Hi: I've been following the discussions about raking leaves out of vinca. Why not do what I do? I take my trusty (and now rusty) shop vac outside and vaccuum the leaves up. Saves me a lot of back breaking work and is much faster. Just watch that you don't vaccuum up too big a wad of wet leaves--they stuff up the hose. Also, be sure to dry out the vaccuum container afterwards or you wind up with a rusty one like I have! Diana Pederson SUITE101 Editor: http://www.suite101.com/topics/page.cfm/262 Home page: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/1945/index.html