I must admit that I am quite impressed as to how helpful everyone on this forum has been! Thanks again everyone! Suzi, thanks for the encouragement! I sure hope the condo is not for too much longer because I have a feeling by next summer my balcony will have a hard time accomodating all of my planned citri (citruses/citri?). I would love to have your local and actually the misses and I are currently considering making move out to California in the next year or so (we should both be done with school this semester, finally...). It's just an idea right now and we would not move out there without job security, but it sure sounds appealing! Brett, thanks for the tips! I'm glad you said that about the pot size, there's a good chance I would have bought ones too big. I had a question about that though. A lady with some citrus experiance at my local nursery told me just to use a premixed Miracle Gro soil for citrus/cactus which actually had alot of the stuff you need to use (perlite, organics, sand) but I do not see too many people on these forums doing anything aside from mixing their own. Anyone got any suggestions for good deals ordering coconut husk chips? I do want to check some local nurserys and see if they have any by chance, but I am not sure I will have much luck here outside Chicago. As for fertilizer Brett I was considering using Osomocote slow release for outdoor/indoor plants (19-6-12), unless anyone has any objections or suggestions. The pointers were quite helpful Brett, thanks! Toni, It would be awesome to live in a location that had citrus trees at all of the bix boxes (as painful as it generally tends to be entering any and every big box). If you are refering to Pesche's in Des Plaines, it is indeed open, but I honestly do not kow much about their buisness history. It was a pretty nice place, quite a bit of selection, very helpful staff but the prices were indeed a bit high. I still bought a few things there (general potting soil and a bottle of superthrive) and would probably go back. I have never been to any of the other places you speak of, but one of my customers at the coffee shop today mentioned Jamacia Gardens to me and said I should check it out. Is there anywhere local you suggest getting the components for a good growth medium or do you order your components online? I would like to use coconut husk chips as well as the rest of the usual suspects (perlite, organics, ect) and was wondering if you know if they are locally available. As for prices I know those are steep, but I have actually checked out Gardenwatchdog and it seems as though Four Winds is one of the best rated companies. Also, I emailed them the other day w/ a question about shipping prices (the previously posted dilema) as well as to see if there was any chance that they had any 2-3 yr old Taroccos since their site said they were out. I was blown away by the response I got from customer service. The CS rep told me he wasn't sure but thought there was an extra 2-3 yr old Tarocco he might be able to sell me and that he would let me know in the next couple of days. He then told me a good deal of info on all three variaties of blood orange they sell and his personal success with bringing any indoors during the winter. He then proceeded to tell me all about what he thought were good suggestions for a novice as well as explained to me the whole shipping situation (which actually made sense after explained, it has to do with older trees being able to be packaged togather into one box where mixed age trees generally can't). In all the response was over 5 paragraphs, and I must admitt I was impressed! I might still order a few trees from them unless I can find all four of the trees I want from one supplier that is reputable and cheaper. I am going to check out those local nurserys though. As for selection I am not 100% sure but leaning towards a bearss lime, varigated pink lemon, gold nugget mandarin and possibly an oro blanco grapefruit (if not, either a tarocco blood orange or cara cara navel). Also, the owner of citrus.forumup.org also ocassionally sells some plants and has a few Meyer lemons right now that I believe he said would be $28 including shipping and that they should fruit this year. I was not initially planning on having 5 citrus trees this year, but I am planning on making it work. Thanks for all the help again Toni! Mike, I really appreciate the call to Four Winds for me! I emailed them and got an impressive response explaining the whole shipping situation. Their customer service is amazing! I found a Meyer for cheap, so I think I am going to give it a shot and I will surely keep you updated on it's status! Thanks folks! Joe

For early starting of non-hardy plants indoors use a nail to punch some holes in the bottom of margarine containers, individual yogurt cups, etc. for drainage, plant seeds in them. Or cut tops off of milk, bleach, etc. containers, punch holes in the bottom. Can cut off top, use bottoms of small packages which are like wax- or plastic-coated cardboard, e.g. single-serving milk containers. If you don't have a space where they can drain without problems, and have a container that can handle some drainage, (e.g. cookie sheet), put them on it. If there's a problem with the plant container standing in water, find something small that is expendable, or a short board, etc. to put under the pot to hold it above the drained water. Join a garden club, horticultural society, then trade seeds, slips, started plants, etc. (but if they hold a plant exchange, they'll probably charge a transfer fee to help cover the group's expenses). Check neighbours, friends to find fellow gardeners (though, gardeners, being inclined to talk about their hobby, you may well know who they are at present). Trade seeds, slips, ideas with them. Grow more than you can use of crops that grow easily at your space, then trade produce with neighbours who grow stuff that you don't or find hard to grow. Frugal forever! joyful

Do you have your pre-nup in place? Have you talked to your attorney?

I feel so sorry for the couple. "I’m a wedding planner/organizer by profession. Truth be told, I don’t have that much experience in the industry but I’m doing the best I can." Yikes. That's just the kind of statement I want to hear from someone coordinating an important life event. Sure sounds like this person has no clue.