I've got two of them, but they're still very small, haven't grown much at all. One of them is promising, but I don't want to jinx it by bragging on it too much. I've tried them in the past, and they've died slow deaths. You'd think they'd be easy for me to grow, since they're native to this area, but they're rare and only grow in the sandy soil on ridges close to rivers and creeks, much like mountain laurel, which is also almost impossible to get to grow here under most conditions - I only know of one healthy group of bushes not grown by a creek, it grows at the base of a mag grand in front of a house in douwntown Wiggins. The local bluff-growing mountain laurel blooms under the DEEP shade of big swamp chestnut oaks, magnolias, bluff oaks, and beeches, with wild gingers and jack-in-the-pulpits growing under the thick leaf cover. I've planted some wild ginger, and it seems to be thriving, it's even making the little brown jugs/flowers its known for. There is or was a lady who lived close to the Pascagoula River who grew some silky camellias/stewartia malacodendrons in the gritty soil of her woodsy front yard. She grew them from seeds she got from plants on ridges by the river. I'm thinking if I buy any more land, I want it to be on a bluff by a river or creek - hopefully the high bluff would protect it from floods, and I could raise mountain laurel and stewartia malacodendron. I saw the lady's stewartias when they were in bloom, and the blooms were breathtaking! I think it's the purple stamens that got me! Sherry

Sorry to hear that you won't have any pears or plums this season. I hope we don't get a late freeze that kills the fruit tree blooms. It happens occasionally. My peach blooms are almost ready to pop. I did cut back some branches and forced them inside. The flowers are so pretty and the daffs and quince are blooming so it's starting to look like spring but I'm going back to FL at the end of the week anyway. lol It's still not warm enough here for me. Does anyone know of a good nursery in the West Palm area? Butterfly World has a decent selection of passiflora vines and other butterfly host plants but I'd like to find a nursery instead of paying $25 to get in just to shop. I was there 3 weeks ago but it was still too cold to ship plants home at that time. I love the gardens, butterflies and birds but don't need to see them again so soon. Once a year is enough. lol

Hey, Rustipup: That danged old groundhog was right! it has been snowing all day here today! Supposed to get 5-6 inches, most of the schools cancelled classes, and i'm sitting here in the house with a bad cold and cough! RATS!! I can't go out to use my snow-blowers! Oh, it will pass--just have to wait for it to run its course! On the other hand, i sure wish i lived out near you, so i could go up in the back country to see some of the sights! On our trip out west many moons ago, we only got a passing glimpse of the great sights! Then marriage to a nice girl who didn't want to see or drive in the Rocky mountains, or go out in the red rock country (Heck, she closed her eyes when we crossed the Miss. river!, or any other long or high bridge!) Gas was cheap then! So were motels, and restaurants, and car repairs! (The cretins hadn't refined their ways to rip ya off when ya needed help) Now, ya almost have to fly out there, rent a camper, or a truck, and go see the sights! but, thats too expensive for me, since we're subsisting on my Gov't. disability and 2 Social Securities! And, our house taxes are always going up, too. So, enjoy yer trips up into the canyons, etc! Wish i could go too! Rustyj

Thanks, all, for sharing in my relief. I know many of you have been concerned about my status, so wanted to update y'all that I seem to be in a much better place than I was expecting to be. I appreciate the concern and support you've shown me throughout. Love, Virginia PS. Let's have some more weather posts, eh? It does help to 'vent' about weather. In my case, the weather has been delightful, but I'm not allowed to get out and do nearly as much as I'd like to do. By the time I'm allowed to lift anything heavier than 10 lbs, or do anything remotely strenuous, the summer heat and mosquitoes will be in full swing, and I won't want to lift anything heavier than a glass of iced coffee. And then I'll have more chemo, probably, but I hope to be done with all that by the time cool fall weather rolls around...