I understand the temptations of the "spring itch" - we have had people come into the store after a few warm days in January wondering if they could get some tomato plants - you know, just a few to put on the windowsill until it's really spring! We take them out to look at the houseplants... You will have no problems with those blueberries if you can keep them dormant. I do suggest you check to see if they are appropriate selections for your area - when the box stores buy plants, they buy for 200 stores spread over 10 different states. Your local extension agent, or a local garden center, should be able to give you some useful information regarding the blueberries. brian

Hi FC, Nice to see you delurk for awhile! LOL Come on back sometime! My first thought was that, no matter where I lived, I would not attempt to grow Aeonium indoors. But, after reading your situation...I think living in the Philippines (temps warm, aren't they?) & you giving plants a southern exposure...they ought to have a fighting chance! =) Funny, their description of "assorted rounds"! Yeah, what DOES that mean?? As for the other, it is a Catlin hybrid (his name was put on tags as "Caitlin" way back & it has been passed along as such). Yes, your plants will grow stems (sometimes bare stems), probably not bush out too much. Hypertufa sounds good, but I've always wondered (since I considered making them myself), do they have any drainage holes? The mix you've described sounds good. Just don't over water them & know that they are winter growers (not so much in summer, when the rosettes-some, not all, will close up). Indoors, potted, they probably won't grow as they would outdoors & you'll probably have to deal with them etiolating. If your window is as bright as you say, maybe it won't be a problem. No, roots don't have to be constricted. I believe Karen told you about using smaller pots, because many people use ones too large for the succulent & then the soil watered (especially if it doesn't drain well) would retain too much for the plant's needs. If your Aeoniums put on any stem height & the rosette is a large one (Catlin hybrids can be very large), you would need to be concerned about the pots tipping over. If you're using Hypertufa, that might not be a problem either! =) Oh! Congratulations for rescuing them! Some of mine on south side of house (southern California), still in pots & LEANing ~staging area for plants waiting to get PIG (Planted In Ground) in front yard~ rooted into ground (shows how LONG they've been waiting). Most of these have 2 foot bare stems, the heavy rosette helping them lean. :P click for larger view:

Hey SPF, I was there today and did the same thing you did. The reason HD doesn't do it is that they don't OWN the plants, they RENT the space on consignment so they couldn't care less if the plants die or not, or get sold. Lowe's, on the other hand, owns the stuff and wants to make what they can on it.... I still have an HRC in a bucket for you but I don't see where the maters are growing...I have five of them that are 75 days old and only 8" tall! Thought I'd wait a few more weeks to see if they are worth messing with or not. Tom

As Silvia mentioned they have thorns.....and we are not talking about blackberry type thorns we are talking about huge curved talons. In an urban landscape, a manicured yard they would be a problem but for those of us with a bit more elbow room they pose no real problems. I planted them in partial sun and gave them 40 feet X 10', liked them so doubled their space allotment and they seem to like the spot. Behind them it gets shadier and shadier as the big live oaks start and they can spread that way as far as they can but my guess is they won't. They did get nipped a bit by the cold this last winter. The key with them is mulch to keep the soil moist and adequate water. By the look of the initial burst of flower buds it is a 20 fold increase over last year. Last summer they stopped at about 6 feet tall and dime sized canes..this year the first canes are already twice as thick as last years so I know I will need to trellis them and prune the tips as they get to 6 feet tall or so. The trellising really helps to control them and make the picking easier and allow more plants to get better light. Far as keeping it in check....it gets mowed around and so far has behaved. The critters have not bothered it much at all but they are welcome to a few if they would like. I don't think the squirrels will brave the thorns and if they are that brave they are welcome to a treat. I love that it produces fruit all summer long after the other berry plants are done.