At the rate and level you use a propane heater, it may not have the same effect on your plants... it may not be enough to affect anything... it may be that certain plants aren't as adversely affected by the exhaust, either. I'm not really sure. I just remember very clearly all the poor Poinsettias dropping wrinkled, yellowed leaves... some of the plants wilting and dying... it was quite a loss. I think if you're circulating a little fresh air into the mix, you will avoid any possibility of bad effects. Good air circulation is important for enclosed growing spaces, so it's something we do commonly, anyway. I'm so glad to hear you are getting some relief from cortisone shots! That's great news! :-) My husband went through the cortisone shots decades ago, when they first were trying to treat his damaged spine. They worked on a temporary basis, but the damage is too great, I think. He's been through every treatment there is, except actual surgery... which we refuse to go through. There are no guarantees he would come through any surgery without becoming completely paralyzed, and we're just not willing to take the chance, until he already is paralyzed. At that point, we have nothing to lose by trying. Of all the people we know who have gone under the knife for back problems... and that includes quite a few people... not one has gotten the results they expected, and a few are worse for having had surgery. We don't like the odds. And we can't afford the best surgeons or the best treatments, so we're kind of stuck. The last treatments he had were some steroid injections, which seem to have given him more range of motion in his neck, which is a good thing... but his back is about the same. It's trashed. I'm in better shape than he is... but we're both what we call "semi-crippled", or actually semi-disabled. Oh, well... what can you do? We just roll with the punches... life goes on! Josh, there may be some greenhouse pictures in my 2011 photo album. If you scroll through the pages, I think you'll come across a few pictures. It's nothing spectacular... just a small 10'x12' Harbor Freight special. We got it on sale, and had a carpenter friend put it up for us. It's not heated, so I only use it through 3 seasons, then I empty it out. I linked the album below, if you want to take a peek, though. African Violets are so pretty, but I haven't had much luck growing them. They always seem to die on me. I'm very lucky to get the few orchids I have to stay alive and limp along! In fact, I freaked myself out earlier... I went to mist the Phal I recently transplanted into a new pot... it was dying in the moss the grower had it in... and I noticed that the tiny little Dendrobium keiki that Chaz sent me several years ago is throwing up its very first buds!!! It's the first or second picture on the first page of my 2011 photo album. I'm so stoked!! I actually kept it alive, and it's decided to gift me with blooms! I couldn't be happier! See? This is one of those wonderful moments in life that I would have missed if I hadn't been taking my time, looking carefully at all my plants... it's just amazing! :-) I hope I didn't jinx it into dropping its buds! ;-) Oh, anyway... I'm thrilled you are getting a light setup and growing Gesneriads... that's so cool! :-) And you now have a nice spot to enjoy Hippi blooms, too! Whew! What a day it's been! I'm exhausted, but so happy! :-) Here is a link that might be useful: 2011 Photo Album

Well Amcf, If you're crazy then I'm right in there w/ ya. I'd thought the same abt nice striped cotton pants which had worn out at the thighs. They're washed, pressed & wating for a project. I have no hubby to account to so I can do whatever I want. I once bought a size 8 sundress (not a size I ever fit) from a thrift shop 'cause it was made of 3 different indigo & white batiks, was GORGEOUS! Right front bodice was one, left front bodice another, back bodice a third & the skirt repeated one of the front bodices. I made a sampler to teach myself Flying Geese, made 3 columns, sashed w/ indigo solid, all on a white ground w/ binding of one of the other patterns. Cost me $5 or 10, was great! Can you go buy a duplicate pair, wear one & quilt the other? Otherwise, maybe cut them down to sort shorts (w/ which to entice him) & make quilts from the legs? See -- told ya you're not alone!

I'm from PA and everyone in my family graduated from Penn State..Husband, DD, and DS , SIL, and ex DIL, but I don't like football and really could care less. ( I went to a different university and don't care if they win either). But the Phillies are another matter. GO PHILLIES..the best team in all of baseball.

I hate it when life gets in the way of shopping. I try to have a well-balanced lifed during gardening season: spending half my time gardening and the other half shopping for the garden. Well, I'm just kidding about that, but Tim would say that we do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time at this time of the year looking for this or that, and he's probably right. I like having all the right supplies, tools, etc. on hand before the hot and heavy part of the garden season starts. I hate having to leave the garden to go buy something that I should have sitting in the potting shed.