Kerry - Thanks once again for a wonderful photo journey - As your mate says, there's more to life than just broms. What a botanical trip and what beautiful plant varieties there are when you look past the broms. Your pics brought back great memories of a trip my wife and I did up there some years back. I really think you and Stephania should consider joining forces and doing a photo book or a DVD on "The Wonders of Nature". Bromcrazy - We crossed the river and went on a day trip up "the dirt track" which all the protests were about when it was originally pushed through the rainforest. The driver of the 4X4 told us they now need a permanent maintenance crew to stop the rainforest from taking over the road again, so it didn't harm the environment all that much as the rainforest was right to the edge of the road when we went. However he did show us an area which was cleared and had a couple of rusty old VW vans covered in weeds and heaps of rusty cans and plastic bottles scattered around. Yes you've guessed it, that was the camp of the "professional protesters" and probably the only real damage to the environment. Don't get me wrong, I agree with reasonable protests against any threats to the environment, what I don't agree with is the "ratbag element" who get on the band waggon, cause environmental damage themselves and pretend to be protesters only to get genuinne protesters a bad name. Gee I feel better now that I've got all that off my chest. I will get down off my soap box now - All the best, Nev

I have been doing some research on the Ae Ae Banana, only because I want one soooo bad!!! Any way I found out that Ae Ae is a cultivar, just like Raji puri, ice cream, Praying Hands are also different cultivars. So what you have is a varigated form of whatever banana it is that is coming up varigated. That is not to say it is not valuable, just that it is not an Ae Ae. I hope I do not upset anyone by posting this, because that is not my intentions. Ariel

I agree that AP and heliconia Rostrata should not go dormant during the winter in their natural environment. But, my experience in growing them in a greenhouse in containers is that they slow down a lot and with regards to the heliconia, may only put out 2 or 3 leaves in the greenhouse from Dec. to March. That's not dormant but is very, very slow growth. Over watering is one of the biggest problems during the winter and I have killed a boat loan of heliconia by doing so. I now water no more than once a week. I killed two pots of Rostrata this winter by over watering and I've been container growing these plants for around 8 years and definitely know better. That's probably your problem. I would stop watering all together until you see new growth even though you might go two or three weeks before seeing new growth. Steve

Goodmorning Everybody ! :) I heard from my swappers last night...:))) Mariann I have a couple of surprizes for you...We love putting surprizes in our boxes Regina started it.. Chell you are so creative and your writing is so much fun to read... I bet the boys loved playing pirate.. I can see their smiling faces now...What a great idea to make a hideout.. They will always remeber their hideout mom made for them... Norma I havent traded with you but I am sure you went way above in sending her nice cuttings..I seen pics of what you send...They are awesome boxes..:)) Please dont be sad..:)) Regina howdy :) I am so sorry about Mark having to have surgery and the heart condition would just send me into heaven.. Wow I am so glad to read it all went well...Shooo My heart sank for a minute...He will be all healed for college this fall..:)) You empty nester dont go through what I went through...Stay busy and call them alot... I miss my kids so much it hurts sometimes... Dogs are okay but they cant replace our true babies...I love reading about chell and her boys... It makes me smile so much... Frances lol You poor gardener..ahhah You need a break from mother nature..Really..:)) Oh big snakes yucky... I would be screaming... I love chippies...They are so cute...Havent had many around with a cat now...Kiki has brought home two gardener snakes...He was very proud of himself... Yesterday I was getting ready to go out and play in the dirt...The crows or blackbirds were screaming...It just like a scene in the movie the "birds"... It creeped me out really bad...I couldnt see what they were yelling at.. I watched tv...Than got bored and went coleus shopping..lol The master gardener sale for the next county over is tommorow... I cant wait to see what they are going to be offering..I have never been to this one...Oh I almost forgot..I heard from the master gardener I met...Looks like we are building another gh..lol She wants to do it closer to fall since everyone is busy with their gardens...I am glad we could help her..They are a pain to build.. well I gabbed enough lol must be the strong coffee and I got a lot of sleep...:)) Have a good day everybody..Barb