I definitely think that the three most common varieties are common due to certain overall genetic traits... such as strength, blooming ability, ease of growing for amateurs, etc... They also represent the most common colors... red & white, red, and pink. When a bulb gets very mature and its basal plate gets very thick, this can have a tendency to inhibit proper or full root growth, from what I gather. In order to rejuvenate an old bulb, part of the basal plate's thickness is sliced off, making a thinner layer for roots to grow from. I've never attempted this, myself, but then I haven't noticed any decline in my oldest bulb, so I don't think there's a need to worry about it quite yet. I tend to avoid all bulb surgeries if at all possible. The only time I cut into a bulb, at all, is to remove any rotting parts in order to save the bulb. And this wouldn't be so necessary so often within the general world of Hippeastrums if the bulbs were grown in a medium that doesn't create a consistently wet environment, perfect for the onslaught of fungal issues. More plants are killed by improper watering than by any other one problem... that's a fact. Once we learn what each of our plants requires, keeping them healthy is so much easier. Hippeastrums almost thrive on neglect... almost! They do require care, of course, but I think a lot of people tend to baby them, which includes too much water, or they simply don't have the time to devote, or the passion for growing these bulbs... and this can include things like a scheduled watering for every plant, whether it needs it or not. And we all know that this won't result in really happy plants. I feed with MiracleGro All Purpose liquid plant food... its NPK is 12-4-8, which is a decent average for most plants. I'd like to use Foliage Pro, but I'm not buying any until I use up the bottle of MiracleGro... it's a simple question of economics. I can't afford to buy more fertilizer until what I have is gone. I've got several bulbs that have never bloomed. One is an Amputo, a white trumpet shaped variety, that has never flowered. It grows leaves every spring and rests every winter, but it has yet to give blooms. I think it will eventually, and I'm not giving up on it just yet. If my conditions included massive perpetual winds, I'd grow indoors, for sure... even if it meant installing a light fixture to supplement the window's offered sunlight. I do grow exclusively indoors... although it's more fear of NBF, and lack of a protected area outdoors that keeps my bulbs indoors. There are too many critters, and too many people around to safely leave my potted bulbs outdoors. They'd either get ruined, over watered, or be attacked by NBF... and I have better control over everything indoors. Because different bulbs are different, I think some will respond better to your culture methods than others. You just have to find the combination of care that works for you and your particular...

here it is the E911 office that assignes numbers. you HAVE to have a serial number in teh system in order to get home phone service, and to keep it accurate the county mandated the E911 to assign all address. the post office used to give the numbers in town, and in the country you pretyt much could pick your own number out of the ones given to your side of the street on your block. but once E911 came into being, they decided that every 50 feet on center the address would change. some folks were given an address of say 123 X street due to their drive was planned to be on the north end of the lot, but then they built and it was on teh south end and their address changed to 125 or 127 X street(or something similar). after a few fiascos like that, they decided 50 ft on center, and that they could not address a lot until the foundation was in place and at least part of teh framing was up.

Oh, gdogni. I tried to make this short, but it can't be said in a few sound bites. Who was doing the jobs before the illegals came? They were being done. Have we been quick to buy the idea that Americans don't want to do these jobs because we, ourselves, wouldn't want to do them? Americans have done jobs for many years I wouldn't want to have to do. I would do anything I could do, if necessary, but I do have my 'druthers. I wish you could have talked with the young woman I just spent time with the other day. She was almost in tears because she was pretty sure she was going to loose her jobs because the company had just brought in a new group of illegals. She commuted 60 miles - one way - to work on the assembly line of a chicken processing plant. I've been just in the office of a processing plant and my stomach lurched from the smell. It's a job I don't want to have to do - but others have for many years. She said, in a shakey voice, 'I've just got to have this job.' The shocking thing she told me is, if this company lays someone off, not fired for reason, but laid off because of slowdowns, etc., they will only rehire you one time. That means you can be rehired, but if laid off again (because a batch of illegals come in) you are no longer 'qualified' to work for that company. By way of their hiring practices, they are creating 'unqualified' workers in the area. People know to not apply for the job again. So when the news media goes to the spokesman for that company he/she can say things like 'we just can't find qualified workers', or 'we just haven't had any applicants' or the old stand by 'no one wants to do these kinds of jobs'. Neither they nor the media are going to tell you they fixed the situation. When you see jobs being filled by illegals - the only thing that means is they have the job. It means absolutely nothing else. We don't know how many others applied for the job, and didn't get it. One thing you have to realize is that in many areas, people are aware that only illegals will be hired, and they don't even apply. I saw illegals building the houses that got built in the frenzy of the last few years. Can we assume that Americans no longer wanted to do carpentry, dry walling, electrical,plumbing, bricklaying?? I don't think so. I know a lot who wanted the jobs. They are a bargain to employers because the employers have no responsibility. They don't have to comply with overtime laws, collect and match taxes, worry about OSHA regulations, workman's comp. If one gets hurt, they are taken to the hospital and the taxpayers pay for it. The media and the politicians are not giving out the true story on this. Now the reason I mentioned illegals was the fact they are working here. Americans already are competing with them for jobs, and if things get bad, it will be even more so. There is nothing wrong with mowing lawns and bussing tables, but that is not the only jobs they are doing. We will be hampered by the fact employers will have to work within the labor laws when hiring Americans, so given the choice, they will take illegals. The illegals are also getting benefits that are going to be needed for American families who loose their jobs. Again, just because Americans aren't doing the jobs, don't assume they won't or don't want to - now - but especially in the future.

Thank you Jeffrey and ILR! I'm really happy with it. I credit my architect and builder (I picked out a few things, but followed their leads.) For example, the transom window was already there and they both made sure the new elements matched the curve. Someday, after the painting is done, I'll post a full before and after.