Wowww... very pretty pics, Xuan, it is easy for cutting leaf for that cactus? My mother have it and I want try to rooting them while I'm visit my parents (in Indonesia) next Dec. Sarmassaeed, I never see cactus like that, very pretty. Cindeea, my favourite banana recipes are banana mffin, Indonesian banana fritters and banana foster Here's for banana foster: 1/4 cup butter; 2/3 cup dark brown sugar; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts; 3 1/2 tablespoons rum; 1 pint vanilla ice cream ::> In deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the banana pan from the heat, pour rum and continue to baste the banana slices with their sauce until the flames die down. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream. Eeemmm... very yummy ! Lisa

I usually get about 5 bloom flushes in a year. True , we have a much longer and hotter summer than you guys. It is an old plant. You might find that it is more apt to rebloom as it gets more mature.I had 35 blooms on it night before last, 5 last night and there are buds forming for another bloom. I always fertilize it after the bloom. I imagine that doing 30 blooms is exhausting for the plant. It is a lot of energy.

Jean, I just got my oriole feeder last year, after noticing an oriole checking out my hummingbird feeder. Last year they only frequented the feeder for a few weeks. This year, there are so many orioles, I can hardly believe it! In my Birds of Michigan book, it says they are a common bird here, but I think they spend a lot of their time hanging out in the large trees in the woods. It's nice to see so much more of them this year. I've noticed some purple finches eating the jelly too - I just put jelly in the cups, I don't make nectar for that feeder or put oranges on it. Debra, that monarda is Purple Rooster - I really like the color, it's a nice deep purple color. Tie and Tails was definitely one of the best opening purples this morning. More are open now, but some aren't even fully open yet, the temp hasn't hit 70 yet and it's not sunny. Mantis, the spiky flowers with Yellow Monkey are veronica. I have several, but I think those ones are in the area where I had one that I think was Purpleicious (sp?) and it did have seedlings, so it may be some seedling. I have others in that same violet color range, I think Eveline is one. Some of my veronicas (and some coreopsis and calamint) got majorly hit by bugs this spring - I guess the weather conditions made for a booming population of bugs. At least the veronica blooms are still pretty, even if the foliage might not look so great. I have this week off work and am spending it at home - it's nice to have plenty of time to enjoy the flowers, take pictures and share some of them!

Wantonamara, Very nice! My poor plant has not had a very good plant mom. It has been a hot dry summer and the watering wasn't very regular. It had such long arms, that I had it up on a plant support and it kept getting blown over in the wind. I do have several more cuttings now, LOL. It has bloomed several times, but always at night. I hope that the heavy clay pot stops it from falling. I will have to try the fertilizer once a week. I feed my violet with weak strength every time I water, but never thought of doing that for the cereus. (Yes, I know it is E.... O..... I can spell cereus!) I just got it moved into the greenhouse a couple of days ago. I think I will just leave it there next year and try to shade the greenhouse. It is under trees, so that helps.