hey all, I am just glad I am not the guy that drank the guys drink roflmao I don't know why I only ended up with ONE star hibiscus. I planted so many seeds at the winter sowing. So many had shared the seeds with me and I hope I can pass it on to others. Yupp I just got done watering too a few minutes ago. But while I water, I also do a touch, talk and cleaning up of most plants lol. Brenda good thought...not long and it will be Halloween again. I don't know if I got the bloom wet in the morning when I first sprayed the leaves down. But a few pedals were a little deformed. I still loved it because it was my FIRST :-) Lucy

Ditto PM2's post + her words of welcome. I too sowed hardy hibiscus seeds via the winter sowing method. Germination was good and the plants put on plenty of new growth the first & second seasons altho' they've not bloomed so far. I'm guessing the unusual winter weather of the past couple cold seasons may have factored in but can't say I've worried about it. From what I've observed, winter sown perennials, trees & shrubs are incredibly healthy & robust. I've also grown apple & pear trees from seed via winter sowing for a neighbor who was a doubting thomas until I gave him 4 apple & 10 pear tree seedlings. The dogwood trees I grew from seed are already 3 ft. tall. Winter sowing replicates what Mother Nature has been doing on the planet for millions of years & combines it with responsible recycling--everybody wins. I would suggest you invest in one or two good gardening books that'll give you some ideas & suggestions. Another suggestion would be for you to check out some older threads on the WS forum to get an idea of what we're talking about--lots of pics on some of them. Oh, and in case you're wondering, WS is a USDA-approved method of growing from seed.

Some great information on this thread. I am in the SF Bay Area, USDA zone 10a (according to the maps) or Sunset zone 16. Recently I've become interested in tropical and subtropical plants, and which species I might be able to grow in my yard. I do have some questions about the USDA zones though, I know they go by average low temperatures instead of extreme lows, so by that definition my zone should be 11, not 10a, because all the climate information I can find says that the lowest average temperature here is 40 degrees (December 28th through January 1st are statistically the coldest days of the year). Yet zone 10a is for average low temperatures between 30-35 degrees - which zone am I in? Temperatures in the mid- to upper-30s aren't uncommon at all here in the winter when cooler systems pass through, but drops into the 20s happen maybe 1-3 times a year. The lowest temperature I have recorded at my house is 27 degrees, and we have had snow once (about an inch or less) on one occasion in the past decade, that was sort of a freak incident. This is all pretty typical for Sunset zone 16, which I feel is a much better description of my area than USDA zone 10a. Using the Sunset zones is difficult though, because none of the nurseries here use them, and because they mainly describe where a plant grows best, not where it just grows. So now I'm left wondering what I can get away with in my area... As mentioned above, mature Strelitzia reginae is not an uncommon sight here in the Bay Area. Maybe it's not as common as in LA, but it's definitely here. I actually just planted one in my yard today, and I'm anxious to see how it does. I fully expect it to get a bit of frost damage in the winter, but that doesn't bother me at all as long as the plant itself lives. I was also considering putting a Dwarf Cavendish Banana in the same spot, but decided against it because they are apparently not as cold hardy, and that particular location can get a bit windy. I am interested in planting more subtropicals/hardy tropicals in my yard if I can. I know there are some particularly cold hardy bananas, so I'm going to look into those. Has anyone had success growing Passionfruit in the Bay Area? I love vines and particularly the flowers of Passiflora. I am also considering putting a Pineapple Guava if I can find a good place, since it would be nice to have something that bears fruit (I have a couple nectarine trees, but none of their fruits mature because of peach leaf curl that I can't get rid of).

Hi Ronnie, I could try a Canna bulb if you have an extra. Thanks! I got some photos before the rains that are promised to start later on in the day. Here is Salvia leucantha, which has a common name of Mexican Bush Sage, or even more appropriately Velvet Sage. It flowers late in the summer and is one for folks who like fuzzy flowers. I got this plant as a 2 inch herb transplant and it now is maybe 4 feet tall and maybe that dimension wide. Here it is, a little closer. We have a Chrysanthemum I got in a plant trade years ago, growing in a container on the deck. It is good to have these other plants about since late in the summer the JMG vines are pretty much over. This neon pink zinnia grew out of a pollinator seed mix. I will have to save seeds from it if the birds don't get them first. This Salvia guaranitica is a fave nectar source for our hummingbirds. It is winter hardy in Delaware. Alas, the hummingbirds are not, and have gone south for the winter now. My daughter, Rachel, grew a couple zinnias, Candycane and also Green Envy, which has flowers that made nice yellow rather than green. Feel free to post photos of your own plants. Have a nice day. Joseph