Seil, yes, I've looked at those photoshopped pics! I was at a party recently and someone told me he bought seeds for a dwarf pomolo, from someone in Canada, of all places. Not exactly a hotbed of citrus growing and hybridization, is it? I chided him for falling for a scam (he didn't believe me), and told him not to buy any of those blue orchid seeds or rainbow rose seeds, they are spray painted or photoshopped, and you can't grow roses or orchids from seed and get what you see a picture of anyway. Several people who were listening were surprised that those pics aren't real. There are some good dealers there, I just bought a hosta that someone posted a pic of over on the hosta forum, and the dealer is reputable. Last year I bought 2 brugmansias from a dealer who has posted on GW's brug forum, and got great plants.

Further to Kay's note--I've ordered a lot from Marietta and never been displeased. This particular year, I mentioned that the dls I was buying were actually for a bed for a friend who's been fighting lymphoma all year. They sent super plants (which I had already expected) and included some tremendous bonus plants (which I had not expected). Even absent such generosity, I'd still keep them close at hand--the Shooters' diploids include interesting genes and very diverse looks and their general catalog is HUGE and (mostly) reasonably priced. Goldcoast: FANTASTIC plants. And I can't express how wonderful the Holley's are--gracious, conscientious and generous as any out there. I buy from them when I really want a nice-sized clump rather than just a fan or two of something and they've never let me down. (And sometimes I buy from them just because I want to buy something--don't look at me like that: many in this forum are guilty of this "flaw" :-P ) Looking at all the great comments directed at Maryott's, I'm thinking I need to buy from them this upcoming year as well.

Well, they're in and they have little nubs on their ends, not a mid cutting here...so what's the future for these, will they flower this year? Are these branch buds or an inflow of brachts for flowers coming from the mother (as in won't get flowers the rest of the year even if these are? If I recall right, they have to flower before they grow branches but I don't know if it already did and branch buds are what's left. There are 3 on one & 4 buds gathered in a small group on the tip and look like small apple blossom buds which of coarse sounds like they're flowers to me but I'd rather them be branch buds...lol

I've chatted with him several times and seems like a good guy. Just keep in mind that he is shipping these plants regular mail and they will be bare root. So that will be roughly 7-10 in the mail. The other and maybe even bigger risk is the plants getting stopped by Big Brother coming into the country. If they are, they will be destroyed. The prices make it worth a shot though. Please keep us informed on how it goes.