Hi, I am intersted in trading with you. I have the dark,dark purple louisiana iris plants. I also have alot of tropical plants that you do not have on your list. I am interested in trading for your torch gingers, I have tried to email you with the items I think you would be interested in, but I am not able to send you an email. Please email me I would like to send you a plant list. Just a few things not on your list. I have white and dark purple lily of the nile. Both chinese ground orchids and the other ground orchids, both purple in color. I have a double brugmansia rooted "Sam", yellow, white, or purple double datura, sweet memories duranta, giant red leaf crinum, candle stick plant, tropical bleeding heart vines,both colors, red and white and purple and red. I also have palm trees that you did not list, I can send the parlor palm and cardboard palm, and seeds for the King Palm, and Alexander Palm. Variegated rubbler tree, african dasies purple, yellow, and cream, these just bloom in zone 9 non stop. I also have the african hosta. I would really like to send a list of the plants I have thru email. I will be going down this weekend, and would be able to list what I have available, I have an acre of gardens in Texas, zone 9. Barb

I have viable galanga, tumeric, and cardamom. Let's talk!

You can buy the edible roots at the grocery store and start your own to get Zingiber officinale. Look for fresh roots. You may have to go to an Asian markert for the Galangal roots. It is also called Thai ginger and has a hotter taste. The tumeric is a cucurma longa.The roots are more yellow. You should be able to find those if you have an East Indian market or world market.

Hi HB, I grow all of these, except the galangal, and I am working on that this year. I have a couple of clumps in some damp sand in a container about 5" deep, and I have some sprouts showing. I am using this method, since I have read on several sites that people have great success with ginger in sand, so I fugure I'll try galagal and turmeric, since they are harder to find here. A friend in the SF area has had trouble growing a number of things, including kaffir lime plants. He told me this after I told him how easy they are to grow - I have two almost 6 years old, and have found that basically all you have to do is keep watering them! He thinks the trouble he has had with all of the herbs he has tried to grow has been from the moisture in the area - something to look into, and maybe find somebody from your area on this or another forum that can offer advise on this. Thai basil is incredibly easy to grow, and I have two plants inside that I started last October from cuttings, when the ones outside were getting ready to be pulled - they are also easy to start from seed, and, as long as you keep snipping the flowers, will keep growing forever...almost. I start my lemongrass every spring from some that I buy at the store, simply putting them in a glass of water, and changing it every couple of days. In about 3 weeks they are ready to plant - about a week into May here, and they are ready to harvest in Oct. I harvest them, clean them down to the usable stalks, then freeze them in 2,3,and 4 stalks bunches in Foodsaver vac-pacs. They last for over a year this way, and with 6 plants I always have more than I need until next harvest. I also freeze some of the greens, for use in drinks and soup stocks. This year I also got seeds for Thai coriander - I'll see how that turns out... Dave