Rene, I also wondered how they were doing my heart went out to that Mother what a tragedy. Red

Karen, I love your idea. I would request that it be more along the lines of money than plants, please? I am fortunate to live in an area without Chilli Thrips, but they will eventually arrive. They are creeping northward. I have observed them now in many areas of the San Fernando, Simi and Santa Clarita Valleys and found them in public plantings of Iceberg along "The BLVD" in Lancaster this past Friday. Let's please limit plant movement from infected areas into uninfected ones.

Notwithstanding the tragedies that have occurred in N. California... I feel I must say something in defence of Eucalyptus trees, at least the ones we grow here, and which many of us love and put to good use... ...There are I think 3 varieties that have been popular for a long time... Eucalyptus gunnii, Eucalyptus dalrympleana and perhaps the most attractive of all Eucalyptus pauciflora ssp. niphophila [Snow Gum].... ...you can see any of these pop up in gardens all over the place... I've grown 2 of the 3... We now also have 2 dwarf versions, Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura' and 'France Bleu'... ..'Azura' is very dwarf, almost a miniature... 'FB' is larger but very slow growing, a dwarf gunnii.. I would love to have 'Azura' and might be on my shopping list... The way to use gunnii I think is to give screening to a garden where you are overlooked by a neighbouring property that is on higher ground. A single specimen tree will do, it grows 6 foot a year, so within 2 years or so you start to have cover. It's crucial with this plant to cut 6 foot off the top with one incision every year in April, when it has reached just beyond the height you need for screening... if you miss a year it gets away from you and you have lost control.... I also used my plant to support a rambling rose... I grew 'Leontine Gervais' up it right to the top, where it would then cascade downwards, more so after the annual prune... the light pink and the blue foliage I found very attractive.. ..I also planted Cistus purpureus around the base and a tree lupin... gardeners here don't make enough use of these trees like this.. they plant them, neglect them, and before you know it, you've got a 40 foot tall tree on your hands.. there is one in a garden near me, it's about the tallest tree around here, perhaps 60 foot or more, that is just not the way to do it in my opinion.. used to best effect as single specimens, these are superlative trees, and I absolutely love them... I do not like to see them planted en masse, like a small wood [there are some here like that]... I'm so sorry, and was not aware, they had been over planted in California and that they have contributed to the fires..

Wondering how her renovation project is going and wanting to see more pictures.