As I newbie I have no success stories but I can share what I have learned thus far.. 1. Newspaper is the best quick fix for a bed overgrown with weeds that is so far from the house that the notion of planting anything there is so far off the too do list that typing it onto my to do list hasn't reached the end of my fingers - not to mention the fact that is was an area I thought, for two years, was my neighbor's neglected mess! Much to my mortification it was really my mess - newspaper, mulch, forcythia and stella dora - beautiful, weedless, in a morning. And it still looks good nearly a year later! 2. I love sprouts! Period! They are growing!! I hope they live but right now I have my instant gratification. I seed green in those jugs! 3. A nice glass of wine, viewing my potential plants, is a lovely thing on a warm spring day. I know I look silly sitting with my feet up admiring a bunch of milk jugs but hey... I am over 30... well over 40.. who do I need to impress but myself! 4. I am so ready for planting! I bought 6 flats of flowers last weekend - I thought I wouldn't be buying any more 5. My design skills improve when I "pretend" to read a book while drinking a glass of wine and observing my gardens! With every glass of wine I have better and better plans! :) What I wish I'd learned.. 1. Why do I keep buying, buying, buying plants and seeds?! Why do they call my anem?? "Christy, Christy, Christy, we need you... you need us.... buy, buy , buy forget your husband... he loves you and doesn't really care if you keep buying!" Well... I am not so sure about that - at least my house isn't full of zip lock mini green houses... 2. When will my husband quit rearranging / adding to my gardens? I love gardens but last fall I split and replanted a bunch of border plants to edge a garden perfectly... they are now in the middle of the new and improved garden - which melded my perfect red and white garden with my emerging purple and yellow garden - what to do with that? (I net a pond in the production so I will quit whining!) 3. When will I figure out how to keep track of what I have planted, what it looks like, how tall it is, is it perennial....???? I plant, go and forget... I hate that I do this but cannot quit! buy, plant, buy, plant, buy, plant it is an addiction! Christy

Actually, it was Menard's, a much smaller hardware chain. There is no Lowe's near here, unfortunately. I used to pass one on my way to school (70 miles away) until I graduated last fall. I would plan an hour before class just to stop there! That's where I got all my Orientals to form the backbone of my lily collection. (And more perennials than I can count) All those turned out to be true, so I was lucky. But the Regals never grew. I'm open to surprises: I've found it often makes gardening more fun. If I feel I have to have something specific (like the Black Beauty I needed last fall), I'll go ahead and order from B&Bs or somewhere. After posting here this morning I google searched these varieties. For two, Monte Negro and Navona I found pictures/listings that matched the pictures on the box;(now lets see if the actual flowers match the names!) For Toronto, the one that is supposed to be salmon with a yellow center, I found listings for a both the yellow as pictured, and a solid pink lily! For Kansas I found nothing at all. That picture is SO pretty I sure hope it will be like that; I'm not a fan of yellow, but this was so delicate and soft. For Bahia Blanca found nothing. Do post that picture of the blue lily! Sounds fascinating.

I wouldn't worry what others are doing. I found at our markets that we sell what we sell for what we decide before we get to market. I see alot of vendors pretending to visit your stand and are actually price checking. I feel it is rude and they are not confident in their product and pricing. If you want to know what someone is selling for comparison be upfront and ask and say you just want to be comproable. I personally check our state department of agriculture website and the USDA website for pricing in our area for produce. If you look it should give the general prices for organic and non organic produce for each month of the year. USDA does it weekly I think. That can give you a start and if your not selling then lower your price some. Also make your produce sell itself by keeping it neat and clean and display in baskets or attractive layout. We have found if you display them nicely people look more and buy more. You dont have to spend alot. Just collect things around home and from friends and neighbors - everyone has a million old baskets and tubs and stuff around that you can wash up or paint to make a nice display. We find alot at yard sales. We are vultures on anything we can use on the table.I bought probably 10 baskets last summer for like $1.50. Also gather and collect used plastic grocery bags from everyone you know. People want things bagged up to carry if they dont have their own market bags. It is a good way to recycle and people like knowing your recycling bags and not buying new plastic bags to package in. We have several neighbors bring them to us as well as we save all ours. Some of our usual customers bring us their extra bags when they come to market. Saves plastic and money. Also - always keep plenty of change on hand. Nothing like having someone buy something and they pay with a $20 or $50 and you cant break it. We always keep a base amount in the top of our cash box but I also keep 6 extra $5's and $10's and $20 in ones under the drawer in case it is one of those days when people all pay with big bills. Ummm. Label every thing clearly so people know your prices. People dont always ask if they dont see a price they just walk away and buy somewhere else. They want to know the cost upfront. Bring a everything bag. We have a big huge totebag with extra tape,maskingtape, duct tape, scissors, string, markers, pens, stapler, and anything else under the sun you just might need in a pinch. You never know you needed it until your at market and dont have it. We keep this bag stocked and ready. Papertowels is a big thing. We have to clean produce that somehow didnt get cleaned enough or clean ourselves or wipe up water after a rain shower. I think those are our big do's and don'ts. Just be proud of your work and enjoy it. Department of Ag and USDA is a good way to base your price fairly.

I really appreciate everyone's input. I have pretty much agreed to go with company 1. Did not feel comfortable with company 2 and with company 3,the HP seemed like it could be oversized. I have remediation scheduled for Tuesday and removal of air handler prior. I do need to make decisions on units, etc prior to Tues. Tigerdunes: I agree that and feel like I am in over my head. It is so difficult when all 3 companies gave different system sizes. At least I feel I have that squared down. Are you saying I should just go with the XL16i and TEE that Company 1 suggested? I would be ok with that, too,but it seems like you all really feel the hyperion is better/newer and I see how it could be more difficult for mold to grow on them. (They are both still variable speed?) Or, do I show the dealer the numbers of the systems you suggested and see if he can do that? I take it your numbers are for a 5 ton air handler and 4 ton heat pump. Some of the numbers or letters are not coming through. Do I just get rid of the strage characters? (I see some of my posts have them in there, too.) 4385664 Active Systems XL16I WEATHERTRON TRANE 4TWX6048E1 � *AM7A0C48H41 � 47000 12.50 17.00 46000 9.00 30000 3934499 Active Systems XL16I WEATHERTRON TRANE 4TWX6048E1 � 4TEE3F66A1 � 47500 12.50 17.00 45500 9.00 30000 � The first system is paired with the new Hyperion air handler; the second system is the old series TEE air handler. It does sound like the heat strips are staged. He was recommended 19kw. He was in the car, so he wasn't sure if they were multiple 5's or 10's. Thank you!