april flowers

[yogi]

I never tried growing roses in pots, but if it's big enough then it should work. Around Chicago the winter temps could be -28,-29C which might have damaged the roots. I mulched the roses in the ground and most of them lived several years. At one point I found Jackson & Perkins and got my plants via mail order. Those roses were tagged and easy to identify. The ones I have now were in peat pots or wrapped in plastic. I'll have to look again to see if they are tagged, but I don't recall seeing anything when I planted them.

[pilvikki]

most peculiar, they ought to have been tagged.

and this reminds me, i'm supposed to be out there checking what's plugged my favourite's pot! i discovered it when i went to ask squeaki something in the middle of my watering and forgot the hose running! the water stayed up to the top even after i'd shut if off.

yeah, what a maroon, water's filthy expensive here...

so............................. later!

[yogi]

Expensive water is better than no water.

[pilvikki]

it is, indeed, but it's not there's a shortage of it here. they just get away with charging a fortune...

[yogi]

That's the downside of monopolies. There are no alternatives and you are at their mercy.

[Kellemora]

Water is cheap here, where they nail us is they calculate the sewer bill based on your water consumption, and the sewer bill is like five times higher than the water bill.
Even if you have a well for water, you still have to be tied to the city water or pay a fine which is more than what the water bill would be.

In many areas, it is illegal to collect rainwater to water your outdoor plants. Because the government here owns the utility companies.

[yogi]

I paid about $20 to the city for water I used last month. The bill was for nearly $100. Taxes, sewer maintenance, trash collection, and the mayor's daughter's college fund accounts for the rest.

[pilvikki]

not sure, but i think we paid something like $8-900/year. which is ridiculous. if we owned this house (which i'd not want to own), i'd hook up the washing machine to a drain and into a tank for the flowers, but...

[yogi]

I don't know if you would want to water your flowers with the phosphates in the detergent you use to wash your clothes. You are paying about what I am paying, but I'm getting my trash picked up too for the same price.

[pilvikki]

i'd only water with the rinse water and there are no phosphates in their laundry soap. which isn't much good actually, punkin started to do her own, but no longer has the time for it.

[yogi]

I guess we have a ban on phosphates in laundry soap too. However, no such ban exists for dishwasher soap. So, if you want clean clothes, wash them with the stuff you put in your dishwasher.

[pilvikki]

i just might try that on our previously white sheets....

[yogi]

There is also something called TSP (tri sodium phosphate) that is used to wash walls before painting them. It's truly amazing how clean you can get a wall with all that phosphate. Using that would be cheaper than buying the dishwasher soap, but you got to be careful with it. It's potent stuff.

[pilvikki]

oooh, i don't think i'd try the tsp, used to use it on walls myself, but sheets...

[yogi]

It's pretty safe stuff when used properly. If I recall correctly there are directions on the box regarding exactly how to do that.

[pilvikki]

next time out, i'll look for it... i'll let you know what happens.