Melissa, I, too, read the warnings of the common MW spreading so I planted mine in a big pot; one of those big plastic work tubs with the rope handles. Drilled lots of big holes in the bottom, lined the sides with bubble wrap and then filled with good potting soil and old decaying leaves, then mulched the top once the seedlings emerged. The bubble wrap is my attempt to help keep the roots cool during the heat of the summer. The plants didn't do a lot last year and I'd begun to worry that growing in a tub was a no no. To be fair, it was extremely hot and dry last summer so not the best of circumstances for starting new seedlings. However, this spring, they were the first things up and they're currently 24-30 inches high and looking very healthy. They have such big leaves that they're an excellent source of food for the little Monarch cats. I grow other varieties of Milkweed and planted this particular plant as a backup food source, in case I ran out of the other milkweed. Now I'm thinking I will try growing more plants in ground at the back outside corner of my greenhouse, where they'd be fairly isolated. If they get out of hand, I can always zap them with roundup. However, to answer your question, yes, they appear to be doing quite well in a big pot. photographed April 11, 2011 From Mary

This is a great thread ... I'm having so much fun, laughing along the way (some of the images in my head of your descriptions are toooo funny!), that I just had to post my little list of peeves. Not really a peeve, but a "strong opinion" of mine is that folks should approach landscape design with much more use of perennials and interesting shrubbery (including some excellent dwarf varieties available these days), and less with annuals (expensive) and ground cover, though both of course have their places in many good designs. I wish someone had explained to me the joys of perennials a long time ago. Anyway, my peeves: 1. People here in south Texas who decide that ANYTHING growing in their yard is just too damn much work, so they tear it all out and put down gravel over the whole property. Now that's so very attractive. I'd rather see asiatic jasmine over an entire city lot than a bunch of ugly gravel. 2. Another thing I see is absolutely no variation in shrubbery planting. There are hundreds of types of many genus that offer different and beautiful leaf shapes, colors, varigations, etc., as well as seasonal leaf, berry, etc., interest, instead of boxwood, boxwood, boxwood ... a yaupon holly thrown in .... and did I mention a few boxwoods? 3. Planting too many bushes together. Whomever landscaped my yard initially, put in one corner of the backyard (in an area about 10' X 2'), this well-planned list: (2) crepe myrtles, (3) red tips, (2) non-dwarf eleagnus, and something else I never could identify (it was dead when I moved in - imagine!). It's all eventually had to come out except for the two crepe myrtles. Was able to burn some for firewood. :) 4. Another peeve: planting a specimen that doesn't go with anything else for miles around. Ok, so you like yucca? Great, plan a wonderful succulent bed. But please don't plant yucca alongside impatiens. It just looks dang silly. To really get aesthetically pleasing, one of my neighbors planted a yucca right smack-dab in the middle of their yard ... surrounded by nothing but grass. Oh so delightful. 5. Why do people plant something like a viburnum in the 8" of space between the garage and the yard edge? I'm currently pruning the one I inherited into a tree shape so it'll fit better, and look like someone who lives here has just an inkling of an idea of what she's doing, but it sure would be better if it weren't there at all. (Hate to dig up a perfectly health plant.) Also, many thread messages back, the group was talking about "tried and true" plants. I don't think there's anything wrong with them. If they ain't broke, what's wrong with them? One of my beds that I really enjoy has perennial blue sage, Moonglow coreopis, Stella daylillies, red bearded tounge, variegated lirope clusters and spots of dusty miller. This easy-care bed is a joy and when it's 100F for two months straight in the summer, it's still looking grand.

Update on my root cuttings: So far, I have two sprouts that have germinated from the root cuttings I made of a section of Common Milkweed root. It looks like root cuttings can quickly produce new plants from existing Common Milkweed roots. I didn't know if new growth would occur this fall, next spring or never. Below is a section of the root I used. It was about the size of a #2 pencil. The RED ARROWS indicate the nubbins that I guessed might become new above ground shoots. The root is on a piece of paper towel. I trimmed the root into sections, leaving at least one nubbin per section and planted in two planters on Sept 28. Below is the first little plant that came up a few days ago and the second one has only just broken the soil surface. Many of you may know all of this but I'm rather new to root cuttings so thought it might be interesting to new gardeners. I've no idea if the little plants will provide a larger plant more quickly than simply germinating by seed. I think I will keep one of the planters in my cool greenhouse this winter, leaving the other outside and compare the two next spring. Mary

Over the past several months, I think I've spotted ladybugs only twice -- and if it's the same one, then that counts as one ladybug. :/ We have quite a number (and variety) of wasps always buzzing about, so I'm hoping they'll keep the aphids under control and leave my caterpillars alone. I only just purchased dill and Florence fennel for swallowtails -- do dill and fennel attract ladybugs? Also, do you let your dill and fennel flower? Thanks.