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Went to Austria for \"three\" years -- then stayed for twenty-one years ... We retired to Hawaii in October, 2004. Learning to garden in a climate with a real winter -- snow, ice, freezing rain -- after living in Silicon valley where one hard freeze about every 15 years is a \"disaster\" was a learning experience.

I collect herbs and leaving about 250 varieties in my CA garden was bad enough but discovering that they were all dead (from the drought in the 80s) was traumatic -- the collection represented 20 years of hard work! We sold that house in 1998 and bought a house in Hawaii.

I had a large collection of African Violets until someone gave me a plant with a virus(?) and they started dying one by one. Waited about 5 years before trying again but the virus apparently had been dormant as each time I tried again the violets would die. Gave up.

I was very successful with orchids instead. Found my orchid collection a home with another orchid lover before we left Austria.

Talk story: In 1986 we visited Hawaii and I bought a Hibiscus \"stick\" at the Honolulu airport when we were leaving. Wed been home in Vienna about a month when I suddenly remembered the plants Id bought. [Severe jet-lag sounds like a good excuse]. After a long search, they were discovered in a paper bag under the kitchen sink. The Hibiscus \"stick\" had sprouted roots and leaves. That stick grew to over 8 feet tall and about 4 feet in diameter and lives in a very large terracotta pot; interestingly, she starts blooming in the fall (after spending the spring/summer months outside on the terrace) and has beautiful red flowers through Christmas and, the last year I had her in 2004, through February. She went to a friend with a \"winter garden\" room.

Now were in \"Paradise.\" And growing orchids, tropicals, etc. And snorkling, beach walking ... Reality is unpacking boxes and home maintenance and unpacking boxes ... I bought my first two orchids at the Taro Festival in October.