I also sent you an email...thank you very much, hope we can work out a deal. :) Fran

wow it's huge! you know what plant im looking forward to getting one day? Tacca integrifolia. I'm into unique rare plants. =] I actually love warm weather, i grew up in a tropical country. I don't like the florida towns, i like new york city where people can get around easily to places by walking or taking subway and not drive miles to get somewhere. Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi Lyndi, fantastic display, thanks for showing it. Lisa, re the Gymea lilies, if you google doryanthes seed, then down the screen a bit there will be a reference to some growing in the botanical gardens in Mauritius (GW spam filter won't let me mention the site), so if it grows there, maybe HI would also be OK? This might also be worth a read: http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Flowering-Plants-and-Shrubs/Gymea-Lily-Doryanthes-Spear-Lily/6106 Burke's Backyard is a bit of an Aussie icon, so I would hope the info is pretty solid and I certainly know of some people who have dug them up and moved them around. Road authorities often plant them in median strips here, so I would guess they must be pretty robust if a few basic conditions are met. I suppose you could always try growing some from seed, but they take sooooo long to flower. Hope this helps. I'm just enjoying seeing lots of them coming into flower in the bush as I drive into work. It looks like this is going to be a good year for them. Cheers, Paul

Thanks for the posts, everyone. Bahia, it turns out that I have exactly the location you suggest: coastal influence, and even with the killer freeze (ice in my birdbaths), only a touch of damage hit my bananas, mango, and iochroma. I swear the grevilleas got brighter red, and none of the aussies were damages by mid-20s temps - much to my relief. I'm a big fan of Buena Creek, and was out there last week. They got hit pretty hard, as did their suppliers, and I suspect they'll restock in time for their Spring sale. They've got the best demo gardens around, including the awe-inspiring hillside full of proteas, grass trees, and a 15' pencil cactus - all of which survives on benign neglect. Another location with excellent botanical gardens is the Wild Animal Park, with a section devoted to Aussie natives - protea, leuco* and leuca*, banksias, stenocarpus and some amazing Silver trees (Leucodendron argentum). I swung by Anderson's La Costa yesterday, now that they've recovered from the powerful windstorm that destoyed their greenhouses - I've always admired and appreciated the vast selection they offer, and they've really got a sweet assortment of Aussies (Leuco*, Leuca*, net bush, silver tree, grevilleas). I've got a wide selection of grevilleas already (Gilt Dragon is my fav, and doesn't scratch), and a weakness for Leucospermum, which are curiously ignored by the hummingbirds. Leucadendron 'Jester' is eye-popping, and "more silver' put out yellow cones this spring. Every banksia died on me - maybe too much coastal influence - sigh. I've never seen Hakea, Kunzea, Dryandra or one of the various flame peas growing in this area, and I'm thinking of getting seeds to give it a try. Anyone have luck with that approach? ...diana