Soultan, You are a HOOT! Indeed! When I received the small piece of plant from my Mom, she told me it was an umbrella palm. I had no clue other than that as to the name of the plant. Then, there was a disabled person in NC that wrote me and told me the actual name. I lost my hard drive and lost those emails, and I hated it that I did not record the name somewhere. I believe it is actually 'Cyperus involucratus'. Every winter, it is a chore to cut the deciduous branches and haul them to the back of the acre to be burned. The 'bed' has gotten too large. I have removed some and given them to friends, but it is quite a chore because the roots are like ginger roots, only bigger and thicker. You really need strong arms and an axe to cut off sections. I must do that this year because they are taking over other plants in the area. Oh! I learned at Master Gardener training about growing the seeds by placing them upside down in water, but I never tried that because they multiply so well on their own. Cindee, I have the gigantic version of yours in a huge pot in my greenhouse. Next year, I plan to try to move it to my gardens. It is so much more delicate. I had a miniature one, but I lost it. One day, I will get another... They are all very fascinating!

I did enjoy these...very much! Made me homesick for Southern Calif. I miss all of Mother's colorful Geraniums, Grannie's orchard with pie lemons, tangerines and Spanish oranges. We had Loquats, Pomegranates, and Avocado trees. Your Meyers Lemon is wonderful. I want to try growing one here...in a container. LOVE the silver Kalanchoe, especially much. Thanks for sharing. ~Annie

Say "Hello" to Hellebores! If you don't already grow these, head to your nearest garden center now! My hellebores start blooming in mid February about the same time as the earliest daffodils and hold their flowers until late spring to early summer. Not only that, they're evergreen and provide color to the winter garden. Need I say more? Latin: Helleborus orientalis Common: Lenten Rose Blooms in TN: February-June Type: Perennial Color: Pale green, White, Pink, maroon - dark purple often with speckling inside Height: to about 1 1/2 feet tall Requirements: Shade to Partial Shade Pests: relatively disease-free, but they can be affected by slugs, aphids, and black spot. Propagation: Once planted they do not like to be disturbed, but they can be propagated by division in the fall or from seed Notes: Evergreen, poisonous, medium moisture, low maintenance

Auryn, it's so difficult to give you good advice not knowing if you're in 10a or 10b (maybe you can tell us what city you're in if you don't know). Also, realize that for one person a particular plant may be in bloom in January, and for another, it won't bloom till February. A plant getting half day sun may bloom more and sooner than one getting only a couple of hours of sun. Ones getting adequate water may bloom sooner than one getting only rain. Ones afflicted by pests may not bloom at all, or the blooms may look unsightly. I think that's why you've gotten the above responses- geared at being certain to have things bloom when you need them to bloom. Please give us specifics about this garden. Zone, sun, soil, sprinklers or not, etc. Also, another thought: a good local nursery (one that will have experts who will talk to you and give you advice, not box stores like Lowe's and HD) will know what types of things they usually order to come in in January. Those are the things that are in bloom, because that's when people will buy them. Off the top of my head, I think the following are in bloom in my garden in January: Knockout roses, Brazilian Cloak, Rondeletia (panama rose), jatropha. In shady areas (don't know if there's trees there), foliage plants can be gorgeous and more reliable- sometimes much better than flowers. Crotons, ferns, Philodendrons, Alocasias, cycads, palms, etc. The worst month for blooms and for beauty in general in most gardens is January/February. Is the date closer to December or to February? Lots of unanswered questions, so it's very difficult to respond in a helpful manner. Thanks! Ana