You don't want any of the Walmart's, Lowes or HD's that are in my area. They have BORING plants : (
Karyn

What you need is for that country of yours to ease up on the regulations for importing plumerias then I would send you a box load, Gill. Perhaps you should convince the powers to be that they are no threat to anything in England and they are imported into California and Florida which have some of the most strict agricultural laws. Have you inquired to find out? Bill

Karyn, yes, but you have to remember....what may be boring to you may well be very EXCITING to me!!!! haha! ( : ¬ p

Bill, have just been reading our 'DEFRA' regs, (well not all of the 39 pages actually) and it is a veritable minefield. Hazel aka Felixcat, has also found she has drawn a blank too in this respect and it appears we need an importers license and goodness knows what else. Ironic really when you come to think of the fact that now as part of the (dare I say it, dreaded) EU, some 26 countries have almost unrestricted access to our shores, so goodness knows what/who ends up here?! Better close now as I shall be digging a hole big enough to get lost in!
Regards, Gill.

Gill I think you'd be underwhelmed with the plants at my local big box stores. They don't carry the same plants as the southern and west coast stores. Very few tropicals, except for the really common houseplants like ficus, sheffleras, etc. I'd die of shock if I ever saw a plumeria or brug at my stores. lol
Karyn

Gill, since the EU was created to facilitate the movement of goods and people across national borders, I was under the impression that plants from warm countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece would be allowed into England. There has to be a grower in one of these countries that could ship cuttings to you. What about Jersey? It has a large horticulture industry. I understand its relationship to the UK is too complicated to go into here, but is it possible to import from there?

Philip

I hear what you say Philip, and yes, plant imports are allowed from many of the EU countries as you rightly point out. Was just trying to say that on almost all of the forums I read and take part in here on GW, a good proportion of folks are from the USA and just happen to mention the above stores as sources of plants (that are unusual to me) that turn out to be good buys at relatively affordable prices. The choice of more 'tropicalesque' plants is obviously greater for you, you have the warmer regions to support them. We do have our Garden Centres and big DIY stores that are selling many kinds of plants nowadays that were not seen over here say 10yrs ago, but they are getting evermore 'common'. The fact remains that to try and import from the States, legally, is a nightmare, and I was pointing out that items can now be moved relatively FREELY in most cases throuout the EU with less checks on what is being bought in from what I can ascertain. This I consider to be a good thing in SOME ways, but NOT in others.
Better put my spade back in the shed!!! Lol!
Regards, Gill ; ¬ )

Gill--does a US phytosanitary certificate mean anything in the EU?

The 'big box' stores here in northeast US have lots of boring plants, dracena's, diseased half-dead orchids, etc. I have never seen a plumie or aroid there. Don't wish for box stores, you may get what you asked for!

Rick in Connecticut

We have a small group of tropical plant enthusiasts in the greater DC area and we keep in touch by email. Since there are so many Home Depots and Lowes stores in the area, when a buddy sees something unusual -- like maybe unusual bananas, elephant ears, palms or whatever, they email the gang. Each store seems to differ a bit in what they carry. I've never seen plumies though. Whenever I'm in Florida or California, I enjoy visiting the big box stores. There's always a surprise for me there!

I agree with Dave, every once in a while you find that they are selling something special in the BB stores. I've found interesting vines, orchids, staghorn ferns, at times.

I did see plumerias at the Orange Home Depot last summer, going for $14.99, but they really were unimpressive. Who wants another common pink or yellow when you see all of the wonderful varieties out there from specialty growers?

Gill, I feel your pain. Not only do you have those regulations restricting you from imports, you also don't have the big box stores. It makes me realize how spoiled we are. I would be lost without my home depot. Not in particular for the plants, but more so for supplies and everything else. Hubby jokes that I shouldn't be allowed to go there anymore - they should offer me stock options or a second job, I'm there so much. Oh, the ideas you can get just from wandering the aisles! I had better stop now, I'm having withdrawals. =)

Santa needs to bring Gill a Home Depot!!

Karen R.

Hi, am pushed for time at the moment so will catch up with GW on our return in a weeks time from holiday as we leave for the airport in 5hrs time... at 2.30am, Yawn!!
Tally-Ho! Gill.

Karen R- If you go to the HD in Orange for supplies I recommend you stop into Orange County Farm Supply on Chapman just west of Main. Talk to Chris Roy who is a plumie collector and often a speaker at plumeria club meetings. He has some of the best products and is kind to the plumie people (discount cards to club members.) Say his friend Bill with the plumerias in Costa Mesa recommended you talk with him. I buy in bulk from him and really respect his knowledge. They carry top quality products and many items you cannot get at other stores. Check into: Seaweed extract, Dr. Earth #8, Growmore fertilizers in 10-52-10 and 0-50-30, high grade worm castings, sulpo-mag, and potassium sulfate. I do however buy my cactus mix from Flowerdale which carries Unigrow which is superb quality and can be used without mixing, although I mix in perlite and pumice for starter plants. Bill

Hey Bill - that's great info. The OC Farm supply is real close, but I never thought to go in there before. I had read an earlier post where you mentioned worm castings for treatment of whiteflies (I have a Nebels Rainbow that's in quarantine as we've been fighting the buggers!) and now I'm thinking of going by there this weekend. I'll make sure to check on those items. I currently get seaweed extract, liquinox fertilizers & pumice, etc. supplies from Kimi's. I really enjoy going there. Jack has given me great deals and he's spent hours sharing his time and knowledge with me. Just sometimes Corona is a bit out of the way to go if you need something in a pinch. It sure doesn't hurt to have a close source for supplies. I'll be sure & drop your name! Thanks!
Karen

Gill- sorry I hijacked your post. Still wish there was a way to get cuttings to you because you would so appreciate them. Did you have any problems with seeds?

Karen- any questions e-mail me at plumeriabill@yahoo.com. We shop in the same areas so I can give you names. Bill

Thanks Bill! Appreciate it!
Karen

Hi folks, back from sunny Fuengirola, had a great time with temps in mid 20sC, got back to -4C and snow all day yesterday, brrr!
Was surprised to spy only the one plumie in our travels, think it was a plumie as we sped past in the coach en-route to a day in Gibraltar.
Bill.....no prob with the 'hi-jack' as you put it, we all do it! lol! My original post was only a light hearted one, not one of any great importance anyway!! It all goes to make a good read. The seeds that I have been generously sent from 4 GW members in the US have all come through with no problem. (even though my last lot was marked electrical components!!??) So, I now have my four large mystery seedlings (2 types) and the OZ Celadine, so I am quite happy ; ¬ ) Would have probs with overwintering/storing them if I got too many...that's what I keep telling myself anyway!!
Gill.

we are pretty cold here in canada too and we have all those same big box stores: they carry all the boring plants and none of the fertilizers and system bug control products that you all in the U.S. write about!! and we are not far from you!! very frustrating.
Gill, sounds like you had a great time in Spain. Have you been there before?
sue

Hi Sue, my 4 seedling plumies are a bit droopy at present, think they are resenting our low temps here, some of the leaves have browned and dropped, think more will follow. Daren't water much as know cold and wet is a big NO-NO. Celadine is almost leafless following a spider mite prob earlier, jusy has a few immature leaves at the top so am sure it will come through winter OK as now keeping it really dry. The bigger UK garden centres do have a reasonable, and I use that term very loosely, selection of semi-tropicals, but they have the ability to keep them at stable temps year round...it would cost me a fortune to heat the house/room or whatever all winter to that temp with our prices!! So I keep the g/h at just above 40, just enough to keep it frost free with an electric fan heater on a thermostat.
Yes, we had a lovely break thanks. Not been to mainland Spain before, but done Ibiza, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Were surrounded by lovely palms, citrus, hibiscus, cycads and all manner of exotic flora, I was green with envy! Saw hardly any packets of seeds apart from cucumbers/tomatoes/nasturtiums and a few palms that I knew were no goers here. (but we were only in the touristy places you see). Surprised at seeing just the one plumie though. Have a peek at the link below for 2 mystery plants I photographed...
Gill.

Here is a link that might be useful: mystery Spanish plants...pity no seed pods!!

I'm glad to hear that you had a nice trip. I saw the plants you posted in another forum. They are just beautiful, especially the second one. Too bad it didn't have any seed pods. lol
Karyn

Hello, Gill, those are gorgeous flowers. Karen: yes, too bad about the lack of seed pods.
i have put my baby plumies in the basement with some florescent lights. i water them every three weeks and mist the air above them almost every day. so far, no leave drop - they have been in there oct. sometime. the temp. is just under 60F. the 2 rooted cuttings are being treated the same way and the leaves still green and healthy looking.
sue