This is a very old post but I would just mention that where the OP lives, killing raccoons is illegal and any trapping must be done only with live or Hav-A-Hart traps. And then you have the issue of what to do with the trapped coon........ Electrified fencing is effective and relatively easily done. Friends who lived almost in downtown Seattle - a highly populated urban area - had a small fish pond in their entry courtyard that was decimated by nightly visits from raccoons until they installed an electrified fence around it. Urban dwelling raccoons are highly adaptable and intelligent animals. And with few natural predators aside from cars and the occasional dog. I live in a much more rural area very close to Seattle and raccoon issue are much less of a concern here as the coyotes keep populations in check (as do cars....too many raccoon bodies along the side of the road). I rarely have any issues with raccoons in my garden but the deer are another problem altogether!! And do far more damage than any raccoon!!

Thanks for the info. Here's the scoop and the list of what came home with me today - there may be more coming in the future since the lady who is giving them away had second thoughts on a few. Her garden is TO DIE FOR! These were some of the happiest roses I have ever seen living the live of luxury in 3 foot deep beds of loose loamy rich soil. Seriously - it was rose heaven! Unfortunately, she is going through a divorce and doesn;t know what the future will hold, so she decided she wants zero maintenance plants since her soon to be ex may end up with the house and will promptly kill all the roses anyway. She decided it was better to give them away to good homes (she did a little interview first to see if I knew anything about roses) rather than have them die of neglect. Fortunately, I passed the interview and was gifted the following: Ambridge Rose '08 Baronne Prevost '08 Cottage Rose '08 Tuscany Superb '08 Orange Mothersday '08 Jude the Obscure '08 Gene Boerner '08 The Herbalist '08 She had several people there yesterday to dig and more were coming after I left. I probably could have asked for a few more, but I didn;t want to seem piggish about it. If she decides to part with the following, I am first in line to get: Distant Drums OLOG In return, I am going to give her divisions of 20 or so daylilys, several hostas (I have over 150 named hostas for her to choose from), some heucheras and some iris. They will all be pretty and won't break her heart if she has to ignore them. I am truly sorry for her current situation, but I think a new gardening friendship has blossomed and she will be welcome to come visit her babies at my house whenever she wants. All of them have already broken dormancy so I did pot up a couple of them, and some of them are just going to have to spend one night sitting in trash bags, I am exhausted from digging the new bed where they will live! LOL! They will be planted tomorrow... if I can move! LOLOLOL! Thanks again for the advice! Alexa

Butterfly, sorry, but I have to disagree with you. :) I admit, growing Gardenias indoors, especially in lower zones is not an easy task, but it's not impossible either. Emh8, follow Blutayles instructions. And if possible, invest in a humidifer and/or indoor fountain. Both can be purchased at reasonable prices.. As for additional lighting, I use a 6' workshop light. They sell ornate lighting devices, but it depends how much you want to spend. Also, if you only have one plant, you can get by with a small fixture or floor lamp. Gro Lights are a bit pricy, so if you want to save on $$ yet want something that works, get a 2-bulb fixture, one cool white and one warm white flurescent bulbs. Daily misting helps a lot. If possible, hauling the Gardenia to a sink/shower, soaking leaves, 'not soil' increases humidity. Don't overwinter your Gardenia in a hot room..nope..that's an invitation to Spider Mites..A cool room is perfect. Do you have such a room? Keep away from heating vents.. If your Gardenia has foil, remove ASAP. Some plants are sold to look, 'pretty,' but foil is a sure way to kill most plants, let alone a Gardenia. Do not fertilize during winter months..Withhold fertilizer until you notice new growth or once days grow longer. Don't bother repotting in winter. As long as its current container has drainage, and well-draining soil, it should be okay..Water your gardenia well, then wait until soil feels dry/crumbly. In spring, you can start fertilizing..I use Azalia/Rhodo fertilizer. There's more to learn, but for the time being, let's see how it does. And yes, remove yellow leaves..they will not revert to green. While removing them, check to see if they feel sticky. Any leaves that fall in soil should be lifted and tossed..Good luck, Toni

I will ask the man the next time I see him if he knows what it is or when he got his tree. He did tell me that it is about 6 years old and he had plenty of cuttings off of it. He doesn't have any other verities. I know this tree isn't from seed as he had one bearing pods and asked me what to do with them. I didn't know. Guess the seeds are in the two pods that were hanging? I can't even get them from cuttings yet, let alone seed. :O) Thanks for all the advise. Is there a reason why people keep them in pots instead of in the ground? I know in the north it would be because of the weather, but you would think you would see them more in the ground in the south and I don't.