Thanks for the very informative photos,Stephania. I did'nt know that there was so much variation in the Dyckia M-L species hybrids.They are really something,as are the frosty estevesii ones too.You were fortunate to have acquired them. Bob

Like everyone else, I accidentally let my broccoli go this spring and the bees loved the flowers. I felt bad having to eventually cut most of them back but my onions needed the sun. I thought the bees were going to attack me when I was cutting them but they decided to behave. I've found that the 2 best things for bees for me are salvia (those giant black and yellow ones love them) and Thai basil. Both seem to bloom all year but die heinously when the winter freeze comes. I've tried multiple varieties of salvia and the bees seem to like them equally, plus the blooms are striking. Thai basil blooms aren't nearly as spectacular, but the leaves taste like anise, so how can you go wrong with it? Oh wait. I also got a plant from Lukas Nursery whose flower looks like a white butterfly bush and smells like amaretto. No joke. You can smell it from like 30 feet away. It's awesome. I's called sweet almond verbena. Apparently it's hardy down to zone 8a. All I know is that it mocks the coldest nights in Lake Mary and seems to be perpetually in bloom.

Thank you one and all for your comments and compliments!! My co-workers really do appreciate my endeavors to make the coffee room "prettier" and a nice place to "escape to". At our recent staff party, we had to write compliments/comments about each of our co-workers (anonymous)for a game we played and I got a lot of "Martha Stewart" type ones! Luvs, there is faux ice chips in the bottom of the two tall vases. Thought it went with the icy looking crystal trees. DD

I own two Selaginella unicatas, or "Rainbow Moss." I don't grow mine indoors. They grow outdoors almost all year long. I live just on the border of zones 7 & 8, and I think they can grow in zone 6. But when it gets to be too cold outside, I move them into my unheated garage until it warms back up. They don't get any direct sunlight, but they do get very bright, indirect sunlight. During the summer, they turned several shades of red. Though I like them more when they're a more of a bluish green color. Also, during the scorching summer heat, I pretty much had to water them daily. If the soil dries out too much, I'll let them soak in this plastic bucket for about an hour or so. Just like the one is in this photo. I took this photo just before commenting on this post. I've never had any other Selaginellas. Though they all look rather interesting, the unicata "rainbow moss" is my favorite.