Flax lily is Dianella tasmanica, so no, not a phormium at all. It's not even in the same plant family :-) It is a member of the lily family and only resembles a grass with its wide, iris-like blades. Produces blue flowers followed by interesting, large blue seed pods. It is pretty slow growing and the variegated form never reaches very impressive proportions. If planted in full sun, make sure that the soil is well-draining yet moisture retentive. This is plant that prefers part shade and subject to scorch on the white portions if in too much sun.

Not nasty at all! Under the best of circumstances, it's tough to translate the soft-focus picture in your mind to the real world of which plant, which specific variety, how far apart, what to put next to it.... But when you have a lot of other people encroaching on your space, especially people who don't share your vision or your landscape "values" -- that's got to be really frustrating! And it sounds like you have a lot of space to deal with. In the time it takes to get shrubs and trees established, could you put in some hardscape features that would "guide" people where to walk and not walk? (And not park or drive!) Things like some fences, gravel paths, stepping stones. Maybe you could put in some raised berms, mounding up the soil into large curving beds to shelter your area. (The berms have an added benefit of bending the wind a bit and giving you some protected areas.) With a space that large, and with so much to choose from, perhaps you could get a landscaper to come out and work with you to develop a plan. I don't know how much that costs, but I know both my cousin and my sister made the investment and have never regretted it. It's like a multi-year plan; they buy the plants and put them in as they go, but the landscaper has drawn up the blueprint for them to follow. I don't know how your husband is, and I hate to make generalizations, but most of the men I know who aren't gardeners themselves seem to respond well to written plans and diagrams. It's one thing to tell them "I need 6' for these trees to grow up in" -- and another for them to see on the blueprint that the ultimate spread of this shrub goes right to the step, or to the fence line or whatever. (My mother insists that women are much better at visualizing than men, that's why they need the diagrams.) You may be able to co-opt him to put in some of the hardscape features. Maybe building trellises or arbors or pergolas, or excavating and laying gravel paths. That gives him a vested interest in protecting the gardens and keeping his family literally on the paths! Good luck. Building gardens takes a long time and it sounds like you're being pressed on all sides. Carve yourself a little space and dream big.

It takes a little time for plants to become acclimated to brighter light. It should do better now that it's in that bright, indirect light. Mine gets direct sunlight from morning up until around noon, but I had to give my Peace Lily time to adjust to this bright light. For the rest of the day, it gets dappled sunlight that filters down through the trees. Tho, when Summer gets here, I plan on moving it back to receive dappled sunlight for most of the day, as the sunlight becomes more intense. Since it receives this much light, I never let its soil go dry. But on the other hand, its soil never stays too soggy either. The roots still have plenty of access to fresh air, which is vital for keeping your plants happy and healthy. Plants need access to sufficient sunlight to produce their own food. When plants are kept in low light environments, they can no longer feed themselves through photosynthesis and start to suffer. Everything you'll ever need to know about properly growing Peace Lilies can be found over on the Exotic Rainforest's website... Caring for Spathiphyllum Species and hybrids. Growing a "Peace Lily." It's the only source of information I go by, and my Peace Lilies have never been happier. I used to have all kinds of trouble keeping these plants alive, making all of the typical mistakes. So I stopped buying them because I got tired of unintentionally killing them. But once I finally understood how they grow in their natural habitat, properly caring for them has never been easier. :)

Dorion: so would 60% potting soil and 40% peat be advisable? Should I stick in alittle KOW in the mix? (Would sprinkling in Osmocote at bottomish be ill advised? It's the one for flowers, as I recall.) Or should I just keep in the same pot it's in for now, altho won't it become root bound? My alternative is re-potting in a 5lb empty paint bucket or 7lb black plastic pot. Nicholsworth: Reason why wanting to leave in a container: for one, we are heading into hurricane season. Last yr my property turned into a Lake with flooding inside cottage. Very bad. I know Cannas can tolerate water, but.... And 2ndly, Not sure where to locate the Canna outside. Have many large old trees shading most of my yard. Trying to take pics at different times of the day to see where any and when there is sun coming thru, as well prefer where it would be up against my siding of house or a fence. If I keep in a container, I can move if deciding it's not the right place. I'm in AWE of Cannas.