Well, that's a mouthful.....lol I got started from getting some plants from my Aunt and Dad that had become overgrown. Then began looking into it more and finding what I liked best-They like spiders, I like rufflies. I have added a few new ones every year replacing the ones that I didn't like as much or didn't do well. I get some from trades, some from fellow gardeners that share overgrowns, some from purchases, and some from making my own. I have a limited budget so I won't spend over $30 for one plant-and usually keep it under $25. Dad and I get together and buy from Maryott during the BOGO sale and if we both want one he buys one and I buy another kind and we share. I have all three kinds-evergreen, semi, and dormant and try to make sure I have some that are blooming in all seasons or rebloomers. Realistically in the north though, many plants that are listed as rebloomers don't always rebloom. The growing season isn't always long enough. How often they get divided depends on the plant. Some grow faster than others. I have one plant that I have had for about 8 years and only have 4 fans. It has never been divided. If I didn't like the bloom so well, it would be gone. I have others that grow like a weed and have to be divided every few years. I use the divisions for trades, suppliment my Dad's sales (as he does tours and sells out of his garden) and go to a plant sale every spring-which is where I get my budget for the purchases that I make for that summer. I usually clip mine down about to 4" in the fall as it makes it faster for me to clean up in the spring. I zip through my yard and help Dad with his gardens. I think I covered all the bases. :)

Thanks Worthy, appreciate the info. With the chipped tile - we don't think it was their fault, but rather something natural accommodated for in ordering an additional 10-20% of tiles. But the tiles in the garage AREN'T chipped, so we wonder why the chipped ones were used? As we live with this tile, how easy is it going to be for us to chip it? I mean, that's one of the reasons we went with porcelain over slate was (what the tile shops told us) durability... Also - they grouted Friday, coming to seal tomorrow. Will the grout be sufficiently dry by now? We are a little concerned about the color of the grout as it is quite varied, even in a single tile edge - the variation is from almost white-ish gray to med brown (what we choose). We thought it was still drying... but it will be sealed in less than 24 hours! Thanks!

My sons are in a boy scout troop that has The Mother Of All Garage Sales every year in August. It is H-U-G-E. They start collecting in May and use 5-6 giant storage units. It takes a week to set it all up in the parking lot of the church that sponsors the troop. It takes 50-60 people all working for 4 months so you can only imagine how huge. Last year they made $11,000 and they price EVERYTHING to go. The prices are really, really cheap. The troop has been doing this for more than 25 years so it's a neighborhood institution. Anyway, all of that said is it justify my keeping junk for the garage sale. I have a corner of the laundry room devoted to it. I bring boxes home from work and box up stuff all year. And then the se-up week I become ruthless and start culling from all over the house. Last year I got rid of SO MUCH junk - it was wonderful! And the best part is, what doesn't sell goes first to charities. After they take their pick, the the troop goes through and pulls out all the stuff the humane society can use and all the scrap metal, then the rest goes into a dumpster. So NONE of it comes back home with me! After all the work I'm not even tempted to bring home anyone else's donations either. Last year I brought home a paring knife, a hat, and a blanket - that's it. Working the sale also makes me not want to go to garage sales, so I don't drag home unneeded stuff. Anyway, if your friends are saving and really would have a sale then it can be a good thing. It's a great thing for me!

ncrealestateguy, thank you for money saving tip on pool chemicals. I will check out the poolcalculator website. This will hopefully offset some cost in running pool equipment + in pool opening/closing. The previous owners spent years on building the pool and the surrounding deck and waterfall. I wouldn't want to undo their hard work by filling in the pool.. stir_fryi, our house is in a nice neighborhood, which is surrounded by woods. Our 1 acre is cleared, mostly flat land. Kids can definitely ride bicycles and play football on it. (Occasionally, I see neighbors' kids riding small motorcycles in their yard & on the streets in our neighborhood. What luxurious toys they have!) Edit to add: Given the current housing market, if we sell the house now, we would most likely not gain anything financially (after factoring in all the costs related to selling & moving). If the current market were similar to 2004 or early 2005, we would probably be able to pocket some profit, but I don't think it would be close to half million.. This post was edited by ILoveCookie on Tue, Apr 9, 13 at 12:16