I was in the Winchester Mahoney's today, and it was miserable. I went there to get ladybugs to get rid of some aphids. I'd called in advance, and was told by the surly woman on the phone that they do have them, at a price of $12 per 100 ladybugs. This sounded unlikely, since ladybugs usually come in amounts of more like 1000. As it turns out, the packages they sell contain 1500, not 100. If I'd believed them about the amounts, I would have considered the price entirely too steep. I was also told that the place to go to pick them up was the "Garden Center." I pointed out that their whole store was, in fact, a "Garden Center," and the surly woman said...oh, I don't remember, but something surly. I figured I would figure it out when I got there, and that I could always ask someone. That was a huge mistake. When I first arrived, I saw a couple of employees who quite deftly avoided my gaze. I meandered my way to the area marked "vegetables and herbs," since I wanted to see what might be left, and I thought I'd pick up some bamboo stakes while I was at it. What I found were a whole bunch of dead or dying plants, which weren't so much as marked down. Some hanging baskets of miniature tomatoes looked like they might have still had some hope, if only anyone had bothered to water them. Most of the herbs were very sad, and looked like they'd been neglected for some time. What I didn't find were any employees. As it turns out, I'm 8+ months pregnant, and the walk from the entrance to that section wore me out...so I sat down, and waited for an employee to come by. And I waited. And waited. And waited. A lost-looking little old lady approached me, and asked if I knew if anyone actually worked at the store, because she'd been trying to find an employee for quite some time. I told her I didn't know. She tried to ask me her questions, but I didn't have any answers for her. So I waited some more, getting hotter and hotter, and watching more lost-looking customers congregate in the area, asking each other their questions. The little old lady wandered through again, looking like she still hadn't found anyone to help her. Eventually I pulled out my mobile phone, dialed 411, and got them to connect me to the store. Again, a surly woman (perhaps the same one from yesterday?) answered the phone, and I explained that I was in the "herbs and vegetables" section, along with many other customers in need of assistance, and that we'd been trying to find someone to help us for a very long time. She wanted to know if I was in the "South Greenhouse," or something like that, but I couldn't find any signs that said anything of the sort. I repeated that I was in the "herbs and vegetables" section, according to both the signs and the things on the shelves. She hung up on me. Eventually an employee came down to help. He seemed to take pity on my extremely-pregnant self, and was kind enough to go get the ladybugs for me, and also a cold cup of water. I asked him about soft plant ties (the sort that look like cut-up nylons, only green), but they had none. I don't know if he ever caught up with the little old lady. I eventually made my way back to the cash registers, paid for my acquisitions, and left. I was extremely disappointed. I used to think of Mahoney's as one of the best places to go for high-quality plants and supplies, but today's experience has completely disabused me of that notion. Then I got home, and when I went out to release the ladybugs in the evening, I could no longer find the massive colonies of aphids which were present (along with their ant farmers/guardians) just a few days ago. I wondered if my whole trip had been wasted...but at least that part isn't actually Mahoney's fault.

I can tell you what has worked for me ... I'm not too far away from you in So Cal, either, so we have similar growing conditions. First, I will say that some cuttings are much more difficult to root successfully than others, and to a (sometimes frustrating) extent, every cultivar can be different. That said, I have had my best successes using the following methods: Callousing the cutting: 1. First, I look at what callous is or is not there already. Depending on the size of the cutting and the quality of the cut/callous (like, is the pith receding a lot? Have the cambium and pith pulled away from one another so there is a gap?), I may recut and re-callous the cutting. If the cutting is small, stressed, really wrinkly, etc., I will do my best NOT to recut, in order to preserve whatever energy is left in the cutting. If the cut looks messy, separated, etc., then I usually will recut. 2. After this step, I dip the end of the cutting in a rooting hormone (I use Clonex, others use Dip-N-Grow). Sometimes I wait for the latex to stop flowing (a few hours) before doing this if I have just recut. Other times, I'm lazy and don't wait. I'm not sure it makes a difference. 3. Then, I take a small plastic storage bin (I use one not much bigger than most cuttings. I got it at Target, I think) and fill it with fresh mulch, which is usually somewhat damp when you take it out of the bag for the first time. I bury the entire cutting in the mulch, and put a little more on top. I don't bother covering the plastic bin. 4. I leave it alone for approx 2 weeks. I have also tried wrapping the fresh-cut end in plastic wrap for a week (usually because I'm travelling with a fresh cutting) - this has worked, too, but I haven't done it enough times to say if it's better than the mulch method. Rooting the cutting: 1. I use coir from Gardener's Supply (Eco-coir potting mix), because it has been rinsed and is ready to use (just add water!): http://www.gardeners.com/buy/eco-co-coir-potting-mix/40-136.html If you use coir from some place else (like buying it in the reptile bedding section at PetSmart), be sure to wash it first to get rid of the salts in it. I follow the directions for prepping the coir, although I use a little less water than recommended. You want the coir to be pretty damp, but not so wet that water drips out when you squeeze it in your hand. 2. I then get a plastic baggie (quart size has worked fine for me), and fill it with approx 2/3 - 3/4 coir and 1/3 to 1/4 perlite. I don't measure, I just grab handfuls of each and mix them in the bag. 3. Stick the calloused end of the cutting in the bag! Leave enough space at the top for the bag to be sealed. I use cheap electrical tape to wrap the top of the bag. Be sure to press out as much of the air as you can before sealing the top. 4. I leave the bagged cuttings in the garage. They need heat more than light, and these super hot temps that we've been having have actually made the garage perfect for this. You should see some condensation in the bags after a bit - this is normal and is what you want. I've gotten roots as early as 1.5 weeks (from a really large cutting that I'd been trying to root for 18 months!!!), and other cuttings are slower, although I usually see something by 3-4 weeks. So far, though, everything has rooted, including a 3" Celadine tip that I bag rooted just to see what would happen. 5. After there are a lot of roots in the bag, I carefully cut the bag away and pot up, trying not to disturb the plant as much as possible. I water a little, then let the planting mix dry out before watering again. I put them in filtered light, too, since they've been in a dark garage for weeks. I really like bag rooting because you can see what's going on down there, and aren't just looking at leaf growth as an indicator of root growth. Mike Atkinson has a great short tutorial on bag-rooting on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_QKS_pasH4

Not all those who wander are lost. J. R. R. Tolkien How did he know about Google? where one can wander all day without leaving the house

Peter Jackson Quotes New Zealander - Director Born: October 31, 1961 The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself. Peter Jackson Filmmaking for me is always aiming for the imaginary movie and never achieving it. Peter Jackson In every house, when the curtains are drawn, there's a story going on, and you never get to hear... You get the public side of things, the happy, smiling, social activities. Peter Jackson As a filmmaker, you want nothing more than to have people say, 'I love your movie.' Peter Jackson One of the best things about growing up in New Zealand is that if you are prepared to work hard and have faith in yourself, truly anything is possible. Peter Jackson I've always tried to make movies that pull the audience out of their seats... I want audiences to be transported. Peter Jackson If justice is supposed to be fair, than any justice system you would hope is based on fairness. Peter Jackson As a filmmaker, I believe in trying to make movies that invite the audience to be part of the film; in other words, there are some films where I'm just a spectator and am simply observing from the front seat. What I try to do is draw the audience into the film and have them participate in what's happening onscreen. Peter Jackson Over 55% of all shots using animals in 'The Hobbit' are in fact computer generated; this includes horses, ponies, rabbits, hedgehogs, birds, deer, elk, mice, wild boars and wolves. Peter Jackson 100 years ago, movies were black-and-white, silent, and 16 frames a second. So 100 years from now, what are they going to be? Peter Jackson New Zealand is not a small country but a large village. Peter Jackson To get an Oscar would be an incredible moment in my career, there is no doubt about that. But the 'Lord of the Rings' films are not made for Oscars, they are made for the audience. Peter Jackson We've all forgotten how to be original. Peter Jackson Rivalry doesn't help anybody. Peter Jackson There's a very go-to kind of attitude in New Zealand that stems from that psyche of being quite isolated and not being able to rely on the rest of the world's infrastructure. Peter Jackson I've always been happy to take a gamble on myself. Peter Jackson There's a generation of children who don't like black and white movies. There's a level of impatience or intolerance now. Peter Jackson People regard CGI as a gimmick; they almost blame CGI for a bad story or a bad script. They talk about CGI as if it's responsible for a drop in standards. Peter Jackson Film is such a powerful medium. It's like a weapon and I think you have a duty to self-censor. Peter Jackson Obviously, with a CGI character, you're building a character in much the same way as a real creature is built. You build the bones, the skeletons, the muscles. You put layers of fat on. You put a layer of skin on which has to have a translucency, depending on what the character is. Peter Jackson Once upon a time, sound was new technology. Peter Jackson I just got tired of being overweight and unfit, so I changed my diet from hamburgers to yogurt and muesli, and it seems to work. Peter Jackson I think that George Lucas' 'Star Wars' films are fantastic. What he's done, which I admire, is he has taken all the money and profit from those films and poured it into developing digital sound and surround sound, which we are using today. Peter Jackson Everybody's life has these moments, where one thing leads to another. Some are big and obvious and some are small and seemingly insignificant. Peter Jackson I think we're going to enter a phase where there's less interest in the CGI and there's a demand for story again. I think we've dropped the ball a little bit on stories for the sake of the amazing toys that we've played with. Peter Jackson Anything you can imagine, you can put on film. Peter Jackson Every time you do something, people are going to like it, people are going to hate it. You tend to make the movies on the basis you are making them for the people who are going to like them and not worrying too much about people who don't like them. Peter Jackson What I don't like are pompous, pretentious movies. Peter Jackson Continuing advances in stem cell medicine will change all of our lives for the better. Peter Jackson I was bullied and regarded as little bit of an oddball myself. Peter Jackson We had to get past the mechanical film age to be able to explore other things, but it will be interesting. Peter Jackson Stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses, which up until now have been labelled 'incurable.' Peter Jackson I fell in love with stories watching a British television puppet show called 'Thunderbirds' when it first came out on TV, about 1965, so I would have been 4 or 5 years old. I went out into the garden at my mom and dad's house, and I used to play with my little dinky toys, little cars and trucks and things. Peter Jackson If you make a trilogy, the whole point is to get to that third chapter, and the third chapter is what justifies what's come before. Peter Jackson It's almost like an optical illusion, 'The Hobbit.' You look at the book, and it is really thin, and you could make a relatively thin film as well. What I mean by that is that you could race through the story at the speed that Tolkien does. Peter Jackson Once you go down a road, you take it through to the end. Peter Jackson Critics in particular treat CGI as a virus that's infecting film. Peter Jackson I don't have an anti-Hollywood feeling. It's just I'm a New Zealander. I was born in New Zealand, and it's where my house is, and my family goes to school there. My interest is to remain in my homeland and make films. I don't really want to relocate myself to other countries in the world to work. Peter Jackson 'Bad Taste' was - it was, in many respects, my sort of, my, I guess, my single-minded desire to want to break into the film industry when New Zealand didn't really have a film industry to break into. Peter Jackson I never wanted to do 'The Hobbit' in the first place. Peter Jackson I don't like directing that much to want a career as a director for hire. I like to have as much creative control as possible. Peter Jackson 48 frames per second is something you have to get used to. I've got absolute belief and faith in 48 frames... it's something that could have ramifications for the entire industry. 'The Hobbit' really is the test of that. Peter Jackson To some degree, I was very dubious of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' idea - taking a theme park ride and turning into a film - even though they seemed to end up being quite fun films. Peter Jackson I like to keep an open mind, but I do think there is some form of energy that exists separate to our flesh and blood. I do think that there's some kind of an energy that leaves the body when it dies, but I certainly don't have religious beliefs particularly. Peter Jackson The big-budget blockbuster is becoming one of the most dependable forms of filmmaking. Peter Jackson The only thing about 3-D is the dullness of the image. Peter Jackson When you look at the original 'Paradise Lost' film, you see three kids who can't defend themselves, being persecuted in a medieval way - witchcraft, satanic worship. It was kind of primitive. Peter Jackson We have lost close friends and relatives to cancer and Parkinson's disease, and the level of personal suffering inflicted on patients and their families by these diseases is horrific. Peter Jackson Learning how to edit movies was a real breakthrough. Peter Jackson It's not going to be too much longer before Xbox Live produces programming. Peter Jackson It's one thing to support your kid, but if you have an interest in what your child is doing, it makes it a whole lot easier. Peter Jackson Pre-preproduction is the tenuous time before a project is greenlit; before the studio commits to spending real money. This is the most vulnerable period for any film because it's the time when your project is most likely to be put into turnaround. That's film-speak for killed off. Peter Jackson No film has captivated my imagination more than 'King Kong.' I'm making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old. Peter Jackson The vast majority of the CGI budget is labor. Peter Jackson You don't want to believe everything you read on the Internet. Peter Jackson Obviously, movies, you're often on location, out in the rain or the sun, in a real place where the trees and the cars are real. But when you're on stage, as an actor you're imagining the environment that you're in. Peter Jackson I love Bilbo Baggins. I relate really well to Bilbo! Peter Jackson In the case of 'The Lovely Bones,' I felt that it was subject matter not often dealt with in film, and with a tone that is also rare. Peter Jackson I think everything that you do, you're learning. I mean, every movie that you make is like a film school; that's one of the things that I enjoy about filmmaking. Peter Jackson Where film is infinitely superior to any other medium is emotion and story and character. Peter Jackson The cameo I did in 'Fellowship of the Ring' was I was in the street of Bree, and I was eating a carrot. Peter Jackson If I'm lucky enough to be involved in the Academy Awards in the future, I'll just let people make up their decision without being involved in any politics. Because it shouldn't involve that. Peter Jackson One of the first movies I ever saw was 'Batman,' based on the TV series with Adam West and Burt Ward. Peter Jackson Prosthetic makeup is always frustrating. Peter Jackson The first day I start shooting, I start having a recurring nightmare that every single night that I am lying in bed, and there is a film crew surrounding the bed, waiting for me to tell them what to do, and I don't quite know what movie I am supposed to be making. Peter Jackson You never make movies for Oscars. Peter Jackson To be an original is probably the hardest quality to find if you're a young filmmaker. Peter Jackson I'm not going to head off and do a Marvel film. So if I don't do a Marvel film, I don't have any other choice - I've got to go make a small New Zealand movie! Peter Jackson Being honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside the names of some of my childhood heroes is slightly surreal and incredibly awesome. Peter Jackson Actors will never be replaced. The thought that somehow a computer version of a character is going to be something people prefer to look at is a ludicrous idea. Peter Jackson I thought that there might be something unsatisfying about directing two Tolkien movies after 'Lord of the Rings.' I'd be trying to compete with myself and deliberately doing things differently. Peter Jackson It is now such a complex society in terms of media. It just comes at us from every direction. You kind of have to push it all away. Peter Jackson If you take a regular animated film, that's being done by animators on computers, so the filmmaking is a fairly technical process. Peter Jackson I never overtly analyse my own movies, I don't think that's my job to do that. I just muddle through and do what I think is best for the movie. Peter Jackson If you're an only child, you spend a lot of time by yourself, and you develop a strong ability to entertain yourself, to conjure up fantasy. Peter Jackson What I think is remarkable about my mum and dad is they had no interest in films, really. None. Peter Jackson I feel very lucky to be able to make movies in New Zealand, and I will always be grateful for the support I have received from so many New Zealanders. Peter Jackson I can't take responsibility for everyone's employment. Peter Jackson We are living in an age where teenagers are not going to the movies. Peter Jackson I didn't want people to sit there and watch 10 minutes of film,and all they write about is 48 frames. Peter Jackson Forty-eight frames per second is a way, way better way to look at 3D. It's so much more comfortable on the eyes. Peter Jackson You can't always look at life as a miserable thing. Peter Jackson I have a million questions about my granddad and no one to talk to. Peter Jackson I hope one day that I'll get to make another horror film; I'd love to. Peter Jackson I'm thinking about doing a First World War film. Peter Jackson I first read 'The Lord of the Rings' as an adolescent. It's a dense novel, a sprawling, complex monster of a book populated with a prolific number of characters caught up in a narrative structure that, frankly, does not lend itself to conventional storytelling. Peter Jackson The Beatles once approached Stanley Kubrick to do 'The Lord Of The Rings.' This was before Tolkien sold the rights. They approached him, and he said, 'No.' Peter Jackson We're human beings, and we want stories. We're always going to be entertained and have our emotions touched by humanity and by things that we recognize in our own lives. So whilst every now and again we'll be happy to watch a bubblegum film, it's never gonna be the only things that get made. Peter Jackson There are a couple of locations in 'The Hobbit' that are shared with 'Lord of the Rings.' Peter Jackson I didn't want my kids having to pass through an airport named after their father. Peter Jackson I mean, I didn't have a huge upbringing with movies, I guess. Peter Jackson For a lot of my childhood, I didn't want to direct movies because I didn't really know what directing was. Peter Jackson I used to send away for eight-minute Super 8 movies of various Ray Harryhausen scenes advertised on the back of 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' magazine. Peter Jackson There was a great magazine in the '80s called 'Cinemagic' for home moviemakers who liked to do monster and special effects movies. It was like a magazine written just for me. Peter Jackson When you're starting out, you know, you have to do something on a very limited budget. You're not going to be able to have great actors, and you're most likely not going to have a great script. Peter Jackson Buster Keaton's 'The General,' from 1927, I think is still one of the great films of all time. Peter Jackson I watch 'Goodfellas,' and suddenly it frees me up entirely; it reminds me of what great film directing is all about. Peter Jackson I think 'Jaws' is a remarkable film. Peter Jackson People sort of accuse Tolkien of not being good with female characters, and I think that Eowyn actually proves that to be wrong to some degree. Eowyn is actually a strong female character, and she's a surprisingly modern character, considering who Tolkien actually was sort of a stuffy English professor in the 1930s and '40s. Peter Jackson In the old days, you cut out a scene that might've been a really great scene, and no one was ever going to see it ever again. Now, with DVD, you can obviously... there's a lot of possibilities for scenes that are good scenes. Peter Jackson I am not anti-media at all. But the media, the news anywhere in the world, is based on drama. Peter Jackson Second movies are great because you can drop into them, and it doesn't really have a beginning on it, particularly in a traditional way. You can just tear into it. Peter Jackson Filmmakers have to commit to making 3-D films properly like Jim Cameron did and not do cheap conversions at the tail end of the process. Peter Jackson When I was about 14, I got a splicing kit, which means you could chop up the film into little pieces and switch the order around and glue it together. Peter Jackson Strategically, horror films are a good way to start your career. You can get a lot of impact with very little. Peter Jackson To direct a genuinely animated film, you're really having meetings and discussing what you want with animators who then go off and produce one shot at a time that you look at and comment on. Peter Jackson