Hi all,

Some of you have seen my name out there. I am a certified auto technician, but love the plant world. My favorite is (Latin Name) Syringa Vulgaris, which is Lilac in regular speak. I have three varieties right now and want just one more. I have ... Messina, single, Madamm LaMoine, double, and a more common Charles X. My yard is so full of these in full bloom is like the perfume counter an Neiman Marcus! They take some care to keep them blooming year after year like crazy (which I am) but it's worth it. Seeking a rare hybrid called "Primrosa" and will get one this year. It's yellow! Never saw one except in the books but I think it would be neat to have one.

Just a fun pastime about to begin again here in Massachusetts,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Hi Tom,

Maybe when you get the "Primrosa" you could post a picture of it here... So we could see what it looks like. It's funny you should mention the plants. I'm looking for some nice plants to put around my outside pond this year.

I really am a plant junky. I don't own a digital camera yet but it's high on the list! I'm still less than a month with a new computer! It's faster than I am!

For your pond - try some Siberian Iris, it stays low, foliage looks cool all year and it blooms - and best it isn't fussy about much of anything. It multiplies quickly and is thick with leaves that have a tropical look. The spent flowers make a really cool pod that can be left alone or collected and used for dry arrangements - can paint them for your decor.

It's a fun topic, the plants live on and the cars croak! Be well,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

I'll look for some of the iris in a few weeks.

I got excited yesterday to see the fish start swimming around a little more.... winters are a scary thing when you have fish that are a decent size. Actually any size. I bought them at about 3 inches their now about 12 - 20 inches, and there KOI so that price does jump a bit.

As with the camera I have a sony 3.2 mega pixal camera and it still works great. I took this whole album using it.
NYC Auto Show 2003

All you need to do is get Picasa it's free to manage your albums (Google owns them) and then attach your usb cable to the computer and camera. Once you turn the camera on picasa should find the pictures and start downloading them. You could them email, edited them, reduce red eye, and best yet "Delete" them from the memory stick.

Just a note on the names of plants. I always find that even my books name the same plant differently?? - That and everyone seems to have a different name for the same things too. When I said "Siberian Iris" - it's because I known of it for decades by that name but just looked and couldn't find it by that name. I think I've seen it at even Wal-Mart, but here it's too early for the stores to put out plants (Massachusetts). Even Home Depot has some decent stuff and I'm sure others. The high end places have people with degrees and can really help but the products are always expensive. My lilac will probably cost me $250 bucks and I know the place that will have it. The place is like s "Sutherby's" auction and people pay any crazy amount for just what they want there. This area of Massachusetts is mega buck city! The town of Weston just passed the 1 million mark for the "average" home!!!! Have heard of folks spending a million bucks to have full grown trees planted all about as they don't wan't to wait!

Fun to chat at this part of CarJunky's forum, I'll get a digital camera when the freaking bills slow down here, heat hit almost $400 for one month this winter and that's a lot for me. Be well,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Heat is expensive here as well in NJ. Its funny though we still have a really really old boiler and so far so good it runs very well. It's so old that the firing part is mounted in front of the old coal spot.

I know most heat is lost through the windows and poor insulation. Also depending on the size of the house I've heard of people zone heating in only the rooms they will be in.. Which does cut cost.

Hey tom, do you have a programmable thermostat? This save 30-40% over the dial type. Also what we have been doing is saving an extra $100-$200 in the summer months to help offset the winter months.

Real Estate is another hobby of mine as well.

Hi - yes, I do have a programable thermostat but because I'm home all the time I can't make good use of it so it stays at the same temp.

A couple heating bills were nasty here, but are mostly because it was soooo cold and windy too for a long time this last winter. I shut off all areas of a huge home that I don't use and will actually seal them with removable caulking and more if we endure another super cold winter.

My home is well insulated and has good windows. I fight the utilitiy bills as best I can. Near every light bulb in this house is the new flourescent, some now are only 5 watt=40 now and I have them everywhere I can, in and outdoors! They help a lot! Every little bit helps.
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

The low wattage bulbs take a little bit of time to get use to but they sure do save a lot of electric. Figure the average bulb for people is 60 - 100 watts. So if you replace most your bulbs you could almost leave them on all day and it would still be less, but the point of the low wattage bulbs are to save money.

Tom do you run oil or gas heat?

Hi again - I have FHA with A/C on top of the furnace fueled by natural gas. (Duh the A/C is electric) and now new with double the efficiency of the old.

My energy usage is dropping but prices are up like most.

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Change of subject - I had a whole new roof done a few years back by a really skilled roofer. House built in 1979 and I was a bit early with the roof but didn't wan't to wait for problems. Had it stripped and 9' of ice shield all around with 40 year architectual shingles used. Roofers all seem to want to put in the ridge vent - and I chose NOT to with some great advice about that. I have two new powered vents (thermostatically controlled) and gable end vents to feed the cooler air for summer. The attick doesn't even freeze! Roofer told me the attick would be much colder in the winter if I chose the ridge vent and that it would suck heat out of living area faster if it was colder. He was right!!!! That may NOT be the right thing for every house but I'm totally convinced it was for here.

Funny how we can drift from auto problems to plants to realestate stuff but I like it, be well,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

GOT MY PRIMROSE LILAC TODAY!!!! I felt like a kid again! Found the only one that showed clear signs that I would see a bloom this season, at the area's most famous garden center for the strange stuff. Not cheap for even this small one but so what - I love this stuff. I'll try to get a picture to post if it's worth it this year, the first year or two can be tricky with these things,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Hey Tom Thats great...

I actually have a new visitor at my pond. Somehow a painted turtle ended up as a resident in my pond. Don't have an idea how he got here but it's kinda cool as long as he/she leaves the koi alone. Later on in the seasons if I could ever catch him I'll probally drop him off at one of the local reservation parks, where painted turtles are protected, but for now..... It's hard to even get a glimsp at it since it's hidden a lot.

I was also looking at the iris's in the store, and might pick up a pack of bulbs. I'll let you know.

I know it's crazy to have a place on an automotive site for such "Off Topic" things but I love it. I could take apart a Quadrajet Carb blindflolded, but sometimes get more psyched about some of life's simple things.

I recall the "painted turtle" from a mill pond near where I grew up an haven't seen one in decades. I think they eat insects and should be compatible with your Koi, but if not - intervention would be called for.

This whole thing is going to force me to get a digital camera and be able to put at least a link to show some neat stuff.

Thank you webmasters for letting this area exist. I'll try to check out if someone is stuck with a car problem that I think I can help with also, great site and growing,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Lol, Tom I agree. Cars are great, and so is technology, but I like to look at the very simple things in life as well, because they are really amazing. I think the fact that you could try and cut down a tree and it will continue to grow is amazing, sometimes a pain in the butt. But it shows the will power that nature has to grow and live.

As with my little turtle friend its funny, its our own miniature version of the "lock nes monster" I caught a picture of it from about 60 feet away, but thats as close as I could get before it descends back underwater. And the fish don't seem to mind so we will see.


As with your pictures I'm thinking of attaching a picture upload feature to this board so that if we want to insert the inline photos like dan does, we could use space here on the server, so that the pictures and links will stay in tack.

Thanks.

Hey Tom,

We started to redo a section of the pond, and am going to plant some LILAC's in the section we cleared out. It's a descent size section about 5 x 10 so it should come out pretty nice.

How is the PRIMROSE LILAC treating you? Has it taken good to its new location in your garden?

I going to try and relocated a baby japanese dwarf tree this weekend. It's only been in the ground a year so I'm hoping the roots haven't spread out to far. My plan is to soak the ground around it with water then start to dig about a 2 to 2 1/2 foot circle around the tree. Well see how this goes, and I'll let you know.

Lilac is doing fine - pics coming when it blooms.!!!!

For your Maple, keep it wet! Use only phosphate if you put anything in the water not good to fertilize for a transplant for a while. Good luck with the project,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

It was early here and I did find a great one. About 20 blooms expected - first year! The only one I could find within 100 miles! Totally psyched! Pics coming if I can get some help (computer) for that. Tom
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Tom what kind of help do you need for the pics? Do you need help uploading them or do you even need them scanned as well?

Unless we get a nasty frost, this will be a great year for the Lilacs. I have two folks who can take the pics - I'm NOT a computer junky so I will need their help making a site or something "clickable" so they can be seen.

The new "Primrose" has blooms galore! - in waiting for now. I can see what's coming now. When I can get the pics I'll figure it out. I don't own a digital camera yet. Things are a bit late here after a cold winter so it will still be a few weeks.

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Of Interest: I lost my Grandmother in 1944 - I wasn't here yet! She was into this stuff big time. My late Grandfather hated this stuff so he cut them all down! ---My Mother grabbed a shoot from the original Lilac known as "Messina" and it's now at my home and it is about 12X20 feet and makes blooms to die for!! I've made dozens of plants from it and only kept a few. This yard is Lilac heaven! The trick is to take care of the plant when the blooms are spent. It takes endless hours to properly prune these for the next season. She was wicked into this stuff, and her grandson (me) is too! Wish I knew her.

With the loving memory of Esephene Dodge Greenleaf, 1898-1944, let's carry on and enjoy! Tom
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

To be honest I didn't know that a lilac plant could get that big 12 x 20.

On another note we transplanted the little japanese maple tree over the weekend and so far it looks like it is doing well. A good sign that it should work was that we could still see the original black dirt from the planter around the plant, so it's only being in the ground a year or two.

Tom was Dodge really you grandmothers middle name?

Yes - Dodge was her maiden name. Some other names in the family are Worthen, Smith, Judkins and many more. I'm related to President Grover Cleveland (Look ata$50bill) on the other side of family. My now aging dad did quite a family tree and history. I am from the first invading settlers of USA, don''t know if I should be totally proud of that - but it is of interest. Trust me - I WASN'T there at the time! Be well,
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Wow That is pretty cool... not that you had any control over what they did, but there actions did make america what it is today, so thats something to be proud of.

The Primrose Lilac is just about ready to burst into bloom. They are known to be yellow but it's clear now that it will be "off white" rather than disticnt yellow. Healthy thing though!

The others are going to have a great year.

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Cool trick. Take a white Lilac and works with other flowing things, and put its stem in straight food coloring. I use those tubes they use for flower arrangements to save on wasting the food coloring, and before your eyes the flower will change color!!!! Try it - only takes a few minutes, then just put it in a vase of regular water and freak out your friends and neighbors! Unfortunately they don't last as long as cut flowers but it's fun! Happy motoring AND gardening!
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Hey Tom, That is a cool trick....

Our water Water Hyacinth (pond plants) are about to bloom with their blue flowers...I'll take a picture.... Also our water lilies will be blooming this summer again, I'll try and catch a picture of those for you....

Just got a couple really neat looking new little "Purple Leaf Sand Cherry" (AKA Prunis x cistena). I'm removing three established apple trees and a mount ash that has a well known problem with its bark and died. The apple trees need to go as they are a pest to keep pruned and I abut a forest of critters the totally delete ever getting an apple from them - now 18 years - nada, none!

The new plants have an attractive bloom that a neighbor's has tolerated some windy days without just blowing all flowers off it like some others. I'll try with pics when I can get some help showing me how to get them into this computer and then on the site. Hope all is going well with the water garden....
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

I've been coloring the white Lilacs but will say it takes a while with the brand of food coloring I have right now. Last year it only took a few minutes but it's still working just taking longer. Maybe I should stress the cut flower to be drier so it soaks it up faster - don't know? Still works though.
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/