The old adage "if you want something done right, do it yourself" rings very true here. I like the yellow stakes idea. Even if the mow/blow guys can't read, surely they know their colors - do not touch!!! The yard man who does the landscape care where I work clips the formosa azaleas like hedges - even after August when they have set their buds for next spring. I told my boss but he still does it, and there were no flowers this year. Duh! You grow up in Florida and don't know azaleas aren't hedges??? I've had my neighbor's "20-year old handyman/gardener" spray RU in the wind (my whole front yard of roses was downwind) and say "my uncle says it only kills grass". There's no cure for stupid. The builder of our subdivision (34 lots) did not want an HOA but after erecting a nice entrance sign for the subd name was told by the city that doing so required him to have an association (?!?!). So he went the minimally invasive route of a POA - Property Owners Association. In Florida anyway a POA may or may not apply even the few rules they have which are only meant to protect property values NOT dictate house color, yard plantings, etc. Our rules do say we must have grass in the front yard, but the board has not enforced that against me. :)) Invariably, there are errors in communication - especially between men and women (I won't say more, but I don't understand what's so hard about LISTENING). Funny thing - my bosses DH is a very verbal, non-mechanical, lawyer-educated but non practicing man who repeats EVERYTHING he says at least twice. At first I found it kind of aggravating, but then I came to appreciate the second chance to "get" his instructions and now wish everyone would "tell me twice". I'm more and more grateful for the toughness of OGRs. I hope hoovb's HOA Mons Tillier is on its way to recovery, and I hope luxrosa's 12" tall teas survived. I will be hugely impressed if they do. Sherry

I think a lot of plants have the most energy right when they start to spring back to life this time of year. That you can do all sorts of torture to them now and they will recover just fine because they are so pumped up and actively growing. But there is this touchy period when digging and dividing or potting up upsets the balance. There is basically no way to determine when that magic moment is - so I say, if the sprouts look healthy go ahead and dig and pot up. If the plant looks weak, leave it alone unless you would rather go ahead and replace it. In my fruit area I have plenty of doubled up plants, because I thought one was dying so I cut it back and planted a new one only to have the original plant return later and now I have two of them growing side by side (when they get bigger, one of them will have to go).

What does your potting mix consist of? The decline in your Cycad really shocks me. I store about 10 different Cycad varieties, all in pots, every winter in my garage with no harm. They are tough plants. By all means DO NOT discard yours! I bet it comes back to life... In any event, as far as the potted specimens go I suspect there is something going on which is related to an unhealthy root system resulting in a weakened plant unable to cope with an extended dormant period. I also think it is very possible that you may have underestimated how much water they need even when it is cold in the garage. A root ball constricted in a pot still needs some moisture no matter how cold. As for the outdoor plants - I can't help you much since I myself do not grow those particular varieties so I can't give you any advice based on experience. I do overwinter a Trachy wagnerianus in a pot outdoors under an awning so it stays dry, along with several Agaves. x

In what was supposed to be all white freesia, I seems to have gotten at least one yellow in each bag. Yellow isn't my favorite flower color. If I'm super careful, can I dig up the yellow freesias and surrounding dirt, then pot them up to give them away as little Easter presents? Or will they promptly die? If there's a good chance that they will die in a move... I may as well just pull them. Thanks!