Greetings, I am the manager of Sophia Garden. We are a small farm (1.5 acre cultivated) in Amityville, Long Island. We are in need of a grower for 2008. Would you please circulate the advertisement below to help spread the word? That would be great! Thank you for any help you can provide, and don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Regards, Julie ----------------------------- Three-Acre Organic CSA on Long Island Looking For a Farmer Sophia Garden, thriving for ten years, is located in Suffolk County Long Island and operates on land owned by the Dominican Sisters of Amityville. We have one and one-half acres in cultivation, a strong core group and manager which leaves the farmer free of managerial responsibilities while at the same time enjoying support from shareholders. Position available for the 2008 growing season. Please call 631-842-6000ext.333 or email sophiagarden@aol.com

Timothy You might have read that dormancy is a slow natural process starting with the approach of cooler short days (less light and cooler) and the plant gradually shuts down the growth process causing leaves drop (or if similar fall conditions induced artificially). I hope you did not just put your fig with green leaves outside in unheated garage in Zone 5 which could certaily kill the above soil part easily (& the survival of roots may be questionable).

I had to give up on the story. Most frustrating thing I've worked on in a long time. I asked a gazillion people, but NOBODY could think of anybody who did this around here, and that includes extension agents, garden store owners, Carolyn Male, etc. Seth, That story was separate from the heirloom tomato story as I recall. Is that still on or should I no longer sit by the phone waiting for your call? (smile) Carolyn

My windmill also overwintered successfully, although I moved it from its pot to the ground kind of late, October, I think, & I don't think the location is too good, either, it's about 3-4 ft. in front of the dryer vent which spews moist, warm air whenever I dry clothes. It looks a little spindly, what would be a good fertilizer? Also, in that 'tropical' bed I had 2 figs overwinter just fine, Battaglia's Verte & Mystery fig, just put in a 'Conadria' fig, all from the nice folks at Paradise Nursery in VA Beach-I now have 6 figs dotted around. To that area, which is mulched w/ cypress mulch (I have mixed feelings about that), I added centranthus ruber, 2 hypericum, 2 variegated lantana, 'Tropical Fruit'-I thought the lantana might have to be an annual (I'm from NC, where it's usually perennial), but one of mine from last summer, 'Desert Dawn' or Sunrise, I think, made it & has lots of new growth! I would like to add a fatsia japonica, a musa basjoo (have a dwarf Cavendish, but this won't overwinter, right? also, this area gets intermittent water), setacresia, Persian Shield (has anyone overwintered this?) Most of my orchids, except for the paphs, are outside & doing fine- thanks again Braspadya, for the gift of the lovely plants! I also moved 4 hibiscuses outside, alittle spindly, but I cut them back hard & if it warms up soon, I hope they'll take off...Thistle