Oh Sherry, I'm so sorry you went through that. I know that Round Up does severe damage to plants, and most of the time they do not ever recover. However, in this case I'm not sure. I don't believe there is an antidote. I think I would just wait and see what happens, but it doesn't sound good. This is exactly why I never hire anyone anymore. I've had so many things damaged or killed by so-called "professionals". Round Up, Weed N' feed, and anything related to them are not even allowed on my property. I don't think Francesca is sick because of anything YOU did. Sandy

Oh, that is fabulous! I feel like a proud parent ... Asters do want sun and these can take some hot and dry conditions. We often find them in fields or on the edges of fields. So, without seeing your back woods, it's hard to say if they would do well there. They've got to get enough sun and they probably don't want much leaf litter. But as far as propagating, I'd try seeds. I have book on propagation that says: "Collect seeds when the heads are puffy. Sow on medium that has been amended with grit or perlite. When temperature is 70 or higher, should germinate in 1-2 weeks." I am so glad these have done well for you. This is a threatened plant in Georgia, so it's nice to see it thrive.

Mabnola, My husband is a very experienced DIY'er but he had never worked with stone either. That's why we only did the template and the install. Maine Soapstone fabricated the whole counter and shipped it to us. We put the stones in place and epoxied the seams. I actually think the hardest part was the template. We knew if we didn't get that right the counters would not fit - so it was a little anxiety producing I totally agree with Francy. We also put in the time and care to achieve the best results we can in our home. Not many professionals are going to feel the same way we do about our projects. And as Francy said it is much easier to live with our own mistakes rather than mistakes we paid big money for!! I think researching the process and finding out exactly what's involved before you jump in is one of the most important steps. We have certainly done this and on occasion we decide it is not in our realm of skill so we try to find the best person/price for the job. We elected to pay our cabinet maker to install also even though many on this forum have found it to be simple. We knew with the complexity of our 100+ year old home, the moldings, the unlevel surfaces it would be a very difficult job and we wanted it to be . . well . . as perfect as it could be. And believe me it was money well spent. They did a wonderful job. It's a decision only you can make based on many factors, your experience, the difficulty of the job, the importance of the end product etc etc. Good luck.

Yes, sorry, annie, I should have posted the link(s). That was the main one: http://www.sacredgardenfrangipanis.com/index.php. I spent a few hours on them until my eyes went funny last night. I found there wasn't a comprehensive amount of information provided, you see I'd only be interested to obtain 'rust' free (rustproof) ones. And the prices of the hybrids - between podica ond obtusafolia, the only ones I could find they say are rust free - are all a bit pricey! They also offer seeds, 10, 20, at reasonable prices but don't say what variety they're from. I'm wondering if and when they'll produce enough to supply the trade - nurseries, etc., - with stock. Anyway, I haven't given up, will do a bit more (Google) research before I decide. Bill