Thanks for writing Nandina and Cady. There is a lot of truth in what Cady said about short attention spans on televsion. Many shows today, gardening and design and general tend to have fast cuts and move quickly from scene to scene. I personally prefer a more slow pace, (like lingering over photos in a magazine), but I have found this to be the case in today's home and garden shows. Keep watching Cady, Michael and I explain the design process as well as give detailed information as to why we prepare the soil a certain way, we discuss different methods, plants and decor options. Not to make excuses, but last night's episode, "Attack of the Sago Palms" was our most extensive and labor intensive design. There was so much going on that it was difficult to include detailed information about anything in particular. The other episodes are not so hectic! Thats one of the reasons that I set up my web site to include lots of photos and relevant garden info for those who didn't "catch it all" while watching. In my marketing research I have found that there are the "real gardeners," (folks like us) and then there are the "consumer gardeners," or people who are not neccessarily interested in gardening, they just want to "decorate an outdoor living space" much like they would their interiors. They either get ideas from television or magazines or hire a professional to do it. They are not interested in the beauty and joy of the gardening process. My viewers are a mix. I get tons of email from gardeners looking for creative ideas and consumer gardeners as well. Next week on Garden Police, we create an English garden, complete with tea patio. We try to get as much design info and plant info in as we can in 30 minutes. I hope you will watch and then check my web site after the show for detailed photos and plant list! I look forward to making lots of friends on GardenWeb! Shirley Bovshow www.ShirleyBovshow.com

With all due respect to the nursery trade, many of their workers simply don't know what they are talking about. I'm not going to tell you that Royals are as easy as a Washingtonia because that would be patently false. I don't know what kind of gardener you but that is the first question I would ask anyone before I would sell them a Royal Palm. Heat and sun for Royals are no issue whatsoever once established and for that reason mine are doing great and the one at the state capital (warmer spot) has lived for 20 years. They need heat and lots of water. The concern for us is primarily cold. Lots of water (summer) and I mulch heavily around them (don't let it touch the trunk though) and you will do fine. You might be able to tell from the set-up I have in the pictures from the link above. Seems to work for me. Protect from cold if need be when young. Eventually, they will get too big but should be established at that time. Fertilize once a month (small amounts palm food) in the warm months (March-October)when they are actively growing. None when dormant. Don't fertilize until you just start to see a new spear once transplanted in the ground. I water in Superthrive when I transplant and it works very well for me to get them started and let the roots take hold. Buy a little weather station to keep track of your temperatures and compare them to the airport temp or news channels on TV. The airport and downtown (Fox news 10)almost never freeze. Channel 12 seems to be a cold spot. I have three sensors all around my yard and you can tell the 'cold-spots' from the warmer spots. It will go a long way in telling you where to plant. South (absorb heat and give it off at night) and east walls (first morning sun) are good spots and tend to be warmer and probably buy you a few degrees which doesn't seem like much but really make all the difference. I'm not in the warmest spot, but I'm not in the coldest spot either when I compare myself to the news stations and the airport temps. Thanks for the link by the way.

I dreamed for years regarding my strawberry plant crawling into my window, it was sending out runners, I now have French Strawberry plants. Okay Jo Jo if you want send the picture with the seed and plant to me directly to my email address. I will ask John Trager, Now I really want to know. Guessing doesn't count. Tell him where it was found, in what state and city you purchasedi, and Nursery. I can't wait to find out. It not growing like a vine to me, it is growing too straight.The leaves do remind me a plants that I do have, and I just saw the seeds for the first time Mon. so perhaps? Norma He's pretty good at this an very accurate.

Brooklyngreg: Look, you have had a history of hijacking threads with your religious, over the top bible thumping. I can probably count on both hands the times I've seen it in some form or another. Honestly, I think its just time for it to stop. I'm sure many others agree / feel the same. Honestly, its really just downright rude, inconsiderate, and almost condescending in a way. Like we are all going to go to hell or something if we do not share your same beliefs. Please. If you read my post, you would see, and probably agree that not everyone believes as you nor agrees with you. You have been asked by me, and at least several others on here to just cool it on the religious zealot like proselytizing. We do not do it to you, or anyone else, and all we are asking is that you do not do it to us. Isn't a simple "god bless" or something similar sufficient. Im all for faith, religion, spirituality, etc. In fact I encourage it. But I also understand and realise that each persons faith, religion, spirituality, etc is a very individual thing, and I respect that. That is why you do not hear me speak of my own personal beliefs. Not so much because I'm afraid of offending anyone, but really, they just probably do not want to hear it, and probably already have their own spirituality, and that is great. Someone else beliefs etc... are for them to decide, not you, not me, not anyone else, and that is also to be respected. I'm just not sure why you can not grasp that concept. This is EXACTLY why I said save it for your personal blog, or personal facebook profile, or some such other platform that is YOURS and YOURS only. Furthermore, I never called you any names, nor been nasty. I've simply asked you, as an adult, to please just stop. You call me a hypocrite? Really? For what? Because I (and probably many others) do not come here to have your bible thrown in our faces? Please, Get over it. Its not that Jesus is not welcome here, its that any and all religious proselytizing is just not wanted here. I would say the same thing to a Jew, A Muslim, A Buddhist, Hindu, or anyone else doing the same thing. So please, I'm asking you again nicely just to lay off of it. Isn't it your very own religion that says "judge not, lest ye be judged?' Well, it sure seems to me that you are judging those that do not share your religious beliefs / convictions. Anyway, all the best, and I hope you fare well through this big storm. cfa_li, Yeah I saw that report too! I always look for palm trees when they are doing tropical storm / hurricane reports, even if they are not in "tropical' areas. LOL! I thought it was cool to see and know that the rest of the country was seeing that there are in fact palm trees in Va Beach! Pretty cool. I think it would also be pretty cool to have a report from say, Long Island, with palm trees in the background too. =o) Anyway, hope everything goes well for you up there.