I posted a pic of the Compton's with the bark ripped down on the post that mentions the tear, Dax. I have 3 Compton's oaks. Here is my Beech Johnd And last but not least the pics I took today of the late drop "L.O." Plus the green trunk I saw the other day, but can't seem to see well in the picture I posted. I keep looking at the buds stubborn but there. I look like an idiot insisting it's going to leaf out, but I see signs it will and when you see the first of the 2 pics here, you will see what I mean. I was ready to rip it out and get another tree, but it isn't dead. The pics with the envelope in the background were taken about an hour ago. Here is the trunk pic from a couple days ago, you can barely see the green right below the slight scrape It isn't as noticeble now on the tree. the green is best seen at the bottom of the scrape. When you see those buds on todays pics don't you think it is going to leaf out? I saw my dead one with no buds. I have plenty of weight on me without getting a Walnut tree,

Congratulations, Chris, on some very nice plants. I caught the Dyckia bug a couple years back courtesy of Chanin's wonderful photos posted here and elsewhere. While I primarily grow species, some of which are planted out in mixed beds (tourniquets & surgical disinfectants, ahoy!), I have to agree that a lot of both these and their hybrids do tend to look extremely similar to this "untrained" eye when grown side-by-side. What complicates the issue here is that they are incredibly plastic with regard to color & contrast when conditions soften up during the rainy season and winter. In this respect, they are akin to many hybrid Neos. The very dark lamina color and contrasting pale spines that are well-illustrated in the first post here are really only evident for about half the year. Flowers are, I admit, a very nice touch that get surprisingly short shrift from growers. All of the material that has flowered here thus far this year has been open-pollinated either by hummers or insects, so it looks like I may have my own 'Brittle Star' and 'Arizona' F4s weeding the yard soon ;^) I grow a fair number of Hechtia species (ironically, only one of which is of the eight or nine natives)and find that they do really exhibit marked summer and winter colors both in captivity and in nature. For example, much of the Oaxacan material from in or around the Tehuácan Valley, thence down towards the Isthmus of Tehuantepec that can sometimes be a vivid canary yellow with bright red spotting along the leaf margins during the dryest, brightest months of the year, fade to a nondescript gray-green towards the end of the rainy season in northern hemisphere Fall. Oddly enough, I have found that some glossy-leafed hechtias reliably burn rather severely every year in late December/early January in spite of remaining in the same location and orientation year-round. Unlike dyckias and orthos, the few Hechtia species that have showy inflorescences, such as matudae, are rather unassuming when not in flower. J

Marcia---Yes, those banana plants are mine. Here is a picture I posted last July showing my newly planted 2 dozen blueberries. The bananas are behind them. The pummelo tree is to the left. Anna---I do feel so lucky to have my 2 acres. I just love to be out working in my yard. Sometimes I stay out there all day. coffeemom---I almost forgot to mention, you got me laughing! My husband isn't into gardening, but he will do the heavy work that I am not physically able to do myself. I leave the tree dropping to him. As for my powers, my powers are that he says that he benefits from the veggie garden. He will eat the vegetables but he won't eat any fruit except the oranges and pineapples. I would like to say peaches but the squirrels get them first. Tom---That's not my back yard--it's my front yard, near the street. My house is located toward the back of the property. My yard is designed backwards. I don't mind because it does help with privacy. Tom, I would love to trade cuttings. I can root the poinsettia for you first before mailing it. I realize that the plumeria doesn't need to be rooted first. Today I got some tree dahlia cuttings that I potted up. If you are interested in one of those, I can include that too. The mother plant I saw was 5-6 feet tall. It is a background plant for sure. Christine

I'm coveting your camellias, Bill. ;-) I was in Japan a couple of weeks ago and got to see not only the cherry blossoms in peak bloom, but camellias too! They were absolutely everywhere - lining the roads, in gardens, they were stunning. Most were pruned into a barrel-like shape, just loaded with flowers. I came home and immediately looked to see which ones might grow in my garden - if I had a spot for one. Which I don't. :( Here's a pic of one I took at the Buddhist temple in Narita Is the pink flower an aquilegia? If so, I can't believe how much further along yours is compared to mine - I have 6 leprechauns and I doubt I'll see flowers before next week at the earliest. Anyway your garden is so lovely! Mine is new - we had the overgrown mess that was here when we bought the house almost completely ripped out and redone last spring, so I have a while before it's filled in.