Wow, MissSherry, I didn't realize the chrysalises were so like the Monarch! I know in the past you posted pics of the cats and the adults - you're the only one I know who has raised these elusive beauties! I managed to accidentally subdue one that was resting on the ground and I didn't see it when I was watering. With the wings wet, it was not able to fly away and I brought it in the house to show my daughter and GD. About that time it began to recover and we about went crazy trying to catch it so it could be released outside! The GLs are a prime example of the "startle" effect IMHO. They blend in so well with their surroundings that they are entirely unnoticable until they open their wings quickly and disappear in flight! Gorgeous butterflies, and as you say, very shy. I don't recall if they nectar or are attracted to rotting fruit, etc. I have never seen them on the fruit feeder, if that is the case, but I have several that hang out in the backyard. Susan

I decided to repot them all into a better mix and better groups last Friday, I didn't want to water them in to a mix that wasn't good to I did a more thorough root cleaning and a better foundation. The jades have their own home now. The semp will spend the winter all alone in a very frosty south window in the basement. I don't know what else to do with it and not sure if it can go outside in my zone over the winter or if I wld have enough time to harden off it off. If it should perish....I plan to redeem myself with a succulent rock garden in it memory. We bought a house last year with a south facing yard and have tons of landscaping rocks on 3 sides and an island of them in the back. We both really, really, don't like all these rocks, but where can we put them all?? Is it a blessing in disguise? After reading so much in the forum I feel like I know you all a little, everyone is so nice and helpful, so I will share another picture of what I have in store for my gardening future. I have so many ideas! My DH is a farmboy in the city so we will have some fun. Mr. B says hi! All the leaves dropped in a week, we had some drought then some snow. I got a fire pit and tree skirts as wedding present from DH. He did it while I was away for the weekend. How do you say, "Thank you, I love you so much and I hate tree skirts? You don't, everyone worked so hard and filled it full of flowers! I hope to use some of that labor for helping in the garden when we get one. Did I mention it faces south? All I will do all winter is research, plan, discuss. 2 year, 5 year, 10 year, etc. I hope to share my progression either here or somewhere on these forums, this IS where the experts are at!

1. What's growing nearby ; ) 2. Thunbergia Erecta 3. Thought it might be COG myself but the throat markings are wrong, i think. I'll say Allamanda Cathartica, probably 'Henderson'. Really more a vine than a shrub but can be pruned into a shrubby mound. 4. Allamanda Shotti-Smaller flowers, shrubbier habit. 5. Agree with John 6. Jatropha i think, euphorbiaceae family 7. Has this flowered? Do you have a picture? 8. Is it fragrant? Looks a little little like H. Arnottianus but the colors seem too vibrant and the leaves don't look right. Where'd you get it? If it came from a big box store in a 6" pot you might want to search the Monrovia or Proven Winners website for an id. 9. & 10. i don't know ixora myself but i'd be suprised if they can be idenified by flower color alone. Maybe someone else can help you out if you know what size the bushes grow to? 11.& 12. Psittacorum Heliconias-sometimes called Parrot Heliconia. The orange one is the common one. Lots of selected color forms, the yellow one could be 'Sassy' or 'Princess Di'. Horribly invasive. 13. Looks like a Stricta, maybe Dwarf Jamaican? Should have a dark red midrib if so. Not too aggressive, at least not in my garden where it gets to less than 2 feet tall and blooms pretty much year round. i've seen it get to 4' tall in some other locations.

helenh Sorry, my post above wasn't clear -- it's the armyworms that burrow in thatch, etc., not the nematodes. This site has this to say about how how two nematodes "infect" armyworms and other pests: Ambushers such as Steinernema carpocapsae and S. scapterisci have adapted "sit and wait" strategy to attack highly mobile insects (billbugs, sod webworms, cutworms, mole-crickets and armyworms) when they come in contact at the surface of the soil. These nematodes do not respond to host released cues but infective juveniles of some Steinernema spp can stand on their tails (nictate) and easily infect passing insect hosts by jumping on them. Since highly mobile insects live in the upper soil or thatch layer, ambushers are generally effective in infecting more insects on the surface than deep in the soil. Arbico Organics sells them, as do some other online sources. Here's what they say: Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented worms that occur naturally in soil throughout the world. Once released, the nematodes seek out their host, enter through body openings, emit a toxin and death occurs within 48 hours. Beneficial Nematodes are shipped in an easily dissolved clay formulation that you mix with water. The solution can be applied directly using a watering can, hose end, backpack, or pump sprayer or through irrigation or misting systems. Release early in the morning or predusk when temperatures are cooler and the sun is not so bright. Just something to keep in mind if you have a bad infestation of armyworms -- the nematodes are very expensive, though you might share the cost with 2 or 3 other people with the same problem since one treatment is said to cover 3,200 square feet. I doubt the live nematodes keep a long time in the clay suspension. If it's only a few, you can handpick them.