If I'm picturing this right, it sounds like the thingies on the Virginia mountain mint are future stems. Many multi-stemmed plants in containers get those white things - I assume things just get crowded in the pot, if they were planted out, the plants would naturally spread out. I've never grown pussy toes, but I know they're closely related to cudweed, which doesn't have tightly wound things. It could be that pussytoes makes their flowers on separate stems - cudweed flowers are on stems with leaves - and those are flower stems that got crowded. Anyway, it sounds like you planted them right. How did you know there were exactly 998 false nettle seeds in the packet? Did you count them? :) Sherry

I decided to repot them all into a better mix and better groups last Friday, I didn't want to water them in to a mix that wasn't good to I did a more thorough root cleaning and a better foundation. The jades have their own home now. The semp will spend the winter all alone in a very frosty south window in the basement. I don't know what else to do with it and not sure if it can go outside in my zone over the winter or if I wld have enough time to harden off it off. If it should perish....I plan to redeem myself with a succulent rock garden in it memory. We bought a house last year with a south facing yard and have tons of landscaping rocks on 3 sides and an island of them in the back. We both really, really, don't like all these rocks, but where can we put them all?? Is it a blessing in disguise? After reading so much in the forum I feel like I know you all a little, everyone is so nice and helpful, so I will share another picture of what I have in store for my gardening future. I have so many ideas! My DH is a farmboy in the city so we will have some fun. Mr. B says hi! All the leaves dropped in a week, we had some drought then some snow. I got a fire pit and tree skirts as wedding present from DH. He did it while I was away for the weekend. How do you say, "Thank you, I love you so much and I hate tree skirts? You don't, everyone worked so hard and filled it full of flowers! I hope to use some of that labor for helping in the garden when we get one. Did I mention it faces south? All I will do all winter is research, plan, discuss. 2 year, 5 year, 10 year, etc. I hope to share my progression either here or somewhere on these forums, this IS where the experts are at!

What did they use for base? I just had a Bluestone patio put in this summer, there is no movement at all on any of the stomes, I don't think kthere should be. There will be a little differential between stones if they are natural cleft but 1/4" seems like a lot. Also I don't think dust should be used as a surface. I would definitely try to get them to fix the problems, although if they did not put down a proper base the stones are all going to move on you over the years anyway, the only fix is to rip the whole thing up and start over.

+1. The only thing I'd add is that getting the window installed SQUARE is the most important factor. It's possible that the sill is level but the frames are racked due to the opening being so far off. Level AND square is ideal, but a square window install is of paramount importance, and would result in uniform contact all the way aroun which you do not currently have. All that being said, we can only speculate as to all of the factors that went in to this installation. I would reiterate your concerns to someone in a higher level position and see what type of response you get.