I have a few more items worth listing Ipomoea coccinea or scarlet morning glory. A favorite of hummingbirds and listed as a native on the IFAS publication at the link below. Warning is does reseed readily if seeds not removed. Dies back in summer. New plants pop up in Fall. Also I have several white containers some glazed some not. I am collecting green containers especially the old time planters. Anyone interested in the white? anyone have green? Kat Here is a link that might be useful: Ipomoea coccinea

Nova ~ Oh my you have some gorgeous neat blooms. I've tried buddleia but it croaked on me. That honeysuckle is beautiful. Ginny ~ Taking pictures gives you more practice. You are doing great. Tom ~ Sheesh, intimidated, you shouldn't be. Look at all of your orchids, and those desert roses. One great thing about this thread every time is that you see how we all grow different things. We are all unique and our gardens show it. I'm adding more to my gardens via seeds from several wonderful gardeners here and from cuttings as well. I am thankful to all of you for sharing with me. As they grow and bloom I'll share some pictures. I need to sit down and write out a list of who has sent me seeds, and hopefully I will include everyone. Here is some of what is blooming here. I have chicory that is about to bloom. Confederate Jasmine has been blooming and scenting the secret garden area. Orchids are about to bloom, million bells are blooming too. Duchesse de Brabant Penelope I'm showing this picture because after I made the new work surface and storage unit under the window, I had to create a view out the window. This room is our little 6'x8' library, where my computer is to the left of picture. I have my needlework threads, photo and notecard paper, and other things stored in drawers. this is the view out the window. Duchesse de Brabant roses behind her. About 18' behind this scene is the 5-lane autobahn. :-) Two views of the lady next. This is the street gate, which is kept locked, about 5' behind the lady. Grand Duke Jasmine ~ I sure wish all of you could smell this one. Fantastic. This is Souvenir d'Elise Vardon. Don Juan Last but not least, Shovel Bird, with Confederate Jasmine behind and sea shells at his feet. There is a baby Maman Cochet rose that I hope will root for me. Keep the pictures coming as this is very inspiring to see what is going on in everyone's gardens. FlowerLady at Plum Cottage Gardens.

Actually I'm kind of feeling bad. The whole toilet bowl idea may be someone elses pride. Even if a whimsical joke. And Im wondering if I could say what I'm typing to that persons face personally. And not feel the hurt I might cause. But I did get a good laugh : ) To add constructively to the thread one pet peeve of mine? Neighbors or homeowners in a community hiring Landscapers to do renovations requiring the disposal of old shrubs and perennials. Seeing them chainsawd and chipped, buried by heavy machinery. I mean that is horrible. I never looked at it that way until I started the process of donating a Japanese Garden to a local community business. Here I am wondering why the rootstock cant be shared by community members who are financially unable to afford such plants. Here I am wondering how Im going to pull this off with no money of mine to spare. So I must resort to finding recycled plants. For the first time in my life. Ive always spent other people money. Now I have to come up with ideas so as not to loose face and make the Japanese Garden a reality. I wont accept a penny more from the place Im building it. The whole idea is about community service. Giving something that is a passion for free. I have a passion so its easy. The rest is patience. I hate evil plant killers :) Let youre fellow citizens have a chance to adopt a plant before you send it to a tragic death.... People!!! Especially at the hand of Monster Landscape Contractors who arent even willing to keep the plant for themselves to use on another project.Sometimes the completion date requires dispossal of ornamentals not in the design rather than re salvaging. Maybe the local town Gardening Committee will use those ornamentals. Making the town plan of beautification financially feasible. Ive never heard of such a thing but sounds like a good idea. So many homes are stripped of old growth ornamentals that have overgrown the original space. To be lost forever. I sometimes to the embarrassment of myself will stop at such a job and ask for all the root stock still alive.. Many trades men will look at me askance. Like Im crazy and should know better than to ask such a question. Giving that tough guy attitude. Like get the hell off of my job you jackass. I can see it in their eyes. And in truth I hate that feeling. Its hard for me to swallow. I must look like an amatuer doing such things. So in reality I'm doing this rarely. Driving my dump truck to the sites who are kinder. I might get something. Knowing one particular customer of mine who is low on money would appreciate these plants. Giving that customer back for the opportunity they provided earlier. To work on their property when they had money to spend. Maybe sounds old fashioned but I like my customers to be happy. I want them to have dreams fulfilled just as I want mine. Business sometimes corrupts that process of brotherhood. No one could put the value of driving onto a customers property with a huge Rhody salvaged from being destroyed. Its a priceless moment. And what did it cost me. Maybe 20 dollars in gas. A few hours labor. But what I get in return is priceless. Compassion from the person Im thinking about. We see eachother as equalls. Something money can not buy. And when you get used to this way of thinking you never expect anything in return. The whole idea was just do it. Its the right thing to do. For no real reason but it just feels right. I dont need books to know this. Its the same act as when a baby hands over the food for you to take a bite. Isnt it awesome to see a young child offer food that was almost going into the mouth hesitate. Then look at you and put the food in youre mouth intead! Its human nature to share. Sometimes I think how cruel it must be to see ornamentals a neighbor could never afford but truly desire and watch that tree discarded like trash. The owner of such ornamentals never asking fellow neighbors if they would like to have it. I guess most people believe in not sharing and rather see material things in the garbage before theyd ever concede to the principle of giving without hesitation. That was good. I feel better! Japanese Gardening has made me think differently. To give and help the community you are a member of is the goal. Finding every opportunity to make a community come together with little things. Not on the rare occasion. But on a daily bases. Its easy. I like what Im saying and will try harder to do so. This is what makes me feel like a boulder resisting the rivers current. Finding wieght in my doings. Even if the community is too complex to understand I feel rooted to living out one aspect of being a member. Feeling like you belong. Not just driving to the local store for groceries and back home. But stopping along that daily circle to do one small thing. No matter how little. Like someone you see going to the mailbox every morning while leaving for work. Saying to that person.. "Hey Ill have Peony roots by the end of the day. Only a few. Ill leave you some tomorrow morning." At least its a start. And after a few years you can see that act of giving grow into a smile on each others face every time you cross that persons path leaving for work in the morning. Nobody said this means becoming nosey or involved with strangers. Its just one simple way to say hello. Next time we see each other we can smile and wave hello instead of me driving by like a sardine in a car. Gardening is probably the easiest way for a community to come together. Every home has something to offer. Dont throw ornamentals away.

Try searching under the correct species name, Distictis laxiflora. It is available in California thru several wholesale growers, and possibly mail order as well from the usual sources for tropicals. I don't know of any local nurseries in Palm Springs, but it should be pretty easy to find at a retail nursery such as Buena Creek Gardens in San Marcos, north San Diego County. As to a couple of other question on specific vines, the Senecio confusum is another wildly colorful twiner with vivid flowers, don't know the why of the name. Senecio tamoides is another rampant South African twiner with great fall/winter bright yellow bloom. The Petrea volubilis is much hardier than Sunset Western Garden Book states, it is perfectly happy against a warm sunny wall in zones 16 and 17, and mine blooms several times a year here in Berkeley, and was unfazed in the 1990 freeze at 25F for 10 days. However, young growth that hasn't hardened off will die back even without freezing temps, especially on young plants until they get some size. Another vine that is understated in its good looks, unfortunately not at all fragrant, but with beautiful graceful white tubular flowers is Oxera pulchellum from New Caledonia. There is also a new Solanum species from Suncrest Growers that is a good deep blue and virtually everblooming, and is simply labeled with the Mexico state it came from. This is one of my new favorite blue/purple blooming vines.