Jim: It is an alofolia. "our Cordyline may be C.australis possibly red star." No i have a red star. the red star has wider leaf margins and red leaves. I found this one mixed in with green ones at a local nursery. All of my cordylines are red stars. I'll contact you about the trade. novaplantguy_z7b_8a: i'm in a very wet and cold zone 7a tropicalzone7: i don't plan on overwintering the red one outside. I will dig them out. I sold 3 dioones but i decided to keep them because they looked so cool in a row loveplants2 The NIP is not cold tolerant. I use this big one as my christmas tree then i keep it in a frost free garage jaynboro: yes i got a good deal on a lot of levels :D

petrushka: Thanks! I installed it and maintain it by myself to save $- I planted most of this summer 2012. It was a lot of work initially digging out the grass for the planting beds and getting all the plants in the ground. The dirt in my yard ended up being pretty decent- mostly loose, sandy loam- so I got really lucky with that. Maintaining it isn't too bad, but I enjoy it haha. I probably spend an average of 30 mins-1hr a day working in the yard. I tried a new fertilizer this year that I read about on this forum- Milorganite. It is a high nitrogen lawn fertilizer and I had AWESOME results with it. My elephant ears got way bigger than they ever have, so did my cannas (without sacrificing blooms). Be careful if you have dogs though, mine always try to eat it- It isn't toxic but will definitely make them vomit. When we are short on rain it does take me a while to water, but soaker hoses really help out with that. About 75% of the plants stay in the ground over the winter with just a few inches to a foot of extra mulch on top- incl all the cannas, most of the elephant ears, and about half of the bananas. Both bird of paradises and the other true tropicals ("houseplants") live in my spare bedroom over the winter which has 1 west facing window. I keep them on the dry side- they don't really grow over the winter and some look rough come spring but they bounce back quickly. A few are stored dormant/partially dormant either bare root or potted in the garage with 1 east facing window and stays about 45-50 degrees, incl hibiscus, some bananas (maurelii, zebrina, siam ruby), and some elephant ears (black magic, borneo giant, odora). If you have a question about overwintering a specific variety let me know and I can share what has worked for me! I know everyone has different methods.

We took Tauck which was recently named the top river cruise tour by travel and leisure mag. This was our 6th tour with them...they spoil you for anyone else. You will always see both shores and the boat is so smooth...about the only time we felt any motion was when they were going sideways to dock. Far less bumpy than driving. We talked with others about Viking, and while they are initially cheaper, they have so many add ons (you pay for side trips and tips, etc.) that by the time you're done, I don't think you're better off. Further, they pack more people on the same size boat so their cabins are smaller. And Tauck always does exclusives that no other tour company can do...like dinner on castle hill in prague with a private tour of the museum, or dinner at the palais palivicini, which is open only to Tauck. I have no interest in a big cruise ship at all, but this was a great way to travel.

I looked at the shore excursions available at the ports you'll be stopping at, and here are my suggestions: Hilo: I wouldn't book any activities in the Hilo area until you get there, as it will probably be raining (at least in the morning). I'd skip the Volcanoes National Park, unless there is lava flowing. Otherwise, there's not much to see. Thurston Lava Tube is interesting if you've never been in a cave, but it's only a few hundred yards long (if you take a flashlight, you can go another 1000 feet). Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Pe'epe'e Falls are nice--I was there in 1993, all in the same day. Kona: I've not been to Place of Refuge, St. Benedict's church, Parker Ranch, or any coffee farms, so I can't give an opinion on any of them. While in Kona, I'd probably go snorkeling or on some kind of boat trip. Deep sea fishing is good there, if you like that sort of thing. We went fishing in 1993 and our boat caught two 60-pound striped marlin. If you go snorkeling on your own, try Captain Cook Monument, Honaunau, or Kahulu'u Beach Park. Honolulu: Honolulu is just a huge city that happens to be on the beach, so you'll probably want to get out of town. I recommend snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, which is not far from Honolulu. But you'll want to get there early if possible. We got there at 8:15 in the morning and there were still parking spots, but by 9:00 they were gone. The hike to the top of Diamond Head is tiring, but the view is great. The "famous" north shore is OK, but nothing spectacular. There will be people surfing most likely, but they are pretty far away. I haven't been to the Polynesian Cultural Center, but I'm sure you'll find lots of reviews and opinions on Tripadvisor. If you don't have enough time to drive very far, visit Pearl Harbor (I've never been there) and walk around the International Market Place. Kauai: The Waimea Canyon is spectacular! A helicopter ride would be a great way to see it, as it would take a while to drive there from port. I have kayaked up the Wailua River, (but not all the way to Fern Grotto) and I recommend that if you want physical activity. If you'll be on Kauai for a while and want to hike, I can recommend a couple trails. Snorkeling on Kauai is good in Poipu. Keep in mind that it may be rainy on Kauai, especially in the northern part of the island. Maui: Great views of the crater on Haleakala; definitely worth the trip. Iao Valley is real pretty, but I don't think I'd go there if I had only one day on Maui. The road to Hana is a nice (but very twisty) ride. We did not go all the way, as it takes a long time. Lots of waterfalls along the way. Maui has too many beautiful beaches to mention. You may want to spend your day just beach hopping. We went on a whale watching trip on Maui. It was fabulous! The whales (a mom and her calf) swam right under the boat! I'll never forget it! If you want to see whales, Maui is the best place, as they come closer to that island. I have found that Webshots is a great place to see photos of just about any tourist attraction, so do some searching there. I'm sure there are photos of all the popular waterfalls and beaches, as well as the volcanoes. Here is a link that might be useful: Webshots