Well, I resisted reading this thread as long as possible because my collection is supposed to be getting smaller. The current reframing - it's getting more refined. Like that? Not-so-clever rationalization for adding more plants BUT, they're different and almost all are lots smaller than previous ones. Blooming: - Bl. Richard Mueller, just purchased - Dendrobium ceraula (gonzalesii) - still blooming from 8/07, when it arrived - Dendrobium Mini-Snowflake (Den. aberrans x Den. johnsoniae), just purchased - Dendrobium moniliforme, Scented Moon - first moniliforme to rebloom under my care! - Doriopsisium Little Emma (Pixie Star 'Starry Night' x delicosa 'Tinkerbell'), blooming from purchase - Dtps. Kenneth Schubert 'Blue Angel' (Doritis pulcherrima x Phal. violacea), everblooming - Oncidium Twinkle 'White Cap' (Onc. cheirophorum x Onc. ornithorhynchum), 1st time reblooming under my care - Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fantasy,' 1st reblooming under my care - Paph Estella (fairrieanum x godefroyae leucochilum 'Cabernet Splash'), 1st reblooming under my care - Sl. Marriottiana (flava) (L. flava 'Clone 1' x Soph. coccinea flavum), just purchased In spike/sheath/bud: - Aerangis fastuosa - 1st Ang. in spike for 1st time under my care! - Baptistonia echinata, just purchased - Brassavola nodosa, var. grandiflora, 1st time in spike under my care - Chiloschista pygmeas - in the middle of sequential blooming for the first time under my care - Dendrobium aberrans, 1st time under my care, after skipping the last time - Dendrobium atroviolaceum ('Pygmy' x sib.), 1st time under my care - Dendrobium Himezakura 'Sanokku' (Den. Oberon x Den. Cassiope), 1st time, etc. - Dinema polybulbon, just purchased - Dtps. Sogo Gotris (Phal. Be Tris x Dtps. Sogo Manager), 1st time, etc. - Dtps. Sogo Melinda 'Caribbean Sunset' (Dtps. Autumn Leaves x Phil. Sogo Lit-Angel) - Masdevallia Celtic Frost (Angel Frost 'Orange Parfait' HCC/AOS x glandulosa 'Nemo') - 1st & only Masde spiking for 1st time under my care! - Phal. Baldans Kaleidoscope, peloric, budding from original spike when purchased in early Sept. - Phal. Cameo, aka Phal. Windsong's Sonnet 'Pine Ridge Peloric' (Zuma Poem x equestris) - Phal. Center Stage 'Pine Ridge Cockleshell' AM/AOS - Phal. Guadalupe Pineda (amboinensis 'Pisang Ambon' x bellina 'Whitey'), 1st time, etc. - Phal. I-Hsin Salmon 'Joy No. 3' (Princess Midas X Kuntrarti Rarashati) - Phal. javanica (KF#1 X KF#2), 1st time, etc. - Phal. parishii, 1st time, 2 spikes - Phal. Penang Girl âChing Reuyâ (Phal. violacea x Phal. venosa), 1st time, and I've had this sucker since 6/05. Thrilling! - Phal. schilleriana-stuartiana (schilleriana (2N from the Phillippines) x stuartiana 'Miami Beach'), just purchased - Phal. Summer Beach (Ken Peterson x Mama Cass) - Phal. Tetra Bell (bellina 'Star of Borneo' x tetraspis 'Snow White') - Phal NOID, white - Phal NOID, yellow, 2 spikes - Polystachya piersii - Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos' FCC/AOS (Butterfly x papilio) I didn't realize this many are spiking/blooming for the first time under my care. Exciting! Congrats to everyone - Whitecat8

yeah ... its part of my theory -- TO NOT KILL IT WITH TOO MUCH LOVE ... it probably should have been potted originally ... but you wanted it near.. so you left it potted too late.. then life got in the way.. and you tortured it all winter .... it should have been planted ASAP in spring.. but you wanted to keep it near... so its still not in mother earth ... etc... etc ... put it in the ground.. WHERE IT BELONGS .... and forget about it.. and odds are... it will surprise you .... whether that means it will live.. lol.. is left to the fates ... but you can quit feeling guilty about it all ... ken

I have a few of these planted along my west-facing alley where they get full sun and are seldom watered. Flowers can come as early as Thanksgiving and as late as Valentine's Day, but are most abundant in January. The rest of the year, they are handsom clumps of narrow-leaved grass -- a nice alternative to the more common Liriope. I've never had a slug problem, most likely because there are other things for them to eat in the shadier parts of my yard. I would love to get some more if anyone knows of a local source. The ones on Second and Spring caught my eye last winter when I was driving by. One of these days I'm going to get into a wreck! Happy New Year. Here is a link that might be useful: Jim's Plants on Artdish

I've posted quite a few pictures already this season, but here are some recent shots. Lots of red in my garden now. It's funny how I went from mostly orange bloomers, then to yellow, and now it's primarily red. It would be great if I could have a little of each color all season long. Crocosmia 'George Davidson' Blackberry Lily (seeds came from Skybird) Gazania 'Talent Red' (wintersown) Silene regia (wintersown in '09, I think) Penstemon pinifolius Daylily 'Santa's Gift' (came from Catladysgarden) Gaillardia 'Goblin' (I love how once these start blooming, they go all the way till first frost if deadheaded occasionally) Most of the daylilies are finishing up now, so is the Achillea, Golden Marguerite, and Butterfly Weed. July was definitely the peak of the bloom season, especially for the daylilies. This was their best year yet! Bonnie