I know I am jumping the gun here and getting all excited over a flower bud, but I have waited several years and was starting to lose hope! Now my Acanthus has 5 or so buds showing and I am very excited. I just hope I don't curse them somehow by watching them too close!

Some of you are getting these from me at the Garner spring swap so I thought I would share my joy and advice with you guys. Just don't do what I did and move them all over trying to find the perfect spot. They really don't like getting moved so they sulk for a while in their new location. Also they grow back from any root that's left (and since the roots break easily...) Also they don't seem to like late afternoon sun.

Warning, long story coming up so stop now ;)

So here's what I did with mine (for a good laugh...)

Bought them 4 yrs ago and planted them. They looked great but I decided that was a perfect place to put something else so I would just move them over to this other bed.

They sulked for the rest of the summer in the hot sun and their leaves turned into limp lettuce. After a bit of reasearch I find they don't like being moved. But clearly they didn't like it where they were. After some debat i moved them again. Although the leaves died, new ones immediately sprumg up. Also, they reappeared vigorously from where they originally were. More reasearch and I find that people say they are hard to get rid of because they grow back from small pieces of root. Well that's ok, at least they won't be back on that spot where they hated. WRONG. I pulled them out. By this time the ones growing in the original spot were going strong and expanding. So now I decide that I can use them to fill in this other spot. ( I think my sanity had left me at this point) so I moved a few pieces from the sides of the biggest ones. So then I finally research them a little more and find that they can get up to 5 feet WIDE. OOPS, they aren't gonna work in some of those spots. Now you guys know where all those swap babies are coming from. Soon my back yard is going to be an acanthus jungle! OK, I exagerate, but finally this year it's going to be worth it because I will have actual blooms.

So now if I have scared any of you guys off that's fine. Just remember if you do take one to give it lots of room and DON'T just try it in a spot. It takes a while to get established but just let it. -Ais.