Gala Placidia's activity

Hi Yvonne. It is hard to tell without seeing the damage, but it could be either a fungus or citrus canker. I don't think that in those cases the antibug would do much for the tree. There are some special anti-fungal preparations.

Hello Elisabeth. Anne and Ronald have managed to beat me in welcoming newcomers. This afternoon I have been quite busy, which explains my delay. Anyway, it is great to hear from you. I also managed to teach my two girls three languages and different cultures. They are adults now and have lived in different places around the world. This has been beneficial to them as it has broadened their culture and they are happy to be citizens of the world.Welcome again and we look forward to hearing more from you

Chemical weed killers are very dangerous and they do affect both animals and plants. They also disturb the soil's balance. I personally try to avoid them. With weeds, it is most important to try to pull them out as soon as they appear without giving them a chance to develop a strong root system or to produce seeds.The boiling water will destroy some nutrients in the area where it has been poured, but it does not cause long-lasting damage to the soil as it would recover in a few days. It does not leave traces.

When we started having Groups in the Forum, I did not like the idea and it took a while for me to join any. Little by little, I started enjoying them, I joined quite a few and created a couple of them. My conclusions are:As Ronald says, if you want the group to succeed, you have to keep it open. Closed and moderated ones are at the mercy of their creators. I went through that experience. I made contributions to two groups which I thought were going to assist other members and I had those moderated because the creator did not want to discuss certain initiatives which were positive and did not involve any offending or arguable content. The two groups where this happened did not get off the ground and died of natural death. You cannot muzzle members unless they post offensive material, because groups are for general discussion and input, otherwise they become a monologue.To create a group and to keep it healthy and informative requires a lot of personal work for the creator and administrator. You have to check posts preferably several times a day, find information about any questions which do not get answers from fellow members, keep it alive and well. Basically, it needs nurturing on a permanent basis. If you do not have time to devote to it, do not create a group.If you notice that there is no discussions or new posts, initiate topics within the group's scope. It keeps it alive.The group has the same sorts of traps and danger zones as a thread or group of posts, but if you are the creator/administrator of a group you need to use humour and common sense to defuse potential time bombs and they do exist.Be kind to all members. Some may not be exactly whom you wanted to be in your group, but tolerance and subtlety are needed to successfully run a group.Otherwise, they are great fun and most instructive.

She will want far much more than a pendant.... that's a trinket. We are not talking about Liz Taylor's diamonds or her "Peregrine" pearl.

It is difficult to generalise in Italy as you have to take into account the region, its climate and the altitude; however, plenty of sun and a wall to shield it from the wind should be ideal conditions for your lemon tree almost anywhere. Citrus trees need open, sunny positions but in colder climates a north - facing wall may protect them. Good drainage is most important. The pale leaves may suggest some deficiency, but as you have applied the liquid citrus feed fairly recently and the buds look fine give it a bit more time to see how it goes. Loosing the full bud is more problematic and it could be related to poor draining if the watering is too abundant or if it rains very heavily.

Some experts say that the Chianina cattle breed are direct descendants from the "bos primigenius" , the animals depicted in the prehistoric cave paintings. The breed was highly appreciated from the times of the Etruscans including their skins.Most important, the famous "bisteca alla fiorentina" or Florentine-style steak is not authentic unless Chianina beef is used. This dish was also prepared by the Etruscans.So you could say that they are aristocrats.... ;)Enjoy yourself, Serge, it is a very special event. And thanks for the info.

Can't imagine what an 18 year old sees in him.... Possibly money and power, it is the only explanation. His second wife is doing the right thing by getting rid of him. And his first wife is an unknown genius.

Good to see you in the new "piazza'. We are all having the same sort of problems getting used to it. A matter of more time and practice, I guess....

Hi Pam and good to see that you made it. It takes some time to get used to the new format, but I think that we all have the same problems. We are all "newbies' but we have the feeling that we should know how to manage better......