al

A few years ago, I purchased EasyClosets systems to increase the utility of closets in a 1950's-era ranch. It worked out pretty well. The systems are easy to install (the hardest part is probably finding your wall studs, followed by cutting the metal closet rods to length - or vice versa, if you're not comfortable with a hacksaw), and they provided a lot of extra hardware for putting the pieces together. One closet really fought me on the installation of the top shelf pieces, I suspect because the back wall was a bit bowed, but the other three units installed without problem. I didn't order any components with drawers, as I just don't trust cam locks and MDF to provide durable, long-lasting drawers. The biggest problem I've had was when disassembling and removing a unit to repaint the closet, a cam lock got stuck and ended up breaking a pretty large chip out of one of the shelves. It's at a bottom, back corner so with a bit of epoxy it's barely noticeable, but it's a reminder of one of the drawbacks of that type of assembly. In use, the closets have proved very durable, and they made the closets a lot more functional. My preference would be to have a similar system in solid wood for my current home; I now have walk-in closets that could use some TLC, but I would be reluctant to remove the (paint grade, pine) shelving that's currently in place to install something other than another solid wood product, and I wouldn't mind adding some drawers or cabinetry where I would want some quality joinery as opposed to screws or cam locks. If you're going for pure "bang for the buck", Rubbermaid closet kits are a lot cheaper - albeit more cumbersome to install and a lot less attractive. The EasyCloset systems proved to be a selling point when we moved; they looked pretty much as good as new, the hardware components (belt rack, tie rack) are quite solid, and while the closet systems are recognizably melamine they blended quite well with the natural oak in the house, including the closet trim.

I very much enjoyed the series "Call the Midwife." I have watched up to season 3. It was so refreshing to watch a show that doesn't overlook the hardships that women have faced, and to some degree still face. I live in Canada, and have seen a lot of US/Cdn TV which usually features wealthy and perfect conditions, beautiful movie stars, with little to no reality, and without touching on female perspectives. I saw a mention earlier about the lack of slums in Canada. I can only speak to the history of western Canada, which was mostly rural. In the 1950s, Western Canada enjoyed a high standard of living where there was ample food, although, my father did say that if you spent all your money on frivolous things you could starve. Before that, especially during the Great Depression, my grandfather had a sister who died because the family couldn't afford the medicine for her, and his mother saved for years after to pay the hospital for her daughter's death there. They lived in fear that the bank would take their house, but almost every house was in foreclosure in their area, Vancouver BC. My grandfather had a dairy cow he quite liked, and a garden, so it seems that western Canada was quite rural, even in the cities at that time, possibly with the exception of Chinatown, where the Chinese Canadians there had things quite rough. Today in Canada there seems to be a greater divide between rich and poor especially in the larger cities. Some of the issues in the book and movie still go on today, for example, abuse of women, children, losing a child, (although not as common today) being judged by others, mental illness after pregnancy and the great love we as mothers have for our children. I found it interesting that Jennifer Worth said most families lived near their parents, brothers and sisters, usually moving two streets away from where they grew up at most. Here in Canada we don't seem to have that closeness with family. Also there is a lot of privacy here and I think many mothers can feel isolated or suffer in silence. I don't live near my family because the housing prices and lack of jobs paying over minimum wage makes it very difficult to live there. Worh had another comment on the older people being rehomed to better living conditions, but that many of them died because they missed their friends and family and they didn't have that support. I found it interesting, and I think nowadays here in Canada, people's values are more about money than relationships which is sad too. In that way, the community of East London seemed to be better.

Here's a piece on rootstocks written by Dr. Van Fleet, whom you may know from his rose hybrids... "Hybrid Stock for Rose Propagation" [Paper read before the American Rose Society by Dr. W. Van Fleet] But little effort has been made to ascertain the Rose stocks best suited for American use. Rose growers here mainly propagate cuttings, and “own root” Roses of all varieties that may be increased in that manner have, until very lately, been much preferred for culture both under glass and in the open. Recent successful commercial trials, however, have shown the advantage of grafting certain forcing Roses on stocks resistant to the “eel worm,” as well as to supply a root system of greater vigor than is inherent in the variety wanted. Then, too, a considerable number of the most desirable hardy Roses propagate very sparingly, if at all, by cuttings. The increase by root cuttings and clump division is slow and precarious, so that budding and grafting on congenial stocks remain the only practicable methods. We have hitherto accepted the stocks most approved by European growers as without question the most available, and for greenhouse commercial work the Manetti Rose of Hybrid China parentage, may always be most useful; but for outside planting both Manetti and Dog Brier have proven dismal failures under our climatic conditions. The latter does not thrive at all, and the former, while vigorous enough, suckers badly and ceases growing too early after dry summers to encourage late blooms in those varieties disposed to autumnal flowering. Manetti roots are very fibrous, forming a perfect mat in rich, moist soil; but they run shallow and are quickly affected by drought. They drink greedily soluble nourishment, but seem unable to extract much plant food from dry soil. The common experience with Roses worked on Manetti is that they are troublesome and short-lived, unless so planted as eventually to throw out an adequate root system of their own. The great majority of the imported budded Roses are discarded after blooming a season or two, and the remaining plants seldom develop into the strong, vigorous specimens we have a right to expect. These defects in European stocks have been long known, though but little effort has been made to find more useful substitutes. One nursery in the West claimed some years ago to use Mme. Plantier, a vigorous and very hardy Rose of much-mixed parentage, but of the Hybrid China type, with great success; but we have not heard much about it since. Our native Prairie Rose, Rosa setigera, has been used in an experimental way by the writer and others with much success, both as a stock for budding and for root grafting. It is exceedingly hardy, the foliage is resistant to most diseases, and the root system is strong and penetrates the soil deeply. Buds or grafts unite readily, and the union seems very permanent, but time has not tested the latter claim. All varieties tried grow well on this stock, which may be easily increased by seeds or cuttings. It is of a climbing habit, and the canes are not suitable for high budding for tree or standard effects. The roots seldom sucker, all the new growth starting from the crown. For high budding we have found nothing better than the Penzance Hybrid Sweetbriers, Rose Bradwardine, Amy Robsart, and Anne of Gierstein. They grow here more upright and vigorous than the type species, and are not subject to sun-scald like standard Manetti. Other hybrids of the Sweetbrier, with General Jacqueminot, and with various Hybrid Perpetuals, of our own raising, have the same characteristics. There is no suckering, and they are easily increased by cuttings. Lord Penzance and other Sweetbrier Hybrids, containing blood of the Persian Yellow class, should be avoided for this purpose. The canes are more slender, and propagation is less certain. The most suitable stocks for low or dwarf budding and root grafting appear to be hybrids of Rosa multiflora and R. Luciae, more widely known as R. Wichuraiana. Seedlings of Clothilde Soupert crossed with Crimson Rambler furnish the best example of the former class. Some are thornless, or nearly so, strong, rapid growers and deep rooters. They work very easily, and the buds or grafts soon make a firm union. They can be increased by cuttings of green and hard wood with the greatest facility. Crosses between Crimson Rambler and R. Wichuraiana, to use the name best known, are still more vigorous, but less upright in habit and quite thorny. They strike readily from cuttings, and also root as freely from the tips as a dewberry, when allowed to trail. The roots penetrate the soil deeply, and the bark works with the greatest ease when ready for budding. Crosses between R. Wichuraiana and China Roses sometimes possess great vigor. One plant two years from the seed, planted in poor, gravelly upland, threw a trailing cane 26 feet long last summer. They all seem very easy of propagation and are more upright and less thorny than R. Wichuraiana itself, which trails as flat as a melon vine. The roots of R. Wichuraiana and its hybrids go deep down in the soil, and if there is any moisture or fertility they will find it. They will thrive on the most barren slope when established and the plants look as if they would endure for all time. The long, smooth roots are admirable for grafting, and they can be worked as easily and certainly as apple roots if good wood is fitted to them. The grafts may be tied with twine or lightly waxed and packed in damp moss, and kept rather warm until union is effected. Neither Rosa multiflora nor R. Wichuraiana hybrids sucker, but buds start freely from the crown, which should be set rather deeply in budded plants. There is no trouble with suckering from the root grafts. Plants of the above hybrids grown from cuttings of good-sized wood are very manageable and would seem to be preferable to Manetti for most purposes. R. multiflora seedlings are being used to some extent by commercial Rose growers, and they seem to be growing in favor; but we think hybrids of the Rambler series would be more satisfactory. Helene, a very vigorous and almost thornless seedling of Crimson Rambler, is now in commerce, and looks as if it would answer the purpose admirably, though we have not tried it. While rather off the subject the writer would mention that Perle des Jardins, budded on an established plant of Cherokee Rose, Rosa laevigata, is giving splendid blooms of almost exhibition quality, in a cold, damp house where five years' effort with potted Perles on own roots and Manetti only resulted in a chance “bullhead” once or twice a year. Further trials will be made with Teas and Hybrid Teas on this stock. There is a growing conviction among propagators that the stock is as important as the scion, and grand commercial results have come from the proper selection of resistant and congenial stocks in the culture of grapes. plums and other fruits. The breeding of stocks by hybridization and selection may become as essential as the production of new varieties, if American Rose cul,ture is ever to reach its proper development in the horticultural world. From 'American Gardening', 15 Mar 1902, pp.168-9