Babka, I'm viewing on my HP tower with Windows 7, the photo does not turn upright for me when I click on it. I just go to another upside down photo. tn, chances are you don't have enough light for grass. Here, at least, you have to have 6 hours of sun for grass to grow. It can survive on a little less, but that is if you solid sod it. The 100 hosta is a really good deal. I would suggest you stay away from their named varieties, though. From speaking with their horticulture director, I learned that they buy only from US suppliers for their starts. But, from experience I learned they are selling liner sized hosta. I bought 18 last year and they sent me 10 more after I complained. So, I had 28 liner sized plants. Five have survived the winter in good shape, although they are definately really small plants. (My Humpback Whales are about 10" tall with 2 or 3 leaves each.) Six are on life support and the others did not return. We had a bad winter, though. So take that in consideration when you read this. There are several folks who sell liners and have good quality, if that's something that interests you. Just post a question and ask who sells good liners. bk

Chickencoupe, what kind of wheat were you growing that was allopathic to bindweed? Was it winter wheat? The heaviest bind weed problem I have is next to the drainage ditch (city easement) and under the power pole (electric, phone, cable easement). We had raised beds there last year and bindweed tried to take over. I don't want to till the area because there are phone lines buried there. (DH cut one last year setting a T post. :( 3 days without internet and AT&T wanted $250 because we cut it) If I can figure out how to plant it I would do a wide block of wheat in the fall. I could get rid of bindweed, grow my own straw, hopefully harvest wheat, and then plant dent corn and beans there next summer. I mentioned it to my husband and he didn't even roll his eyes. He hates the stuff as much as I do. I've been reading Georges old threads about corn on the 3 sisters thread, so I am dreaming of enough room to grow corn to grind.

The asian teapot I can't tell you anything about, other than I don't think it's very old, but I could be wrong! :) Sorry to not be much help to you, hopefully someone else will chime in here with more knowledge. You were right about the mark looking like the royal coat of arms. Here's a quote from Kovels about the mark & similar. "Marks like this, showing a lion and unicorn surrounding a shield topped with a crown, were used by many potteries. Although the mark looks similar to the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, it is actually one of several similar marks used by potteries in the United States and Europe. This mark was used by the Potter's Co-operative Company on ironstone table and toilet ware from 1882 to c.1895. The co-operative was formed by a group of potters in East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1882 after a labor dispute. The group bought the Dresden Pottery Works and began making ironstone table and toilet ware. The pottery was bought by the Dresden Pottery Works in 1925. The company was out of business by 1927."

Thanks a lot! I did those searches and there are differing estimates on the age of the knives, but the majority leans toward late 1800s, with only a few saying "1900-1940." The forks are another story. There is little info on them. But as I said earlier, there ought to be something after "Bros" on the stamp if they date after 1898, so I think mine are among the company's early works. I am not even interested in their market value. I just like the fact that I am eating with something pre-20th century. YES, I use them: one fork, one knife. LOL