Your geraniums are not unlike any other plant, they can be cut back, pruned if you will, the same as most plants can be cut back and encouraged to grow new foliage and bloom --if that is part of their make-up. Now's the time to do it...when the sun is low in itensity, it brings plants along slow, without encouraging too much growth, more intent to keep it alive, set roots, get healthy; then when the sunlight is higher...toward April, May and June, then the plant can be allowed to take off. Food can be given when foliage resumes according to its needs; a little at first, graduating to a full measure as the foliage dictates. If the geranium has a soil medium, then simply cut it back as you see fit....but 4", 6", 8", you decide how the plant merits. You have noticed after you took a cutting, they seem to be doing OK, and that is a way to have more plants, let the geranium be the 'mother' plant and take as many cuttings as you see fit. Take only healthy tissue...never take a cutting from a sick plant. Parts that seem brown, dry, or listless, cut it out, throw it away--you don't want that to do damage to the healthy cuttings. When in pots, always water to drainage, making sure the plant drains in a relatively good time....if it doesn't, it probably needs a soil change, its maybe compact and not using the water you give it. When it drains, let it sit in that water no more than 10 minutes, then dispose of. The plant should be allowed to dry down a bit between waterings and when you water, always water to drainage, then dump the excess.

Yesterday and Saturday I worked on the taping for my ceiling and corners. The big hole patch was incorporated into the corner taping. Here are some pictures after the tape and one coat of joint compound. That joint compound is easy and hard to work with at the same time. Easy to get into the pan and on the wall, but hard to get it smooth and even:) It's kind of fun and frustrating at the same time-like life ;) I used a tape that is meant for edges. It is a webbed product called Strait-Flex. It was the "medium" grade. It was expensive. It is thicker than paper and I think that is a problem for me. I thought it would make it easier being more ridged and straight. There were areas where the edge would want to bow out and not lay flat. That was a problem. When it dried I had to cut these 1" sections out, at the edges where it raised up from the surface. There were 2 or 3 of these. I tried some paper tape in an area and that was easier and smoother. I just added this detail for GW info. Maybe someone else has had better luck than I with this product. Here is a faraway shot. Old plaster ceiling and wall to the left with new drywall on the right wall. I only taped the drywall to the plaster. I did not add any tape to the patch along the plaster wall: And a closeup, again old plaster ceiling and wall to the left with new drywall on the right: Now I have to put a second coat on the area. These right angle areas are hard. from far away it looks even but closeup there are irregularities. This is the first time I've drywalled. Any tips for right angles?

I've been thinking about your post, Gracie. Thanks for the idea. Would a true glossy paint be necessary or just a glaze for the second pass over the bumps? Why I ask is that there's a product listed in one of the paint brochures for a candelight glaze (?) product that adds shine over paint.

"You could use old-style lime mortar as well (horsehair plaster) but this is heavier and has a very long cure time. " Lime-plaster cures reasonably quickly. Lime plaster takes months to cure. higher lime-plaster was normally restricted to the finish coat (the longer setting time allowed plenty of working time (troweling)for a smooth hard finish) with the base coats having other 'stretchers' (sand) or strength (fiber) additions along with retarder to slow setting. Lime putty makes a decent retarder if other types are not available though. This post was edited by brickeyee on Sun, Dec 30, 12 at 11:28