Q: Plan on starting the seeds indoors five to nine weeks before the date you intend to transfer the seedlings to your outdoor garden.  For annual varieties, sow the seeds five to six weeks before the anticipated last frost. For perennial varieties, sow the seeds eight to nine weeks before the anticipated last frost. Make sure that the spot you choose indoors can maintain a temperature between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (21 and 24 degrees Celsius). Fill each compartment of a plastic starter tray to the top with sterile potting soil. Consider using specially blended "seed starting" soil for even better results. Use your fingers to gently press one seed into each compartment of soil. The seeds should be barely covered with only a loose layer of soil. Do not plant the seeds too deep. The soil covering the seeds should be no deeper than the thickness of the seed itself. Place the seed tray in a warm, sunny location and water as often as needed to keep the surface of the soil moist.  The soil must remain moist but it should not be drenched. Avoid letting puddles form on the surface of the soil. Once the seeds germinate, you can cut back on the watering schedule. Seedlings only need enough water to keep the soil moist at a depth between 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm).
A: Sow seeds indoors. Fill starter trays with potting soil. Press the seeds into the soil. Keep the seeds moist and warm.

Q: In order to measure your PD at home, you will need a ruler that has millimeter units. If you do not have a ruler at home, you can print out a PD measurement ruler online from many vision center and eyeglass retail websites. Just be sure that when you print the page you set your printer so that it does not scale the image. Some online eyeglass retailers use programs that allow you to photograph yourself holding a credit card up to your face for scale, but most require you to manually measure the distance. If you're measuring your own PD, you'll need to use a mirror. Make sure that you're in a well-lit area so that you can line up the ruler and see the ruler markings. In order to get a good reading, you'll need to stand approximately eight inches (20 centimeters) from the mirror.  Hold the ruler right above your eyes, straight across your eyebrows. Keep your head straight and upright to ensure a proper measurement. It's easiest to measure one eye at a time by closing the other eye. Start by closing your right eye and holding the zero millimeter mark right above the exact center of your left pupil. Try to get an exact alignment with the zero mark, as this could alter the reading for your whole measurement. Without moving your head or the ruler at all, open your right eye and find the exact millimeter mark that falls on your right pupil. Make sure you're looking straight ahead at the mirror to ensure an accurate reading. The number (in millimeters) that lines up with the center of your pupil, or as close to center as you can measure, is your PD. It's best to try remeasuring your PD three or four times to make sure that your reading is consistently accurate.
A: Grab a ruler with millimeter units. Stand in front of a mirror. Close your right eye to center your left pupil. Read and measure the distance to your right pupil.

Q: If you grow Lantana from seed you have harvested, you may not get a plant exactly like the parent plant. When you propagate Lantana from cuttings, the plants you grow will be more predictable. Propagate Lantana cuttings in the spring. Take about five inches of fresh, healthy-looking growth, remove the lower leaves and dip the cutting in rooting hormone or powder. Then insert the lower two inches into a pot with moist cutting compost. Cover the pot that you have placed your cutting in either with a clear plastic bag or an inverted clear plastic bottle with the spout cut off; doing this makes a mini greenhouse of sorts. Make sure the plastic doesn’t touch the cuttings; use plant sticks to support the bag and keep it away from the stem if necessary. If you keep your cutting moist, it should root in about a month. After the last frosts have passed you can harden your cutting off and plant it out in the garden. Hardening off means that you slowly acclimatize your cutting to outdoor temperatures. This could mean moving it outside during the day, and then storing it in your garage overnight. If you do grow your Lantana from seed, start the Lantanas off indoors about a month before the last frosts occur. Seeds may take a few weeks to germinate. If you are growing from seeds, fill a pot with potting soil and plant the seeds. Keep the pots in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight.
A: Be aware of the benefits of growing from cuttings. Prepare the cutting for propagation. Cover your cutting. Keep the cutting moist. Grow your Lantanas from seed if you can’t get a healthy cutting.

Q: There are lots of different types of Ziploc bags, but the type that work the best for pencil cases are the 1-quart (0.95 L) bags made from thicker plastic. It would be even better if the bag has a slider on the top. This will make it more zipper-like and easier to use. Avoid using a regular, sandwich-sized bag, as it may not be big enough for your pens and pencils.
A:
Get a 1-quart (0.95 L) Ziploc bag.