deathcheez, Thank you for your advice. Yes, I 'll have to shape them into Bosai. I don't know much about it. I may have to study a lot to understand what it is to make Bonsai, cutting tap root and transplanting in a small shallow pot. It is scary and intimidating, for sure ;) rrx8, Thank you for introducing me to your beautiful website. History, art, how to take care, ... everything is very intriguing and exciting. Looking at pictures, I can see the depth of enjoyment. I can look at them all day and meditate. I feel it is mostly the art. Creating such a wonderful specimen itself is owe striking. Somebody told me once that every Japanese man goes to either Bonsai or orchids when he gets to a certain age. I understand it now. Thanks again.

I was in the same position a few years ago. I ended up buying two shop lights and an inexpensive shelf that I installed in an unused closet. I hung the lights below the shelf with some screw hooks and chains so that I could adjust the height of the light as the seedlings grew. I spent far less than $100 on the setup and have had great success with tomato, pepper, herb and flower seedlings ever since. Good luck, and have fun! I didn't have any natural light at all; the closet gave me a n easy place to install the lights, but I needed more light as the plants grew, so I have to make sure not to sow the seeds too early or the plants start to suffer before it warms enough to plant them out. If you're set on installing the lights next to the window, you could probably get by with just one light. You can probably rig up a way to hang the light from a curtain rod. For the cost, its hard to recommend anything but the cheap shop lights from one of the big box stores.

Since you are building on top of your existing structure I would have a structural engineer take a look and see if your existing foundation and first level will be able to support the second story. I also agree with having an architect involved in the process. We were going to do a "simple" kitchen remodel till I realized I didn't like where the kitchen is located in our 1959 ranch and will have to do a small addition and renovations to the existing space. We've hired an architect and she has been amazing. A good architect will listen to your needs and be able to show you what you can do (and you can avoid the cookie-cutter look). We are in the process of hiring a contractor. We asked our architect for suggestions of who she's worked with and trusts. We are using her initial sketch from the consultation meeting to provide to contractors, along with her description of the project to get an idea of cost. We are also having her team do exact measurements and provide us with a schematic design package which will include a floor plan, front, rear and side elevations. We will also share this with the contractors and it will enable them to give us a better idea of cost. Also, depending on your local government (in my case, the county) they have certain requirements for the permits you will need to do this work. You are going to want to make sure you have the type and detail the local government requires in order to get your permit. For example, my county requires 2 sets of construction documents drawn to scale with sufficient clarity and detail to show the nature and character of the work to be performed, including, but not limited to: plans of each floor level, 4 elevations and typical cross section; and 7 copies of plot plans or 2 copies of the approved site development plan as required by the county regulations. If and when you go to sell your home you want to be able to show to prospective buyers that you did your due diligence and that the renovation was done correctly. We weren't going to purchase our house unless I had proof that for the addition added in the 80's went through the proper process and the county issued the permits and approvals for the work. What I found interesting was that the county no longer had this information and it was up to the owner(s) to maintain the documentation that the proper permits were secured and the work had passed inspection. Luckily the PO had kept all the necessary documents. I also suggest checking out the series of "Not So Big House" books by Sarah Susanka. She has very interesting ideas regarding space and how to live in it. Best of luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Not So Big House

There is often debate over whether it's necessary to filter a pond, and always a few people who claim they have great luck with letting the pond "go natural" with no human interference. A man-made pond, though, is not a natural environment, and will only benefit from some form of filtration or at least aeration. Filtering keeps the water cleansed of organic wastes that can cause cloudy, smelly, murky, or even toxic water. It simplifies maintenance, conserves water by cleansing and recycling it, and can help create "gin-clear" water that allows optimal viewing of the pond and its inhabitants. If you plan on creating a water garden and keeping only plants in the pond, you should be able to get away with little or no filtration, depending upon the type and number of plants you grow. A small pump used with a spitter, fountain, waterfall, or similar feature, should create enough movement to keep the water from stagnating, and diligence in keeping dead plant life from accumulating in the water will help maintain water clarity. However, most people find that, once they've created the pond, they want to add fish, and this is when filtration becomes vital. The more fish you have, the more filtration is necessary to keep the water and the fish healthy. Fish produce ammonia from both their gills and kidneys. Ammonia is also produced from other organic matter decaying in the pond. Whatever the source, ammonia is toxic to fish and must be removed from the water. Frequent water changes and ammonia binding water conditioners will help temporarily, but the addition of a biological filter is the best and easiest way to deal with this toxin. Briefly, a biofilter works by creating a suitable living environment for certain types of bacteria which do the cleaning for you. As pond water is slowly pumped though the biofilter, Nitrosomonas bacteria consume the ammonia, turning it into nitrites (which are also harmful to fish.) Nitrobacter bacteria then oxidizes the nitrites into nitrates, which become food for the plants in your pond. Although these "good bacteria" are present on every surface in your pond, they are not usually there in large enough numbers to reliably cleanse the water of these compounds that are so deadly to fish, and so biofiltration is strongly recommended when there are fish in the pond. Mechanical filtration (that which removes solid waste) is always beneficial, but simply keeping the water clear of solids does not guarantee fish-safe water. Ammonia and nitrites can not be seen except through the use of water test kits. Ideally, water will first pass through some type of mechanical filter that removes solids prior to entering the biofilter, where the toxic compounds are oxidized to nitrates and sent back to the pond where the nitrates will be absorbed by the plants therefore keeping the pond healthy for both your fish and plants. These beneficial bacteria cease to function at temperatures below fifty degrees, so running the biofilter all winter is futile if you're in a cold winter area. The fish will not be eating and producing their usual amount of waste during the winter, so the biofilter will not be needed anyway. Once the autumn temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, clean and store the biofilter until spring returns. If you're lucky enough to live in a warm climate, it should be kept running year round. Start the filter up again in the spring as the temperatures get into the upper 40s to low 50s. The nitrogen cycle takes about four to six weeks to establish once the bacteria begin colonizing in the warmer temperatures, so be diligent about testing your water for ammonia and nitrites if the fish are eating. It would take far too many pages to describe here all the types of filters available. Research and ask questions of more experienced ponders, and join several of the informative forums on the Internet. Do not always believe a manufacturer's advertisements, and if tempted to buy something being touted by a salesperson, research it before making an investment. There are many plans for do-it-yourself filters that are simple to make, produce excellent results, and are much less expensive than most of the commercial filters available. And remember - you can never have too large a biofilter! Ronaye, Steve and David