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IF YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY, THIS IS A LEGAL  BUSINESS WHICH IS COVERED IN TITLE 15, SECTION 1302-1345 OF THE POSTAL AND LOTTERY LAWS.

   So this is legal, eh?    Let’s see if the postmaster in each town listed in this chain letter agree? "God helps those who help themselves"  is more than a quaint saying; it is a proven fact.

   This saying refers to honest work, not ways to bilk others….. 1.  V.S Parker              RR 1 Box 608C           South Shore, KY 41175 2.  Frank Lorenzo           PO BOX 751              Pahala, HI 96777 3.  L.M Semski              1006 Sycamore Circle            Elmira, NY 14904-2530 4.  Douglas Dale            PO BOX 594              Somerville, NJ 08876 5.  Julie Jordan            133 Oakleaf Dr.         North Richland

Hill, TX 76180 The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html Jan’s Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles) http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm

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So, David "a$$hole" Rhodes, what is your gardening question? tom kan pa

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We have have a large pine tree in our backyard. We are looking for something to plant underneath the pine tree that will serve as a cover. Something like perriwinkle would be nice. So far we haven’t been able to find anything that will grow. The area is in the shade and I think the pine tree roots suck up all the moisture making it difficult for anything else to grow there. Any suggestions? Thomas

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We have have a large pine tree in our backyard. We are looking for something to plant underneath the pine tree that will serve as a cover. Something like perriwinkle would be nice. So far we haven’t been able to find anything that will grow. The area is in the shade and I think the pine tree roots suck up all the moisture making it difficult for anything else to grow there. Any suggestions? Thomas

try sweet woodruff (Galium oderata).  it’s hardy to zone 3 and what’s more…it has a wonderful purpose!! in germany, they have something called MAY WINE which is simply a bottle of dry white wine with the white flowers from sweet woodruff.  one cup of flowers (of course, you won’t be able to do it THIS year) to a litre of white wine, put aside for a week and then drink…it’s very mellowing. also, you can, at any time, clip the leaves AND flowers and make a very wonderful relaxing tea.

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From Shelley,         Ajuga? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -We have have a large pine tree in our backyard. We are looking for something to plant underneath the pine tree that will serve as a cover. Something like perriwinkle would be nice. So far we haven’t been able to find anything that will grow. The area is in the shade and I think the pine tree roots suck up all the moisture making it difficult for anything else to grow there. Any suggestions? Thomas

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Azaleas.  I also have grape hyacinths in a ring underneath a pine tree.  Also, I have planted daffodil bulbs around pine trees.  Ajuga works as well.  For the grape hyacinths, I put some plastic edging around the pine tree and filled it with topsoil.  We have hard clay. I firmly believe we bought a tree root and rock farm as well as a pottery (clay).

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Need help with garlic.Pick the flowers or not?

Pick them.  The plants will then spend their time making bulb instead of flower & seed. Chris Owens

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Pick, definately pick and enjoy!!! JCreel

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Need help with garlic.Pick the flowers or not?

If the garlic is a hardneck variety then the the heads will lose   significant mass in feeding the topsets.  Most softnecks don’t grow topsets. Steve  (Maritime Climate — USDA Zone irrelevant)

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Need help with garlic.Pick the flowers or not?

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Need help with garlic.Pick the flowers or not?

Pick em.  You want the energy to go into the bulb, not be spent on flowers. Liz

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I have had large and small shallow pots for years with great success..cactus are good,but so are succulents. to avoid your pots from drying out add sand or bust up an old red brick and add to your soil it well hold moisture….your right herbs do well, but add some sand to the potting soil,herbs wilt very fast……have fun. Enjoy, Lary

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Lilies need at least and no more than 6" of soil above the top of the bulb.

A good general rule that works for the Stargazer and martigon, but Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) breaks this rule and is planted just below the surface (basal rooting only – no stem roots). Rochester Gardening web site http://www.servtech.com/~dreid/garden

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There should be no problem with the lilies coming back. I’m wondering why they broke so easily though. Lilies need at least and no more than 6" of soil above the top of the bulb. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have a question about lilies. I had a stargazer stem, complete with green leaves, snap at ground level in a wind storm  this spring. Then last week while planting daylilies, I snapped to the ground a martagon lily (also complete with green leaves). What are the chances these lilies will come back for me? Thanks for your help.

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The stargazer came from a bulb, so  it should come back next year.  The problem I see is that the leaves were lost – those are the bulb’s food source for next year’s flowers.  Be sure to keep watering the area and fertilize with something especially good for bulbs.  The flowers might still be a little smaller next year.

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I have a question about lilies. I had a stargazer stem, complete with green leaves, snap at ground level in a wind storm  this spring. Then last week while planting daylilies, I snapped to the ground a martagon lily (also complete with green leaves). What are the chances these lilies will come back for me? Thanks for your help.

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Our apartment complex has a tree with a broken but still living branch with exposed heartwood that the kids swing on.  I seem to recall hearing that this is a good way to kill a tree, as bugs, fungus etc. can easily infest a wound that is constantly reopened.  I intend to ask the management to remove the branch for this and safety reasons, but I want to have my facts straight.   Eve

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Our apartment complex has a tree with a broken but still living branch with exposed heartwood that the kids swing on.  I seem to recall hearing that this is a good way to kill a tree, as bugs, fungus etc. can easily infest a wound that is constantly reopened.  I intend to ask the management to remove the branch for this and safety reasons, but I want to have my facts straight.   Eve

I’d think safety reasons should be enough, perhaps if you expressed concern over lawsuits if the branch tore off and hurt a kid that would have a larger impact on them than worry about the tree would. A broken branch can be a good way to allow pests and disease in as well, the best bet would be to get them to call an experienced tree pro in to take a look at it. — Books for the Ecosystem minded gardener http://www.webgardens.com/bookstore/ecosystem.htm

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You need to add phosphorous. Either apply 4-8-12 fertilizer, superphosphate, or dig in some bone meal.

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Slugs are snails without the shell – get the garlic butter out —

     Several years ago, I came across an article that discussed what you should do to turn the garden beasties into an escargot-worthy supply.   Pesticides must be cleared from their system by segregating them from the native population and then letting them feed on lettuce leaves and corn meal for around 28 days.      Never had the desire to try it, though.  I just can’t get past the memory of my brother, in a fit of boyhood bravado, downing one of those suckers.  Bleagh!      I suspect this whole snail/slug thread will die off very,           In the meantime, and with best regards,           …From Brig o’ Dread when thou mayst pass…    

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We have 4 different colors of poppies that we would like to move and transplant.  These poppies have never been cared for as they are in a hay field but come up each and every year.  They are the big ones, I think, ornimental poppies.  Can you tell me how to move and transplant. Thanks to all who respond to us here in North Western Montana. Ethel Sampson

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In Gueneville, CA they have a contest to see who can create the most unusual dish from slugs. Then there is a big celebration and all the local policticos who are running for office are invited to be the judges. The judging of course is done in public so the judges have to really taste each dish.

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Slugs are snails without the shell – get the garlic butter out — Could someone post some UK Cryptics ?? Independant, Guardian, Telegraph, ?????

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I need to find out if slugs are edible.  Can anyone help?

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| | I need to find out if slugs are edible.  Can anyone help? | | Depends what you mean. I don’t think that they’re poisonous (tho’ | there may be some poisonous spp.) but I should think they’re pretty tough! | No doubt small ones are more juicy….. | | Tristan Hey Rick, check out (I Beleive) rec.survivalism. They just had a long thread on edibility of slugs.

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I need to find out if slugs are edible.  Can anyone help? Depends what you mean. I don’t think that they’re poisonous (tho’ there may be some poisonous spp.) but I should think they’re pretty tough! No doubt small ones are more juicy….. Tristan

My neice and I were just talking today about how, when they were both children, her older sister force-fed her a slug.  It didn’t seem to do any lasting damage, except perhaps to fuel younger sister’s desire for revenge…. Margaret

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I need to find out if slugs are edible.  Can anyone help?

One of our local naturalists, many years back, was curious about slugs and slug slime.  He placed a live slug in his mouth.  His report was it had no flavor, but the slime did produced a numbing effect. Not everyone here in the northwest is quite so dedicated.  Or wierd (just most of us). Travis S.

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I need to find out if slugs are edible.  Can anyone help?

Depends what you mean. I don’t think that they’re poisonous (tho’ there may be some poisonous spp.) but I should think they’re pretty tough! No doubt small ones are more juicy….. Tristan

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Help — My bountiful lemon tree is full of green lemons. The fruit is full, but not yellow.  This has never happened before.   The same thing is happening to my neighbor’s orange tree.  Any idea what the problem is or what can be done? Valley Village, CA 91601          Voice:    818.506.5441 USA                                 Fax:    818.506.1717

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Help — My bountiful lemon tree is full of green lemons. The fruit is full, but not yellow.  This has never happened before.   The same thing is happening to my neighbor’s orange tree.  Any idea what the problem is or what can be done?

OH! The neighbor kid said this afternoon that he had eaten a green lemon. I replied in distracted manner as he was talking while I was reading news, "If it’s green, then it’s likely to be a lime at this time of year. Lemons are yellow." Tomorrow’s Saturday, and the day I get to eat crow (whatever ITS color is). Mark (Writing from the _GREEN_ state of Washington.) |             I wanted the gold, and I sought it;                       | |               I scrabbled and mucked like a slave.                    | |             Was it famine or scurvey — I fought it;                  | |               I hurled my youth into a grave.                         | |             I wanted the gold, and I got it —                        | |               Came out with a fortune last fall, —                   | |             Yet somehow life’s not what I thought it,                 | |               And somehow the gold isn’t all.                         | |   Robert Service,  "Spell of the Yukon"                               | |                                                                       | | Mark L. Graham                        Phone:       360-856-2948 (USA) | | aka Mr. Reach                         Snail:         933 Harrison Rd. |

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Trans-Pacific Nursery ‘d LOVE to contact you re. fuchias but I’m a total newbie in e-mailing and don’t know how to. I only know how to reply to rec.garden articles. Can’t find you there. Tell me how to contact you; svp!! kenneth Nilsson Sweden

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Want a discussion on zones and hardiness. I live in Stockholm Sweden and want to know more about zones in both GB an US. Kenneth Nilsson

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I have two Myer’s dwarf lemon trees in containers.  The winters here around Washington, D.C. are way too cold to leave them outside. I bout the first tree about 18 mos ago, and the second last spring, both from the local nursery/hobby/crafts store.  I went back to them to see what I should do for the plants, and they didn’t even know that they had sold them.  At. first, the manager told me they don’t carry them.  Obviously not much help there.  I have two questions that I’m hoping someone here can answer: 1.  What is a good fertilizer/feeding product and how often? 2.  Can I pollinate the blossoms (they bloom all winter long) so that I will continue to get fruit.  They came full of fruit, and we had fresh lemons for the first winter of each plant, but they don’t seem to be setting new fruit. How do I do it? Thanks, Charlie

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Hi I’m not sure why I’m answering since your trees sound as if they’re doing better than mine which hardly blooms during the winter months, byt anyway… $5.95/box + $2.50 shipping. The recommended feeding amounts and schedule (1/month) are on the box.  You can reach them at 503.266.5432. They’re in Canby Or. Yes, you can pollinate the flowers by hand. Personally, I use my finger…only obscene when describing the process obscenely…but you can use a small paint brush. Brush the pollen from the anthers and apply it to the pistils when the pistils are sticky, a day or so after the flower opens. Fresh pollen, yellow rather than cream colored is best, but I suspect any available pollen will do. Libby

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I live in the San Fernando Valley (yes earthquake country), and I’m looking for a great nuresery near by.  If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!

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I live in the San Fernando Valley (yes earthquake country), and I’m looking for a great nuresery near by.  If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!

Have you tried Green Thumb Nursery in Newhall?  They are just north of you.  Take I-5 to the 14, get off on the first exit (San Fernando Rd) and it is about a mile or two on the right.  They were voted the best nursery in the Santa Clarita vally in last years Daily News poll. Their prices are reasonable to moderatly expensive (they have good sales).  They have a wide variety of plants, and experienced, knowledgable help.  (they even have a Sunset Garden book available for reference : ) Donald Mitchell "If you’re not living life on the edge, you’re taking up too much room!"  -NO FEAR       Carpe Diem

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In central Illinois, where can I find dwarf or bush clematis? Also; planning a water garden. Want to know all the disagreeable aspects and things mags or your garden center won’t or can’t tell you about possible calamaties, or bugs, or ,well, anything that can or might go wrong. Just sign me "likes to be prepared"  Can send info also (if not too much trouble to Thanks a bunch!!

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Thanks for the advice. I will give your method a try next fall. Charley

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Stan, Thanks for the info. I going to try soaking and cracking next fall.  OK that it won’t work the way I tryed.  Don’t know what I would do with about 2 dozen pine trees. Charley

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I am planting three varieties of tomatoes.  I plan staking all of them. Does anyone have any suggestions for the spacing between rows?                                               Thanks

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how can i keep my neighbors five cats from using the freshly tilled soil of both my flower and vegetable gardens for a litter box?  i would rather not shoot them with bb’s for fear of putting out an eye, etc.  is there any scent that i can put out that they will not like?  any advice is appreciated. chris

do not put down wood mulch that will draw cats like bees to honey.

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I am planting three varieties of tomatoes.  I plan staking all of them. Does anyone have any suggestions for the spacing between rows?                                               Thanks

Jack – I suggest 2′ – so you can get between rows to clean/pick and what not. Some of that will be taken up either by you or branches as they reach for the sun. Martin

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how can i keep my neighbors five cats from using the freshly tilled soil of both my flower and vegetable gardens for a litter box?  i would rather not shoot them with bb’s for fear of putting out an eye, etc.  is there any scent that i can put out that they will not like?  any advice is appreciated. chris

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Hi Ping, I don’t know how large your tree is at present, but as I recall, mine took about 2 years to fruit from planting – it was about 6 ft tall at the time. I have not found it necessary to spray at all.  I have noticed a few deformed fruit, but not enough to go to the bother of spraying.   Good luck with your Asian pears. P.S. I have been having some problem sending this post to you by e-mail, so I’m posting it to the newsgroup as well.  Hope you get it. Don "Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all." – Jimmy Johnson, "Arlo & Janis"

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Has anyone had any success with the Sentricon treatment for eliminating termites? Does anyone have experience with Bliss Exterminators, a New England company based in Connecticut? Thanks in Advance, Rich Dubs

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Yet another Hornworm story. Last weekend, my son came running into the house screaming something about a monster bug in the lawn. He dragged me to a spot where a tomato hornworm was marching through the grass. I was kind of confused, since there are no vegatable gardens anywhere nearby, but there was no mistaking what it was–huge, light green, pinkish horn on the rump, whitish sidebars, disgusting. My son wanted to keep it as a "pet," so we put it into a peanut butter jar with some grass and leaves (which it ignored). Anyway, the thing pupated and there is now a large brown crysalis in the jar. We would love to see the moth, but are unsure when it will emerge and how to take care of the pupa until it does. Should I put it in some soil? Must it endure a winter, or can it hybernate indoors?  Any ideas? — John "The aristocracy of intellect admits nothing of democracy"                                      – Robertson Davies

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Does anyone have experience with "wintering over" pansies. My beds face North in Nashville, Tn. Not much sun, but heavily mulched. I want a bed of pansies for my spring flowering bulbs. Not sure if they’ll survive the winter though. Please help.

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Clay soil usually means the soil is acidic, so look toward acid-loving plants as well.

No, clay soil does not usually mean acidic, at least not out west.  Here we have every variety of clay soil you can want.  We have acid clays, alkiline clays, salt clays etc.  Clay does not mean acidic!  Check your pH before planting! CEL — zone 5/6 (and on occasion even seven) USDA, Western USA — intermountain reagion (meaning dry, dry, dry). It’s not always dry, where it’s dry. . .

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hhghfdy

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Hello Can anybody tell me what plants will grow well in heavy clay soil, or how I could improve this type of soil. Many thanks.

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Hello Can anybody tell me what plants will grow well in heavy clay soil, or how I could improve this type of soil. Many thanks.

I also have heavy clay soil, and here is what I do. When preparing a garden bed, first I double dig the soil, then add *lots* of compost or any other well-rotted organic matter that I can get my hands on, plus some sharp sand. This will improve the drainage and texture of the soil. Also, before I start digging, I usually get a soil test to see what sort of nutrients my clay might be lacking and whether I need to adjust the pH of the soil or not. In my area I usually add, along with the compost and sand I mentioned, bone meal and limestone (our soil is usually very acid). Your clay may need entirely different things, so that soil test can be important. When you are finished, the area will actually sit higher than the surrounding unworked ground because of the additional materials you’ve added and also because of the improved airspace between particles. Try not to step on the bed while planting or during the growing season to avoid compaction of the soil. As for what to grow, I’ll leave that to one of your fellow Kiwis who will be more familiar with your climate. Good luck!

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Hello Can anybody tell me what plants will grow well in heavy clay soil, or how I could improve this type of soil. Many thanks.

Heavy clay can be improved by applying gypsum.  However, this requires repeated applications — yearly or more often, depending on the amount of rain and irrigation.   Appropriate plants depend on additional factors: climate, amount of water in the soil, nutrients, etc.   David Ross Climate:  California Mediterranean Sunset Zone: 21 — interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean influence

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Have you been looking for a professionally built fence for your typical Australian garden? Do you live in Victoria? If so go to this site right <a href="http://www.suburbia.net/~imperial"here!</a

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Hi, Regarding what plants you can grow in heavy clay, find out what native plants are growing in your area.  You can usually find this out from your extension service or local Master Gardener’s Club or Association.  For example, if there a ferns growing wild  near where you live, then that’s one plant you can grow.  Some ferns grow really well in clay soil because they like it moist. Give any plant you aquire a good start by amending the soil with lots of compost, some coarse builder’s sand (not a whole lot, though, or the soil could become cement like) and peat humus.  Clay soil usually means the soil is acidic, so look toward acid-loving plants as well. Hope this helps. Alaiyo

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Well done , very articulate. Silence is golden.   Berg :-)

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you don’t say… —                 <//<         Cynthia / Southern California         "For it is God which worketh in you both           to will and to do of His good pleasure"                                 Philippians 2:13 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Was that silent spam, or a dark flame?  Bergall

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I’m just not sure… I was just commenting that he didn’t say anything <grin —                 <//<         Cynthia / Southern California         "For it is God which worketh in you both           to will and to do of His good pleasure"                                 Philippians 2:13 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Was that silent spam, or a dark flame?  Bergall

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What shall I do with my lilies? They used to be beauties but have long lost their blooms, and the stems and leaves are pretty horrid looking right now. How do I overwinter these beasts? I do not have a shed, greenhouse or cellar. Catherine Brighton, UK —

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What shall I do with those little fellas in the winter? I do not have a shed, greenhouse or cellar? Catherine Brighton, UK —

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At the beginning of the year one of you recommended the Shady Oaks nursery as a great source of inspiration and help for gardners with lots of shade. A www address was posted on rec.gardens which I bookmarked. Unfortunately, Shady Oaks don’t seem to get their act together to get their webpage up and running and I was wondering if there is a postal address or perhaps even a new www address which I could try instead? Thanks very much. Catherine Brighton, UK —

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What shall I do with those little fellas in the winter? I do not have a shed, greenhouse or cellar? Catherine Brighton, UK

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:: At the beginning of the year one of you recommended the Shady Oaks :: nursery as a great source of inspiration and help for gardners with lots :: of shade. A www address was posted on rec.gardens which I bookmarked. :: Unfortunately, Shady Oaks don’t seem to get their act together to get :: their webpage up and running and I was wondering if there is a postal :: address or perhaps even a new www address which I could try instead? :: :: Thanks very much. :: :: :: Catherine :: Brighton, UK www.shadyoaks.com   Last time I looked, the page was partially functional. Shady Oaks Nursery 112 w. 10th Avenue S.E. Waseca, Minnesota    56093 1-800-504-8006 1-507-835-5033 1-507-835-8772  FAX Hope this helps Dave Starr Professional Shop Rat – 32 years in an Auto Plant

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On the other hand, it’s *very* easy to build a simple indoor light stand out of PVC piping.  Even I can do it…. ;) Check out the first couple of issues of the new Garden Gate magazine…that’s where I found the 1/2 page of instructions on how to build this thing, costing a grand total of $80.  You can build an awful lot of light stands for that price rather than buying ONE at $400-800 !!

        In my never ending attempt to keep up with my orchid collection, I have become very adept at building plant tables out of assorted pieces of lumber.  My latest attempt cost I think 10 dollars.  Around that anyway.  That doesn’t include the light fixtures of course, but you can generally find 40 watt shoplight fixtures for around 10 dollars as well.  I can give more information through e-mail if you would like. Rob  Rob’s rules to live by:                            |  Send me seeds!    (1) There is always room for one more orchid.    |    (2) There is always room for two more orchids.   |    (3) There is no rule 3.                          |  Will Flask for Food     (3a) When one has insufficient credit to buy    |              more orchids, obtain more credit.          |

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I’m trying to establish a new mixed shrub planting. Last spring I planted two of those Carol Mackie daphnes. I prepared the soil, watered faithfully and so on. They just took off. I was so impressed with their flowers and foliage, I just knew they would be the showcase plants I hoped them to be. Then I went on vacation. While I was gone, we had some very hot, dry and windy weather (’90s). One of the twins’ foliage has turned a crisp brown. The other looks fine. Will my fried plant recover next spring? Does anyone have any experienc in recovering these plants. Thanks for your advice. — John "The aristocracy of intellect admits nothing of democracy"                                      – Robertson Davies

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Keith, I often cut my daylilies back.  I usually do this after the flowering has ceased.  I also do not allow seed pods to ripen.  I cut my daylilies back to induce a second flowering on plants that ordinarily do not flower the second time around.  I have had limited success with this but have had a few repeats from non repeaters.  I will take alot more than cutting back prematurely and hot weather to stimy the growth of daylilies.  I am in zone 7 and have periods of hot (25 days of 90+ in July and August so far) and humid days rivaling those in N GA.  Good luck! Sharon

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Area = bluegrass region of Kentucky Problem = Brown rot on peaches (at least, it fits the description I have   seen: fruits develop a brown area near the blossom end which quickly   invades the entire fruit, turning it to mush.) How do you prevent/treat brown rot (or whatever this is)? Thanks.

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A light table is fairly easy to build.  It’s just like building bookshelves. You can buy cheap fluorescent light fixtures (on sale occasionally) for around $10. You can build a shelf from cinder blocks and boards, although if you are putting this in your living room you might want to make something fancier. You can buy special grow lamps which advertise that they match the solar spectrum better than the standard fluorescent bulbs.  They cost about 5 times more. I have grown things under both and they do equally poorly. Natural light is by far the best. Put everything in a south-facing window. If you must use a light table, make the light adjustable in height, because you want it right on top of the plants, just far enough away so they won’t touch it if they grow a bit while you’re not watching. Remember that putting fluorescent lights as close together as you can, you can only get about 10 or so per square meter. A fluorescent lamp is about 40 watts and maybe 20% efficient. Thats 20% of 400 watts per square meter. Sunlight is 1000 watts per square meter. Greenhouses that need light time extension use sodium lamps, which are much brighter than fluorescents, but are also more expensive to run.

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I don’t know if this is the correct newsgroup for my question, but here goes: I’m looking for suggestions as to the best type of indoor light stand to buy, including good mail order sources, how to determine a quality product, type of lights, should the stand rotate or move the plants periodically, etc. Is there an indoor gardening newsgroup or mailing list? Thank you. Judy Monroe St. Paul, MN USA

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I don’t know if this is the correct newsgroup for my question, but here goes: I’m looking for suggestions as to the best type of indoor light stand to buy, including good mail order sources, how to determine a quality product, type of lights, should the stand rotate or move the plants periodically, etc. Is there an indoor gardening newsgroup or mailing list? Thank you.

Call Gardener’s Supply Co. (802-863-1700) and speak to them about it.   They offer a floralight system that you may be interested in. Good luck.  Jeanne

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On the other hand, it’s *very* easy to build a simple indoor light stand out of PVC piping.  Even I can do it…. ;) Check out the first couple of issues of the new Garden Gate magazine…that’s where I found the 1/2 page of instructions on how to build this thing, costing a grand total of $80.  You can build an awful lot of light stands for that price rather than buying ONE at $400-800 !! Hope this helps, Joan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know if this is the correct newsgroup for my question, but here goes: I’m looking for suggestions as to the best type of indoor light stand to buy, including good mail order sources, how to determine a quality product, type of lights, should the stand rotate or move the plants periodically, etc. Is there an indoor gardening newsgroup or mailing list? Thank you. Call Gardener’s Supply Co. (802-863-1700) and speak to them about it.   They offer a floralight system that you may be interested in. Good luck.  Jeanne

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I built my own plant stand after pricing out the ones in the catalogs.  Used 2 x 4’s for the frame and 3/4 x 2 and plywood for two trays.  Its totally collapsible for off season ( I use mine to start seeds in winter).  My lights hang on small chains and are easliy adjustible for height over the plants as they grow.     |      _,,,~~~,,_               /, .-’`’    -.  ;-;;,_                |,4-  ) )-,_. , (  `’-’   ‘-~~”(_/–’  `-’_) Kate Hunter Gardening in East Central Illinois

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I recently built and addition to my house and have decided not to have the excess soil removed.  It contains many, many New England potatoes (rocks to non-Yankees), and I have been thinking about putting in a rather large rock garden.  Atop the soil, I have had a bluestone patio built, which will now give me a view into the "lower" gardens.  Any suggestions about books on rock gardens, especially for zone 5 in Connecticut, would be gratefully appreciated.

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I am looking for a book on creating rock gardens, with particular emphasis on plants that will thrive in Zone 5.  Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

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I just bought a house in Minneapolis (Zone 4) and would like to grow a boxwood hedge in the backyard, but can’t find in books if there are any Boxwood cultivars hearty enough to grow here. Anybody out there know? Or have other suggestions for a formal hedge if Boxwood won’t grow here? Thanks

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I just bought a house in Minneapolis (Zone 4) and would like to grow a boxwood hedge in the backyard, but can’t find in books if there are any Boxwood cultivars hearty enough to grow here. Anybody out there know? Or have other suggestions for a formal hedge if Boxwood won’t grow here?

English boxwood hasn’t a prayer.  Around here, people sometimes grow Korean boxwood, which is hardier, but I don’t know if it is hardy enough for Minneapolis. In cases like this, I always figure your best bet is to look around at public and private plantings to see what grows well in your new environment and whether you like the looks of it at various stages of growth and levels of maintenance. Beverly Erlebacher Toronto, Ontario Canada USDA Z5b AgCan Z6b

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Don’t let these guys mess with ya. You have to unsubscribe on your end. Somehow you signed up for the group somewhere. Or someone else did. You have to turn it off if you use Outlook or Outlook Express by removing the group from your list OR if you use a browser and website, you just don’t go visit the groups, or I’m sure there are other ways to get to groups besides those mentioned, but you have to turn it off, not us. Carla

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please remove me from your group

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Please remove me from your group

Call your ISP and ask them to Mail you an Unsubscribe Kit. It should be the standard no-fault type. Depending on your requirements, System A and/or System B can be used. When operating System A, depress lever and a plastic dalkron unsubscriber will be dispensed through the slot immediately underneath. When you have fastened the adhesive lip, attach connection marked by the large "X" outlet hose. Twist the silver-colored ring one inch below the connection point until you feel it lock. The kit is now ready for use. The Cin-Eliminator is activated by the small switch on the lip. When securing, twist the ring back to its initial condition, so that the two orange lines meet. Disconnect. Place the dalkron unsubscriber in the vacuum receptacle to the rear. Activate by pressing the blue button. The controls for System B are located on the opposite side. The red release switch places the Cin-Eliminator into position; it can be adjusted manually up or down by pressing the blue manual release button. The opening is self-adjusting. To secure after use, press the green button, which simultaneously activates the evaporator and returns the Cin-Eliminator to its storage position. You may log off if the green exit light is on over the evaporator. If the red light is illuminated, one of the Cin-Eliminator requirements has not been properly implemented. Press the "List Guy" call button on the right of the evaporator. He will secure all facilities from his control panel. To use the Auto-Unsub, first undress and place all your clothes in the clothes rack. Put on the velcro slippers located in the cabinet immediately below. Enter the shower, taking the entire kit with you. On the control panel to your upper right upon entering you will see a "Shower seal" button. Press to activate. A green light will then be  illuminated immediately below. On the intensity knob, select the desired setting. Now depress the Auto-Unsub activation lever. Bathe normally. The Auto-Unsub will automatically go off after three minutes unless you activate the "Manual off" override switch by flipping it up. When you are ready to leave, press the blue "Shower seal" release button. The door will open and you may leave. Please remove the velcro slippers and place them in their container. If you prefer the ultrasonic log-off mode, press the indicated blue button. When the twin panels open, pull forward by rings A & B. The knob to the left, just below the blue light, has three settings, low, medium or high. For normal use, the medium setting is suggested. After these settings have been made, you can activate the device by switching to the "ON" position the clearly marked red switch. If during the unsubscribing operation, you wish to change the settings, place the "manual off" override switch in the "OFF" position. You may now make the change and repeat the cycle. When the green exit light goes on, you may log off and have lunch. Please close the door behind you.

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Please remove me from your group

Sorry, no can do, you are subscribed for life.  Of course you can buy a clue, send it prepaid, and we will consider your request. Ciao, Falcon #### To reply via email remove "7" from address #### #            Failure is not an option              # #       It comes bundled with the software         #

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Please remove me from your group

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First step – consult w/landscape architect

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Does anyone have an address for Fower of the Month Club in Grand Rapids,MI?

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The reason that you shouldn’t eat green potatoes is that they contain solanine(sp?) like other poisonous members of the nightshade family. This poison appearently doesn’t develop unless the potatoes are exposed to light while growing, and betrays its presence by turning the potato green. You can cut the green spots out of a potato, but if it’s too green, you should probably pitch it. The Ortho vegetable gardening books talk about this a bit. Main thing is to keep your potatoes in the dark while growing them. Liz

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My thesis is concerned with the allelopathic potential of lupins- their ability to suppress the growth of neighbouring weeds, by excreting specific chemicals from the roots or leaves. The species I have have tested so far have not expressed this abilty, and thus I need to test other species and varieties. My problem is getting a hold of seeds (incl. seeds from wildtypes) in fair quantum, to continue my research. Can anyone advice me on who to contact on this matter?

  nathanrussell.vcf

< 1K Download

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The tests in my back yard show that the multitudinous lupines peacefully coexist with a variety of weeds. :-) ) Theresa – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is a multi-part message in MIME format. Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit My thesis is concerned with the allelopathic potential of lupins- their ability to suppress the growth of neighbouring weeds, by excreting specific chemicals from the roots or leaves. The species I have have tested so far have not expressed this abilty, and thus I need to test other species and varieties. My problem is getting a hold of seeds (incl. seeds from wildtypes) in fair quantum, to continue my research. Can anyone advice me on who to contact on this matter?

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This is my first try at posting here via Netscape.  Consequently, my initial attempt went without a subject line.  Sorry.  Here’s my question again: I’d like to hear some folks’ views on renting vs owning a shredder for converting twigs, branches and shrubbery trimmings into mulch.  I live on 2 acres of woods and bushes and amass a fair pile of cuttings every year or so from downed limbs and trees and those honeysuckle bushes that grow like weeds.  Around here, it’s possible to rent a heavy-duty shredder/chipper for about $90 a day, and to buy a  smaller one (e.g., Sears) for about $500.  The Sears model claims to be able to handle pieces up to 3 inches in diameter (I usually put sticks of 2 inches or larger in my fireplace), and I’m tempted to get one, but I don’t know their downsides.

The Sears Chippers are manufactured by MTD, at least they were when I bought mine 3 years ago.  You can find the same machine, different color at Home Depot, Builders Square, etc for less money.   Are they lots slower than the industrial-strength varieties?  How quickly do the blades get dull?  How prone are they to breakdown?  Will I be better off in the long run simply piling up the cuttings and investing $90 a year in getting rid of them with a rental unit?

I use mine a lot and usually change the chipper blades, the ones used to chop up the bigger stuff, once a year.  These blades can be sharpened and reused several times.  The shredder blade is also changed once a year.  It can be sharpened but only costs $8 and takes a lot of abuse depending on how many rocks/beer cans you put thru it. If you get into collecting your neighbors bagged leaves as I do you will find that rocks, beer cans and almost anything else will end up in a perfectly normal appearing bag of leaves.  The flails and the screen are also subject to wear and tear.  The flails are reversable and can be sharpened and reused if you want to take the time.  The screen is a low cost item which is usually replaced.  I would say that on a 5hp machine that you could expect to spend $90 on maintenance. The plus is you don’t have to wait until you get a big pile to grind it up.  You own the machine and know what it will do.  Don’t have to haul it back and forth.   I vote for a buy. Cliff

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: : I’d like to hear some folks’ views on renting vs owning a shredder for : converting twigs, branches and shrubbery trimmings into mulch.  I live : on 2 acres of woods and bushes and amass a fair pile of cuttings every : year or so from downed limbs and trees and those honeysuckle bushes that The push-type leaf sucker with the chute on the side to chop sticks are a big waste of money. $3-350 or so. The kind with a top loading chute might be better…they have to be, really. — Overheard: "What do you mean Thats only a half board foot per foot of board ?"

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I’d like to hear some folks’ views on renting vs owning a shredder for converting twigs, branches and shrubbery trimmings into mulch.  I live on 2 acres of woods and bushes and amass a fair pile of cuttings every year or so from downed limbs and trees and those honeysuckle bushes that grow like weeds.  Around here, it’s possible to rent a heavy-duty shredder/chipper for about $90 a day, and to buy a  smaller one (e.g., Sears) for about $500.  The Sears model claims to be able to handle pieces up to 3 inches in diameter (I usually put sticks of 2 inches or larger in my fireplace), and I’m tempted to get one, but I don’t know their downsides.  Are they lots slower than the industrial-strength varieties?  How quickly do the blades get dull?  How prone are they to breakdown?  Will I be better off in the long run simply piling up the cuttings and investing $90 a year in getting rid of them with a rental unit? Thanks for any comments. Lynn Willis Indianapolis

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This is my first try at posting here via Netscape.  Consequently, my initial attempt went without a subject line.  Sorry.  Here’s my question again: I’d like to hear some folks’ views on renting vs owning a shredder for converting twigs, branches and shrubbery trimmings into mulch.  I live on 2 acres of woods and bushes and amass a fair pile of cuttings every year or so from downed limbs and trees and those honeysuckle bushes that grow like weeds.  Around here, it’s possible to rent a heavy-duty shredder/chipper for about $90 a day, and to buy a  smaller one (e.g., Sears) for about $500.  The Sears model claims to be able to handle pieces up to 3 inches in diameter (I usually put sticks of 2 inches or larger in my fireplace), and I’m tempted to get one, but I don’t know their downsides.  Are they lots slower than the industrial-strength varieties?  How quickly do the blades get dull?  How prone are they to breakdown?  Will I be better off in the long run simply piling up the cuttings and investing $90 a year in getting rid of them with a rental unit? Thanks for any comments. Lynn Willis Indianapolis

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is my first try at posting here via Netscape.  Consequently, my initial attempt went without a subject line.  Sorry.  Here’s my question again: I’d like to hear some folks’ views on renting vs owning a shredder for converting twigs, branches and shrubbery trimmings into mulch.  I live on 2 acres of woods and bushes and amass a fair pile of cuttings every year or so from downed limbs and trees and those honeysuckle bushes that grow like weeds.  Around here, it’s possible to rent a heavy-duty shredder/chipper for about $90 a day, and to buy a  smaller one (e.g., Sears) for about $500.  The Sears model claims to be able to handle pieces up to 3 inches in diameter (I usually put sticks of 2 inches or larger in my fireplace), and I’m tempted to get one, but I don’t know their downsides.  Are they lots slower than the industrial-strength varieties?  How quickly do the blades get dull?  How prone are they to breakdown?  Will I be better off in the long run simply piling up the cuttings and investing $90 a year in getting rid of them with a rental unit? Thanks for any comments. Lynn Willis Indianapolis

Small, home duty shredders like the Sears could be a big disappointment. Rent and try out a unit that is close to the same size, horsepower, design, cost, etc. as the one you are considering buying. Then if it doesn’t meet your expectations, you will only be out the rental fee.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A downloaded copy of this posting has been sent to the National Fraud http://www.fraud.org/ ) and to the Federal Trade Commission’s unit on ).  If this scheme involves use of the U. S. mail, notification of mail fraud will be sent to the U. S. Postal Service.  If this scheme describes significant income to a promoter, notification will also be sent to the IRS. Isn’t this like the scheme that is bringing down the government in Albania? — David E. Ross The comments by Rep. Tom Coburn (R, Oklahoma) about the TV broadcast of "Schindler’s List" prove that neither governments nor politicians should allowed to judge what expressions of culture or entertainment are suitable for us.

David, what are you referring to? there is no attatched copy on your post.

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A downloaded copy of this posting has been sent to the National Fraud http://www.fraud.org/ ) and to the Federal Trade Commission’s unit on ).  If this scheme involves use of the U. S. mail, notification of mail fraud will be sent to the U. S. Postal Service.  If this scheme describes significant income to a promoter, notification will also be sent to the IRS.   Isn’t this like the scheme that is bringing down the government in Albania?   — David E. Ross The comments by Rep. Tom Coburn (R, Oklahoma) about the TV broadcast of "Schindler’s List" prove that neither governments nor politicians should allowed to judge what expressions of culture or entertainment are suitable for us.

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$$ MONEY$$ !!!!! EASY WAY TO MAKE $50,000 NO RISK !!!!! Take five minutes to read this and it WILL change your life. The Internet has grown tremendously.  It doubles in size every 4 months.  Think about it.  You see those ‘Make  Money  Fast’ posts more and more.  That’s because it WORKS!  So I decided to try it out, a few months ago.  Besides, what’s $5.00?   I spend more than that in the morning on my way to work on coffee and some breakfast.  So I sent in my money and posted.  Everyone was calling it a scam, but there are SO many new users from AOL, Netcom, etc. they will join in and make it work for you.  Well, two weeks later, I began receiving bucks in the mail!  I couldn’t believe it!  Not just a some, I mean big bucks!  At first only a few hundred dollars, then a week later, a couple of thousand, then BOOM.  By the end of the fourth week, I had received nearly $47,000.00. It came from all over the world.  And every bit of it perfectly legal. I’ve been able to payoff all my bills and still had enough left over for a nice vacation for my family and I. Not only does it work for me, it works for other folks as well.  Markus Valppu says he made $57,883 in four weeks.  Dave Manning claims he made $53,664 in the same amount of time. Dan Shepstone says it was only $17,000 for him.  Do I know these folks?  No, but when I read how they say they did it, it made sense to me. Enough sense that I’m taking a similar chance with $5 of my own money. Not a big chance, I admit–but one with incredible potential, because $5 is all anyone ever invests in this system.  Period. That’s all Markus, Dave, or Dan invested, yet their $5 netted them tens of thousands of dollars each, in a safe, legal, completely legitimate way. Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps: STEP 1. Invest your $5 by writing your name and address on five separate pieces of paper along with the words: "PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR MAILING LIST." Also, include the statement you are number X, where X is their number on the list.In this way, you’re not just sending a dollar to someone; you’re paying for a legitimate service.  Fold a $1 bill, money order, or bank note inside each paper, and mail them by standard U. S. Mail to the following five addresses:    1-Brooke Tansley         40 East Seventh St. #102         NY, NY, 10003         USA       2-Scott Tansley         481 Homestead Ave               Waterbury, CT 06705         USA     3-S.G. Haskins         7 Fern Ave         Wolcott, CT 06716         USA     4-Mark Brudos       2865 Coho st. Apt. 4           Madison, WI 53713             USA     5.  Brian Ambrozy         7366 Menge         Center Line, MI 48015-1270         USA STEP 2. Now remove the top name from the list, and move the other names up. This way, #5 becomes #4 and so on.  Put your name in as the fifth one on the list. STEP 3. Post the article to at least 200 newsgroups.  There are at least 19000 newsgroups at any given moment in time.  Try posting to as many newsgroups as you can.  Remember the more groups you post to, the more people will see your article and send you cash! You are now in business for yourself, and should start seeing returns within 7 to 14 days! Remember, the Internet is new and huge. There is no way you can lose. Now here is how and why this system works: Out of every block of 200 posts I made, I got back 5 responses.  Yes, that’s right, only 5.  You make $5.00 in cash, not checks or money orders, but real cash with your name at #5. Each additional person who sent you $1.00 now also makes 200 additional postings with your name at #4, 1000 postings.  On average then, 50 people will send you $1.00 with your name at #4,….$50.00 in your pocket! Now these 50 new people will make 200 postings each with your name at #3 or 10,000 postings.  Average return, 500 people = $500.  They make 200 postings each with your name at #2= 100,000 postings = 5000 returns at $1.00 each = $5,000.00 in cash! Finally, 5,000 people make 200 postings each with your name at #1 and you get a return of $60,000 before your name drops off the list.  And that’s only if everyone down the line makes only 200 postings each! Your total income for this one cycle is $55,000. From time to time when you see your name is no longer on the list, you take the latest posting you can find and start all over again. The end result depends on you. You must follow through and repost this article everywhere you can think of. The more  postings you  make, the more cash ends up in your mailbox. It’s too easy and too cheap to pass up!!!  So that’s it. Pretty simple sounding stuff, huh? But believe me, it works. There are millions of people surfing the net every day, all day, all over the world. And 100,000 new people get on the net every day. You know that, you’ve seen the stories in the paper. So, my friend, read and follow the simple instructions and play fair. That’s the key, and that is all there is to it. Print this out right now so you can refer back to this article easily. Try to keep an eye on all the postings you made to make sure everyone is playing fairly. You know where your name should be.  If you’re really not sure or still think this can’t be for real, then don’t do it. But please print this article and pass it along to someone you know who really needs the bucks, and see what happens.     REMEMBER….HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.  YOU DON’T     NEED TO CHEAT THE BASIC IDEA TO MAKE THE BUCKS!     GOOD LUCK TO ALL, AND PLEASE PLAY FAIR AND YOU WILL     WIN AND MAKE SOME REAL INSTANT MONEY! *** By the way, if you try to deceive people by posting the message with your name in the list and not sending the bucks to the people already included, you will not get much.  I know someone who did this and only got about $150 (and that’s after two months).  Then he sent the 5 bills, people added him to their lists, and in 4-5 weeks he had over $10,000! PLEASE GIVE EVERY ONE A CHANCE AND BE HONEST, AND THIS WILL REALLY BYE…

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Does anyone know where I can get some pink marguerite daisies? The current latin name is argyranthemum.  I saw pictures in a British garden magazine that I usually have better sense than to look at, and fell in love with the pink single and doubles.  I live in Florida zone 8b. The whites and a really nice yellow have become available locally and are doing surprisingly well, but no one has pink.  Fine Garden did a recent article, but their sources also turn out to only have white. Thanks in advance.

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Did I dream this or was there a posting a few days ago from a gardener from Menton,France who was looking for correspondents from this group? Her posting seems to hve vanished ..anyone have her email address?

If you mean Victoria Meqadows-Lenton her email address is: She is the woman who had the little old French men gawking at her as she mowed her lawn, work they consider to be usually for men only.

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Any vegetables that do well in moist partial-shade?  How about potatoes?   We are zone 5 – Nova Scotia.  We have cut out some trees to give more light, but can’t remove them all.  Our main garden area is quite sunny and does well, but we have a small strip we would like to make productive.  

This is an ideal place to have a lettuce bed all summer.  Sow a few seeds every week, and you will be eating fresh tender lettuce when everyone else’s has gone bitter and bolted. You can try some other greens, too, especially if you pick them young. Onion sets for scallions would be nice – keep a bag in the fridge and plant a week’s supply at a time. Beverly Erlebacher Toronto, Ontario Canada

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can anyone help me- i am trying to kill off wisteria and can not find out how.

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Depends on your preferred method.  On the organic side, cut it and keep cutting (should take ohhh about 3 years to get all the seed if you’re lucky.  Inorganic – LOTS AND LOTS OF ROUNDUP!!

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I’m looking to buy the following plant by mail order. Wayside Gardens used to have it listed in their catalogs but they don’t have it listed in their latest catalog. The plant is:         Arisaema sikokianum, (Snow Rice-Cake Plant) Would anyone know where I can order this plant. I found a catalog that sells the seeds, but I’m looking for the plant. Thanks in advance!

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Did I dream this or was there a posting a few days ago from a gardener from Menton,France who was looking for correspondents from this group? Her posting seems to hve vanished ..anyone have her email address?

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Any vegetables that do well in moist partial-shade?  How about potatoes?   We are zone 5 – Nova Scotia.  We have cut out some trees to give more light, but can’t remove them all.  Our main garden area is quite sunny and does well, but we have a small strip we would like to make productive.   Thank you.

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Did I dream this or was there a posting a few days ago from a gardener from Menton,France who was looking for correspondents from this group? Her posting seems to hve vanished ..anyone have her email address?

Helen Her name is Victoria Meadows, and she lives in Lenton. I really loved her letter. Hope this helps. Sue

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I apologize if this is not the way to post an article (please advise on how to do it inaddition to answering my question, if you would)..I have a cherry tree that has produced copious amounts of fruit. Last year, just as the cherries were ripening, they all turned a metallic yellow-red, and were obvioulsy inedible.  I had a few of these in previous years, but nothing like the 100% spoilage I had last year.  does anyone know what caused it and how to avoid it in the future?  Thanks.

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Last year my cherry tree, which hadeen producing a prodigious amount of fruit, suddenly developed cherries, all of which turned a metallic yellow-red, just as they turned ripe.  Does any one know what caused this and how to prevent it this year.

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n n – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -By now, you may be getting tired of these posts, so I’ll make this short.   Yesterday at noon, I poured 5% white vinegar and a little dish soap in a squeeze bottle and placed several drops on the center of each broadleaf in the yard. Today at 11 a.m., I went out to inspect and to a weed, the center part had turned brown already!! Once again, thanks to the person who recommended this method! Mic

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japanese gardening information neeeded. We want to create a japanese garden from scratch: any ideas on the basics, what plants would I need and what sort of equipment to do the job?

I have been impressed with the Japanese Rock or Gravel gardens; although have not seen them often. I’ll describe, a 10×10 square with a boulder and 2-3 large rocks of differing sizes. These are to resemble rocks in a pool; the gravel is raked around the rocks to resemble waves or minor ripples, it is lovely. Vickie

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japanese gardening information neeeded. We want to create a japanese garden from scratch: any ideas on the basics, what plants would I need and what sort of equipment to do the job?

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I was wondering if I could use schedded paper (photocopies and computer printed bond paper) from the office for mulch.  I have an hedge of shrub roses planted every 5 feet and I would like to kill the 3 feet of  grass in between and beyind the rose. I thought I would spread about 1 inch of the paper and cover it with 1 inch of compost so I would not have to mow the grass in between.  The mulch would be about 10 inches to 1 foot of the rose.   Thank you for your help.

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Hi! I’ve used shredded paper for mulch in the past.  Works great.  The type I used was trimmed newsprint waste from a printing company I used to work for.  It was free and available in massive quantities, and was unprinted so no ink/chemicals were added.  The only problem I had with it was we put down a little more than 1 foot deep, watered it and went back to the house.  The next morning, went to the garden and found (even with watering) that wind had blown the shredded paper all over the place.  So, what we did then was to rake the shredded paper back into place and covered it with "chunks" of square bales of hay.  That seemed to work fine until the weed seeds (from the hay) cropped up (excuse the pun).  So, we still use shredded paper, but we cover it with compost.   We live in Central Texas and are in the midst of a massive draught, so the paper/mulch lets us get as much value from the water we put on the garden as possible.  Besides that, it really helps loosen the soil, as does any mulch.

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By now, you may be getting tired of these posts, so I’ll make this short.   Yesterday at noon, I poured 5% white vinegar and a little dish soap in a squeeze bottle and placed several drops on the center of each broadleaf in the yard. Today at 11 a.m., I went out to inspect and to a weed, the center part had turned brown already!! Once again, thanks to the person who recommended this method! Mic

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Does any one have any ideas on the treatment of Dutch Elm Disease? I have six 5 yr old trees in my yard and would like to try to save them. Does anyone know the nature of the disease  … bacteria, fungus ??? What is the carrier? Thanks for your help!It’s a fungus, that is spread by a beetle. Here at Penn State, they are very proud of the 100 year old Elms

that line all the major walk ways. Just last week I was talking to one of the arboriculturist as he was treating one of the elms. It seems not to be an easy problem. There is a fungicide that they are trying that is injected into the tree and many places through 1/8" holes (25 bottles on one tree) and it must be done every other year and will only help if the tree is not too badly infected. Also the fungus spreads from tree to tree by the roots because Elms growing close to each other will share root systems. To fight this the university trenches between trees to split the root systems. When all of this fails, and it quite often does the university cuts the tree down and replaces it. The arboriculturist told me that there is not a sure one shot thing to save a tree, as they are re-infected every year by the beetle. The university even monitors with traps the surrounding county to gauge how bad the beetle population is at any one time. So you can see that university is going to great lengths to save their trees, I don’t think that its possible for the home owner to match that effort. —   *            JOHN PASSANEAU, WB8EIY               *   *   Penn State University, University Park, Pa.   *   *    My opinions are my own, not my employers.    *

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Hi – I live near Santa Fe, New Mexico and have spent much time in the southern Rockies.. I have seen and eaten thimbleberry here and during a visit to Glacier National Park in Montana…Julie

Hi, Julie We have thimbleberries much closer to home, in the Jemez mountains (and probably also in the Sange de Christo mountains where there is some year-round moisture).  I see them every summer at the Pajarito Ski Area near Los Alamos. Catherine (Zone 5, alpine desert)

Response:

The thing I remember most about thimbleberries is that you can pick FOREVER and never get a quart (they just have no substance to them and just flatten right out).  From the other responses, it should be obvious that it’s one of those plants that likes cool temperatures and damp conditions.  I doubt that it would do well anywhere that has summer temperatures much warmer than the UP.  (But wait–I have to wonder about the "damp" part since most of the thimbleberry I’ve seen was growing on very thin soil over rock outcrops; I can’t imagine that the soil moisture can stay very high in mid-summer, where the UP often gets long dry periods and the thimbleberry seems not to be bothered by it).

I live in New Mexico, in a Zone 5 alpine desert.  We have thimbleberry bushes up higher on the mountain where I live, so they do indeed live in dry climates.  And in spite of my calling this a desert (based on annual precipitation), our summers are cool here, rarely getting over 90 F at my home’s altitude, and probably 5 or 10 degrees cooler up where the thimbleberries grow. I’ve noticed that the thimbleberries set berries even when it’s been a dry spring, while the raspberries in the same are are prone to zero production if the spring has been dry.  I always enjoy picking thimbleberries on a hot day of hiking, probably because it was something my brothers and I did as kids when hiking with our parents. But I wouldn’t try to transplant them into my own yard.  It’s just not worth the trouble, when they live wild so near by. Catherine (Zone 5, alpine desert)

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -(Mariann Davis) writes: ___In the UP (That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) they have ___a berry called a thimble berry.  It is a relative of the raspberry. ___ ___I have heard it claimed up there this plant grows ONLY in the ___UP and that there have been no successful transplanting of ___it outside the UP.  Somehow, this doesn’t ring true. ___ ___Anyone have any info on this? Gleason, _Manual of Vascular Plants_: Rubus parviflorus, Thimbleberry. Open woods and thickets; Bruce Peninsula, Ont., to n. Minn.; S.D.; widely distributed in the western cordillera. (Rockies?) Wyman’s _Gardening Encyclopedia_: Rubus parviflous, Western Thimbleberry. Native from Ontario to N.Mex. and Alaska. Anybody have any other sources? :  Mariann Davis                      Egg Harbor, NJ             :

Hi – I live near Santa Fe, New Mexico and have spent much time in the southern Rockies.. I have seen and eaten thimbleberry here and during a visit to Glacier National Park in Montana…Julie

Response:

In the UP (That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) they have a berry called a thimble berry.  It is a relative of the raspberry. I have heard it claimed up there this plant grows ONLY in the UP and that there have been no successful transplanting of it outside the UP.  Somehow, this doesn’t ring true.

The thing I remember most about thimbleberries is that you can pick FOREVER and never get a quart (they just have no substance to them and just flatten right out).  From the other responses, it should be obvious that it’s one of those plants that likes cool temperatures and damp conditions.  I doubt that it would do well anywhere that has summer temperatures much warmer than the UP.  (But wait–I have to wonder about the "damp" part since most of the thimbleberry I’ve seen was growing on very thin soil over rock outcrops; I can’t imagine that the soil moisture can stay very high in mid-summer, where the UP often gets long dry periods and the thimbleberry seems not to be bothered by it).

Response:

: In the UP (That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) they have : a berry called a thimble berry.  It is a relative of the raspberry. : I have heard it claimed up there this plant grows ONLY in the : UP and that there have been no successful transplanting of : it outside the UP.  Somehow, this doesn’t ring true. : Anyone have any info on this? Don’t have anything to add except that I have never seen thimble berries anywhere except in the UP. (My family is from Houghton if you’re familiar with the UP.) Most people where I am now (Denver, Colorado) never even heard of them. I always loved Grandma’s thimble berry jam. Wish I had some now. Sharon McCarty Denver, Colorado  USA

Response:

Wild thimbleberry grows profusely here on Vancouver Island.

And throughout the Pacific Northwest. Thimbleberry has no fads and offers no difficulties in cultivation, but it is a wildling with a very short flowering season, and hardly worth space in a small garden.

Depends on the definition of small, and what you want.  Bees like the flowers, birds love the berries (and they can certainly be quite tasty; it varies a _lot_ from plant to plant when they’re grown from seed).  The foliage is nice to look at, the leaves are huge and make good critter cover, and can make good picking baskets, or be used to wrap veggies to steam them in the bbq.  The young shoots can be eaten, the berries dry well, and can be used to extend more flavorful ones in a pinch.  And the bushes don’t have prickles, so pruning isn’t painful :-) I rather like things with short flowering seasons.  It’s a good reminder that when you see something nice you should take a good look and a sniff _right now_ and not procrastinate the good things.  With the long bloomers, there’s too much of a tendency to think, "oh, I’m too busy today, I’ll enjoy them tomorrow", over and over until they’re gone anyway and you never did take time to appreciate them.  (Now, the dull, boring, and undesirable things, I’m happy to procrastinate as long as possible :-) ) — Allyn Weaks PNW Native Wildlife Gardening:  (under construction)   http://chemwww.chem.washington.edu/natives/

Response:

___In the UP (That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) they have ___a berry called a thimble berry.  It is a relative of the raspberry. ___ ___I have heard it claimed up there this plant grows ONLY in the ___UP and that there have been no successful transplanting of ___it outside the UP.  Somehow, this doesn’t ring true. ___ ___Anyone have any info on this? Gleason, _Manual of Vascular Plants_: Rubus parviflorus, Thimbleberry. Open woods and thickets; Bruce Peninsula, Ont., to n. Minn.; S.D.; widely distributed in the western cordillera. (Rockies?) Wyman’s _Gardening Encyclopedia_: Rubus parviflous, Western Thimbleberry. Native from Ontario to N.Mex. and Alaska. Anybody have any other sources? :  Mariann Davis                      Egg Harbor, NJ             :

Response:

Wild thimbleberry grows profusely here on Vancouver Island. In full sun, the flowers are like smallish single white roses and you see it this way along farm fences, looking much like a rambler rose of some sort. There is a double-flowered form for connoisseurs of the offbeat. The berries are thin hollow affairs, whence the name, and it takes a heap of picking to get enough to do anything with. The jam from them isn’t distinctive enough to make it worth the effort. Thimbleberry has no fads and offers no difficulties in cultivation, but it is a wildling with a very short flowering season, and hardly worth space in a small garden. — Rodger Whitlock

Response:

: ___In the UP (That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) they have : ___a berry called a thimble berry.  It is a relative of the raspberry. : ___ : ___I have heard it claimed up there this plant grows ONLY in the : ___UP and that there have been no successful transplanting of : ___it outside the UP.  Somehow, this doesn’t ring true. : ___ : ___Anyone have any info on this? : Gleason, _Manual of Vascular Plants_: : Rubus parviflorus, Thimbleberry. : Open woods and thickets; Bruce Peninsula, Ont., to n. Minn.; S.D.; widely : distributed in the western cordillera. (Rockies?) : Wyman’s _Gardening Encyclopedia_: : Rubus parviflous, Western Thimbleberry. : Native from Ontario to N.Mex. and Alaska. : Anybody have any other sources? On page 517, in the _Fruit, Berry, and Nut Inventory_ (ISBN 0-882424-51-4) is a good describtion and list of 8 retail sources (as of 1992-93). "THIMBLEBERRY – Rhubus parviflorus; a native American raspberry. Small, reddish orange berries. Seedy and sparse, but very tasty. Young shoots were eaten by Native Americans in the spring. Attractive, untempermental, low suckering, nearly thornless shrub grows 2-5′ [feet] tall. Soft, fuzzy, maple-shaped leaves up to 8" [inches] across turn yellow in the fall. Large, 2" [inch], white petaled flowers crinkled like muslin. Prefers damp, well drained, shady sites. Requires minimum annual precipitation of 20" [inches]. Hardy into Zone 3, Native from Alaska to Michigan, southward to Mexico." — Bob Batson                              L 39 12 14 N  94 33 16 W Under the most controlled conditions, the experimental apparatus will do exactly as it pleases.

Response:

In the UP (That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) they have a berry called a thimble berry.  It is a relative of the raspberry. I have heard it claimed up there this plant grows ONLY in the UP and that there have been no successful transplanting of it outside the UP.  Somehow, this doesn’t ring true. Anyone have any info on this? — | Bryce Grevemeyer        | Phone:    (313) 845-5589               | | Ford ETC C370           | FAX:      (313) 845 3799               | | Dearborn, MI 48121-6010 | Internal Ford PROFS: IBMMAIL(I1483006) |

Response:

Thank you Jessie. I will certainly do the water test for the seeds that are not too small.  I planted some herbs last week for an indoor herb garden. Some of them were so small, smaller than the head of a pin.  Luckily not all seeds are that small. Fran

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