Thanks larry gene. yeah, some people meaning smart people. Guess I ain't one of them kind. Just sprayed the heck out of my plants. Guess I'll find out in a week or two whether I burned 'em, and in few months whether I got the critters. One piece of advice I heard that's worth repeating here for anyone who hasn't heard it: when you're spraying something that kills by smothering, it's best NOT to spray in the heat of the day. Here in Southern California, our days, even in winter, can get upwards of 80 degrees (don't they wish they had winters like that in the Midwest and the East!). So, potentially, Golden Pest Spray Oil could damage the leaves if I were to spray it mid-day. Just a heads up for anyone using this product, or a similar type oil spray. Of course, if you're plant is still dormant, you won't have to worry about burning the leaves 'cause there won't be any! Hope this helps, ThisBud4U

If you can lift the entire clump w/o doing much damage to the roots, you may not even need to transplant the foliage. Whenever I have to lift a plant and remove all the dirt from it - YES - trim the foliage, but if you can lift a clump and plop it right down into another freshly dug hole, you shouldn't need to cut back.

Hi, I just want to add to the information on Red Lily Beetle. I garden organically and would never think of drenching my soil with insecticide. There is always other solutions. I wouldn't catch red beetles in my fingers and smash them either. Last year I had good success with using a 5 gallon bucket with some water in the bottom of it, that I carried with me while I sought out the beetles. I checked my plants frequently and would flick the red beetles into the pail that I held under the foliage in case they dropped. I then would pour out the contents onto the driveway and step on them. Easy as pie and very effective, using no chemicals at all.

Thanks for the messages and words of encouragement everyone! I think my goal this winter is to get everyone through without any casualties...but we haven't entered our darkest and coldest days yet...the worst may yet be coming. Kevin - yeah, I'd probably end up eating bread and water just so I'd have the budget to upkeep the plants. It's like a scene from the little shop of horrors. Carol - where in Ontario are you? are you experiencing the ridiculously warm weather too? We were lucky here to get a few sunny days last week but it's back to gray this week. MB, I have an ang leonis which has been doing nothing for two years - any ideas on how to get the little sucker growing? Mehitabel - I agree 100%...nothing feels better then some blooms on a cold gray day :)