I am doing square foot gardening with a twist...I use to live in the country with lots of room and did the Ruth Stout gardening technique....but with less room, I am doing the square foot garden this year...I have harvested so much form just one bed it is amazing,,,we have four 4x12 boxes and a long 12" wide bed in the back where I have these wonderful Sunflowers...I plant a few marigolds here and there too..I don't know if they help with the bugs but they are pretty. I tired to plant just the number of plants two people will need, so I have a variety but not too much of anything. I love this method,,,no weeding,,,and mulching everything the way I do,,,,I really am not watering that much although it is in the 90s here now. Right now, I have squash,,several types of beans, broccoli and peas are just going,,cabbage,,onions, peppers, hot and sweet, basil, tomatoes, carrots, mustard, eggplants, bausch, and I just noticed I have little watermelon and cantaloupe...I also have strawberries, only six plants, and cukes,,pole beans (Kentucky Wonder and Contender) and patio, cherry tomatoes,,I tried to grow lettuce but only got one picking,,,I think it got too hot... Here is a link to my blog...

"I will ask for a load calculation report." If nothing else, do this. And as said, don't accept rules of thumb or "I've been doing this X number of years." With new construction, a load calculation absolutely needs to be done. Unlike changeouts in existing homes, you now KNOW all of the building variables that affect the load. I can tell you right now that I suspect gross oversizing for new construction, and zoning the 5 ton system is a bad idea and can be problematic, as mentioned. Zoning is great when done right. Multistage equipment is the way to go if you choose zoning, and I recommend it for comfort purposes regardless. The heat strip is for the electric heat. Not a fan of the 25HBC outdoor units due to their lesser level of coil protection and less sound attenuating features, to say the least. They are a base grade unit. I would at least go with the Performance series outdoor units (like 25HCC6 or 25HCB7). If you're looking at Carrier equipment and zoning, Carrier's Infinity is a good system (25HNB6) but should be paired with matching Infinity indoor equipment/controller, which is not what you were quoted as an upgrade. But poorly installed, you'll hear all sorts of horror stories. I don't know what your time frame is, but you're doing the right thing by educating yourself now. Doing HVAC right the first time will pay off enormously in comfort, efficiency, and longevity down the road. I would personally place a large emphasis on proper duct design -- sizing/layout. See what their plans are in terms of duct material, size, insulation value, etc. Flex duct done right is okay. Flex duct, as often seen in new construction, done poorly leads to inadequate air distribution. This post was edited by ryanhughes on Tue, Mar 19, 13 at 17:24

First of all, it is considered poor forum etiquette to start a new thread when you already have an active thread. Questions that you have not answered in earlier thread. What is the brand, model, size, and efficiency of existing propane furnace? What is its blower size rating? This is important if you are considering just adding on a heat pump with matching coil to existing furnace. If you really require a 5 ton, then this would most likely require significant ductwork modifications to handle the additional CFMs. Has any of the dealers mentioned this? Mighty important. What is your cost/gallon for propane? What is cost/KWR for electric? Tell us about existing problems with current system and location of problems? Basements at or partially below grade have low heating and cooling loads. Tell us about your average temp for both summer and winter? And extremes? What are your inside design thermostat setting for heating and cooling? How did existing 4 ton AC perform when it was working correctly as far as meeting your comfort requirements? The finished basement should have its own separate system preferred or at very least a zoning control. Any opportunity for insulation improvement/upgrade to basement area? I would want to see a separate load calculation for basement zone. Have you seen the load calcs in writing so that you can review? On the software letterhead? Post back. IMO

There is something really solid about rocks. I too love them. Quartz, granite, flagstone, and of course diamonds. I went to the diamond mine in Arkansas, but never found a diamond. I am now searching for an Indian grinding rock to add to my collection. At our last three homes, I collected rocks and built rock walls - you know what they say about lemons, if you have them make lemonade. Well I say if you have rocks, build rock walls and place them in the landscape as accents. Anyone every see the movie with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez called "The Long, Long Trailer"? DH makes me watch it before we go on a trip, so I won't collect too many rocks and weight the car down. Ha !. Below is a chair I just can't bear to part with. I bought it at a garage sale when I got out of college over " " years ago for $15. I put it in the back of my VW and drove to my apartment. When I got home I couldn't get it out of the back seat - I knew I should be able to because I had gotten it in - finally I did. I have enjoyed it ever since. It is sitting next to our bed acting as a nightstand for now as I am looking for a new nightstand to go with our newly redecorated bedroom. Not sure where it will go next, but I'm keeping it. I have all modern stuff now, but this is the last hold out from a different era. Below is a quail among some of the "rocks" we have collected on our property and placed them around the flower beds (these boulders were placed by DH with his tractor as they are much too heavy for me to move by hand).