Irina, I responded to your last post, accidently hit a button, and lost the entire page. Sheesh. I keep saying vinegar when I mean Rubbing Alcohol. Vinegar was stated numerous times. AGE!!! I've sprayed and swiped with alcohol. Rubbing Alcohol. 91%. Last night, we went to Walgreen's...remember RA was about .79 a bottle? The least expensive, Walgreen's brand is now 2.99.. Anyway, I did NOT use vinegar for mealy..lol. I'll have to check HD for Bayer's Tree & Lawn. 'no nearby Lowes.' What's the difference between concentrate and ??? Irina, we don't use chemicals, so when it comes to none-organic products, I'm clueless. What exactly is Bayer's Tree & Lawn used for? What does it do? Before purchasing, I'll have to read all ingredients. With birds, dogs and an iguana, we must be extra careful. A loud noise startles birds, next thing they're off and flying, sometimes landing on plants..Our little dog, Coco, finds everything interesting, and iguanas LOVE plants. Especially munching leaves. How do you determine dossage using Bayer's on indoor plants? Also, this spring I'm repotting or refreshing soils/mediums in all plants. I started this project about a month ago. If I decide to use Bayer's, it's best I wait until plants are potted in their new homes. Irina, I have Peat Pellets/Pots, and a little seedling green house with dome and vents..Includes heating pad. Four of the violet leaves rooted. They're small, too tiny to set in pots. Do you think my violets had soil or foliar Mealy? When violets were unpotted, I didn't see pests. However, violets that once had a healthy root were gone, like something devoured them. Mealy was on foliage. It was this forum I learned of soil mealy. Before reading threads here on African Violet Forum, I didn't know soil mealy existed. Irina, I soak plants in winter out of love. lol. It's a lot of work, but afterwards, tropicals look like they just came from Fl. Succulents are only soaked once during winter. It's relaxing, and IMO, plants enjoy it. It might not be something that needs to be done, but I feel better after their bath and shower. Thanks for the prayers..We can all use them. You'll be in mine, too.. Thanks again for all your help, Irina. I swear, you're a Saintpaulia encyclopedia..lol. hugs, Toni

Leah, You might want to try The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-988-8800. Through their program, Philadelphia Green, they do a lot of community gardening and have for a long time.

Update I'm typing and watching this all same time here from 25 feet: Just after posting my wife raised the window blind suddenly and there were 2 birds at the squirrel which is now the worse for wear. One flew away and tuther stood aside looking things over. Finally the one came back, perched in a tree a few minutes then dropped down on the squirrel. At that the 2nd bird (DOM) clumped on over, made a bluff at the 1st bird and took posession of the squirrel. The 1st (the Gimp) is now standing meekly aside waiting its chance. It has a bad foot and is limping. The dominant bird (Dom) with the squirrel picks away for a while then drags it a foot or so and resumes feeding. The Gimp has now turned its back and stands there glancing over its shoulder. A car just drove thru and they both flew up and perched. Now back down and the Gimp jumped on the squirrel first then Dom flew down and reclaimed it. Took its time - just sauntered over - no big flurry. Gimp is facing away again with an occasional glance with most of his weight on his right foot - easing the bad one. Dom is very vigilant. Makes a quick grab off the squirrel and then snaps his head up and looks all around. I believe my original scare yesterdsay caught the bird so off guard it started to fly with the squirrel before it could let go because I don't believe these bird fly away with stuff like an eagle does; they just pick at it. Gimp is getting restless and pacing and facing the feast. So! That's enough.

Even today, gas lines usually run only in cities, where the smaller lots make it economical to run the lines (more houses per linear foot). Electricity didn't come to rural Texas until, if I remember correctly, the 1940's, when Lyndon Johnson pushed it through; it pretty much made his political career. so even up to WWII, most farms had kerosene lamps, & a lot of places made do with kerosene even later than that. My uncles & aunts bought a 60 acre parcel of land in the 1960's; you took the access road from the freeway, turned onto a gravel road, went across a creek if the weather was dry or if you had a pick-up truck, drove on down what was by now a dirt lane, went through the cattle guard/gate... & there you were! They always used wood stoves for cooking & heat & kerosene lamps/lanterns for light. & they walked up the road to Mr & Miss Butler's house to use the telephone; the phone company wouldn't run the line to the "place". Mr & Miss Butler, an elderly brother & sister, were history come to life. Their grandparents had been born in slavery & liberated on Juneteenth, & they had bought acreage so far from town because it was cheap (you can get more land that way). They raised cattle & it seems like cotton & had a whole bunch of kids (I forget how many, but 9 rings a bell-families, especially farm families, were bigger back then). The children all grew up & moved on to more urban lives except for one son, the father of Mr & Miss Butler.