Hi hanzrobo, I have an east facing and a huge south facing window. I was a little concerned that if they slow down in the heat of summer, seedlings may have a tough time right now. We are already 100+ and the room they will be in is warm! It's an add on to the house, but no cooling attached. I'm thinking of ordering seeds from Mesa Garden , unless someone has a better suggestion. :-)

Ellie - There are a few of us here that love the pinks and lavenders... I added in a love for blue eyes, just to shake things up! :0)~ Glad to hear DRN will shape up. It wasn't *too* bad, but I always am so impatient for them to bloom right! Jan - I am *so* impressed with Crystal Sea. I got it as a one fan bonus, and had never heard nor seen pictures of it. It is a HUGE bloom here, and it is a perfect pink for me - you? Ballerina Beautiful opens perfect for me every time... so far (knock on wood). I would totally recommend it, scapes are nice and thick with the right height, foliage is nice. Maybe in fall I'll have enough to trade ya somethin'? Pat - I used to HATE pink, but as I grew older, I liked it more and more. Maybe because I was *supposed* to like it as a little girl, I rebelled. Silly girl. Pinks with pink watermarks really get me going (like Clown's Cabaret). Nancy - I keep asking myself, "don't I have enough? Where will I put MORE?". Guess it never ends. This forum is the worst enabling site ever, because people show you photos, and also tell you how good the plant is.... :o) Michelle - hang in there, my SOT has not increased well for me either. I think this is one that takes its sweet time settling in. When it does bloom, you'll be delighted - the flowers are so good. Judy - thanks for the encouragement to wait! I am soooo impatient for more blooms! Debra - it is an intro from Hillard Lawler (DrBud - LA). I got it as a bonus. It has the weirdest parents ever for a pink - BILL NORRIS X FLAMING WILDFIRE. Tet, 8" flower on 40" scape. I seriously just planted it, so the flowers have a lot of room for improvement. I'll post the pic he sent me - it is fabulous. Can't wait to see it next year.

I have Dwarf Green Long Pod and Stewarts Zeebest in smart pots and they are doing better than when I used to put them in the ground. The Zeebest have leaves that are a foot in diameter. They also form branches which bear pods (mine have just begun to branch and flower) so they bear more per plant then straight up okra varieties. I had to order the seeds online, they are not always easy to find, and they start out slow. But now with the heat on, they are growing into little okra monsters. Their trunks are more than an inch in diameter. I have 3 of the DGLP in one 15 gallon pot and 2 zeebest per 15 gallon pot (total of four zeebest in 2 pots). I just direct seeded into the pots because I don't like the chore of hardening off transplants. I've seen a little contraption that is supposed to make seedling pots out of newspaper which would be plantable directly into the garden at the right time without having to touch the roots at all. If I were going to go the transplant route, that's probably what I would do, but I found that direct seeding just suited me better.

Actually, a big part of my motivation is the acidity in the tomatoes. I find that most of the standards found in garden centers and nurseries are very high in acid and it doesnÂt agree with me  old age. Once you set up the lights, the rest is easy. I have 3  2 tube 4 foot fixtures which gives me ample space for 3 trays. That takes care of all my starting needs. Even though it sounds like a lot I only wind up with 7 plants. I always have 2 Brandywines and 2 Orange Blossoms. The other 3 keep changing. Last year I grew a Black Brandywine from Totally Tomatoes that really wasnÂt. It had potato leaves and was black, which is all I can say for it. Mr. Stripey was a great tomato but I wanted to expand my use of Territorial Seeds and neither they nor JohnnyÂs sells that kind so I am going with different varieties. Jim