I had no idea what you were talking about until Ladywindsurfer posted. I do have one Clivia miniata. It is a houseplant for me, although a pretty hardy and unusual* one. I place it outdoors after the last frost date and it stays out there until night temps drop into the 40s. In the winter I pretty much ignore it, not watering it much, if at all, until late March/April when it goes back outside. In summer I place it near the patio on the south side, but under a shade tree. In the winter it is on a shelf in a corner on the dark side of my kitchen. Originally I kept it in a closet over the winter, as the instructions tag told me to do (sort of like with Amaryllis), but I believe they underestimated the length of winter here. Inside it does better in low light and where I can check it and give it a smidge of water it if it gets bone dry along towards spring. I also like to watch the big round seed pods ripen and turn red over the winter. It usually blooms shortly after being put outside and then sets its seedpods. Leaves are thick and big and last for a long long time. *Unusual as a houseplant, not because it is rare, but because it flowers outside and the seedpods are what you see when it is a houseplant! P.S. mine is about 5 years old, never been repotted and I can't remember if I ever fertilized it, must do something about that and the repotting when I get around to it. LOL

Hi all I am planning on buying an Alphonso Mango tree. I wanted to know if it is better to keep the tree in a pot or plant it in the ground? I live in Katy. I know the trees planted in the ground are going to need winter protection. I know most of you have had past experiences with growing mangoes in Houston so just wanted to get your advice.

MANY THINGS.. THAT ARE LITERALLY... crikey ... growing.. IN A FENCE ... are carp plants.. planted by bird droppings ... when they sat on tyhe fence and deposited them ... odds are ... your instinct is right.. and they all should go ... personally.. it would be a summer job for me ... so in the mean time.. i would let them leaf out.. get the IDs .... and have at them ... however ... if your motivated now ... it will be much easier.. to simply get rid of them ... and then.. once its all cleaned up ... then design and plant your own future nightmare.. lol .. like we all did ... that bath tub or whatever ... i know a lot of gardeners who would die for that in there yard .. so much design potential ... heck.. you could even make a fish pond out of it with a pump ...and im just talking 10 cent goldfish ... be done with it.. clean it all out.. and by fall .. you will be happy with it all ... ken

Gorgeous and the first I have seen or heard of it. I too wonder why we don't see more of them. I wonder if they would like to live in Houston. We have crepe Myrtle every where here including in my yard, they are in full glorious bloom. I hate how some people have committed crepe murder by cutting them every year to disfigure them so they look so ugly. We were driving in an older area recently and not a single crepe Myrtle had been disfigured that way. They were some of the tallest most gorgeous trees I have seen. It was wonderful to see them as nature intended them to be. I don't know who the idiot was that began the mutilation but they deserve to have some trimming done on them. Mine are completely natural no hack job involved and I love them. That really is a beautiful tree is it near you?