I'm looking at the topsoil at the house across the street and I'm really jealous! I am from Milwaukee and every time I visit I get all excited about the nice, black, rich topsoil there. Plus Kentucky Bluegrass looks so nice up there in the summer. My soil here in southern PA sucks. When I fly to Milwaukee, I always notice from the plane that turfed areas in the Baltimore/DC area are so much lighter green than the dark bluegrass lawns in the Mid-west. Lookin' good v1rtu0s1ty!!

Melissa, They are a most beautiful and versatile plant. Here's mine in mid-October between the Joe Pye and the veranda. The bees love them and go right into the helmet shaped flowers. I grow this bunch in morning sun then shade the rest of the day, but my neighbour has a bunch in full sun. I've transplanted some divisions to a back garden to have more around the property and also have introduced some blue June flowering varieties and others which flower in July in yellow (Lamarkii). I just want to tell you to be careful with this plant. The sap is poisonous and all part of the plant are toxic if ingested even in small quantities. I do handle the plant in general with my bare hands when simply cleaning around it but when dividing or if I have a cut on my hands I make sure to wear gloves. Just a heads-up to be aware.

Pretty awesome!!! I once picked up 4 orchids from Kroger for $5 each that had finished blooming and had gotten some black spots through their leaves. I nursed them back to health, using hydrogen peroxide, a sterile blade, and cinnamon. They started to flourish, one even made a baby offshoot, but then they all suddenly died. Nothing had changed, it was starting to be spring again, so if anything they should have gotten healthier - more humidity and light. But I'm not an orchid expert, I had never had them before, I decided to try it out since they were so cheap. It was an experience. I was proud of myself for bringing them back to life, but very hurt when they died. I'd even bought them orchid potting mix and fertilizer . . .

Thanks! I got a "Bermuda Spice" this year and it's going gangbusters- I'm going to have to get it into the ground this fall. If they ever want testimonials for the plant sale I'm willing to go on the record!