"I can extrapolate somewhat from a website with information about growing a plant outdoors in Phoenix, AZ...". That could be me, I suppose. :-) You're right about that, no doubt. Indoor and outdoor gardening are entirely different sports, and I have no doubt that the indoor version is far more challenging.

The fig is integrally woven into the fabric of history. It has even found its way into unlikely words in the English language. Prolific, meaning plentiful or very productive comes from the root words "Proli" (many) "Ficus (figs). Sycophant, or someone who is a "bootlicker" or grovels before authority, means to "show the fig". According to one source, although there is another theory as well, sycophants were those individuals who turned in those who were illiegally exporting figs in ancient Greece. Condit, in his work "The Fig", p. 6, revealed some interesting details regarding the figs' symbolic significance in ancient times. "The Fig, an Emblem of Fertility; its Phallic Significance: In Oriental countries, according to AIGREMONT (1908), the fig is a symbol of fertility and of propagation. Among the Hellenes it was sacred to the sensuous, flabby, procreative god Dionysus, who, in order to keep his promise to Polyhymnos, placed a phallus of fig wood upon the latter's grave and preserved the promised favor for himself. The fig tree was in the vegetable world that which the swine was in the animal world, the most pronounced symbol of procreation and of fruit-bearing. Especially was the fig sacred to Priapus, in whom the phallic characteristics appeared most pronounced; images of this god were carved from fig wood. The phallus carried at many Dionysian festivals was also of fig wood. The fig became the tree of the phallic worshippers of India as well as of Italy where the people still use the gesture "fico", the thumb inserted between the two fingers. This prophylactic gesture, known in all Mediterranean fig districts, was once sexual in character, the thumb apparently being a symbol of the phallus. The French expression for it is "faire la figue"; the Italian, "far le fichi"; the Spanish, "hacer la higa"; the Portuguese, "dar huma figa". An early reference to this gesture is made in Dante's Inferno, Canto XXV, 1-3: "A la fine de le sue parole ii ladro Le mani alz~), con ambedue le fiche Gridando:Togli, Iddia, cha te le squadrol." The words "le fiche" appear in translation as in mockery. Amulets, or phallic symbols, made of ivory, bronze, porcelain, and other materials are worn in various countries. J. LEITE DE VASCONCELLOS (1925) gives an excellent account of these amulets and illustrates over threescore forms used in Portugal, Italy, and northern Europe (FIG. 1). Figs of sugar candy in the form of a phallus were once sold by peddlers at the autumn festival of a Shinto Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. (See F. S. KRAUSS, 1907.)" Merry Christmas to all of my fig friends, both here in America and in the lands across the sea as well!

oh my gosh,AVEDON, What a beautiful christmas tree. I didnt put my tree up this year for the very first time.I wanted to put it up but, the body is not co operateing with me very good most time, since that dr gave me too high of a dose of colesterol medicine.I had some bad side effects from it that is permenent damage,i think, since its been about 2 yrsI guess since I took it,and I still have most of the side effects, not as bad as it was oringinally, but, bad enough to stop me from digging in the gardens and going up and down steps.. course, I can dig with a hand trowel, to plant some thing.I usually find a way to do what I want to do, may take me twice as long to do some thing, but I get it done, I love that pink seedling, its gorgeous.I love them clump shots too. and hyperion is a beauty, isn't it, I have one in a 3 gal pot, may have to move it up to a 5 gal. mine looked just like yours back in the spring.he pink seedling named after your mom is gorgeous, too. Thank you for posting these gorgeous photos.I want spring to get here so badly, but, have to get this depressing winter out of the way first.It has been cold here for about 2 weeks, was some better today.Got dome more pretties to post? Jean

Happy holidays to everyone. I'm taking a break from my projects to start preparing for New Year's... So many of you have been so helpful and encouraging to me these last few months--and I'm looking forward to showing off some of the new decor to the houseful of guests for New Year's weekend!