The difference in success from year to year involves so many variables. I've been WS for 6 years now, and even with that amount of experience, the differences from year to year, do vary every year. My success rate has always been at least 95%; success defined by me as germination of any kind in a container, not the number of seedlings germinated in each container, I do try to keep records as to where the seeds came from. Such things as trades, commercial seeds and what co. they came from, my own collected seeds. From year to year, not all seed will germinate the same, even for me. I always put out the perennials first. Being in New England, I do have a few months to get them out and get the cold that they need, BUT, 2 years ago we had the strangest winter. 60 to near 70 degrees in January and I know people that had WS their seeds in Dec. and had seeds germinating in January because it was so warm. Those plants didn't survive. I had a late start that winter and ended up not getting my seeds out till mid February and they germinated fine for me, I didn't have any germination too early. So for me, I learned that I can start in mid Feb and it won't be too late for me. BUT, I've also had some serious cold snaps as late as mid May and if I had not covered my tender annuals several nights in a row, I would have lost all of them. So variables are major things to deal with. Weather is a real problem. One year I had 8 inches of rain over 2 days and all my containers where floating in the backyard and the ducks where swimming right beside and around them. Most survived, but there where some that survived the floods, only to be eaten by the invasion of slugs that I had never had before in 29 years living in my home. When we sow seeds that we traded for, we take a risk. Where the seeds collected when they where ripe or where they too early? If too early then the seeds will not be viable and will not germinate for you. The same thing can happen with commercial bought seeds as well. I've had my share of "no shows" in containers from commercial purchased seeds from big name seed companies. I've gotten my money back, but still had no plants from the seeds I planned on. Watering can be a problem, which goes with the weather. this year has been the craziest weather I have seen in 28 years living in my home. We've gone from freezing temps to 80's and 90's, with temps not staying stable for more than 2-3 days at most. 80's and 90's in early April are not normal where I am, but we've had them. We've had frosts long after it should not be happening and may happen again tonight. I've never had to water my containers before the last week in April to the first week in May at the earliest. This year I have had to water every other day since the first week in April. Germination for me has been very eradic as well. Same seeds, same kind of containers, sowed the same day from the same collected, traded or commercial packet and containers are germinating days and weeks apart. My datura are usually about 4 inches tall now, and most have not germinated yet. They need steady 70 degree soil temp to germinate but they haven't gotten it. And, we have not had a lot of rain. lots of days with rainy showers that moisten the top of the containers but not enough to soak into them. Over 6 years of WS, I've learned to just go with the flow. Always expect good germination in terms of container numbers, sow more seeds than I will need in more containers, which usually will cover the beds planted. Assume that some will not germinate and that's just the way mother nature is. Remember that no matter how you look at it, you will have more plants than you would have if you had to buy them and just WS next year and keep going. The only way you will have a sure fire way to have every plant that you want, no matter what, is to buy them. That's far too expensive for me to deal with, considering the number of beds that i have to fill and keep filling. WS does it for me and I wouldn't do it any other way. Fran

Wow, there is a lot of good information here. Glad I posted with my problem, now I have something new to try out. Thanks owbist. ravencajun, thanks for the compliment but I only had the first half of it figured out and cboy came to the rescue and helped me with the last half of it. I can't take all the credit. "Smiles" Then zep516 came in catching the fact that System Restore wasn't working right and gave me great information on how to correct that. This was the first time that I've had problems with my desktop, but I have changed the backround on it before and I remembered that and I thought why not check it out and see if I could get it to change and that is when I discovered that the backround had been changed and all I had to do was to put it back like I had it, but then I didn't know how to get the icons back and that's when cboy posted the solution for me. If that ever happens to me again I will know exactly what to do. Thanks owbist for telling me how to move the icons down to the taskbar. I will try that on Wednesday, I will have more time to try it out then. thirdfrt!!!

I always take off my jewelry every night before bed, even my wedding band. I like to apply hand cream, and I just don't like sleeping in it. I used to just put it on my nightstand table, but after a few scary 'can't find my engagement ring' situations, I realized I needed a better solution. (Apparently my 5 year old DD already has a taste for bling. She was wearing it very proudly! lol) I found this little clamshell bowl at a local store for $3. I like that it is more like a bowl than a dish, so little eyes can't see shiny and sparkly things easily. And now I always know where my rings and watch are. Oh, and also visible in the photo. I use granite samples I've picked up during my kitchen remodel process as coasters.

Enzymes in my dishwasher, what a novel idea LOL... today at lowes they had a 46 count tub of Cascade Complete Action Pacs for 11$ and I had a 3$ off coupon so I bought it, since I've never been able to use these guys I don't know if that was a good price or not, I know they won't go to waste since they work for me now LOL. I walked back by the dishwashers just to look and there was an elderly couple attempting to buy..the salesman was feeding them a losd of bull S.. telling them the Maytag still used all the water their old one did and it was all made in the USA...and it was still ad always made by Maytag...I opened my mouth..I ask doesn't Whirlpool make Maytag nowadays..he turned and glared at me...I also said if all the parts are still made in the US why are they labeled by a chinese company...he glared worse...than I said if it still uses the same amount of wster as their 25 year old dishwasher how did Whirlpool get by the gov. Restrictions...he turned and said GO AWAY...ok, maybe I should have kept my mouth shut but he was lying to these people...they followed me and ask ehat dishwasher they should get..and said there's still worked..I suggested they research different brands...they than said their new maytag dryer broke after 4 months and it took 9 months for the part to arrive and another 7 weeks for someone to arrive to fix it...as we were talking their son probably in his 40 walked up...he was so happy they didn't buy the Maytag and said Mom your supposed to be getting the Bosch...and off they went aftet the son thanked me for stopping a sale that would have taken his time to go thru the cancelation paperwork....I need to just keep my mouth shut..but that salesman was lying.....I'll never forget his face when he told me GO AWAY.....he didn't lose a sale, they did buy a Bosch.