I knew I could count on cottagers to know what to do. It sounds like I need to streamline my method by laying things out better, giving myself more room to work, and just keep practicing. I do strip the stems in the field, so at least I have been doing that right. Annette - I like your idea of having all the flowers placed facing the front so that the customer can arrange them at home later. That would speed things up a lot for me, but I had been thinking that customers need to see a finished product. Maybe I'll make one that looks finished for display, and then just bunch the rest as you mentioned. Probably my first customer will want the finished one, but even so, I should be able to whip up another one pretty fast if all the right stems are already in the jar. I will be thinking about calf roping the next time I do them. :-) GGG - I have something to shoot for now - ten to twenty per hour. Zowie! That would be amazing. When you said 'process all of one kind of flower at a time', did you mean, for example, place all the sunflowers, then place all the zinnias, then all the cosmos ...? Kind of assembly line style? Lorna - I enjoy interacting with the customers but I have a tough time carrying on a conversation and trying to build a bouquet at the same time - not enough experience yet, I think. They just slow me down even more. The apples or cookies sound like fun, but market rules don't allow me to do that, and the book exchange idea would also be nixed. Vikki - I'll really try. I will have to shoot a picture first thing, before my bouquet stock gets depleted. Thank you all very much for your help. ThinMan

I entered a very similar post a while back. I dont live in okla. but the question is how long does it stay warm there in the winter months . Im guessing rthroats would go farther south into texas and beyond. They say that the hummers leave central indy mid sept. I also around 8 or so hummers. I have two window feeders and a hanging feeder and today I got a treat . ON one feeder two were feeding at the same time and on the yard feeder at the same time two were sitting and feeding side by side, whereas normally they compete for the feeders. Im guessing by the more feeding than fighting action they may soon be leaving

It's very difficult to see them, but they appear to have a segmented body and possibly clear wings. Do they have wings? If so, they may be some kind of hoverfly or bee, both of which are beneficial insects. If you don't see that they clearly have damaged your plants, I wouldn't try to kill them.

Ok I was just able to get a close up and this little larvae is definitely eating aphids. Awesome!!!! The mama aphid looks pretty pissed and is trying to ride the larvae away like a horse, but it's still eating her babies. Mwahaha. Cool! I'm going to assume these are hoverfly larvae. That Lacy Phacelia I planted is fantastic for a (no spray) rose companion plant if it attracted enough hoverflies to make a little colony! Also...Here's some more ladybugs feeling the love. I can hear the Barry White playing. Looks like Sally Holmes may have some ladybug larvae living on her soon too. I have to get myself a real camera. You all have inspired me to take more garden photos and while my phone is ok... I'm going to have to save for a real camera at some point.