The pictures are so lovely! Speedy recovery Joyce. You are incredible. So this site is not only about lotus, also about survival-? The lotus seems so full of life maybe there is a connection-?:)) I am looking for advice and tips too - being a novice lotus grower or wannabe. The lotus out on my balcony, which are all in containers, are struggling but haven't given up yet. I planted them in regular potting soil, so perhaps not enough nutrients, and they are getting half a days worth of sun? Should I replant them in early spring with compost? I have six from seeds, but I haven't seen an aerial yet... still they are trying but the leaf browns out of water... one grown from root has a few floating ones... which is probably Momo Botan, the seedlings I don't know. So they are not dormant yet, with Mediterranean climate. I really don't need seven lotuses, but who knows if they make it! Other question... the seedlings are in jugs, like big juice jugs, should they go into bigger pots packed with compost even now they are struggling? Thanks... Tarja

You might try craigslist. I did a quick search and found a guy in Tucson that makes trips to Phoenix with barrels, whole and 1/2. Half barrels are $35. Here is a link that might be useful: craigslist for barrels

My info comes from John Panzarella who has over 100 varieties in pots. If you put it a large pot it will grow large quicker and risk not getting fruit. Then it is harder to repot & root prune b/c of the weight involved. If you confine it slightly it is easier to control over a longer time and the tree acts like it needs to make seed to reproduce. My brother had a fruiting meyer lemon in a 5 gal pot. He called and asked what size to repot. I told him what John told me and suggested a 7 or 10 gal. He planted it in half whisky barrel. When I visited him in Corpus Christi two years later and it had not fruited. If the tree has been in the same pot a long time it has more chance to only give vegetative growth.

I also love the Williams Sonoma kitchen towels. I have both the waffle weave, and the "stripe down the middle"/assorted stripes collection. I have them in the taupe colour, and the pink/green combo. They're classic, beautiful and are very high quality. My only complaint is I wish they had them in other colours and patterns others than stripes. Some of their colours feel too "country" for me, especially when combined with the stripes or check patterns. Why couldn't they do a teal blue/grey combo?? I was thinking of getting the white, but I love the pop of colour they bring.