camp, I didn't realize it either until researching online and on gardenweb. "What are these cabbage lopers of which you speak?" (what the heck is a loper?) ... OHHHHHH, those gross lil green caterpillars I keep seeing. Gotcha! This has been fun to read everyone's input. There are too many gems to point them out individually, but I've learned that not only are garden bloggers really nice and helpful (per thyme2garden) but they are pretty funny, too! It's too bad I try to share the humor with my non-gardening friends and family ... (um, ok, everyone not on here!) and they give me the blank "I don't get it," stare. Such is life. I highly recommend the archived "so you want to grow a gardenia" thread... I read that a few months ago and was CRYING it was so funny. (I didn't even know what a gardenia WAS until that thread.) And it has given me the courage to venture into growing flowers this coming year ... once I make the lasagna beds this fall for spring ... and build a few more trellises ... and flip my compost ... and ask the restaurant down the street for coffee grounds ... and.. and.. and.. :P Oh, btw. The tomatoes are starting (in case anyone was troubled by my plethora of non-ripening tomatoes.) ... The gardening gods like me (at the moment ;) ). Thanks again everyone for sharing - Veronica

Hello Orchid Friends, Here up date on my first time rebloom Miltoniposis I got last year. They are doing very well. But unfortunately the milt I had it re bloomed for me last year for the first time and it was very beautiful. This year, it gave me 3 spikes with good buds but never opened. Buds grew to be mature but though they were trying to open but couldn't. I am thinking it might be too hot for it in the sun room? If some of you'd remembered, I just have this sun room for first summer and it is a very hot summer. Some days, it goes up to 36 degrees in there. But my yellow and pink milts buds opened nicely and the heat doesn't seem to bother them. Even that, I brought all my milts back in my living room. Here's the picture of my poor other milt. Do you have any suggestion for me to keep it alive and doing well again for me? Thank you! As today, these (yellow & Pink) are fully opened. Very healthy looking. Tanie

Thanks Claire! I knew it was doing much better when I saw the offsets it was forming at the base, but the flowers were such a surprise! A miracle as diggingthedirt said! So I'm not the only one who considers bonsai treatment torture? Starve them, severely root prune them, twist them. Ouch. diggingthedirt, Years and years (and years) ago I had a cacti collection in tiny pots in my first apartment. And then I got a puppy. Came home one day to find inches of soil all over the floor and almost no plants left. Puppy "separation anxiety", sigh. That combined with my husband's belief that my cacti attacked him... I only have this one cactus now (and my husband complained it 'bit' him just the other day). But I did have a Stapelia bloom in a sunny window and I'll never forget it. Noticed what seemed like large turnips emerging from the plant which then opened to starfish-shaped, hairy flowers with wavy purple stripes. --And it didn't smell too bad either! Bill, Bill! You've listed plants that I would love to grow but I have trouble with. Lewisia for one. I did keep a young one alive through last Winter and it flowered in the Spring, but I'm not sure it's still there. And I wouldn't have thought of combining lavender with Delosperma (I have some tiny, tiny ice plant seeds), but lavender does like it hot and dry. Maybe I could plant 'Arp' rosemary there too! I will be starting a sun garden this year and would love to have a section for a xeric garden. Opuntias may be in my future!

1. Please tell us a little about your gardening style, if you garden for sun, shade, water(pond), or other. ** I HAVE SUN AND SHADE, WOULD LOVE FOR A POND BUT DONT HAVE THE SPACE** 2. What type of plants do you have for trade? ** I AM NEW AT THE GARDENING THING SO I DONT HAVE ANY PLANTS, I HAVE ALOT OF SEEDS AND IM ALWAYS COLLECTING MORE** 3. What types of plants are you looking to add to you gardens? ** ANYTHING THAT IS VIBRANT, COLORFUL AND UNIQUE.** 4. Do you grow from seed? **ABSOLUTLEY, ACTUALLY ALMOST EVERYTHING I HAVE IS FROM SEED** 5. Do you grow vegetables as well as flowering plants? ** NOT ALOT BUT I WILL TRY A FEW THIS YEAR, ID LOVE TO GROW PUMPKINS FOR MY KIDS BUT DONT HAVE THE ROOM.** 6. Is there a particular type plant you are looking for? **ANYTHING COLORFUL AND UNIQUE, ID LOVE TO SEE IF I COULD GROW ORCHIDS AND THAT BEAUTIFUL CHRISMA AMRYILLIS SUE HAS ON COMMENTS.** 7. Is there a particular type of plant that you do not care to receive? **NOTHING INVASIVE, NOTHING THAT CLIMBS, NOTHING THAT ATTRACTS ALOT OF BEES, NO HOSTAS.** 8. Are you into houseplants? **SOME, I LOVE ORCHIDS.** 9. Outside of gardening, do you collect anything special? **PRECIOUS MOMENTS FIGURES, ANGELS, BUTTERFLIES, PHOTO FRAMES OF ANY KIND.** 10. Do you like garden junk/decor? **SOME THINGS, DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS AND HOW BIG IT IS** 11. Tell us a little bit about your family - are you married, children/grandchildren? at home? ** I AM ENGAGED IVE BEEN WITH MY FIANCE FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS, WE HAVE 2 CHILDREN-- A GIRL (ANGEL)-4YRS OLD, & A BOY (CAMERON)-ALSO 4YRS OLD. NONE TOGETHER YET BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL FOR ONE OR TWO IN THE FUTURE!!** 12. Any pets? **WE HAVE AN AWESOME KITTY-(CUDDLEBUG) 1YR OLD, WE RESCUED HIM FROM AN ABUSIVE HOUSEAND A TURTLE WITH 3 LEGS WE FOUND ON A NATURE WALK AT OUR OLD HOME (MOMMA)- AGE UNKNOWN.** 13. Aside from gardening, share a little bit about your hobbies.** I LOVE SCRAPBOOKING AND CRAFTS. PHOTOS OF FAMILY AND MEMORIES ARE MY LIFE!! I LOVE TO TAKE OUR KIDS TO HOME DEPOT ON SATURDAYS, THEY HAVE A WORKSHOP WHERE THE KIDS GET TO BUILD THINGS SO WE DO THAT TOGETHER. ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH FUN AND MY FAMILY IM IN!! ** 14. Types of books/mags you enjoy? **ANY KIND HOME IMPROVEMENT, CRAFTING, BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, RECIPIES, MARTHA STEWART, ETC. ** 15. What colors are your kitchen? **ITS NOT MY KITCHEN BUT THE ONE I HAD WAS BUTTERFLIES AND PASTELS. ** 16. What is your favorite scent(s)? ** I LOVE LILAC, LAVANDER, SOFT FLORALS, FRUITY, BODY BY VICTORIA & VERY SEXY ARE MY FAVORITE PERFUMES ** 17. Do you enjoy receiving food? Coffee, Tea? Any restrictions? ** I LOVE TEA OF ALL KINDS EXCEPT PEACH, NO COFFEE AND NO CHOCOLATE, LOVE ANYTHING STRAWBERRY. ** 18. What size gloves do you wear? ** SMALL** 19. Finally, share with us a little bit about yourself... ** I AM 31, IVE BEEN WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE/SOULMATE FOR 4 YRS NOW, WE WERE WELL ON OUR WAY TO STARTIING OUR LIVES, WE OWNED OUR OWN COMPANY, NEW HOME, GREAT KIDS & TRYING FOR ONE TOGETHER, THEN THE ECONOMY FELL AND WE LOST OUR COMPANY AND OUR HOME. SO WE NOW LIVE WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, WE ARE TRYING TO GET OURSELVES BACK UP ON OUR FEET AND START OUR BUSINESS AGAIN, ITS VERY HARD STARTING FROM SCRATCH AGAIN BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAS HAPPENED WE HAVENT LOST OUR FAITH IN THE LORD AND THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME DOING THINGS WITH MY FAMILY AND TRYING TO BE THE BEST MOMMY AND COMPANION I CAN BE. I TRY TO RAISE MY KIDS WITH GOOD MORALS AND VALUES AND TRY TO DO BETTER FOR MY KIDS THEN I HAD. I AM TRULY BLESSED BY THE LORD TO HAVE SUCH A TERRIFIC FAMILY AND I THANK HIM EVERYDAY FOR THE WONDERFUL LIFE HE HAS BESTOED UPON ME!!! **