I'm sitting on the fence - it seems too large to not have gotten chlorophyll by now, but OTOH it was completely hidden from light (just) by top dressing, so, ladies, I don't know what to think, other than think it's for the birds, this succulent business. A Clark's nutcracker couple, one feeding and one guarding its mate from the magpie, who nobody likes, not me, not the dog, not even other magpies Stellar's jay, our provincial bird Northern flicker Interesting, eh? The two Gasteria main plants are repotted, I'm happy to repot. Trimmed roots, sifted top dressing, clean pots, these plants are living the life.

Pinyon jays will disperse pinyon seed as far as 6 miles (up to 0.6 oz. per load). Clark's nutcrackers will disperse them up to 18 miles (to 1.1 oz. per load). These data are from Table 4.1 in my book "Made For Each Other", 1996. In the context of Great Basin geography, this probably allows nutcrackers to harvest in one mountain range and cache seeds in the next one, and jays to disperse to sites within the range where they have harvested (guesswork). I have no juniper data, but it now looks as though they are largely dispersed by bunnies up to a few hundred yards, and by thrushes (robins, bluebirds), waxwings, etc. maybe occasional long distances as resin suggests.

Well, this is my first post to this forum, and I'm glad it is just a couple steps over from the Gardening Forums! You folks further north than Mobile Alabama can look for a big flock of goldfinch to show up, because they left here last Friday (for the most part) all fat and sassy. I've fed the birds all last summer and all this winter, and somehow they spread the word until we had a huge flock at our feeders in a residential surburban area between Mobile Bay and Dog River. I know it was several hundred coming and hanging out in our leafless river birch and vine-covered privacy fences. Black oil sunflower seed consumption for January was MORE than 4 35-lb bags. We have cardinals here who never migrate, and with mature trees and huge azalea and camellia shrubbery all around, they find cover and nesting spots. One cardinal nested just outside my study window in a camellia, so I watched the male feed his babies....never saw the female do that, she was suspicious of ME. And for about 2 weeks now, the pair of bluebirds have been keeping an eye on their nest box, so I'm gathering fresh pine needles for them to have an easy job of building a new nest. We also have hawks here. And owls. And cats, which I hiss at and they run--my two dachshunds know the hiss denotes a CAT, and they go running to add to the pandemonium. If you don't have large shrubbery yet, think about growing some vines over an arbor, even annual vines can give shelter, shade, and sometimes food. Hyacinth beans, scarlet runner beans, morning glories, sweet peas, green (veggie) peas are all good annuals. The sound of running water, or a bucket dripping into a birdbath, that will give them a reason to come around when it is hot and dry. I try to locate my enticements where I can see the activity from inside. I'm hoping to again host a nesting pair of Carolina wrens for the 4th consecutive year in a pig flower pot (containing a spiny aloe vera) sitting on the deck railing right outside the back door. So far the "Pig Family" has raised 5 x 3 = 15 babies in that pig pot. Apparently they feel secure because other birds do not tolerate our closeness so well. Instead, the Pig Family fusses at US for intruding on their property. Love the birds. Love gardening. They go well together.

kswl, :( They would have been wonderful with what I've seen of your Christmas decor. socalgirl, Yes, spendy. But compared to similar ones marketed to the commercial sector? They run in the mid $500 range. Like Luvs said, as long as you have the space to store them . . . and I'll add as long as you love them and this is more or less your 'forever' home, then go for it.