Sandy, I'm a little concerned. By this time 2008, Amber and I had over 50 eggs collected. But in 2009 it was 2 weeks later before we started collecting. So maybe I should relax a little. I've only seen 5 monarchs so far this year. 2 different ones this morning. I checked well over 200 native milkweed plants this morning and found no eggs and no cats. But did find frass on two plants. I looked the plants over closely and the ground around them but found nothing. Will go back later and see if I can find the cats. randy

Riding 4 Life: Forgive my short answer. You had so many broad-stroke needs, I thought it best to suggest a book, the best book, on the subject so that yo can have a proper starting point. (By the way, the Sunset Western Garden Book would tell you that lemon grass is not hardy in Zone 14.) Here's a semi-short list of proven plants for Zone 14. These will take your blinding sun, your hot summers and your cold winters. Medium to Large Trees -- Cedrus deodara DEODAR CEDAR Cedrus libanii atlantica ATLAS CEDAR Gleditsia triacanthos inermis THORNLESS HONEY LOCUST Pinus brutia/eldarica AFGHAN PINES Pinus pinea ITALIAN STONE PINE Platanus x acerifolia LONDON PLANE TREE Zelkova serrata SAW-LEAF ZELKOVA Small to Medium Trees -- Aesculus x carnea RED HORSECHESTNUT Brahea armata MEXICAN BLUE HESPER PALM Butia capitata BLUE PINDO PALM Cercidium floridum BLUE PALO VERDE Cercis siliquastrum JUDAS TREE x Chitalpa tashkentensis CHILTALPA Eucalyptus polyanthemos SILVER DOLLAR GUM Juniperus scopulorum Tolleson's Blue Weeping BLUE WEEPING JUNIPER Koelreuteria elegans FLAMEGOLD Koelreuteria paniculata GOLDENRAIN TREE Lagerstroemia (standard) CRAPE MYRTLES Melia azedarach CHINA BERRY Olea europaea OLIVE Parkinsonia aculeata MEXICAN PALO VERDE Pistacia chinensis CHINESE PISTACHE Sophora japonica Regent JAPANESE PAGODA TREE Trachycarpus fortunei WINDMILL PALM Ziziphus jujuba JUJUBE, CHINESE DATE Trees to create fast shade -- Acer truncatum SHANTUNG MAPLE Gleditsia triacanthos inermis (esp. Shademaster, Skyline) HONEY LOCUST Melia azedarach CHINA BERRY Populus fremontii FREMONT COTTONWOOD Pyrus calleryana (esp. Aristocrat, Bradford, Holmford, Trinity) CALLERY PEAR Ulmus parvifolia CHINESE ELM Zelkova serrata SAWLEAF ZELKOVA Large Shrubs -- Acca (Feijoa) sellowiana PINEAPPLE GUAVA Caesalpinia pulcherrima BARBADOS PRIDE, RED BIRD-OF-PARADISE Callistemon citrinus LEMON BOTTLEBRUSH Dodonaea viscosa PURPLE HOPBUSH Ilex x altaclarensis Wilsonii WILSON HOLLY Juniperus (many) JUNIPERS Punica granatum Legrellei, Nochi Shibori, Tanyosho ORNAMENTAL POMEGRANATES Rhaphiolepis Majestic Beauty M. B. INDIAN HAWTHORNE Vitex agnus-castus CHASTE TREE Small to Medium Shrubs -- Abelia x grandiflora ABELIA Leucophyllum frutescens TEXAS RANGER Myrtus communis ROMAN MYRTLE Nandina domestica HEAVENLY BAMBOO Nerium oleander "Petite" series OLEANDER Rosmarinus officinalis ROSEMARY Senna (Cassia) artemisioides FEATHERY CASSIA Senna wislizenii SHRUBBY SENNA Teucrium fruticans BUSH GERMANDER Twining Vines -- Akebia quinata FIVELEAF AKEBIA Gelsemium sempervirens CAROLINA JESSAMINE Muehlenbeckia complexa MATTRESS VINE, WIRE VINE Solanum jasminoides WHITE POTATO VINE Wisteria (many kinds) WISTERIA Tendril Vines -- Vitis californica Rogers Red, Walker Ridge RED-LEAF CALIFORNIA GRAPE Vitis coignetiae CRIMSON GLORY VINE Vitis vinifera Purpurea PURPLE-LEAF GRAPE Tendril-Clinging Vines -- * for wrapping onto small-mesh fencing or for "clinging" onto any very rough surface Bignonia capreolata CROSSVINE Campsis x tagliabuana* TRUMPET CREEPER Macfadyena unguis-cati* CATS-CLAW Disk-Clinging Vines -- Parthenocissus henryana SILVERVEIN CREEPER Parthenocissus quinquefolia VIRGINIA CREEPER Parthenocissus tricuspidata BOSTON IVY Clambering/Scrambling Vines -- Rosa banksiae LADY BANKS ROSE Rosa Cecile Brunner SWEETHEART ROSE Rosa x Mermaid MERMAID ROSE Rosa Absolutely, Jeanne Lajoie, Nozomi Red Cascade, Work of Art MINIATURE CLIMBING ROSES Ground Covers -- Baccharis pilularis Twin Peaks TRAILING COYOTE BRUSH Gazania rigens leucolaena GAZANIA Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii BLUE CARPET JUNIPER Rosmarinus officinalis (trailing types) CREEPING ROSEMARY Trachelospermum asiaticum ASIATIC JESSAMINE Vinca minor SMALL PERIWINKLE Perennials Achillea Moonshine MOONSHINE YARROW Achillea fillipendulina WOOLY YARROW Achillea hybrids HYBRID YARROWS Agastache aurantiaca ORANGE HYSSOP-MINT Agastache hybrids (many) HYBRID HYSSOP-MINTS Agastache rupestris SUNSET HYSSOP Agave parryi PARRYS CENTURY PLANT Agave shawii SHAWS CENTURY PLANT Artemisia Powis Castle WORMWOOD Dasylirion wheeleri DESERT SPOON Dasylirion wheeleri DESERT SPOON Dietes FORTNIGHT LILY Euphorbia characias wulfenii CHARTREUSE EUPHORBIA Euphorbia myrsinites BLUE EUPHORBIA Euphorbia rigida MEDITERRANEAN EUPHORBIA Euphorbia x martinii RED EUPHORBIA Helianthemum nummularium SUN ROSE Helictotrichon sempervirens BLUE OAT GRASS Hemerocallis DAYLILIES Hesperaloe parviflora RED YUCCA Muhlenbergia dumosa BAMBOO MUHLY Nepeta Six Hills Giant GIANT CATMINT Nepeta racemosa Walkers Low CATMINT Nepeta x faassenii CATMINT Opuntia violacea santa-rita BLUE-BLADE Penstemon eatonii FIRECRACKER PENSTEMON Penstemon palmeri PALMER BEARDTONGUE Penstemon pseudospectabilis DESERT BEARDTONGUE Phlomis russeliana HARDY JERUSALEM-SAGE Phygelius hybrids CAPE FUCHSIA Pyrethropsis hosmariense MT. ATLAS DAISY Ruellia brittoniana MEXICAN BLUEBELL, DESERT PETUNIA Salvia chamaedryoides GERMANDER SAGE Stachys albotomentosa HIDALGO Verbena rigida SANDPAPER VERBENA Verbena tenuisecta MOSS VERBENA As for barrier (thorny) plants: Agave parryi, shawii SMALLER AGAVES Berberis buxifolia MAGELLAN BARBERRY Berberis darwinii DARWIN BARBERRY Berberis julianae WINTERGREEN BARBERRY Berberis nevinii NEVIN'S BARBERRY Chaenomeles (tall types) FLOWERING QUINCE Ilex x altaclarensis Wilsoni WILSONS HOLLY Opuntia ficus-indica PRICKLY PEAR Pyracantha (many) FIRETHORN Ribes speciosa FUCHSIA-FLOWERING GOOSEBERRY Rosa laevigata CHEROKEE ROSE Rose "Simplicity" Series SIMPLICITY ROSE Rose Pearl Sevillana (shrub; semi-double pearly white/cream) Rosa californica Elsie (native; single magenta-pink) Rose Wildberry Breeze (hybrid rugosa; mauve blend) Rose Wild Spice (rugosa hybrid; single white/blush) Ziziphus jujuba JUJUBE, CHINESE DATE Joe

Petunias have been the toughest for me as far as annuals go. We get wicked west winds (can be very cold or very drying) in the spring and fall and my petunias have always held up well. My Ashleaf Spirea is out by itself in the elements and does well in the wind. I plan on building my garden fence (plan being the operative word here! LOL!) with upright planks to create a wind break. I killed my bean seedlings I had started inside this spring in a couple hours in the wind. Ya live and ya learn I guess... Just a note about irises...mine are all surviving and finally starting to bloom, but they were very slow starting this spring in the cold winds. They just sat there for weeks only a couple inches above ground. I'm blaming the wind anyhoo! How about some prairie specials like monardas or rudbeckias? Maybe check out some catalogues from Alberta or Sask. Maltese Cross get tall but they have strong stems. Toots (Good luck and keep us posted! You have my full empathy!)

Suzie, You're welcome. I always try to post high wind or high fire danger watches and warnings at this time of year because they can be just as dangerous as convective storms, and last April's horrible wildfire day is a perfect example of that. Today I think my seedlings will have to stay in the fairly dimly-lit barn because forecast winds here will be in the 20-40s with gusts as high as 55 mph here along the Red River. There's no way I'll subject all my flats of spring veggie seedlings to those winds. From experience, at 55 mph, we'll see trash cans, lawn furniture and even trampolines blowing around. I dread days like this. In the past, they have brought down power lines, started fires and even blown my tiny peaches and plums off the trees. I know March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. Here in southern OK, it came in like a lamb and I guess it is going to go out like a lion. Keep your grandscon anchored down! Almost half the state remains under a Wind Advisory today. Dawn