Tracy, pretty plant. Um, what shape are the leaves when they're full grown? Don't you hate fixed-focus cameras? We have one at work and it *sux*. Korina

Some of us prefer to know the name of the plant that we are getting. Every time I've seen things at box stores, including grocery stores, they are NOIDs. I could be an exception, but I don't want a plant that isn't properly identified with name. When someone ask for a semi or a mini, that means they know a bit about what they are looking for, and then adding the varigation on...they may not be happy with what they find in a box store. That's my take and I won't be offended if someone disagrees :) I love the varigation....on the leaves and in the blooms. I have moved away from solid things in my collection unless it is just way too impressive to turn down, LOL. For someone who just grows for the blooms and they don't care what the name is or fret about many of the other things to be concerned wtih -...clearance will probably make them happy. I always wonder "why" they're on clearance....pest, poor care, dying, etc. That's not something I want to risk bringing home to a collection of 270+ plants. I didn't understand the importance of those risk when I first started coming here until Fred and Barbara helped me to see it...then I experienced it and gained an even greater appreciation for the effort that needs to be put forth with my growing collection. dora

When my grandmother passed away in 1999 I rescued an AV from her kitchen table. Her house had already been closed up for a few weeks when we went to clean it out, and it was mid-summer, so the poor thing had essentially been in an oven. It was all brown and dried out, and my heart went out to it. I had no idea what it was, but I took it home... and promptly killed it by over-watering it. Enter AV #2, because clearly I needed to prove to myself that I could take care of one and not kill it. So for a little while, yes, I had only one AV. However, AVs #3, 4, 5, and 6 followed closely thereafter. Then I moved from Boston to LA. My apartment I was moving into didn't get any light and I was worried the AVs would die during the road trip, so I left them all with my mother. That was years ago and she's taken wonderful care of them. She always shows them off to me when I visit them. I mean her. :0) Now for the most recent round of obsession... Three years ago I rescued an AV off of a co-workers desk after she quit unexpectedly (that's the one that's never bloomed until now). For a few weeks, yes, I owned only one. But then I happened to see one with girl foliage at the supermarket, and found it so unusual that I had to buy it. For three years I had just the two AVs, but now I'm in full-on obsession mode again. It started when I moved into my condo over the summer and had all this sunlight flooding in... and, well, you can imagine the rest!

I too have passed on my gardening (and crafting) interest to my daughter. I don't impose it, I just do things with pleasure and my daughter has caught that bug. I'm known in my neighborhood for gardening but I would be uncomfortable with being known as a plant lady. it's kind of demeaning isn't it? It makes one feel that our form of creative release is eccentric. On the positive end, ever since I started sprucing up my front yard (and back yard), I've had many visits from strangers admiring what I've managed to do. Other neighbors have began their own quest for a nice looking front yard. Plus what other hobby does one have that would instantly add value to one's home? I have to smile when one visitor came and suggested that I must be rich to be able to afford all the plants. I smiled and said, I propagated most of these plants from seeds and cuttings. Isn't that a satisfying thought? That you can propagate new plants out of one plant or create more from seeds you got, and in terms for indoor plants, from visits to the supermarkets? Nancy, unfortunately, my lemon hasn't bloomed but that's because of it's confinement in a small pot. I have to give it a larger container and with rich soil and good fertilizer. I have to confess that I have been neglecting it. I'm more interested in getting it to the shape I want it to be and will worry about getting it to fruit later. BTW, the interesting thing with citrus fruits is that growers usually rely on bees and other insects to pollinate the flowers so if you have had success with getting your citrus plants to bloom, take a brush and gently rub the pollen from one flower and dust it in another flower. Hopefully that will fruit. I've never tried cooking with lemon leaves before and so this is new. often I just like to use lemons to flavor poultry. I also use lemongrass which imparts a lime lemony flavour to the poultry. It's also easy to propagate from store bought stalks which are found in supermarkets throughtout Ontario. You simply cut the stalk 5 inches from teh bottom and root it in water - changing the water often as it starts to cloud up. In time roots will start poking through and it's around this time they would need to be potted in soilless mix. They do require a good amount of sunlight which is why they won't do well indoors unless you have a greenhouse. However they will at least produce a good clump outdoors in summer. It's really a refreshing flavour and you should try it if you can.