I'm mainly trying to get ready for October - when I can start most of my fall/winter crops. Although, I did plant a few lima beans where I pulled the green pole types. They did exceptionally well, incidentally. They probably would have gone a bit longer, but my freezer and pantry is full of them. I did plant a few romaine-type lettuce - in semi-shaded spots - which is giving me a few stalks, but they aren't too keen for the idea. Mainly, the zucchini are still producing well - liking the heat, and the peppers are slow. Gardening in CA., is a bit strange anyway. I note that celery is re-seeding and that may be a good crop to start now and summer squash - according to the "Digital Gardener's Southern California" vegetable planting schedule for my zone. I'm anxious to see whether the lima beans will sprout. Sorry about your "critter" problem. I have very few - because I garden in boxes - well protected by cages on top, and hardware cloth nailed to the bottom of the planting box. Now most of the damage comes from slugs and white butterfly larvae. I recently put out small yogurt cups of stale beer and that works quite well - as snails and slugs crawl in and drown - but I usually forget to refill the cups - but it works if there is a lot of them. Bejay

Well, I have both in my yard, both do well. Cot-N-Candy Aprium is also a great choice. I also have Autumn Glo apricot, but it is brand new this year, so no fruit from it, but it is a consistent taste test winner for DWN. A lot of folks in our area also like Katy, I don't have it in my yard, sort of out of room, so if my other apricots don't measure up, I may replace one with a Katy. Patty S.

Daisy, First, so happy to hear from you and your experiences! So your small m comment got me looking and it seems like American editors and rulebooks differ on the usage of small m from one to another. Some say it applies to every mediterranean climate outside the Mediterranean Sea area, and some say it refers to anything landlocked with that climate. Still others disagree and say if your climate is based on that sea then you can use the capital whereas everyone else must use a lowercase m. Just an interesting aside I had never considered before. Thank you! Thank you for the suggestions! I have not seen that book before and I am going to have to check it out. There is another book I want to interlibrary loan to see if it is worth purchasing called "Gardening in the Middle East." I fear it may have more to do with the desert, so I want to look at it first. Oh, the hail. Yes, that happens in NW Jordan as well. This information has given me some great direction. I will be taking a look! Julianna

Itecato9, it sound like you bough regular moss, since you describe it as green and the package said to be used only as a basket liner or top dressing. That is not LFS moss or more accurately long-fiber Sphagnum Moss use in growing mediums. That green decorative moss is green because of the artificial green coloring they add to it, long-fiber Sphagnum Moss normally a light brownish color with some purple hues. People new in CP have made the big mistake of buying green decorative moss, either because they donÂt know how real sphagnum moss looks like or the sales clerk assures them it is sphagnum moss. ThatÂs why those forums you mentioned warn to stay away from that green decorative moss Sphagnum moss is long and stringy and quite ÂfeatheryÂ, not green, compact, and short. Lowes or Home Depo do sell sphagnum moss in the orchid section but make sure it does say sphagnum moss and nothing else. Also, make sure it doesnÂt have any additives on the sphagnum moss like watering agent or fertilizer, which will kill your CPs. You want is pure LFS moss. DonÂt use that green decorative moss AT ALL as top dressing, the chemicals in it will kill your CP as it will leach from it and contaminate your medium when you water it. If not sure what moss to buy, you can always purchase them from reputable carnivorous plant growers like California Carnivore, or Sarracenia Northwest. That way you will be sure what you purchased and also learn how real LFS moss looks like. For your D. kenneally , this grow in moist warm environment, if you planted it next to your temperate sundews, you may have killed it. Only pygmies produce gemmea, you probably mean the scaly leaf of the dormant sundew bulb. Good luck!