Very nice whytephoenix! I'm lucky enough to have a room I can keep my beasties out of to start the seeds, they do have an intense interest in the seedlings! It will be some time before I can really do anything outside... despite it being 70 the last two days, I woke to snow and ice this morning... blech. So I'm contenting myself with the baby plants and planning, lots of planning... I picked up a new shelving unit at Ikea that I need to treat with Thompson's to go on one end of the balcony, and I'm currently planning this year's pond setup and the fishing line and christmas light trellis for the viney things. Mostly buying the supplies and writing up plans... I've scheduled vacation the first week of May to get everything done and open the balcony for the season. Also planning a screened kitty condo on the main balcony that I have to design and start shopping for (I'm not confident in my kitties' ability to stay on the balcony, and I'm too high up for my comfort!) I'm planning on putting a pet door in the slider that opens into a screened play area for them, complete with a little lawn and some thick branches to climb on. Some people think I spoil the "children".... I just noticed this week that I've got some cattail sprouts peaking up, and my lilac seems to have survived and has some buds... I hope it really takes off this year, cause it's still just 3 twigs in the dirt... LOL I can hardly wait till it's time to get all the plants potted up and outside!

Completely out of space so no newbies for me this year----previous ones are establishing nicely, although I think I may have lost some of the (luckily cheaper) ones that I tried in the ground due to our unusually cold winter. Mainly I grow in very large pots as the ground where I live is VERY poor---dry and stony and only a few inches deep on top of a stone shelf so only especially hardy ones go in the ground for lanscaping alongside hardy geraniums. I have LAKE EFFECT, the first year I was not impressed at all, I thought the colour was FOUL, but last year it was really nice and is coping well with British weather (much better than I am) so it is one worth keeping for a few year even if you don't like it initially.

Waaaaaa, wailing here in despair because I can't join in! Aside from waiting for Bruce's Aphrodite to bloom, this is the most anticipated thread for me since it involves some serious hosta shopping, lol. You all scored BIG ... I'm so looking forward to pics, please? Jamie...how lucky for you to get a Sleeping Star..I kind of remember a post about it...have it on my want list. I also have a new June Spirit...it'll be nice to compare growing notes. :-) FF...you said you were already growing Cold Heart...I missed out on it this year as it was sold out..."lime colour with corrugation" got my heart racing...is it doing well in your garden? I would really love to see a pic of it if at all possible, please? All of you on this thread sound like the "A Team" of Acquisitions!!! I really got caught up in your excitement...thanks for sharing. :-) Jo

chemocurl - I have never heard of Bid Assistant. I will have to check it out. I just noticed it this weekend. It appeared as a link on my page on the items being watched. It wasn't until after I bought 2 items this weekend, that I went and looked at the form. I assumed it would only allow you to bid one amount for any/all of them...but it wasn't. It allowed you to put in a max amount for each watched item. Like I asked b4...I wonder if it might bid after the snipers. Also say something is going for $1.99 and you want to get it as cheap as possible. But you know it is worth $9.99. If you put that amount in and there is a bidding frenzy it will drive it up to your Max. I swear there are kids out there who do that just for fun to see what your Max Bid is. If you had waited till the last minute to bid, you might have got it cheaper. I really doubt if there are folks who bid them up...just for fun. They 'might' get stuck winning things if they did. I have used Max Bid in the past. The problem with that is unless you are around, someone can beat your Max Bid by 50 cents or a dollar. And you kick yourself because you would have paid that extra 50 cents or a dollar to win it. But who know what the winners max bid might have been. It might have been $5, $10, or $50 dollars above your max bid. One just never knows. I just put in the max I am willing to pay and let it ride...occasionally even upping it another time. 99.9 times out of a 100, it isn't anything I have to have and there will be another one come along b4 too long. I think I'm gonna go and try for a steal deal with bid assistant now. Here is a link that might be useful: I won today at $12 below my max bid-Woohoo!