Hi! I would LOVE to trade you for the following, in order of most wanted: Unnamed heavily variegated Agave - 18" wide Plumeria 'Aztec Gold' Pencil Cactus - 2'tall Brugmansia 'Axelrose' cuttings Unnamed green on green variegated Agave, clump forming type Plumeria 'Celedine' I do have several fans of Stella D'oro daylily available. However, I do not have anything else that you have listed. If you would take a look at my exchange page, maybe you'll find something you never knew you always wanted :-) I also have a small cutting of Frosty Pink Brug. PLMK Thanks, Tina

I'd start out considering some specimen hostas... and with the distance away, I'd go for the biggest and tallest... starting with some centerpiece plants, you can design around them So number one rec. is Victory - handles a lot of shade, will fairly rapidly go to 5-6-7 feet in diameter and about 3 1/2 ' tall with 6' high scapes. Elatior - solid colored parent of Victory... same kind of structure, same tall scapes Abba Dabba Do is good, too. Krossa Regal and Regal Splendor are also tallish, sculptural. I'd get an Earth Angel started nearer the front - gets large in diameter, but stays lower than other mounds of its diameter. Guardian Angel, too... And I'd skip the daylilies, but don't forget there are some other great shade plants that can enhance the hostas... I understand the reluctance to plant spreaders, like the big ostrich ferns... but Maidenhair ferns always get great comments in my garden... and a section of Japanese Painted or the newer silver hybrids can really create a glow in the shade. I like Rodgersia - almost obnoxious in the huge compound leaves, often with reddish tinge... and Kirengeshoma - Korean Waxbells. Tallish, almost maple-shaped leaves that get a waxy bloom in spring and fall go great with hostas...contrasting colors and shapes... and ornamental yellow flowers. And red cimicifugas... for this place, I'd want the taller varieties...

I live in Phoenix & I haven't ever had any probs with them. Granted, I have not bought anything big from them though. The one in MoonValley (on 7th Street in Phoenix) is one I used to go to alot, they had two there (same family, but seperate owners). One had a great pond area! Is Summerwinds still around? I know they had a shop near Arrowhead, and a few other locations, I liked them too.

Larry, thanks! I'm trying to figure out growing sweet potatoes in our clay soil. Next year, we're planning on growing things in the Survivalist Garden that don't require canning. Sweet potatoes are on the list. We've talked before about how we interchange sweet potatoes for winter squash in recipes. Becau se winter squash/pumpkins are so difficult here (dumb squash bugs!) sweet potatoes could be a great alternative. It's something we would use....and that is important to me. I like to grow what we'll truly eat. And can what we'll truly eat. I worry about our soil, though. I'm really looking forward to next year. I'm finally going to work on some garden things that I've been putting off for awhile. We have a ton of beans and diced tomatoes in the pantry, so we won't need to can any of that next year. We're just not eating as much of those things right now with it just being the two of us. We don't make a lot of pasta sauces or soups and chilies any longer. We will do some.... but it's different without our son here. He could eat a LOT. I always feel like I need to say.... If food becomes scarce, plans will change of course. Although, honestly, we would probably focus on growing meat. I've been very privileged to enjoy a vegetarian lifestyle.... but if things ever got bad, meat has calories and whatnot. I just finished up getting everything/one ready for our trip. It's been a crazy day with work, watering for two hours, and getting the animals situated. Oh, and packing. And texting with all the various parties. Daughter and son-in-law went a day early, so they're already there. Got the rental car and checked into the Airbnb. Ethan's gf's family is very different from our family. We are planners and....they're not so much. Hopefully everything will go smoothly. It's gonna be hot and dry for the rest of the week, so hopefully the deep watering today will sustain everything until I can water again in a few days. Kim, there were several grasshoppers out here. They weren't as active, but they're around. I planted pansies last night. It was fun. The Vego beds are ready to start adding cardboard and compost items. The Greenstalk is still sitting empty. It will keep until next year. I love October and want to fully enjoy it again someday.