Though -- as has been pointed out -- this is an ancient thread resurrected by some post necromancy spell, I'll respond. @s8us89ds The OP had expressed an interest in plants <u>native to Maryland</u>. This, then, would translate to winter hardy/temperate plants. Perennial plants native to the northern regions require a cold winter dormancy -- even the evergreens. It is not merely a matter of utilizing "indoor grow lights". It is more a matter of providing the freezing or near freezing temps these plants require to go and remain in a dormant state for 3-6 months of the year. Without it, they decline and die. This makes them unsuitable as houseplants as there is no practical way to provide them with such conditions indoors. (Even bonsai trees -- if species from the "Great White North" are used -- MUST be given a cold dormancy.) Now perhaps it might be possible to selectively breed for a lack of dormancy. However, such a program would take years to bear fruit (so to speak) and would likely result in plants which would not go dormant when reintroduced to outdoor life. This would nullify their usefulness as a way to replenish outdoor natives. Finally, most live plants simply do not work well in vivariums long term. Providing conditions the plant require to thrive (not merely survive) whilst simultaneously providing the correct conditions for animals is surprisingly difficult. Furthermore, animals typically beat the heck out of live plants in the confines of a terrarium in short order. (Think how quickly the grass in one's yard gets killed off in certain spots because of all the foot traffic.)

There are many, many people who love to watch butterflies as they flit through the air slowly and gracefully. If you never have, you certainly should! Butterflies provide beauty in an often ugly world. They give us insight into the world of nature and how wonderful and complex it is. But the butterfly is much more than that. Butterflies are some of the most beautiful and interesting creatures on Earth. A butterfly garden is an easy way to see more butterflies and to help them, since many natural butterfly habitats have been lost to human activities like building homes, roads and farms. It is easy to increase the number and variety of butterflies in your yard. Creating a butterfly garden should start with some serious research to learn which kinds of butterflies are native to your area. You can learn that from this book âÂÂAttract Butterflies To Your GardenâÂÂ. Here are some points you should focus: A. Make a list of all of the different kinds of butterflies you would like to attract, and then learn which flowers and plants they both feed on and lay eggs on. B. Plant the âÂÂButterfly Host Plantsâ to lay their eggs on. C. You can add some butterfly garden accessories like a Butterfly House, which has slots the ideal size for keeping birds out while giving butterflies protection from the wind and weather, and are beautiful garden decorations. You could offer an additional nectar source close by to supplement your flowers. D. Once you have designed and started your butterfly garden, you can be proud that you have made a habitat for butterflies in your own yard, which helps with the conservation of the many species of quickly disappearing butterflies today. You will certainly want to place your favorite outdoor furniture near so that you can enjoy all of your visitors day after day. Here is a link that might be useful: Attract Butterflies To Your Garden

Socks, I chuckeled when reading your post to Millet.. Why is it people from warm climates find it impossible for us in cold climates to grow citrus/tropicals? I have heard/seen comments on several forums.. I live in IL, a burb near the Windy City, and have tropicals galore growing in my house and a small gh..The gh is basically new, 4 yrs this winter. But I've been growing tropicals more like 24 yrs, including 20+ citrus, vanilla, orchids, calatheas, gardenias, hibiscus, palms, etc, etc.. There are people as far north as Canada who are now experimenting growing palms, 'outdoor' yr round..One guy in Chicago, (palm forum) planted a Windmill Palm last summer and it's doing fine even after a cold winter outdoors. With proper conditions, even if one doesn't grow plants in a gh, plants will thrive, flower and fruit. Many here on the citrus forum are from Wi and grow citrus..So, it's not imossible, just added work involved..(S) Toni

I found out that they are going to raffle off the hypertufa creations, the rain barrel, and a few other donated items. Oh, and there are also going to be boxed lunches available, which is great because going out for a bite would be very cold work this weekend!