Yep,I've got 3 varieties of bamboo.One I pulled(by hand-no tools) by the side of the road.It has produced a grove already 10 feet wide-by nearly 20 feet long.Another one I yanked up a couple pieces at the edge of the parking lot at the local hospital.One piece survived-and is growing well.Another the owner let me use his shovel to dig it up.When you dig-or even yank up,It seems to do well as long as you get even a little piece of the rootstock.It's no impossible task,you dont have to have a huge 20 pound rootball to get the plant to survive.

Awesome new pics and updates all, you have some great plants! Love that pink cactus, Mary, and all of the other updates too. Some of my dwarf plumerias really didn't drop their leaves, and my largest, 'Celandine' definitely did but is waking up and will be making lots of those wonderful, heavily fragrant blooms (yup, I see the buds already). Such great plants. I am loving the weather right now--warm days and pleasant nights. I still haven't turned on the a/c since the house cools off so nicely at night, and if I seal it up when I head to work it stays cool all day. Nice! Here's an oldey timey amaryllis (Hippeastrum, botanically speaking) blooming in the garden. It's Hippeastrum johnsonii, that some think is a species and some think is a very early hybrid. Either way, it's got a certain durable wild charm about it, and it's been passed down among gardeners and nursery people for 150 plus years. So fun (and easy!) Here's a no-ID "amaryllis" that I bought several years (I think it's the variety 'Charisma') that re blooms for me each and every April. I bought three bulbs for three dollars on a rescue rack and they all three always rebloom in spring. Talk about a bargain! Our native "western four o'clock" or "Colorado four o'clock", Mirabilis multiflora, has been blooming away for weeks now. I actually much prefer it to the more popular M. jalapa types as the foliage is much more tidy (and a waxy blue green), plus the purple is just intoxicating. Full hot sun or partial shade, are fine for this fun deciduous perennial. And while not flashy, I do love Euphorbia royleana, my FAVORITE landscape Euphorbia for this climate. I've planted quite a few of these all over my garden in everything from full sun to partial shade and they've all really thrived. And no, I don't protect them at ALL winter or summer. Easy and fun! Keep the great garden updates coming, pics or not, happy gardening all! Grant Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my garden, April 2014

So funny...I am the one who started this thread back in 2004 (and we shortly thereafter moved to Colorado). We moved back to So Cal last September, and just now moved into a home on a huge horse ranch in San Timoteo Canyon. Our yard is a blank slate (except for having mature pepper and birch trees)...no grass, so I am on the lookout for anything drought tolerant and rabbit proof. I don't have a lot to trade at this point, as I am starting all over, but I do have some seeds and can get my hands on some great succulents (as my mom and dad's succulent garden is always in need of trimming). And if anyone is in Redlands or thereabouts, let's see about having some get togethers to do some trading!

From what I know of Japanese Maples, Bamboo's, Elephant ears all require some dapple shaded areas and some moist soil. Depanding on the grasses some also need shade. You want to look at plants that do well in hot, dry climates. There are really good books on dry area plants. You can also speak with your local nurseries for advice and see their plants. Once you know the plants you like, you can sometimes buy the unusal ones online.