JUdy, Hi there, and long time no see. I don't have any succulents, but first person that comes to mind that might be able to help you is smokeymist! You might try and contact her, I'm sure if nothing else she could suggest something;I know she has everything in that department from A-Z. HOpe you find what you are looking for! LIFE IS GOOD, Annie

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.

Swertmonkey: omgoodness, you found my dream bougie! I have looked high and low for a multi-colored bougie standard but they are impossible to find! My best best was going to be to buy a large standard and then train a different colored one up it's trunk. Of course i dreaded that part for the same reason i like standards.. the hard part is already done and you can go under the tree without getting killed by the thorns. Much like you describe in your earlier post. That must have been some tree your parents had. Did you see the crazy price on the one you linked to? Aghh

It s a bigleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla and appears to have modified lacecap flower. But which specific cultivar it may be will be very difficult to ascertain with any certainty. Greenhouse grown plants forced into bloom out of season - as this one has - generally do not display the same characteristics as those grown in the ground in a suitable climate. And there are literally hundreds to choose from. The 'suitable climate' poses issues for you :-) Understandably this is not a plant that will tolerate your climate out of doors. But that does not necessarily make it a good choice for a houseplant, either. Most 'houseplants' are tropical or semitropical plants that cannot tolerate colder seasonal conditions of the more temperate areas of the globe and do not require a period of dormancy triggered by day length and colder temperatures. And most are evergreen as well. The hydrangea doesn't fit any of these qualities. It is deciduous, requires a dormancy and vernalization period to thrive and produce flowers and is native to mountainous areas of Japan, so neither tropical or even semitropical :-) And so is not very happy indoors for any extended length of time - too warm (too even a temperature), too dry (low humidity) and while it will tolerate lower light levels, needs some sunlight to produce blooms. The best I can suggest is too keep it in the coolest location indoors with bright but indirect light and keep the soil mix evenly moist but not wet. But don't plan on having it for "years to come". Lack of a dormant period and proper vernalization will eventually kill it. Even in my significantly cooler and more distinctly seasonal climate, indoor flowering hydrangeas last at best a few months unless transitioned to the outdoors.