hi & thank you both for your responses. i do not own a cat so thats ruled out. I have other plants that are planted in an organic soil type thing which on the bag states is a mix of "compost bark, sphagnum peat moss, pasteurized poultry litter, and an organic wetting agent" that are doing quite well. do you think i should replant these 2 in this type of soil? the room my plants are in is approx 16x18 and the only source of natural light is through my sliding patio doors. the room temp is at a constant 65 degrees Fahrenheit. i dont know what could be causing those burn marks on the leaves of my janet craig, its kept in a low lighted corner. the pot that the pachira is in is 7"tall x 6"diameter, the tree itself is 13.5" tall from the soil line to the top most leaf.

Without seeing it, I can't say! It could be so many things, even damage from the builders. (You said you live in a new house.) And there is Fusiform rust being found in loblolly pines. I think that you need to contact the Harris County Master Gardeners. They might have a suggestion, and it doesn't cost you anything.

It is hard to tell them apart. Because you said that the leaves looked OK earlier it is most likely mites. FMV will often show early in the season and then get better, while mites cause more symptoms as the season progresses and their population increases. They are the vector of FMV so be careful to not spread them from tree to tree on your hands and clothes. It seems like Avid is natural but not organic for some reason. Be careful to not get in your eyes or on your skin, read the label, get very good coverage- inside to outside, bottom to top.

If you want color all year you will need to plant shrubs as there are very few plants that bloom continuously so look for leaf coloration. To have bloom all season you will need to have a variety of plants not just a couple of varieties. Since you have lawn areas to be filled start looking for plants that will live for several years. Space them so that they can fill in the area. Then do under planting with annuals or other short lived plants. These will fill in the blank spaces why the other plants grow. Although you want info from a forum posters only post about plants that will grow in their area. They may not grow in yours not because of the silly zone thing but because they may have sand, clay, or bog conditions. What works for me does not work for a real plant person friend of mine that lives less than 5 miles away. Things to think about do you want just color or do you want scented flowers. Be aware that all flowers with the same name may not even smell. Do you have a preference in colors. Best of all what do you not like.