Hi Vicky, just a few things I want to add. - You say the upper layer of your soil is loamy - we have loamy/rocky/sandy subsoil, it seemed plenty stiff when we dug the pond, five (six?) years ago, and we slightly angled the sides and made the various levels level. Since then we have had major rain issues twice. Even though we ourselves are not in a flood prone location, the ground got so waterlogged that the water pressure outside the pond pretty much equaled the water pressure inside the pond. And the loam/rock/sand shifted. All surfaces are now sloping in, nothing is level, it's slippery and in-the-pond maintenance is fun, but a little dangerous. I lost my brand new cell phone last year when I lost my footing and slid in face first... couldn't get a grip to get out right away... green in my hair etc etc... we laugh about it now but it was pretty frustrating, especially when the phone never recovered. So, when we put in a settling chamber along the side of the pond two years ago, we invested in concrete blocks, and build straight walls with them. They are hollow, you know them, two squarish opening in a rectangular concrete block, and we put soil and rocks back in those openings. Rebar through them from top to bottom. And we slid back every row an inch or so, so there ends up being a slight back angle of sorts. This construction has held perfectly since. Wasn't too expensive, and easier for laymen like ourselves than a concrete collar. - I also recommend a bd (bottom drain) on an external pump. Much easier to maintain than a submerged pump and filter box. - I think planting pockets are the way to go. Make them different depths so you have multiple options. In the corners is a great idea, there are liner folds there, and a plant pocket is a great way to put that to good use. We have a 2-inch plant shelf and it usually has a potted hosta and a potted daylily on it, they love always having water available. And one of our froggies calls that shelf home. Our other plant shelves are so slanted now that we have to hunt for a place to put the pots with them not sliding down... But, we manage. It looks very rustic. - For the heron, Ms. Slomo likes to stop by here and stare into the pond, so we have a fish line strung a foot above ground around the pond. This trip line confuses her enough that she doesn't actually go fishing. The dog also does her best to chase her off. The dog, of course, really is a bit scared of a bird that large, and merely looks like a threat, but Ms. Slomo is long gone before she finds out. Heehee. :) Mary

The blue end of the spectrum (cool whites) favors development of foliage, usually the most important consideration in maintaining tree health over winter. The red end favors development of flowers and fruit (warm white). You can decide which is more important, but you will definitely be able to retain better o/a vitality by choosing cool white. Temperature and accompanying danger of fire is what limits wattage ratings for light fixtures. Since temperature is of little consideration with fluorescent lighting, you can feel comfortable exceeding wattage limitations for incandescent bulbs (note that you're only exceeding an imaginary number as wattage ratings are only a tool for comparison. Actual wattage usage is much lower than the comparative incandescent rating) I don't know if the guideline you asked about exists, as "worthwhile" is a pretty subjective term. Any supplemental indoor lighting is going to be helpful to varying degrees. Incandescent is prolly least helpful as it would need to be very close to plants for them to benefit - impossible because of the heat associated with their use. The effectiveness of the fluorescents, of course, varies with light source proximity to plant photosynthesizing surfaces. Al

I got one of the 'Philip' clones a couple years ago when I nearly lost my regular obscura. I did have one little cutting of it left that wasn't doing well and I knew I was going to miss it. Well, thankfully, that cutting made it and now it's a 4" potful I'm growing in a little birdcage. But I have to admit that the 'Philip' clone really is an aggressive bloomer. I like it a lot. Denise in Omaha

Oh how nice it was to hear from you! I just had my plumber come in today and he said that he would he feel better putting it all together once the range is delivered because he might have to put things into the wall - sounds similar to what your son has done. So today, he extended the gas pipes in the basement to just under where they will be needed in the kitchen above. My basement is unfinished, so he says that things will be very easy to do once the cabinets and appliances are in because there is easy access from the basement. I see that he is right, however everyone was pushing to get me to get things roughed in. It's good to hear that you like your range. How about cleaning it? I am a sort of neat freak and I wonder how dirty things get on that black stuff under the grates, and also on the actual grates. Actually, how hard or easy is it to keep the grates clean and also the black basins (I am really having a hard time recalling what to call this part)under them? WHat do you clean with? How well does the simmer work? I worry about this range because I have never had a gas top (always electric - smooth top and it was very easy to keep clean) and I gave in to my DH who loved the look of this range. But your posts always reassure me to some degree. I can't wait to hear back from you. If you prefer, you can email me at my home - amdrozdzal@sympatico.ca Thanks so very much!