Hi Kousa: You mean beneficial bacteria? Beneficial bacteria are plenty in yogurt like L. Acidophillus (also added to horse feed). Beneficial bacteria are in healthy soil and in horse manure. One example is Bacillus thuringiensis, an organism fatal to caterpillars but perfectly safe for plants and other animals. Some horse manure contain beneficial nematodes (added by the stable) to control flies population. Midge is between a gnat and a small fly. Horse manure, IF it has beneficial nematodes, is effective for midge-control. Most stables have a "free heap" of manure, so the public can help themselves, without permission. The stable in my small village has a horse-manure pile the size of a 2-story house. FUNGAL DISEASES are: Blackspots, mildew, rust, canker, gray mold, and powdery mildew. Any type of mushroom is also a fungi. Fungi does not like extreme alkalinity, like pH above 8. Baking soda pH is 8.3, and is used against black spots. Fungi grows best at neutral to acidic soil above pH 4. I researched on agricultural midge, or swede midge. Experiments at Cornell University stated, " Laboratory results indicated that extremely dry and extremely wet soil hinders swede midge emergence. Optimal moisture content for swede midge emergence was from 25 ��" 75 %, and varied in different soils." Cornell University recommends crop rotation, but that's not possible with roses. That explains why I don't have rose midge in my rock-hard clay. My heavy clay is sticky-wet when it's rained, and rock-hard when dry. 15 minutes from me is Cantigny rose park, with 1,200 roses. They use zero mulch, just bare dirt. But when people mulch with bark, that retains optimal moisture level longer for midge germination. More from Cornell University: "These results suggest that cultural practices, such as flooding fields during non-cropping periods to achieve 100% soil moisture level or even DRYING THE SOIL, may be viable methods to reduce swede midge emergence. Similarly, swede midge populations and damage are expected to be REDUCED when saturated soil or drought conditions occur." eHow recommended that for rose midge, removing the top soil, and putting new soil in late season will stop midge from germinating next year. That's what I do in zone 5a for winter-protection: I dump new soil in late fall, to protect my roses. The bagged soils here are alkaline clay, pH near 8, makes it impossible for any insects to thrive. Two of my 55+ roses had rose midge early spring, since I did not dump alkaline soil this past winter. It's just fluffy potting soil, which holds the ideal moisture for midge germination. I flooded the soil repeatedly, plus our week-long heavy rain killed all the midge larvae by early summer. Conclusion: Midge doesn't like soil too wet, nor too dry .. and sticky alkaline clay does just that. From a University Extension, I learned the midge hatch from the top 1 to 2" of soil, so removing the top surface of soil helps. One lazy way is dust a thin layer of wood-ash, its extreme alkalinity would kill any midge larvae, and disease-causing fungi. From Missouri Botanical Garden "Rose midges are microscopic insects that can blacken and kill rosebuds and leaves. The destructive, whitish maggots usually hatch after the first bloom cycle and rasp tender plant tissue as they feed, causing leaves and blossoms to blacken and shrivel. An unchecked, heavy infestation can eliminate bloom from late spring to early fall. After feeding, the larvae drop to the soil, pupate, and emerge as reddish or yellowish brown flies within a week. To control this pest, remove and destroy affected flower buds and leaves as soon as you spot midge damage." Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell University on midge

Love all of the curvy beds! I saw #154 at the factory in the patina copper premium finish and it was stunning. We ended up flipping a coin to choose our bed because we couldn't decide. It's the standard midnight finish, btw. Denali, your picture started me on the quest last year for a BBoV! I ended up with two brass beds (#105 and #110) from CL before also purchasing the iron bed from Pat. The #105 is headed back to the factory for an overhaul shortly... Juddgirl2, the low footboard doesn't seem to be an issue because the mattress is very close to it. I like it because it doesn't overpower the small guest room. Anyway, here it is: Good luck with your choice!

There's always a danger in having too many finishes. It can be done, depending on what else is going on, proximity, the exact finishes, your tolerance for non-matchiness etc. It could look cold and old fashioned though. I don't have the same finish on anything in my house, but that in itself is a consistent statement! I try to stay away from giving decisions that are purely taste. If you think you can pull it off, go for it. It's almost invisible to anyone not doing the dishes, so you can please yourself and offend no one else! It's not quite clear to me what you're looking for: just a drain, a flange, a strainer/flange combo, a strainer basket (just the little thing that keeps stuff from going down the drain), so I found a page, it happens to be a kohler page from a company that I have never heard of, but it laid out the options neatly so that you could look and have an idea. Ask the installer what, if anything, you need to get. I may be wrong, but I would think it's either their job to install the flange, if they need to scribe around it, or the plumber's. Good luck! http://www.faucetline.com/kohler-drain-strainers.html Here is a link that might be useful: Page of drains and strainers

Sharifa Asma- My favorite scent of all the Austins I grow, strong and sweet. Sharifa mostly stays compact and rounded, gets up to 6 feet by the end of the season. She is nicely winter hardy for me and always seems to have at least a few blooms going. I spray, so no BS problem. Both of mine are virused, but they do well anyway. Tamora- Stays short, under 3 feet. Even with spraying tends towards black spot. Scent is like black licorice, my wife hates it, but I like it. Not my favorite rose because the stems aren't really long enough for cutting. Bolero- Seems like this is always in bloom, mine grows to about 2 1/2 feet. Fragrance is moderate to my nose, but pleasant. I have thrip issues with all of these roses, but I hit them with cyflutherin when needed and that seems to do the trick.