Amber that sounds awful! I hope you're feeling better, I know how that can hurt! There was too much there for me to think I'd seen everything; I know there are things I wish I'd remembered while there. I bought a bunch of nice orchids including a Maxillaria whatever - the coconut one - I've been wanting and a 10 gal aquarium for $2 for another cuttings greenhouse. I looked at that 50 and thought nope, I sold mine and it's way too big for me to lift, glad someone got it who wanted it. If you haven't been down don't worry! There's still a lot there! Someone suggested name tags with our screen names so we'd be able to meet everyone, that would have been fun. Good luck Oz and thank you so much for passing on your plants - I am sorry to meet when you're leaving. Suzanne

DaveandLaura, I would love if you would share the list of your plants on the "3 lists". I went to the Fall Garden show at the N.O. City Park Botanical garden many years ago, and Dan Gill (a garden radio host and Cooperative Extension agent here) gave a talk about using more tropicals in the landscape and passed out a comprehensive list of plants that would surive at 20-25, 25-30, above 30; also listed plants that would return even after freezing. Even if we aren't truly tropical, there are so many tropicals we can grow in the ground that come right back and grow to near mature sizes in a season. I'll list some of the tropicals I have that always work for me: Parkinsonia tree - blooms every year, never touched by cold Kumquat - never touched by cold Agapanthus - never touched Fatsia - mine are over 7 feet tall and never touched Pink, yellow, orange, and white shrimp plants - some years no damage, if there is damage, always return and flower Bananas - leaves freeze, but trunks survive and sprout back very early, always have at least on flowering stem Lady Palm - suprisingly, only very slight leaf damage, been in ground for 5 years Washingtonia robusta - never touched Rosa Montana (Antigonon leptopus) - freezes down but returns Thunbergia grandiflora - freezes but returns Impatiens - had one little lavendar flowered one right against the house that didn't freeze for 3 straight years Crybaby tree (Erythrina cristagalli)- some stem tip damage, always grows back to in excess of 10 feet and blooms Thryallis (Galphimia glauca) - leaves change to a reddish purple color, sometimes slight tip damage Cape Honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) - Stems freeze down to about 2 feet from the ground, but comes back Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora 'magnifica') - some leaf drop, no stem damage Giant elephant ear (Alocasia) - some of the top leaves freeze, the lower leaves are untouched, already 4 feet tall again Split-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron selloum) - slight leaf browning, no lose of any leaves in years, reaches the roof, plant is already 10 feet tall with a 15 foot spread This year I am trying some new things: Ensete ventricosum - the red leaved Abyssinian banana; Calliandra haemocetephala - the pink powder puff; Calliandra surinamensis - Surinam powder puff; Mascagnia macroptera - butterfly vine Also - I have had tremendous success with a Callistemon (bottle brush). It is not the standard citrinus species, it is a somewhat weeping species with soft, light green leaves. Almost has a weeping willow effect. Grows tremendously quickly, has beautiful peeling bark. It is sold in several smaller nurseries in the area, but it is never labeled. Can anybody help identify. The lady I bought it from said it was a rare variety that could take below 0F temps. Covered in spring with red flowers, has several smaller bloom cycles later in the year.

And I guess this is over too.

Oz- best of luck in your move. I wish I was in your area. I can post your information on Daves Garden and a brugmansia forum I visit if you like.