Hi everyone! Got my Bouvardia ternifolia in the mail the other day. I love its color! Steve, Thanks for the info and the beautiful pics! I guess the red petunia will probably be a bust but we'll see. I like bees as well though. :) Funny you should mention pentas. I've been reading Hummingbirds and Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides/Bird Watcher's Digest Backyard Bird Guides) and they recommend pentas with dark eyes or something like that (the book is at home). I might find a spot for some! Susan, Same with me. I'll spot a few males for a day or two in late March or earlier April and get super excited hoping some will stick around but they never do. I won't see any regular ones until early July. I'm considering putting up a feeder next week just in the hopes of trying to get one to stick around longer! Laugh. I've only been to Bustani once. It was cool. I'm hoping my Erythrina x bidwillii (Coral Bean Hybrid) made it through this brutal winter okay. Surely it will sprout from the base if all of the top is dead from the cold. Can't believe your hummers don't dig David Verity! Mine absolutely love it though I did see that the one in a pot on the back deck got way more attention than the ones I had growing in the ground so you might try one in a pot on an elevated spot to see if you get any action. Oh, I noticed hummers coming to our sunflowers last year but didn't realize they were eating insects. I'll have to pay closer attention this year. :) Sherry, Yea. I went way, way overboard this year. Who knows how many plants will make it or will actually be started from seed since I've no room inside at this point! Thanks for the Malvaviscus drummondii recommendation. I've grown them before. Sometimes Home Depot will carry them so I'll grab one this year if I see any and I'll let everyone know which plants were the biggest hit this year. :) -Robert

OH My.....let's hope the little (FAT) girl knows what she is doing hanging around. I haven't seen one in my area, southwest VA, since Oct. 5th. I still have my feeders up just in case. We are having warm weather but colder this week. I am trying to get myself in "winter mode" of THE WAIT for April when they are baaack :-) Wish we could know for sure in the spring if the same ones are back at the same feeders. I know this is what people think. This spring I want to try to see a marking of some sort. One friend had one with a white spot on his wing that identified him. Keep us posted about your girl......thanks...SS

Wow! Boxes are flying!!! And of course, the host is late getting her's out! Sorry Annie! I'm hoping to get it in the mail by Wed at the latest! Will someone PLEASE let out a BIG YELL for me?!? I've lost my voice today, it started out just squeaky and raspy, now I am down to barely a whisper! I never realized how much I talk! LOL! AND, I've never had this before and never knew how straining it is to try and talk with no voice! I am trying some home remedies *grabbing the last tea back from Dan* Sorry Dan, but I am ill and need medicine! hehe Maybe we can get someone to go for a "tea" run! Sprouts!!! Does anyone else besides Linda have sprouts?!?! Should I have them already? We are still getting temps in the 20's some nights! We got 4" of snow last Tuesday morning, and by 2:00 it was almost 60 degrees out and it had all melted! They are calling for more of that icky stuff all week! Well, I'm gonna go get Zack ready for bed, he thinks this is just great that I can't talk and of course Jamie is out of town so there is no here to "enforce" what I whisper and he keeps saying "what? I can't hear you!" GRRRRR!! Did anyone get more tea yet!? Vic

For those who are interested in the Birdbath.. it was made from glass vases, glass candelholders and glass bowls, all found either at yard sales or GoodWill or Thrift shops.. cleaned each well with soap and water and you can even wipe something on the edges that you are going to glue to make sure super clean.. get some GEII sealicone sealer for windows (clear) or try the grout you would use for Glass Blocks.. ;chose how you want your totem to look.. mine is bowl on bottom, vase up right next vase turned upside down, candel holder upright and one upside down.. then I glued another fancy or what ever glass bowl.. and added a fairy and some plastic butterflies.. make sure you line them all up straight cause once the glue does set.. no changing them.. takes the glue sometime to set.. maybe a couple of days to just be sure.. watch how you line up the weight also.. make sure you have good base.. once you are ready to glue.. you put a line of glue on the parts you are going to glue..like bottom bowl glue in the center and then also a little on the vase rim, etc. they are fun to make and I made another one only this one is a birdfeeder..and I am adding a fancy light cover to the top plate and not gluing it down as I want to be able to change the lights inside.. here are two pics first one is of a bowl covered with leftover flatsided marbles and the second one is of the fancy light cover.