Thank you Hazel, Dave, and Logan,Utah: Costco here brings in huge white birds that have been raised outside. Now that I know I can be successful with these plants indoors, I think I would gradually move the plant to a protected area for a bit, then inside so I don't send it into shock. I don't have coverings on my big windows as I love the sunlight that pours in, and there is plenty of it. Thank you so much for the info. Hazel, your fence is very attractive. Half of our fence blew over during a BIG wind storm. Suddenly we were looking at fence designs but found with some new posts we could salvage the fence. And Logan, Utah just have to say how beautiful I thought Logan was when I drove through with my youth group on our way to Montana for backpacking. I loved the whole valley laid out in front of us as we came over the 15 into Logan. Beautiful. Thanks all for your time. Mary

Hmmmm, Amy...a challenge. LOL OK, first thing you need to realize is that BOPs are native to South Africa, specifically a biodiversity hot spot that runs from CapeTown to Mozambique. Why is this important? Because the western part of this region is Mediterranean subtropical with wet mild winters and dry summers. Go up the coast a little bit and it turns to a warm-humid subtropical (like Florida). BOPs straddle this line, which is why they thrive in both types of climates. That being said, BOPs can be drought tolerant...they can also take summer rains (remember the northern part of their range), thus they are one of the few flowers that can be the official flower of Los Angeles and also be a symbol of the wet tropics. My experience is that they flower more (peaking near winter) in California than they do in wetter climates. So...the bottom line is that you can do either and it will work. BOPs prefer not to be soaked and can handle considerable dryness, but not bog conditions. They are equally at home with impatiens (water hungry) at their base, as well as xeriphytic plants such as aloes (same origin) and smaller succulents. Depends on whether SE Asia interests you more or the Palm Springs look. ;-) If you want SE Asia in your Zone 8 garden, you can go the annual route, BUT use indoor plants commonly available at big box retailers (go with the 4"). To replicate most Balinese/Thai tropical styles, go with a three-level planting with the BOP as a centerpiece. You can use things like pothos (grows like crazy until it gets cold), shorter bromeliads like vreisias, and peperomias (especially the variegated ones). To frame the BOP (especially since it's in plenty of shade, you can use anthuriums (the bigger, red flowered ones like "Florida" are typically tougher), crotons (from a 2-3 gal), and smaller ti plants. Also tuck in a fern or two...like maidenhair to green up the base. Despite their reputation, most tropical plants abhor constant wetness...deep water the area and wait until the soil dries on top. The only thing I might suggest is bumping up the humidity in the area on those really dry days with a mister (or small water feature). Again, the previous list must be treated like annuals where you live, but they'll definitely give you the SE Asia look that's common in Bali, Singapore, Bangkok and it won't hurt the pocketbook. I'd recommend orchid masses (in our case cymbidiums would have to substitute for the phalenopsis they use), but the leaves don't provide enough contrast to a BOP. You can also cheat a little bit with another South African plant that loves shade and flowers in the winter/early spring, clivia lilies. They are a little tougher and though you won't see these in Singapore, if you're BOP survives, this will too. Same with the old standby, agapanthus. Common, I know, but it will be in bloom when your BOP isn't, though light may be an issue. That's the wet look...I'm sure you can handle the dry since you know succulents, but you can't go wrong with smaller aloes (shade tolerant). Some of the blue-green senecios or lower growing sedums will give a nice contrast in color with the BOP leaves. Apple-green aeoniums in masses might look good too, as well as some of the echeverias. One good coffee table book for xeriphytic ideas is Desert Gardens. B&N or Borders will probably have it and it's full of great pics of succulent combos. I hope this helps, Amy. Good luck. spectre

Hi Guys -- Just saw a friend of mine plant what will eventually be the large bird of paradises in his backyard. The separate from wall to pavers is approximately 30 inches, like mine. He didn't seem to be concerned but I am afraid of what the roots will do over time to the wall, pavers. Do I have enough room to plant them here or should I opt for another tree? If so, any suggestions?

When too much water in the grow medium limits the availability of oxygen, it becomes very difficult for the plant to take up Ca, a nutrient essential to normal cell wall formation. When the cell walls later fail and its contents dry out, it leaves holes and tears in the leaves. Also, leaves that emerge when humidity is at or beyond the limits the plant is programmed to tolerate, the still closed leaves tend to stick to themselves, which also causes tears in the leaf. Necrotic leaf tips and margins are also symptoms consistent with but not exclusive to over-watering. I suggest you start using a "tell" to "tell" you when it's time to water instead of a finger check of the top inch or two of the soil and watering when it feels dry. That is widely given advice that will almost always lead to over-watering when pots are deeper than about 5". The only time it wouldn't be a recipe for over-watering would be when the grower understands the severe limitations imposed by over-watering and has adopted a strategy that takes it out of play. See "tell" below. Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al