Avocados take FOREVER if you just do the water toothpick method. I tried 4 in feb and had them split by march and rot by may. Tried again with a differnt method in may with organic avocado, new method was slice top 1/3 off pit, wrap in moist paper towel and put in fridge for 24-48 hrs, then put into ziploc -i used empty mayo jar- and in cupboard -i used one beside oven cause it seems to be the warmest- i checked on in every few days to see how the root was dooing and as soon as i could see definate tap root -about 2-3 weeks- i potted it into soil, and put it under low energy high output light -1200 lums- i got a shoot about 2 inches long when i decided it was time to put it outside -i was bending towads the lamp- however i didn't harden it off just put it straight outside in mid june and i think i have killed it now. I took a look at the roots the other day and it is getting root bound in a 4in pot, but the trunk looks pretty weak and the 4 leaves it has starting have done nothing since i put it in the sun, i am just hoping it recovers from the sun shock so i will leave it for a few more months and see how it does. I ma not too worried cause after that one got a shoot i started another 4 which are in cups of dirt in the sun so they won't 'burn' when they push thier shoots up. my suggestion is, make sure you are getting pretty ripe fruit when you buy them, ripe enough that you should be using them in the next few days. Also if the intention is growing the pit i suggest 'certified organic' there is some chanec that other ones may have been sprayed with something that inhibits the pit from germinating -like they do to tomatoes- and finally the fridge method, i was getting frustrated till i learned that. I have a friend who has a 13yo avocado house plant and that one was started using just the cup toothpick method so it WILL work eventually, i have just found the other method is faster.

Hello Hummingbird Lovers, I too have had a bully hummer (Rufous? He’s got a bright ruby throat). This guy terrorizes my other birds not just by attacking them but also by loudly chirping as the birds get near any of my 2 feeders. My other birds have shared the feeders in the past especially just before sunset for their last feeding. While they obviously don’t like to feed near each other, they seem to unpleasantly coexist. Not the bully. He is not letting any of the other birds near the feeders to a point where I don’t see my regular hummers come around at all. I’m in an Apt so I don’t have too much of a choice than spreading my two feeders as far apart as possible on the balcony. Today I decided I was going to bully the bully (am I going nuts?!). I know my other birds will feed near me so I stood in between the 2 feeders right in front of the bully and every time the bully tried to zoom in to terrorize my other birds, I’d get in front of him. He finally gave up and left the hood, probably temporarily. Immediately some of my regulars came back, still a bit scared. I feel bad doing this but I miss seeing my sweet hummers who either feed together or at least wait for each other to finish feeding before taking a turn (no joke. They do it!). Even the alpha Anna’s aren’t as mean and aggressive as the ruby throated Rufous. Im going to try placing a number single feeders around the balcony and see if that helps. I do have other flowers around me but my hummers love my nectar recipe of water mixed with organic cane sugar from Trader Joe’s. I clean and refill the feeders very 3 days whether they’re empty or not so they’re nice and fresh. I happily spoil the heck out of my sweet beloved hummers!

Wow this is an old thread. Ok so what I have discovered with verbena seeds is after the flowers fade and the pods have aged anywhere from 2 weeks to a month while dead heading or collecting seeds what I do now is feel the seed head and if there is a hardness to it depending on what the pod looks like about to burst or browned a bit then I collect the seedhead. This is how I tell if the seeds are ready or not. If the seedhead is soft and lower down on the branch if that makes sense then I cut off. The higher on the branch the fresher the blooms. And with this method I have gotten a lot of germination on collected seeds. And if the seeds are green they are not ripe.a tinge of green is ok but the more brown the better. Seeds collected from cut flowers don't usually have the chance to mature to proper stage. So it best not to try and collect from cut flowers.

Hi otis, I'm fairly new, too, but welcome! :) I agree with justgotabeme that you sound like an eclectic style person. I like a little of everything (and I call my "style" early garage-sale), but I seem to lean towards cottage style or country when I look at websites. You really should look at lots of different websites and magazines to see where your tastes lead you. There are galleries attached to these GW forums and they have a wealth of real-world pictures of different rooms. Maybe that would give you some ideas about which way to go. Pick a color, theme, or style for your house and see if you can envision the rooms. The journal justgotabeme suggested is an excellent idea. It gives you a way to put ideas you like together and then, after a few pictures are in one place, it will lead you to a style. For instance, if you collect living room pictures, circle what it is you like in the room, or make notes to the side of the picture. Eventually, you'll see a pattern. Personally, I like overstuffed furniture, but clean lines and dark wood for the tables. I also love a multi-colored rug under my LR furniture, so long as the colors are muted. I like artwork with old houses and buildings, etc. You will see things that you always like and you may even notice that certain things turn you off...I happen to hate nickel and old "lodge-look" hardware on anything. Learning those two things really helped me determine what I need to avoid in rooms. Also, the best advice I ever got was "don't be afraid to try something new, especially with paint". You can always paint over a color if you hate it, but you just may find something you love.