Thanks, Tapla, (is it Al? seems so informal to my British sensibilities.. ;-) Yes, wouldn't have thought of red clay drainage probs without your postings I've read. Eternally grateful. And yes, (S)praying mantises did make me smile. Husband has actually taken portraits of them. More than of me, recently....would post but can't be bothered to work out how, and photos are somehow intrusive on this site, don't know why but I feel it instinctively. Which reminds me, I obtained info on green vitriol from a 19C publication called "New England Farmer" via the Web - obviously can't download here - but it's fascinating - any way of getting it to you without retyping? Have completely forget which web link. Useless woman I am. Biggest guerrilla warfare stuff on red spider mites is on brugmansia site, btw. Note to self: don't grow brugs.

Hello, yours is pretty old post, not sure if you are still following it. Yes, I have snake gourd seed i can trade. I am not sure if i want gongura. I bought some gongura leaves with stalks from market. The stalks produce a slimy secretion which i did not like. Also, the sourness of gongura leaves is only very slight and not sure if it is worth making a chutani out of it. Am I missing something? Now, the seeds or cuttings I would consider to get in trade: Neem seeds, Moringa tree cuttings or seed. I am in Texas. Thanks.

This is a common problem reported by many folks this year and it is weather related due to the intermittent cool periods we have most all been going through. It has even more effect on container plants. Just the breaks of the game some years and patience is required this year. "I was told by someone to cut a number of branches off with flowers a couple weeks ago. I took some off--don't know if that helped to get them ripening. " Also several discussions here about this old wives tale. Doesn't work. While thinning out some blooms on a flower cluster may get you a few slightly larger fruit on that cluster removing whole clusters just gets you less fruit. It has no effect on ripening the already existing fruit. Ripening is dictated by weather and varietal genetics. The only documented way to increase ripening speed, and then only minimally, is what is called root pruning. It throws the plant into stress and supposedly encourages it to ripen the existing fruit. But there is also an apparent decline in quality. Just hang in there and if the weather cooperates you'll get your ripe fruit although I do suggest that it is past time to quit feeding them as that only encourages more new growth. Dave

Judging by the bed, you've made a great start. That's a good shade of red. I think the addition of the taupe/beige is important -- red and taupe always look very French to me -- and I think if the green you use is a very dark green, and then used very sparingly, it will work. Where else in the room were you thinking of adding/using red and green?