Thanks, Mike. I hope '09 treats you well, too. "If I decided to use the 5.1.1 soil mix of bark and peat for my Palms, would I need to add any additives such as gypsum or other if I was going to fertilze my Palms with Foiliage Pro? Does this contain all the nutrients needed to not have to fiddle with my mix?" Yes - on it's face, from a nutritive perspective it would seem that because the Foliage-Pro (FP)contains Ca and Mg, none would be necessary, but we need to take into account the low pH of the soil if we don't lime. Until the pH equalizes at around 6.2, most of the Ca in the FP will be what is called reactive. This means that most of the Ca will be used in neutralizing the acidity of the soil. AFTER the soil pH equalizes, the Ca added in fertilizers (or the excess from liming) will become residual and more readily available. That's why, even though FP contains Ca, we still need to lime if we want to guarantee enough availability to prevent a deficiency. In the gritty mix, the pH will be higher, closer to 6.0 before liming, so it's not as important; and the higher pH is why I prefer gypsum to lime in the gritty mix. Pick a fertilizer with approximately a 3:1:3 NPK ratio, or mix in 1 tbsp of potash per gallon of soil when you make it and use a 3:1:2 ratio blend (12-4-8, 24-8-16, 9-3-6 are all 3:1:2 ratios). You can also supplement the 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers with a little extra 0-0-3 ProTeKt for the added K. Recently, the move has been to use the higher potassium fertilizers for palms. A 15-5-15 blend would be ideal (which is why I suggested the potash or ProTeKt). The company "Scotts" has recently released what should be an ideal containerized palm fertilizer with micronutrients, + magnesium and calcium, if you can find it. Al

OH, man I have to get my camera fixed. I have been working like crazy planting areas that I put the hardscape in last fall in readyness for planting this spring. Then I ordered about 150 daylilies and have been scrambling to get them all planted. I have this big new terraced garden in my backyard near my kitchen door. It features daylilies (which I have been planting) but it also has a mix of annuals and perrentials which I have been very busy planting so that it should always be in bloom. In case you all think I had some free time during all this planting I decided I wanted my pond and I wanted it now. I have two small 35 gallon ones, one of which has a picture of it on the other thread you guys bumped up. But now I also have a 300 gallon Stocktank pond which I set up as a watergarden wiuth some plants and of course I put fish in it as I just needed some. Can't tell you how many times a day I go look at the fish swimming around, I never get tired of watching them. I have become a regular on the Garden Web Pond Forum just as I have been on the Daylily forum here and the roses forum.

I know more people who love Facebook than feel about it as I do. If it works for you - great! I did indulge myself in it for quite some time, but since I've distanced myself I find that I resent the notion that it's something that suits all of us. I blame the media and Corporate America in general. If I want to know more about a product, I'm encouraged to "Like" the manufacturer on Facebook. If I want more news from my local sources, I'm encouraged to "check out our Facebook page for more info." It's so much more than just a widely used social outlet - there's a thinly veiled insistence that we assimilate or be left out. And I don't take well to anyone even so much as hinting that I assimilate. ;-) Facebook brought me together with a large number of people from my past, and in most cases it became evident to me quickly why we parted ways and our relationship was left in the past. A couple of people were even downright nasty; one man that I'd dated very briefly in high school made a blatantly homophobic comment when I said something on my page in support of my gay cousin's rights (or lack thereof, I should say). For me, Facebook was largely a lesson in how life moves on and why. Too, when I found msyelf taking photos with the thought of the subject matter being something cool to post on Facebook, I knew it was past time to call it quits.

Thanks guys. Actually I joined way back in 2002. Just went AWOL for about 10 years. You know what it's like, have great plans but life just got in the way! LOL In 2004 I lost my mom to cancer, and my Dad was a wreck. Not long after her death, he had a stroke and I spent most of the next 7 years taking care of him. Work all day, spend some time with him before I came home, then spend time with my hubby didn't leave much time for anything else. Let's see.....more about me. Tried retiring in 2012. HATED IT. Loved being home doing more with my DH but when the work is done in the day, made for some long winter days. I now work at Dinosaur Provincial Park, am head of caretaking. I think it the perfect fit for my life, work 7 months of the year, meet people from all over the world who visit the park. And then I get 5 months of down time during the winter. Spend it feeding cows and after chores are done I get to spend time on what I like. Love to snowshoe! Great exercise, burns about 1000 calories an hour, gets the cardio up and I can go just about where ever I want. When it gets to wet or no snow, I am a walker. I am a huge football fan, GO STAMPS GO, and my favorite NFL team is the Saints. I am a one team hockey fan, GO FLAMES GO. (can you tell I am a true southern Albertan? Edmonton Who?) LOL I love to crochet, cook and garden. As for pets, there is Shear Khan the cat. Only cat I know that follows you around like a dog, even comes in the corrals with me when I am graining the calves. And Kobi the wonder dog. Border collie who will chase anything but a cow. Birds, cottonwood fluff, snow flakes, even jet plane trails, but no cows. I think that about covers it. And I am enjoying meeting all of you. Darlene