Hi Duncan_Forster and welcome to GardenWeb! Well, IâÂÂve never grown tea plants before but a quick check on the web indicates that the seeds should be planted one inch deep. That means they donâÂÂt need any light, until they germinate (which should take between one and two months). So for now, donâÂÂt worry about lighting. As for watering, there should be very light condensation on the inside of the dome. If the condensation runs down the side of the dome, youâÂÂll know youâÂÂre keeping things too wet. Since the seeds take so long to germinate, youâÂÂll have to be very careful about not over-watering. It would probably be helpful to remove the dome altogether for awhile, when you're home and can watch that the germinating medium doesnâÂÂt dry out too much. For warmth, I understand that the medium should be kept between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Hope this is helpful and I wish you the best with the tea plants! Art

I know it is a very old thread to revive, but I thought I'd pitch in since the OP did not report back here. This is one of the few posts that pops up on Google when searching for non c sinensis, camellia tea. I've made tea from my camellia japonica and it compares favorably with commercial tea. It has a surprisingly fragrant, fresh profile and definitely has body. I did not detect any bitterness, before and after adding a little honey. The tea is very soothing. It is a very simple process to make the tea. I used a similar process to the one on the link provided. I prefer to cut and then rub my leaves and buds much finer than the ones pictured. I've also dried the leaves in the microwave instead of the oven. It is a really delicious tea & I will try to make a green version too. Right now I'm attempting to make it in enough quantities to store, instead of just enough for a single pot or cup. Here is a link that might be useful: Making black tea from your camellia japonica

I have already had a Brother se270 so I have the PED Basic so I can download designs onto a card already. Since I have the PED Basic, and many extra presser feet and other items for the Brother, I would like to stick with the Brother brand. I would like to be able to use the Disney designs. I did not realize that the 2001 would not even be able to read the Disney cards if I bought them. I thought it just did not come with the designs pre-loaded onto them. I guess I am leaning towards the newer machine. I doubt that I will replace it very soon so I would like it to have more features rather than fewer. The biggest things I want are the ability to combine designs on screen (with a grid because that helps) and the larger embroidery area (my se270 only does 4x4 designs). I wish I had researched things better before I bought the se270 but who knew I would end up really enjoying the embroidery aspect of the machine. I was really just trying to update my 30 year old sewing machine with my last purchase! LOL! Thanks for the advice. DH says he will do our taxes this weekend so I know how much I can spend on this purchase!!!!

Gas is the way 2go unless you have a very small lawn. At least that's my view. Lawn care is enjoyable most of the season but every year I reach a point where it really is a chore. I don't want my tools making that more of a drag. The greater difference between Echo and Stihl from my perspective is going to be the dealer. I'd take those failure rates with more than a pinch of salt. I would chose based on feature set, Dealer confidence and price. I think it means next to nothing but I see dozens of lawn crews a week. It's pretty rare that I see any of them using Echo and when I do it's a backpack blower. Stihl is the leader in that realm here and I see far more Husky than Echo by those crews when we are talking about trimmers.