I don't really get pest issues from taking plants outside (unless it's something that's REALLY pest prone. Hi, you stupid A. Squarrosa*. Fortunately, none of the aphids or whiteflies this thing got ever spread). The high humidity outside keeps mites in check. Scale and mealies... I don't see those much around here, and bringing those in on and infested plant from the store is far more likely. I DO tend to get a lot of spiders. I stopped caring about bringing those in with me, so a fringe benefit of growing plants has been that my arachnophobia has improved a lot. Anyway, I'm moving to an apartment next year for gradschool. No dorm means no going home for the summer means no putting plants outside. I think I'll be okay for the most part, except for a few things: * Delonix regia - This doesn't really make a good houseplant, and it's pretty much deciduous. It's actually stayed more-or-less in-leaf this year, but it needs to be outside to get properly leafy. * A. Squarrosa - This doesn't seem to make a good plant indoors or out, although outside it actually grows beyond just replacing old leaves. * Blechnum gibbum - Way too dry for these indoors. It seems perfectly capable of surviving half the year in a fairly brown-and-crispy state, but it *needs* summers outdoors. I might have to set up a humidity tent for it or something. * Pineapples - A little too dry indoors for them, and they need full sun to really grow. Also they're sort of huge. * Key lime - It doesn't grow well indoors. It does okay and won't die, but it just does better outside.

The old varieties are still around. Most of the better nurseries still handle the "old varieties". Any flowering plant is going to be a little harder to grow in the shade. Some rhodies that do well in shade are: 'Boule de Neige' means "Ball of Snow" in French. As you might expect, the flowers are white, in perfect rounded trusses, and geometrically proportioned to the leaves. The habit is dome shaped. Leaves are matte green, and the plants constitution is tough and very hardy. It grows to a height of 4' and width of 5'. It even blooms well in deep shade. 'Elviira' rhododendron is very hardy. It grows to a height of 2' and width of 18" to 24". It grows well in shade. A very low growing rhododendron cultivar. Densely branched, it is covered with flower buds that are hardy to -30F and open bright red. From the group of Marjatta hybrids developed at the University of Helsinki, Finland. 'Nova Zembla' rhododendron has true hardiness in a red. A vigorous plant that has good foliage and will grow in more difficult areas. This hybrid exhibits some outstanding characteristics. Of course, hardiness tops the list. A nice looking contrast with other plants. Extremely showy, red flowers make a real display in the spring.. Dark red flowers in a ball-shaped cluster. Broad, bushy plant. Cold and heat tolerant and sun and shade tolerant. It grows to 5' tall and is hardy. 'P.J.M'. hybrid small leaved rhododendrons. The 'P.J.M.' group of rhododendrons are smaller, growing to a height of 3 to 5 feet tall. Form is rounded and the foliage is leathery and dark green until fall when it turns almost purplish. One of the reasons the 'P.J.M.' group is such a heavy flowerer is that the plant does not set seed. They are very hardy, among the hardiest and most shade tolerant rhododendrons. They include the following: * 'Black Satin' has a semi-erect habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, dark rose-pink flowers in mid-April. Fall and winter foliage is glossy and very dark purplish-black. * 'Counterpoint' is a deciduous shrub with a spreading, upright habit, and bears an abundance of showy, semi-double, vivid, bright pink flowers in mid-April. * 'Desmit' has a dense, mounding habit and bears an abundance of vivid, showy, pink flowers in early April. This cultivar has shown to be moderately resistant to sun scalding. * 'Elite' is a vigorous, tall grower and bears an abundance of vivid, showy, rich pink flowers in mid-April. * 'Henry's Red' has a broad, upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, deep red flowers beginning in mid-April. * 'Laurie' is a slow grower with a compact habit, bearing an abundance of showy, single to semi-double, very light pink flowers beginning in mid to late April. * 'Low Red Frilled' has a spreading, short, compact habit and bears an abundance of showy, frilled, vivid red flowers beginning in mid-April. * 'Marathon' is a deciduous cultivar with a semi-erect habit, and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, magenta flowers beginning in mid-April. * 'Molly Fordham' has a compact habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, white flowers beginning in early May. * 'Northern Rose' has a semi-upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, bright pink flowers beginning in mid-April. This rhododendron is the result of a cross between R. 'Waltham' and R. mucronulatum 'Cornell Pink.' It was first developed by Dr. Robert Ticknor. * 'Olga Mezzitt' is a vigorous grower with a spreading, upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, peach-pink flowers beginning in late April. * 'Regal' is a vigorous grower with a broad, spreading habit which bears an abundance of showy, vivid, light purplish-pink flowers beginning in mid-April. * 'Victor' is a slow grower with a compact habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, light purplish-pink flowers in early April. * 'Waltham' has a dense, mounding habit, to 3 feet tall and wide, and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, pink flowers beginning in mid-April. Leaf spotting occurs when exposed to full sun. * 'Weston's Pink Diamond' is a semi-evergreen shrub with a spreading, upright habit and bears an abundance of frilled, double, vivid, pink flowers in early April. * 'White Angel' is a semi-evergreen shrub with an upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, white flowers, which open from lavender buds, beginning in mid-April. 'Ramapo' is a good dwarf small leaved rhododendron. It grows approximately 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Flowers are bright violet-pink. 'Ramapo' is hardy to -25°F. Tolerates sun and shade.

It can survive outdoor conditions, specially in milder climates. Greenhouse forced azaleas are regularly transitioned outdoors here and in most cases, will fare far better planted outside than attempting to grow it as a houseplant. The process is not at all dissimilar to transitioning florist's or greenhouse hydrangeas to the landscape. Enjoy it for as long as you can indoors, providing bright light, a cool location and keeping the soil just moistened. If you intend to plant in California, once the blooming period is finished, acclimate it to the outdoors by placing it in a protected location (still in the pot) for a couple of weeks. Avoid any excessively cold temperatures - you may need to bring it in at night if low temperatures threaten. After this period, you can plant it out just as you would a nursery purchased plant - good drainage, organic, moisture retentive and acidic soil and with protection from hot afternoon sun. Make sure it gets enough but not too much water. IME, these forced azaleas may not bloom again for a season or two - they seem to need the time to get their normal bloom cycle back on track - but they should be able to grow and bloom just as a typical, nursery purchased azalea. Caveat: this process should work fine in milder zones - USDA 8 (perhaps 7) and up. I'd not guarantee similar success in colder climates.

Thanks. I wasn't even thinking that I would bring them outside for the summer since I really enjoy having them as houseplants in my dining room. These are actually grown from seed that I planted outside in my garden last June. In mid October, just before our first frost, I dug them out (about seven coleus plants in all) and brought them indoors. I may keep them inside for the summer but haven't thought it through yet. I'm curious to hear people's thoughts: are the pleasures of bringing house plants outside so you can see them when you're outside greater than the pleasures of seeing them in your own home? I might as well introduce the planter with two coleus in question: