Did you get a big frost gb? We've been having frost on roofs most of this past week. Yesterday we did get some ground frost but not a heavy one. The elephant ears got touched with frost so they're due to come out of the pots today. There is a surprising amount of things still green and 'on their feet' yet. The main chores for this weekend here are depotting the elephant ears and planting bulbs.

I think you're probably right, the radiant heat is giving it warmer night temps. Are you close to the bay? One of the problems with growing tropicals and subtropicals in the bay area is the night time temps. We do get lots of hot days, but usually when the sun goes down the fog comes in, and the temps can drop quite a lot. It's sure great for humans, nice for sleeping, but for citrus and tomatoes, it can slow them down I think. Not that they suffer really, but we don't usually get that kind of fast growth in the summer like they do in the the interior valley or down south with their warm nights. Also, it would radiate heat in the winter and probably help with those frosty nights. Good idea! By the way, how do you like your Yuzu? I love mine! I have two. Not a ton of juice, but it is heavenly! And the zest is amazing. I made Yuzu-cha, which is like a marmalade that you spoon into a cup of hot water to make tea. Delicious on a cold night! I don't know why they're not more popular with those in colder climates. They are very winter hardy. Supposedly they can survive down to 10*F. They bloom late too, so the flowers usually don't get frosted. Mine loses most of it's leaves in winter, and they pop right back with the spring. Wicked thorns though. I just snip the lower ones off on my dwarf tree. Tough tree and nice fruit, you folks in marginal citrus areas really should try them. And the fruit is really expensive in the stores, if you can even find it! Totally worth growing! (disclaimer; not my pics, found on-line)

Mine was new last October from Wade Gatton Nurseries. It has expanded this spring quite a bit, until it is covering the container. The container is about 12-15 inches across. Since it was about to go dormant last October, I guess this is its first year here, but I say 2nd since it went through a dormancy after arrival. You can get a feel for the size of it with the other hosta of the same order surrounding it. The only really BIG pot in the bunch is for White Knight, but all were field dug by Van Wade. So they have the possibility of achieving mature sizes quicker in my garden. In the spot where these are located, they get intense late afternoon sun.

Kathleen, Thank you for going to all that trouble. Please pass my thanks on to Susan as well. Turns out I have a couple of those plastic light reels! Never thought about converting them to Oscar decor. Only need to get a can of black paint. May already have a partially used one out in the garage. I liked the creator's idea of passing out boas to the woman and black ties to the men. One year I used pastel T-shirts with a bunch of old rhinestone jewelry for the woman and tux T-shirts for the men. Too expensive. I think the boa and bow tie idea is much more sensible and every bit as effective. Now my mind is made up. I'm giving a little Oscar Party next year. Again, thank you for going the extra mile. I've saved the pictures and notes from the blog as well as the pictures mo13 posted here.