I recently acquired one of these charming little plants and found the following information on various pages on the Net. I'm hoping I'll have decent luck with it ! Hope some or any of what I found is helpful to anyone else trying to grow it. Hope also the information I have copied here doesn't take up too much space. Cultivation Details. Requires a light well-drained soil in semi-shade and shelter from cold winds. Plants are intolerant of excessive winter wet. A prostrate mat-forming plant that forms roots at the nodes of stems, it grows well in a rock garden in areas where frosts are light and short-lived. It is almost hardy in Britain, merely covering it with a pane of glass in the winter is usually ample protection. Propagation Seed - sow in spring in a shaded part of a cool greenhouse or cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Division in spring. NERTERA Granadensis, also known as Nertera Depressa Origin - mountain regions of Central/South America, New Zealand, Tazmania Family - Rubiaceae Care Tips Will not bear much fruit if too warm or not enough light. Cool sunny position or south facing windowsill ideal. Can go outdoors in sheltered spot for summers. Keep moist throughout spring and summer, allow to dry between waterings in autumn, winter. Feed monthly with weak fertilizer spring/summer until berries begin forming. Zones 9b - 11. Nertera granadensis - ( Mutis ex L.f.) Druce Family: Rubiaceae Common names: Bead Plant, Pin Cushion Plant, Coral Bead Plant Origin: South America, New Zealand and Tasmani Flowering: Summer - White Height: 10cm (4in.) Width: 4 cm (2in.) Culture Information: Indoor Plant Photo from Australian National Botanic Gardens Photographer: Totterdell C - ANBG Photo No.: a.11109 Remarks: Nertera granadensis is grown for it's orange round bead like fruits it produces in autumn. Temperature: They make excellent indoor plants in cooler climates, they require cool tempertures to produce flowers usually around 10-12°C (52-56°F) Light: Place in a semi-shaded position Watering: During the spring and summer keep plant moist at all times. In autumn and winter allow plant to dry almost out between watering. Humidity: This plant need high humidity to flower. Propagation: Seed should be sown early spring (kept at a temp above 18ºC / 64ºF) Care&Tips: Best if planted in a "gritty" open soil mix which retains moisture. They are not hardy plant and are not recommended for beginners Vase life: not applicable Hydroponics: plant is suitable...

I feel for you! I have a very similar situation. My neighbor hates my trees, shrubs, everything and walks on my side of her fence and has been spraying round-up for years. All grass, groundcover is dead 5 feet on the property line on my side. My 5-yr. old new arborvitae tree looks worse than the day planted and has not grown an inch. My tall Leland cypress trees are brown on the bottom halves and look poorly, not to mention she stubbed many of them to the trunk, took out limbs up to 8 ft above the ground, the trees look awful! Her goal is to kill them-after 10 years of growth. I know that I am venting. So what to do with crazy? At first I though she was just mean. I do believe she poisoned my cat 8 months ago, since she had threatened me the month before. The law is very unhelpful. Laws exist, but one practically has to catch enough photos and film footage to prove anything! Or eyewitnesses that are willing to testify. The person can go to court and lie, which is what the neighbor does all the time. A preponderance of evidence is what the policeman told me. So I have been installing surveillance cameras around my home and plans for one or two to shoot down the fencerow. After $200 and trial and error, please get a complete system, donât try to piece mill these things together unless you are technically, electronic savvy. After working with wired cameras for a while which now requires a transmitter and receiver if you want camera placed a great distance from your house, I would advise IP cameras if you have a reliable router. The summary is that neither system is foolproof, so easiest may be the IP. I am ditching my wired ones soon and buying IP, more money. I just hope to catch her and sue, or stop vandalism-which may require continual vigilance on my part. Also get a reputable tree specialist to take a look at your plants, one that wins cases in court. The value placed on plants and trees a tree is not always just the monetary purchase value, the staff told me trees can value at 1000 or more. Besides, it is against US law and may local ordinances to poison (put adverse chemicals on) someoneâs land against their permission. I donât know the penalties for this. Regarding fencing, great idea, but it canât stop the herbicide run-off. Bad Neighbor has built a damn along her fencerow; water does not flow downhill but back on me and none on her. Again against the law for person to damn up the natural flow of water and cause harmful consequences on anotherâs land. Fence may stop direct application on trees and bushes, but my neighbor is so crazy that I figure she will sneak on my side of the fence to do her dirty deeds. The situation I face is complex and fraught with impediments, all maniacally crafted to an almost impossible web. I too have thought about moving, which is exactly what my neighbor wants, control of my land. I have never been so hopeful for someone to die sooner than later.

Happy Monday all! Although I am sending a hug to Norma, who is not having a particularly happy Monday...my condolences on the loss of your friend, Norma. Kathy, that Iochroma is fantastic! Likely not hardy for me though....although you said that your gardens are looking a bit bedraggled at this time of year, they look about 100 times better than mine do just now! Our temps. are falling, with -1C (30 F) with rain and wind this week....I'll be raking and seeding the back lawn for about the tenth time since we did our backyard "renovation". Once the leaves are down in the park, and therefore on my lawn, I will do the final cut for the season, chopping up the leaves and leaving (ha, ha!) them to compost over the winter. Gee Saucy, I'm with you - I really wouldn't want to bring DS or TCS to an Idyll Union. But DD might have and be fun. After, V's daughter was a hoot at IU VI! And belated birthday greetings to you Norma, and to Wendy also. I apologize for being such a slacker in the photo department...Wendy, was it you who provided the delicious lemon pound cake at Chelone's? If yes, would you, or anyone else, like a recipe for a killer chocolate pound cake? It's almost the only cake I make here now. Today I finally got the gumption to start painting the guest room. I first tried the cutting in of the ceiling without taping. Just in case anybody wants to ask the question "Can you do that?" the answer is "NO!". So now it is taped and the first cut is done. I realize that the previous owner who did the work himself would not make it as a professional drywaller. When they decided to sell this house I think they were in a hurry to finish the basement. The walls and ceilings were all painted a kind of mocha colour - a nice colour but dark for a basement, and especially on the ceilings. I surmise that maybe they didn't want to spend a lot of time or money finishing things up - hence cheap crummy quality paint, and one colour in all rooms and ceilings. As I worked I was thinking that I don't remember the huge family room being such a chore to paint - and then I also remembered that DS was on unemployment last winter and living here, and he did the family room - three coats of white on the ceiling and three coats of pale yellow on the walls - took him three weeks. I hope to be done the smaller room in two weeks. I think I will dedicate the whole winter to this dumb basement. Especially to sorting and chucking out the boxes of stuff that we shouldn't have bothered to bring here when we moved. Never unpacked some if it. Yes, TCS has been minding his P's and Q's as promised. He is going through a rough patch just now....getting heck at school, getting tossed from music, and his Cub troupe is not getting off the ground as there is not enough interest. So just now he has no extra-curricular activites. A good opportunity for we adults to give him a little more attention - just when he probably needs it most. Have to sign off now - I have pickles sitting on ice in the sink and cookie dough to make before the school bus arrives in half an hour! Have a bon voyage, Marie! Cheers, Julie

Claudia, Your comment "maybe there's a little "heat" from the main office " made me wonder about your agent asking you to do something that possibly he should be doing. Nevertheless, To attract people into the Master Gardener program: play up the name, it's prestiegious, minimize the volunteer hours, focus on the things one will learn and how they will enjoy the camaraderie of other people who are passionate gardeners. Talk briefly about any projects you have. If you don't have any projects, talk about plans for future projects and mention the monthly meetings and programs. If you don't have those then no wonder your group is struggling. Certain people are chosen for Master Gardener training- if those people are not staying around or are not leaders then the selection process needs to change. But that last is not about developing the brochure. As I have said and others have repeated, keep it positive and keep it simple and brief - resist the urge to tell them EVERYTHING. Jump on it and knock out a rough draft and be sure to add at the bottom in small fonts: (this brochure) developed by Claudia B. Keep some copies for yourself, they will look good on your resume'