Hosta newsletter

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Mar 07, 2007 6:38 pm

So my first effort as editor of the local (Delaware Valley) hosta newsletter is out. If you want to read, you can download it here. (It's about 1.5 MB because of the color pictures for our sale plants. My pdf generator isn't as efficient as I wish.)

If you read my Editor's column, you'll see I said nice things about this place. Be nice to people if they drop in!

David

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 07, 2007 9:32 pm

Interesting and well done David

Couples of questions ...

... You did expect that-didn't you

The DVD is it only from the tours or do it contain Hosta Design ... Would love to learn more Hosta designs

Can it be bought by not members

And for the fertilizer part

How can he argue for so different in numbers fertilizers

20-27-5/
10-10-10/
18-6-8

Please, our normal here is 21-7- 14 and twisting arms I am told it is made for farmers

Yes, you did a good argue for Hallsons- we all know it is the place to be- gret plants, knowledge and people

Congrats

barbara · Post by **barbara** » Mar 07, 2007 10:08 pm

Can't see it

don't know why

I'm sure its wonderful though

Good for you , David and congrats I'm sure

(took out the e-mail me part... realized it would take over 12 hrs. !

on dial up!)

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Mar 08, 2007 7:22 am

Looks like it will take too long for me to download it also. Bummer!

Darn this dial up!!!

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Mar 08, 2007 11:32 am

Hmmm... it shouldn't take that long to download. Maybe 10 or 12 minutes on 58k dial-up? You might try navigating to the newsletter page from the main site, dvhosta.org, if you can't get there. I'm interested in trouble-shooting!

Pia, I don't know why he wouldn't sell you the DVD. If you mail him a check/money order, I'd include a little extra for the extra postage (and tell him I sent you). But the DVD is just his preview of last year's tour gardens (pictures taken the year before). As to Warren Pollack and his fertilizer thing... well, that's Warren. But if you take the (strong) Scotts stuff at half strength as he recommends, it's not to far from the others. And your soil is different from ours, I imagine (lower in potash?).

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 08, 2007 12:02 pm

Very nice, Dave!

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 08, 2007 12:16 pm

Hi David,

It locked up one program here and crashed another so although the file downloaded quickly I can't open it.

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Mar 08, 2007 12:45 pm

Grrrr... Why aren't computers simpler? I have no problem downloading and opening in Acrobat Reader (v7), but if I open in Preview (on my Mac-Jaguar) I get nothing (where the original pdf is fine, except of course the web links aren't live). I was having print problems, but I think I got that fixed.

I guess this one's not quite ready for prime time!

JoshS · Post by **JoshS** » Mar 08, 2007 12:50 pm

No trouble with it here, but I do get this error:

The font 'ZapfDingbats' contains bad /Flags.

It does seem to bother anything for me, but that may be what is causing trouble for others???

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » Mar 08, 2007 12:59 pm

can't open it here either.

Claudia

hummingbird · Post by **hummingbird** » Mar 08, 2007 1:22 pm

JoshS wrote:No trouble with it here, but I do get this error:

The font 'ZapfDingbats' contains bad /Flags.

It downloaded for me in less than 30 seconds, but I did get the same error pop up as Josh, but it didn't interfere with any of it. Now I just have to read it.
For once Vista didn't give me any lip....what a piece of crap Vista is IMO....GAHHH!

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 08, 2007 1:35 pm

I can't open it in Acrobat 6.0, so try saving it in an earlier version and I bet everyone will be able to open it. I bet if you select "reduce file size" and save as acrobat 4.0 or 5.0 it will work for more people

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 08, 2007 3:13 pm

I'm scared to try it....dial-up here, too....

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 08, 2007 3:26 pm

Great newsletter!

Aside from the error everyone seems to get: "The font 'ZapfDingbats' contains bad /Flags." no other problems.

I use Adobe Reader 7.0.9. It's a free download folks. Why struggle with obsolete versions.

If you're running Vista, it's your own fault. You should know by now not to use Microsoft operating systems for 18-24 months after release.

George

Bluejay · Post by **Bluejay** » Mar 08, 2007 3:44 pm

Excellent newsletter, David. I didn't have any trouble opening it, although I did get the same error message as everyone else regarding ZapfDingbats.

I do have a question regarding content. The Vole Deterrent recipe looks really interesting and I wouldn't hesitate to try it on hostas and other ornamentals, but I am wondering if castor oil is safe to use around food crops. We have had the nasty beasties devour carrots.

You go to pull a carrot, and you are left with a handful of greens but no root..... sorta like a Bugs Bunny cartoon!

Does anyone know whether or not castor oil is safe to use near food crops?

Thanks.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Mar 08, 2007 9:02 pm

If you find about the castor oil, let us know, but I would 'think' it would be safe as grannies used to use as for medicinal reasons on any and all. Never heard of problems from it before?

Had no problem here either with opening and/or viewing, except for the font bug it had. Not sure what that was, but what ever it didn't affect the pics, or reading. Very well done!

And thanks for sharing it!

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 09, 2007 12:32 am

I used castor oil with dish soap and dissolved in very warm water last year as a deterrent and it did work for awhile. I only applied one time, though, as I didn't discover it till later in the season. A question I have is if you apply it repeatedly if there is a concern of oil building in your soil and removing air spaces?

Also, the castor oil is a deterrent, I heard they don't like the smell. I think if you used it as a border/barrier around your veggies you maybe wouldn't have to actually spray it in the crop area....

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 09, 2007 8:59 am

Morning David!

I opened it no problems, just the same thing everyone else got with that font bug. I left the room so don't really know how long it took to open......I will leave it open so I can read it after work....Looks very good!!

Thanks for sharing it with us!!

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Mar 09, 2007 9:58 am

Thanks, all, for your comments.

The file is saved to be compatible back to Acrobat 4, so that shouldn't be the problem. I set the program for Medium or Medium-High compression (I could see noticeable effects in the pictures at High compression).

and yeah, I know about the dingbat error. In the jargon of typography, a "dingbat" is a little symbol used to signify the end of a story/article. I thought I would be cute and use one that looks kind of like a hosta leaf, but didn't realize that there's something funny with the font file. It doesn't affect anything (I only use the one character from the font, and it seems to display fine for everyone).

I'm pretty sure that castor bean oil is not toxic; the process to prepare it removes the toxins (mostly ricin) that is contained in the bean. Wikipedia has a good article.

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 09, 2007 2:40 pm

Very nicely done, Tigger!!

I had no problem with it opening. I did get the error message once, but everything looked just fine to me. Lots of good info & interesting events coming up for your group this year!!

Hallson Gardens

Hosta newsletter

Hosta newsletter

Looks great!