There as many techniques for fertilizing plants as there are gardeners ;-) You are realizing that by reading the info provided by various 'expert' sources as well as various opinions. More or less they are all correct ;-) If anything I would err on the side of underfertilizing so ferting with every watering is not something I would do unless the plants were very lackluster in their performance in comparison to what I thought they should be doing. For example, a heavy blooming annual may slow down it's blooming. Give it a feeding and a week later it is in full bloom again. Experiences like this, over time, will give you a sense of what, how much and how often more so than any routine, one size fits all schedule will. I think a good 'starting plan' is to mix in a little slow release fertilzer (get one that is labelled as a "complete" food meaning it has micronutrients in it instead of just N-P-K) and then use a fert mixed with water every couple weeks at half strength. From here, alter the frequency and strength and wait a couple weeks to observe how the plants respond. It's a bit more complicated in that some plants need really high fertility and others very little so knowing a bit about the plants you are growing (you can just divide them into low, normal and high) for their fert needs helps. But, this comes with time as well. No worries, err on the side of caution with ferts and everything will work out fine. Waaay easier to cause problems with over ferting than under ferting.

I'm totally confused about why my motives are questioned. Of course I care about the beauty of my garden...in all seasons. And the nature of the question/solution implies concern about the well-being of my roses. I guess some folks don't limit throwing manure solely into their gardens. I decided to buy the bamboo shades. Found some dark bamboo shades at HD and tried it out. I got 39x72" shades. Had to buy 2 because my pillars are rather large in height and circumference. I think there's enough space between the strips for aeration and it looks nice. I'll post a pic when I get it installed. Hopefully, we won't get too much snow before Christmas so I'll be able to cash in on all those greens headed for the compost pile.

Don, I find many of the 'scented' ones listed here have no fragrance to me. (But growing up in a house of smokers, I have a "stunted" sense of smell!) I would recommend H. austrailus ssp. tenuipes. I recently did a huge hack job, pulling it out of my tree (I also grow 98% of my hoyas out of doors year round) because the pot hanger broke. I did a real 'hack job' on it, and threw the bits in a tin wash tub... only to have it root quickly and rampantly. I took bits and stuck them in the ground around my property, and they've put on new leaves; deep burgandy with a lime green dot at the tip. The leaves are aging now so the burgandy color is fading to the usual lime green. (SueTran this goes for you too!) I'd be happy to provide you both some cuttings from the mother plant as I am thinking about moving the 18 inch pot in to work and I can almost guarentee some damage from that transport! For the neglectful type (as I am, also) I usually pot my hoyas up in self-water pots. Mostly hanging pots, but I've branched out in many directions. I can't recommend H. bella for S-W pots because it has seasonal fluctuational needs for water and S-W tend to kill them in fall! I've hade austrailus, kerrii, pubicalyx RHP, multiflora, obovata, fungii and carnosa in S-W pots for nearly four years now, and they really do aid in the 'neglect' arena! Good luck, I've been branching out recently and this Neglect Post reminds me I need to go water my newly arrived plants! Good Luck, Don! Don and SueTran, leave a note here, I will contact you. GW ate my DropMeALine ability! Tough having been here since '97, lots of changes!!! (Sue, you can reach out and contact me!)

Well, you guys have been having fun! I just love the feel of Chanel products, and I generally trust their colors, too. It is a lot of hassle to "put on your face" but who doesn't look better? I agree the eyes are the trickiest part. I had make up done professionally several times, often for bright lighting situations and I am always aghast at how much eyeliner and mascara is used. It looks terrific but it makes one so self-conscious. Not to mention, if it is not done perfectly, it does veer from terrific to horrific pdq. I would also recommend Bobbi Brown, for a daytime look. Very subtle. SueB. save your lipstick for evening. I don't think, for health reasons, you can take back anything that has been touched.