Suzy, how do the tender plants survive shipping...are heat packs used? No, Jo. We more northerly growers refuse to hang up the shingle and keep on keeping on. The tender plants come in on every imaginable means. Sometimes, if it's a large order, the grower brings them on their own heated truck. I even have one of those rescheduled, because the high that day was still below freezing, and the goods expensive. They come overnight on the familiar shippers, they are picked up at airports, they even sometimes come courier. And today, we went and got THEM! The bigger wholesale growers are pretty adept at shipping them between the worst of the weather fronts and put them in what they call winter pack boxes, it's like a box, within a box, within a box. Expensive way to move perishables, but still cheaper than frozen plants. The small liners (rooted cuttings) and plugs don't seem expensive until you look at a bench of the packs and realise there is a couple thousand dollars sitting in a few square feet. Michelle, I cracked up at your description of winter madness. I have worked in those facilities and sometimes I wondered if the staff were as grounded as the clients at times. It's all relative, I guess. My cabin fever is late coming on. It usually hits in January and by this time of February I'm in spring mode, even if the weather isn't cooperating. I think I did myself an injustice by biding through January without going a little mad. I feel like a big zit about to pop when I need to be the most functional. The sun did come out for about an hour before it set. The ice was falling off the trees in big chunks. The whole d*mned property is a hard hat zone.

Outstanding photo images, Molanic! Yes, we have an influx this year of Red Admirals, Variegated Fritillaries, Mourning Cloaks, and Clouded Sulphurs in my area. The VFs decimated the Passiflora incarnata early on, but they grew back in time for the Gulf Fritillaries to arrive. I have tons of Clouded Sulphurs, but didn't find any eggs or caterpillars. What did yours feed on? I have quite a bit of White Clover, and they were very late leaving this year. I saw them still mating in mid-December. I guess the eggs overwinter on the clover, or maybe they hatch and overwinter as tiny larvae. I don't know much about this butterfly since it is not commonly observed or hand-raised. I'm fascinated that you raised them! Love, love, love that Haploa moths. I am in love with moths and have raised 13 different species of sphinx. One plant I always recommend to moth lovers, especially sphinx moth lovers, is Virginia Creeper. I have found Eumorpha achemon, Eumorpha pandorus, Virginia Creeper sphinx (Darapsa Myron), and Nessus sphinx (Amphion floridensis) all feeding on Virginia Creeper. In addition, the pretty little Eight-Spotted Forester moth uses it as a larval host. I haven't tried to raise the Forester because of its unique pupation requirements. The pupate in holes in old wood. I haven't quite figured out how I would provide that. Do you know what the Haploa uses for larval food? DD, you don't need to do anything fancy to feed the fruit-feeding butterflies, other than put out rotten or very ripe fruit. I have even had them to come to not-so-ripe fruit like watermelon. My butterflies are fed bananas. I buy the bags of overripe bananas, reduced in price by the grocer, and put them out in a suet feeder. I open up the skin and expose the interior fruit a bit, put in the feeder, and hang it up. I have had Mourning Cloaks, Hackberry and Tawny Emperors, Red Admirals, Red Spotted Purple (rare in my area), an occasional American Lady, and in early morning, at dawn, and evening, I have had tons of Nessus sphinx feeding on them, too. The Nessus is a day-flying moth, and they are just a little larger than the Snowberry Clearwing. They are very cute! Susan

Remy's package to me arrived today. What a big box and so full of all kinds of goodies! I tried to make a list so hopefully I have everything written down. Remy sent me Trachystemon orientalis, two daylilies (I looked up Ball Gown on the internet and I think it is Remy's picture of it shown in the example!), Helenium, an iris, a pulmonaria, Succisa pratensis, and Leontine Gervais Rose. That looks like such a beauty on Remy's blog. I hope it grows well for me. She also included some homemade applesauce (totally yum!), green tea, stevia, a pop-up vase, landscape gloves, and a tissue pack with flowers printed on them. Thanks so much, Remy. You really spoiled me! Jeanne

Okie doke...As it turns out those banana plants werent exactly as rooted as I thought they were and when I cut them from mama banana...well they wont be at the swap..sorry bout that guys. But I got some new things to add...this is the revised list: Gerbera daisies(orange, red, pink, yellow, and unknown) patty and donna Dragonfruit cuttings-patty and donna Selenicereus antonyanus(aka ric rac cactus) cuttings-donna,plant-patty Aporophyllum flagelliformis cuttings-rattail cactus White rain lily bulbs desert willow seeds trichocereus pups-donna trichocereus-patty worm castings worms zexmenia transplants Moy Grande hibiscus seeds(Im not sure if grow true to type...anyone wanna experiment?) Passiflora foetida seeds striped crinum bulb unknown crinum bulb anyone want the common trumpet creeper? I got a whole bunch of it Also I got some more cactus and succulent soil. I know I swapped it last year with someone but not sure if yall actually liked it? Patty...Id love some mexican flame vine, bulbispermum crinum or soap aloe.