Nick and I are going to hit it today too. He wants a new CP and then he wants to to go to Hollywood Studios, LOL, but he's still just 10. Did anyone get anything good? Was anyone selling carnivores? Last year at all the plant sales I bought gingers for under the Oak and Chinese Lantern tree on the border of my garden. While I was in India the neighbor cut down the Lantern tree and trimmed back the oak severly well over my yard. I probably had $300 worth of gingers under it that are all going white with sunburn. That was my only safe spot to grow them. But I don't want another 'enemy' neighbor. I already don't get along with my south neighbor. when he move in (we live in a circle cul-de-sac) he didn't know where the property line was and he cut down all of my plants in a flower bed including a papaya, a bay leaf, and a bougie. Then he argued about the property line! Like it had magically moved just because he moved in. Oh well.

Human pollination of Heliconia is a very new and relatively unexplored field. I only know of a few people that have even tried. They were attempting (unsuccessfully) to do hybrids though. I would imagine they are similar to gingers in that early morning pollination is a must. I'd also suspect that you'll have to rip apart the flowers to better pollinate them. You aren't going to get too many, if any, people chiming in with real world tips, so experimenting is a must. It can be done of course, so have at it. Tim Chapman

Would you trade a couple of white butterfly gingers for a Red Russian Canna? or one of the others? Contact me at gwat1@swbell.net Thanks!

Without a photo it is hard but I suspect it is Augusta Red Holiday. Does it have some white on the flower. If not then it may be Jamaican Dwarf. See my photo album and it may be there. Ian Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket album