Re: Fig cultivars suitable to the Southeast. I think it is unsafe to make a blanket statement that "most all of them do just fine here." It is, for example, untrue that fig cultivars commonly grown in California and other areas with Mediterranean climates are well-adapted to our Southeastern heat and humidity. It is wise to do a little research before selecting fig cultivars other than such standard varieties as 'Brown Turkey' and 'Celeste.' Here is a link to the NCSU Fact Sheet that lists the fig varieties best adapted to the State of North Carolina: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/fruit-small/figs.html Pasted below is a selection from the Webpage of one of the leading fig authorities of the Southeast, Ray Givan, of Guyton, GA: I do not sell fig cuttings or fig plants. Check the Links Page for sources. I do sell The Fig Booklet written by me with Fred W. Born. It is a 36 page (8 1/2 x 11") how-to guide crammed with useful information on growing and using figs as well as a more extensive varieties list than those on this website. It is only $11.00, in the U.S, $12.00 in Canada and Mexico and $15.00 in ALL other countries. These prices include postage and handling and are good through 2007. Payment through PayPal is strongly preferred. Not familiar with it? Click on PayPal. U.S. orders: Canadian orders: All other countries All orders outside of North America will be airmailed. If you do not want to use PayPal, you can use an International Postal Reply Coupon payable in US Dollars. For U.S. and Canadian customers who do want to use PayPal, you may pay with check or money order payable in US Dollars. Canadian Postal Money Orders payable in US Dollars are fine. Ray Givan 2412 Low Ground Road Guyton, Georgia 31312-5122 Figs are my hobby, not a business and that's why I sell only the Fig Booklet. Home Fig Sex Figs of Israel Sycomore Fig ID Figs Light Figs Dark Figs My Collection American Figs New Figs Ethnic Figs 2002 Comments FAQ Links © Copyright, Ray Givan, 2004. Permission to download and print for personal use is . . . I hope you will find this information useful.

Normally if a local store is not competitive, there are one of two reasons: 1) The store owner has not adapted to current market conditions. Quite simply, as the profit margins move downward - and they have - they have not revised their business structure to capture sales that would otherwise go to out-of-area dealers. Some store owners insist on adhering to a margin-based price structure and will not adjust. The smart businessman NEVER lets a customer walk out to do business out-of-area. I know a number of store owners who are hard-headed and won't adapt. Its up to you, their local customer, to bring in a price quote and show them that they need to match it or you'll go elsewhere. If enough customers do that, they'll get the message. But if you never tell them, then they don't know. 2) Some furniture makers have a 2-tier price structure. Small stores don't get as large a discount from the maker as larger ones do. Typically its based on dollar-volume sold, or number of pieces put on the floor. So there is a chance that within a certain brand line that you local dealer is paying more for the goods than a larger, out-of-state discounter. This happens to me with Southwood Furniture as an example. My cost basis is 10 % less than the big store in the next county because they do more volume by accident than I do working hard at it. Still they get the volume price and I don't. Nevertheless, I adapt (being a savvy dealer!) and match price or go under them everyday. It results in thin margins, and it does not exactly make me want to invest in a lot of their product for the floor. Personally, I think it a bad policy from the makers as it tends to keep the little guys small regardless of how hard they work for the brand and limits floor exposure for their dealership network. Walk your best price into your local dealer and tell them in no uncertain terms they need to beat it. See what happens! Keep in mind however, that local sales tax is not something that your hometown store cannot waive and should be factored out when price shopping (the flip side of this is that these taxes do come back into your community infrastructure when you buy locally). Duane Collie

Look at the websites online. Try searching for NC Furniture, discount furniture, etc. You may want to try entering the manufacturer name also. Then you just call with the manufacturer, item numbers, leather numbers, etc & get quotes. Make sure they take credit cards as payment as you can always dispute with your credit card company if you do not receive your furniture but if you pay by check or money order you are stuck.

"May I have someone's thoughts on Bottom layer of lirope or mondo grass followed by lambs ear with lavender in the middle circling the tree peninsula ???" I would stay away from the lamb's ear because it resembles a common weed here (which I am unsure of ID, but it looks almost identical) and it would bring me to think that you need to weed your garden. Your plant that you purchased on sale is a hibiscus rosa-sinensis (tropical hibiscus, like the kind they grow in hawaii). I have two of them, and due to our recent blast of cold weather, I brought one indoors and covered the other with a blanket. I would recommend that you bring it indoors, or keep a close eye on it until crepe myrtles are leafed out. Also, while the blooms are pretty, they usually only bloom one time each year for me, usually around june-july. Also, you may want to consider putting it in a new container. Oh, and $5 was a great deal! You will probably never see such a sale again.