Pilea microphylla, Artillery Plant. HTH Chris

Marcia-I put an aquarium heater in the pond during the winter to keep the fish warm. Interesting story on the intelligence of fish...one winter day I was feeding the fish. Usually I just throw the food in, but there was one that was really friendly who would come to the edge where ever I was standing. On this day she came to me, then dove to the heater and sorta swam along it's length, then came back to me. Then did it again. It was so odd, but it clearly looked to me like she was trying to tell me something. I reached in and the heater was off. I guess the dogs or me had tripped on the cord and pulled it just enough out of the socket to turn it off. How's that for interspecies communication?? Regine-yes that tree drops it's leaves every year. I put a piece of screening over the pond during that time. I also muck it out yearly, probably more often now that I have fish in it. I just last week got a filter. I had a pump circulating the water, but no filter. I found a box filter at Lowe's that seems to be working fine. It's like a shoe box with holes. You put your pump inside it and it draws the water through some filter material. It was about $35. Diane-yes, it's cobamba, water lily "alba" and water hyacinth and water lettuce. Carol-I use to use mosquito dunks (discs that you throw in to kill mosq.) but since I put the fish in, I'm letting them eat the larvae. I cut back on the feeding of them during skeeter season so they'll take up the slack. Not sure it's working, I got bit last night when outside. Keiki-I've never lost plants in the pond during winter. And then last winter I put that heater in for the fish. How odd that you would, I wonder why I don't? Lori

This succulent is a Haworthia limifolia, which is a lower light succulent (doesn't want direct sun). I needs a pot w/ a drainage hole w/out question, can be clay or plastic but MUST have drainage hole or this plant risks root rot. Also, pls. remove that mossy stuff on top, it's also conducive to rot. Nice plant, doesn't look 'down' to me, What do you mean by that? Lena

Just remember that different plants seeds have germination times. Don't throw all away because some of them may still germinate. For seeds I normally use a very small plastic container or box with a lid to keep the moist inside. When the seeds germinate, after a while, I move them to proper pots. Otherwise, if you use normal pots for the seeds, they take a lot of space and you will be looking at an empty pot for a long time! :)