My two cents on the water plants and koi. I am trying this for the first time this year, based on a recommendation from my local pet store. He overwinters his koi, submergent plants & water lilies in 50 gallon plastic livestock tanks in his basement. (They don't have to be that large, depending on what you have) No lights other than windows & no heater. He just puts in aeration in for plants and fish from aquarium pumps with aerators. Plants separate from fish so the fish don't destroy the plants. I don't think he does this with floating plants. I tried water lettuce once in an aquarium and threw it out around mid winter due to some type of insect that was destroying it. Plants I am overwintering: sun coleus cuttings in the window (this year I rooted them all in a 1 gallon aquarium with water, previous years I would lose cuttings attempting them in soilless mix). cannas & glads callas* pineapple lilies* (E.bicolor & 'sparkling burgundy'...highly recommended) Sprekelia formosissima* (aztec lily) non-stop begonias (just letting the pots of soil dry up with roots in tact, in the basement...we'll see) geraniums (put the pots on the basement floor near a window & water once a month) amaryllis* Caladium* (1st try) Colocasia esculenta* Colocasia "Black Magic" (in the water tub) 1st try Begonia "Illumination" (as a house plant) purple heart (Tradescantia) (as a house plant...I put cuttings of this in many planters every spring, great contrast with chartreuse, grows like gangbusters) Commelina tuberosa tubers dahlia tubers *I let these dry up in the pots and don't unpot them until spring when I replant I tried something new last winter with the last 2 species, wrapping them in saran wrap before storing them in paper bags in the dark in the basement around 60F. It is the first time I had dahlias survive, even finger sized pieces. I read about it under the dahlia forum last year. I tried four-o'clock roots this way but I don't think they were mature enough. Cathy

This is probably gonna earn me some coal in my stocking, but I'll risk it. This game is open to everyone. Here are 30 song titles, and your job is to be the first person to correctly post all 30 titles. Each day I will post an update with 1 letter of the alphabet in its correct place within the titles, so be checking back here daily! The first person to correctly post all 30 titles in their correct order will win a music CD with all of the songs on it. There will be no second prize. Anyone involved with this swap, excluding only myself, may try to win. So, get out your thinking caps, play yourself some Christmas music, and have fun!!! I'll be back with the letter "w" tomorrow! MUHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!! -Dan 1._/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 2._ _ _ _ _ _’/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 3._ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5._ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _-_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6._ _/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 8._ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _./_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9._ _ _/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 10. _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 11._ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 12. _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 13._ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _/_/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14._/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 15._ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ 16._ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17._ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 18._ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 19._ _ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 20._ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 21._/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 22._ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _/_-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 23._ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 24._/_ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 25._ _ _ _/_ _/_/_ _ _ _ _ _ 26._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 27._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28._/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 29._/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 30.’_ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2nd half of original post: General- high enough brix and reasonably large: Patul (also called Batul), 16.4 brix, 100-150g- a late-ripening dessert apple from the early 1800's in Transylvania. In Romanian, it translates to "bottom of haystack", which was where they were stored until spring (good until March/April). It used to be a significant eastern European cultivar in the 50's and seems to have at least moderate resistance to fireblight, scab, and powdery mildew. Finkenwerder Herbstprinz, 14.7 brix, 250-300g-old German variety which has fallen out of favor. It is supposed to be at it's best in April/May, at which point it has shriveled, but improved in flavor. I see some references to it being used for hard cider. One link implied that it has good disease resistance. Reinette Tres Tardive, 16.7 brix, 100-150g- a very late keeping (July) greenish, partially russeted apple. Oliver or Senator, 16, 100-150g- Tender crisp, juicy flesh. Most refreshing flavor. From another desc: Nice red apple from Northwestern Arkansas. The yellowish flesh is fine-grained and juicy and often stained with red. Ripens October to November and is an excellent keeper. Healthy, vigorous, and productive per Lee Calhoun. Gales, 17.6, 100-150g- productive, mid-season, red, good quality. Came from Milo Gibson, so there must be something interesting here... Lord Hindlip, 16.1 brix, 150-200g- very late, very long keeping, balanced and aromatic. Scab resistant. Cornish Aromatic (Wakeley), 16.1, 100-150g- Firm, slightly dry. Very scab resistant and a good keeper (until spring). Shamrock, 18 brix, 150-200g- Green like Granny Smith. Sweet and soft. I didn't find anything on disease resistance, but given that it's parents are Gold Delicious and McIntosh, it can't be great. Reinette de Cuzy, 16.6, 100-150g- Still sold in France today. Seems to be a late keeper and most descriptions call it perfumed or fragrant. KAZ 96 08-17, 16.6 brix, 100-150g- No info other than the stats (semi-firm, sweet, non-oxidizing, etc) and that it is an open pollinated seedling of a collected apple which was aromatic and sweet, Free of disease. Heavy codling moth, nice apple. PRI 672-1, 17.9 brix, >400g(but it says under 2.5"?)- Lots of Golden Delicious in its background. Scab resistant, very crisp, slightly spicy, very full-flavored, juicy to very juicy; very attractive. Good fruit flesh texture and flavor. PRI 1293-3, 17 brix, >400g- Scab resistance from Russian 12740-7A. very crisp, very juicy, very attractive. Jonathan and some Red Delicious in background. Lord Lambourne, 14.5 brix, 150-200g- standard British variety. Supposed to be a pretty good, balanced flavor. Grown by Stephen Hayes. Others of interest (not necessarily from GRIN): Carter Blue My Jewel Vanilla Pippin Abbondanza King David Jefferis Discovery Blenheim Orange-Interestingly, I found 2 sources which say it is scab resistant and 2 which say it is very susceptible. All 4 appear to be different sources, not just copy-pastes of each other.

It's a long sad story. I initially put the saplings in huge pots which were not that well draining. I did all mistakes possible. I have tried to forget them. I use normal water. I feed them once a week. A weak mix of all purpose plant food, organic fish emulsion and a capful of vinegar. Trick is misting them. I try to do as regular as possible. Slow release fertilizer actually works very well. Planning to top up once again this year. But Lord do they not drag feet over flowering. Have given up them. I concentrate more on my Jasmines and Roses now.