Actually, in a nice, porous, fast draining medium the root system of our containerized annuals will happy fill the whole pot. When that happens, you can be darned sure that you have some happy and thriving plants! Lori, don't be intimidated by all of what you read in here. Success can be achieved in a variety of ways. I do think that your annuals can probably make it in that 'stuff'. It will be difficult to water, however, because it won't drain rapidly at all. The soil in the bottom portion of the containers will slow everything down. You 'may' find that the roots won't want to enter the top soil, as well. If so, then watch for wilting. You may end up watering more frequently than you intended. Fertiloam potting soil is a standard peat based planting mix that should be perfectly acceptable. It's not sedge peat based, like Hyponex, which turns to sludge. Next year, you can cut the potting mix with up to 50% perlite and have a simple, inexpensive, easy potting medium. Your plants will thank you for it. (Also, avoid anything labeled garden 'soil', compost, manure for containers. Though great for gardens, those ingredients clog up the pore spaces required for healthy containerized plants.)

Thanks Patti. My bruise looks like I got kicked by a horse but it is not as painful as it was the first couple of days. It takes a lot to keep me home.

Thanks everyone - It really was amazing!!! I walked into Jolane and there was Peppi exactly as she said she would be. She's pretty much told you everything but I want to add a bit. Peppi is the first cooking forum friend I've met in real life and she was raving about some of the other friends she's met through here. If y'all are half as nice as she claims, I can't wait to meet more of you. Next time anyone is in Chicago or passing through, drop me an email and we can get together for more of this addictive kind of fun. We talked so much and had such a great time they had to kick us out - very politely of course - but then we had already been there for THREE hours!! Where did that time go? Good thing Peppi wasn't working that day - that was a very long lunch hour. I had the best girlfriend lunch ever. Most of my girlfiends are salad nibblers and forget about dessert. Peppi and I shared a delicious lunch and between the two of us we finished most of it. When we were emailing back and forth to set it all up she said something to me that just struck a chord..."Never trust a skinny cook". I'm framing it for my kitchen - it just made me feel so warm and good. Of course I can't let that be an excuse not to get to a healthier weight but it is a lovely thought :) Next time, and i know there wil definitely be one, we will take pictures and maybe I'll get brave enough to put a picture of myself on the internet. I had to run, barely made it home before the bus, but I did. Peppi did you run into the Viking shop? Just wondering if that's where you picked up that cool (hot) pepper de-seeder?

That's so sweet. India is a wonderful and very beautiful country and the people are very warm. There were some people who thought it was an odd place to take vacation, but I think that is rather uninformed. Our whole family would love to go back; it is a very large and varied country and we only saw 6 or 7 cities (the lovely pink Jaipur among them). How exciting and rewarding for your daughter. Kudos to her for doing well while doing good!