I don't know if it's just me but only one pic has loaded, and that's (some type of) orchid. Can you try again - are you posting from your home computer or an external source like photobucket/flickr?

Hi Bob. Glad to see you have a computer now. I read your post, and one thought came to mind. You are already bumping elbows with the big wheels, and you have those patterns coming along. What about hybridizing do you not know? Maybe you are just happy to be involved here and are hoping to hear what everyone says. I want everyone here to know how great a guy you are. As solid a foundation you have in your life, you are the most open-minded, non-judgmental guy I know online. In the past, you have helped me to mainatin a positive attitude when I was about to lose the last bit of tolerance I have. The reason I seem to waste my time is that I have never been able to commit to daylilies. There were a few times, but each time a divorce changed all of that. Even now, I am in no position to make that commitment. I am one of those blue-collar guys, kinda artsy fartsy, kinda grease monkey. By the time I am financially independent, I will be hobbling along. This life has never been about me and my interests. Plus, there are so many people who know more than me about the daylily business. I am a novice. And, there really aren't that many people who care about a flower other than to enjoy them. If people go beyond that, then they cannot afford to make waves. So, bottom line, there is no need for me or my ideas. I am only trying to make things known so that at least I gave it a tiny bit of effort...a lame attempt to satisfy my conscience. I am ready to have my best bloom season ever. I am not sure I will even hybridize. It is way too much work. By the way, come up with a flower that has perfect color, a layered eye, and a toothy edge.

Foster's holly is hybrid between Ilex cassine and Ilex opaca, two native hollies. Two other well known cultivars with the same parents are 'Savannah' and 'East Palatka' (the second one forever burned into my brain thanks to that show on HGTV which was based in Florida). 'Savannah' is a beautiful holly and I would expect Foster's holly would be similarly so. Not being very familiar with Foster's holly, I had not heard that it doesn't need a male. In looking around, www.mobot.org, does confirm what you say, but other websites still say that it needs a male. This is a good description of how the plant came to be (and to be called #2) from www.mobot.org: Foster holly is the common name attached to five different interspecific hybrids (Ilex cassine x Ilex opaca) introduced into cultivation in the 1950s by E. E. Foster of Foster Nursery in Bessemer, Alabama. Of the five original clones, #1 and #5 are no longer available in commerce, #4 is a male which is uncommonly available (female Foster hollies do not require a male pollinator for fruit development) and #2 and #3 are female plants which are commonly available but are so similar in appearance as to be virtually indistinguishable. Although #2 is by far the most common female clone, nurseries sometimes sell the clones today as male or female Foster hollies without reference to clonal numbers. Foster #2 is a small to medium-sized, broadleaf evergreen tree with a dense, upright, pyramidal habit. It typically grows to a mature height of 20-30' tall with a spread of 10-15' unless pruned otherwise. Features glossy, dark olive green, elliptic to obovate, evergreen leaves (2-3" long). Each leaf has 1-5 well-spaced, tiny, spiny, marginal teeth per side. Small white flowers bloom in late spring. Flowers are followed in fall by an abundant and showy crop of bright red berry-like drupes which persist throughout the winter. Sounds like a winner. Here is a link that might be useful: www.mobot.org

Yes and no. Wilting happens in heat. I have ONE that is very sensitive while the others do very well. I either move it to the shade, but more often, I just bring it into the AC until the direct sun passes. If you are not home to tend them, leave the wilter in a shady spot. Bigger pots with more material can also help. You'll be surprised how fast the roots fill a container! Once they reach the pot side, they are dealing with direct heat! There is a technique called stressing to develop hotter pods. That is when you deliberately hold back water until the plant with pods wilts. I do it occasionally, but i have no way to determine if the heat level is increased or not since each pod on each plant varies. If I did it to a bell, and it bit me back.... Back to the original question. Scratch pinata too. Vaquero and Primavera are close as well. Now, you have got me curious! I'll be watching for updates! GROW ON!