Thank you Jannie. I've just done exactly what you recommended, and Williams-Sonoma issued a credit, no problem, and they said just throw it out which will be done as soon as I finish this entry. I guess it's back to faux wreaths in the house -- and after I'd gotten sort of snooty about not having silk greenery, LOL! I expected a lot more from WS, always thought they were top of the line in everything. Also learned in my phone call by coincidence that they own Pottery Barn. Didn't know that. Well, closing another chapter in my many kitchen incidents. Thank you again.

Yes, look, ants are not always evident with scale, and from your picture I'm not sure it is scale. It could be borers but that should be evident by small holes 'bored' into the trunk and branches. If you find those probe them with a piece of wire and see what you can extract. You can also inject methylated spirits into the holes which'll kill the bug in there. Having said that, I have a healthy, or what was a healthy, tababuia tree that is currently struggling to put on top growth although the lower braches have healthy leaves. I put it down to the long dry period just (hopefully) passed. By the way, Tababuia is not a tree familiar to the Sydney region. Good luck with it, hopefully what you've done will encourage it to recover.

In a bit of googling, it seems as though the better botanical name to use for California Laurel would be Umbellularia californica. May help in your searches...and yes, a different species entirely. FataMorgana

If your climate supports outdoors bay growing and you intend to plant yours in the ground anyway, I'd do it immediately. I have grown bay in a pot and it is far more difficult than just sticking it into the earth. They are tough and easy trees if you have winters which are not too cold. I have one growing on the allotment in heavy clay over a filled in brook, ie dense and damp soil, right next to the rhubarb, and it is growing like crazy. I am not convinced that drainage is as crucial as people assume. Just so long as the winter doesn't get too cold and the ground doesn't freeze solid. Here's my little bay in 2012 in its 2nd year from transplanting. (It was a seedling that popped up amongst the raspberries from parks department leaf mulch.) It has to be pruned drastically several times a year to keep it about 10 feet tall now. Growth rate is around 1 - 2 feet per annum. edlincoln - not exactly a desert, or even dry, environment is it? ;-) Campanula, what do you think of the yellow leaved ones? Personally they just look ill to me. The neighbour's bay. You can imagine the smell when the prunings go through the chipper when they have it lopped.