The female flower, the one we get the fruits from, will have a bulbous growth behind the flower. That is the ovary, and the fruit. The only reason a plant produces a fruit that we eat is because that is the repository for the seeds that are the future plants, so only a female flower will produce a fruit. If that flower does not get pollinated, or adequately pollinated, and the fruit will not have viable seed then the plant will cut off nutrients to that starting to develop fruit and it dies and falls off, that is lack of pollination. Lack of pollination of many of our foods is becoming a greater problem as the insects that have for eons done that pollination are being killed by what we are doing to their environment. Sorry Teri, that someone dredged this up instead of starting a new discussion as they should have.

Hi Paul, I think that it's a combination of several things: many folks currently on here seem not to know about the Exchange Forum. I rarely look for several reasons. Partly because I tend to already have the most common stuff offered for trade (esepecially at the Hoya Forum); partly that I belong to active Plant Societies where I can often buy specials in person off a plant sale table. Example: last month we had a speaker specializing in Succulent Bonsai. She showed slides, gave a presentation & also sold some plants she'd brought w/ her to sell. Some of her stuff is unusual like a Sedum multiceps I bought (have seen that twice in maybe 20 yrs) & a crested variegated Aeonium. These aren't plants that most vendors would have around. Lastly, it's winter in NY now; too cold to even think about swaps & shipping (unless w/ a heat pack). I too have had some very nice swaps from here, especially at the Hoya Forum. Bottom line Paul, I don't think it's that they don't want what you offer, it's that few folks come around here anymore (IMO).

Marti, I thought one lady on the Decor forum had done the trick, so I held my tongue for this long. Imagine that! :) But I cannot puzzle out the dimensions of your 3 piece shelving unit, so cannot totally tell if my idea might work. What I'm thinking is this: Leave the entertainment shelving unit to the LEFT of your hallway door. But push it over to the corner. No problem with the switch that way, is there? That will leave you a long blank space adjacent to the hallway. I suggest that you hang multiple pictures of same size same orientation (all landscape oriented and not vertically oriented.). Then on the opposite side of the doorway, on that same wall, if you have room to butt the two open shelving units side by side, they will fit there quite nicely. I suggest that you BULK UP the open shelving units with more STUFF. If you have some short and wide artwork, put it behind some of the decorative dishes. Put some books standing upright, and some big books stacked flat too so you need NO bookends. Then, ACROSS THE TOP OF ALL THREE SHELVING UNITS, put some big baskets or ornamental boxes, maybe two per shelving unit. And in the middle over the doorway itself, put a large round or fan shaped ornamental object....could be wrought iron which is suitable to your decorating style. And do not think you must smoothe your walls to lose the "Ponderosa" style as you call it. How about thinking of the way Tuscan walls look? They are stucco, and they have what is called "broken" color, which just means it is not a flat and single-tone color. I'd consider something a little like a soft tan on the walls. But I've never had to deal with really high ceilings before, so that color advice should come from someone more knowledgeable. If you really like the blue furniture, I do think tan would be a good choice with that. Using natural colored basketry, maybe wrought iron (but not the old Spanish trail stuff, keep it more real looking)too. I'm guessing that your DH would like the wrought iron. But honey, you have to live there too, and should like what is going on in your house. If you have framed photographs of your family, or of vacations, whatever, put them on that console table behind your love seat. If you hang any art work on the wall that goes behind the upholstered chairs, be sure to keep them LOW. Also, lower that painting above the mantle. Move the object now beneath it to the LEFT end of the mantle, and leave the clock where it is now. Remember, paintings are to be hung at EYE LEVEL. If the mantle painting is even just stood on the mantle itself, the top of it would help lead the eye cleanly across the entire wall from window to window, I think you are hanging curtains soon, right? So plan of hanging the painting so its top is the same height as the curtain rods. Think about getting some bulky rods, and having the curtains hung by the huge grommets, because that will give a strong horizontal look to a really vertical wall (nice fireplace) The rods could be black metal, of course, or the dark wood same color as your mantle finish. Whew, I'n not going to reread this because I might try to change something and lose the whole deal. I don't think you need to do a lot of expensive stuff to your living room, but oh my that is a LOT of space to paint !!!!! How in the WORLD do you get up there to PAINT?

"yup, tou would think with all of the ad revenue they get --esp. from those annoying drop down ones, that they could get a current message board. if i start a thread or have a particular interest in one that someone else started, i end up saving it to favorites for a bit so i can actually find it again!" You'd think that they could have a quote feature too! ROFL. seriously, this is the worst excuse for a message board I have ever seen. come on GW - its 2007. Not 1991.