You might be able to get away with growing in some mix of compost and very coarse sand (1/2 BB size to BB size) if the fines are screened out of the sand, but pure compost or a mix of compost and fine sand will present compaction/water retention issues that would be very difficult to get around. If you decide to try it, sinking the containers into the soil so the drain holes are buried might help employ the native soil as a wick; but, if the soil is as you described (clay) that may not help much either. Vermiculite wouldn't be the choice for a compost based soil because you already need to be VERY concerned about water retention. Stay away from sawdust - rapid breakdown and soil collapse - nitrogen immobilization. Pine bark is cheap - why not use it? Al

Don, I find many of the 'scented' ones listed here have no fragrance to me. (But growing up in a house of smokers, I have a "stunted" sense of smell!) I would recommend H. austrailus ssp. tenuipes. I recently did a huge hack job, pulling it out of my tree (I also grow 98% of my hoyas out of doors year round) because the pot hanger broke. I did a real 'hack job' on it, and threw the bits in a tin wash tub... only to have it root quickly and rampantly. I took bits and stuck them in the ground around my property, and they've put on new leaves; deep burgandy with a lime green dot at the tip. The leaves are aging now so the burgandy color is fading to the usual lime green. (SueTran this goes for you too!) I'd be happy to provide you both some cuttings from the mother plant as I am thinking about moving the 18 inch pot in to work and I can almost guarentee some damage from that transport! For the neglectful type (as I am, also) I usually pot my hoyas up in self-water pots. Mostly hanging pots, but I've branched out in many directions. I can't recommend H. bella for S-W pots because it has seasonal fluctuational needs for water and S-W tend to kill them in fall! I've hade austrailus, kerrii, pubicalyx RHP, multiflora, obovata, fungii and carnosa in S-W pots for nearly four years now, and they really do aid in the 'neglect' arena! Good luck, I've been branching out recently and this Neglect Post reminds me I need to go water my newly arrived plants! Good Luck, Don! Don and SueTran, leave a note here, I will contact you. GW ate my DropMeALine ability! Tough having been here since '97, lots of changes!!! (Sue, you can reach out and contact me!)

JimShy compiled the following information and accompanying list dealing with houseplants that are fragrant. Posted by: JimShy z7 Brooklyn, NY (My Page) on Thu, Jun 10, 04 at 12:26 Fragrant Houseplants: First, the FAQ inside the FAQ! 1. Fragrance is not a science what smells fantastic to one person smells awful to another, or has no smell at all. This is partly genetic, partly personal, and wholly olfactory (sorry, couldnt resist the Batman-style rhyme!), so there is simply no substitute for smelling the plant yourself. Dont take our word for it, or anyone elses, go with your own nose! 2. A lot of other factors go into the scent of a plant: whether its getting enough sun/fertilizer/water, the time of day, the age of the plant, etc. The exact same species can smell different from one individual plant to another. Some folks also think that moon phases, astrological alignments, sunspots, El Nino, Superthrive, eggshells, their grandmothers tea, and the interest rate on 30 year Treasury bonds also play a role. The point is, if something seems to work for you, keep at it! 3. This list is not exhaustive, and will be added to from time to time. 4. There are plenty of scented plants that are not normally considered houseplants, which obsessed, er, dedicated growers are nevertheless trying to grow indoors. This list is mainly those plants that are known to be fairly good growers in the home. I also left out most, if not all, flowering bulbs that are usually purchased in bloom and thrown out when done. Fragrant bulb FAQ, anyone? 5. Plants smell their best when they are grown their best; take the time to learn the right care for your plant, and how it grows best in your home. Ok, enough already, on to the list! Plants are listed by scientific name, followed by common name in parentheses. Key: es = evening scented (after dark) ns = night scented (only late at night) Acacia baileyana, dealbata, farnesina, longifolia Aglaia odorata (Chinese perfume plant) Allamanda cathartica, schotii (neriifolia) are mostly es Alpinia: many of these have ginger-scented leaves and rhizomes Araujia sericofera (Cruel plant) Aristolochia (Dutchmans Pipe): gigantea some other aristolochias are scented, but not in a good way! Begonias: some hybrids are lightly fragrant Honeysuckle, Jim Wyrtzen, Lenore Olivier, Tea Rose, at least two species, solananthera and venosa, are more strongly scented Bouvardia longflora (Fragrant bouvardia) Brugmansias (Angels trumpets): most are fragrant (es), except for sanguinea and some of its hybrids Brunfelsias: americana, jamaicensis and isola are es, others are day-scented Buddleja: most are scented, b. asiatica blooms in winter indoors Bursera: fagaroides, macrophylla, simaruba all have scented leaves and wood Callistemon citrinus (Bottlebrush): scented leaves Carissa macrocarpa Cassia didimobotrya: leaves smell like buttered popcorn! Cedronella canariensis (false Balm of Gilead) Cestrum: aurantiacum, nocturnum (night blooming jasmine), parqui (all es), and diurnum, which is day-scented Camellia: some sasanqua cultivars, sinensis, some hybrids very difficult indoors Citrus: all have scented flowers, often the leaves smell nice too try some in a Thai curry! Clerodendrum: bungeii, phillipinum, trichotomum (all get very big) Coffea arabica (coffee) Coleonema pulchra (Breath of Heaven): scented leaves Coronilla valentina Cryptocereus anthonyanus (rick-rack cactus) Datura (Angels trumpets): most species are fragrant (es) Dombeya: wallichii, hybrids Dracena fragrans (Corn Plant) Duranta erecta: some cultivars are fragrant Echinopsis: oxypetallum, other species and some hybrids (ns) Epiphyllum (Orchid cactus): anguliger (es), crenatum, oxypetallum (ns), a few hybrids Eucharis amazonica (Amazon lily) Gardenias: see the gardenia mini-FAQ Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine) Genista canariensis (Scented Broom) Hedychium coronarium, gardnerii, some hybrids Heliotropum arborescens (heliotrope): cherry pie fragrance Herbs: many herbs are scented, of course, and many can be grown indoors see the Herb Forum for suggestions Hermannia verticillata (Honey Bells) Hibiscus arnottianus Hoyas: acuta, archiboldiana, australis, bella, carnosa, fungii, lacunosa, nummularioides (pubera), obovata, obscura, odorata, paziae, pubicalyx, serpens, shepherdii, tsangii, verticillata, and many more Illicium floridanum (Florida Anise Tree): scented leaves Ipomea alba (moonflower) Ixora barbata, fragrans Jasmines: almost all species are fragrant, except for mesnyi, nudiflorum, and rex. Lantana camara: scented leaves Magnolia coco: es Malpighia glabra and punicifolia (Barbados Cherry) Mandevilla laxa (Chilean jasmine) Michelia figo fuscata, skinneri (Banana shrub), yunnanensis Mitrostigmara auxillare (African gardenia) Murraya: exotica, paniculata both called (orange jasmine), koenigii (curry) Neomarcia gracilis (Walking iris) Nerium oleander Nyctanthes arbor-tristes: (es) Ochna serrulata Orchids: many, many orchids are fragrant; here are just a few that are particularly good houseplants: brassavola nodosa, some mini-cattleyas, cymbidium "Golden Elf, " dendrobium kingianum, Neostylis "Lou Sneery," oncidium "Sharry Baby" (smells like chocolate!) See the Orchid Forum for more suggestions Osmanthus fragrans (Sweet olive) Pachypodium lamerei, saundersii Pandanus odoratissimus (Screw Pine) Pandorea pandoreana Passiflora: many are fragrant, including alata, caerulea, helleri, phoenicia, trifasciata, and many hybrids. Pelargoniums (scented geraniums): all scented-leaf geraniums have guess what? scented leaves Pereskia aculeata (lemon vine): climbing, leaved cactus with lemon-scented flowers Pittosporum: eugenioides, tobirum (mock orange) Plectranthus: many species have scented leaves; some are very strongly scented (think kitchen cleaners) Plumeria: most varieties are scented Pogostemon hyeanus (patchouli): scented leaves Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose) Primula (Primrose): some modern hybrids are lightly scented Prostanthera Psidium (guava): most varieties have scented flowers and lightly scented leaves. Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) Reseda odorata (mignonette): scented flowers Rhododendron: vireya species and hybrids; many are scented and can be grown indoors. Some smaller Maddeni-type cultivars might also fit indoors. Rondeletia leucophyllum (es), splendens (ns) Sanseveria: though not often seen, most snake plants have small, scented flowers Senecio: confusus (mexican flame vine), pendularis, Sinningia tubiflora Stapellia: flavopurpurea is the only species in this genus with a pleasant scent! Stephanotis floribunda (Madagascar jasmine) Strophanthus gratus Tabernaemontana: divericata, holstii (Butterfly gardenia) Tecoma stans Telosma cordata Tillandsia: yes, some air plants have scented flowers: crocata, duratii, straminea and some others see the Bromeliad Forum Trachelospermum: asiaticum, jasminoides (Confederate jasmine) Verbena: some cultivars are scented Vigna caracalla (Snail Vine) Viola odorata (Scented violet) Wrightia religiosa Zingiber: culinary ginger (zingiber officianale) and some other species have scented leaves and rhizomes

"Is Sphagnum, reed and sedge peat the same stuff just more or less decomposted?" Wikipedia tells me "peat" is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter that is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, or mires. One of the most common components is Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum and the peat formed from it do not decay readily because of the phenolic compounds embedded in the moss's cell walls), although many other plants can contribute, like ericaceous shrubs, and sedges. 'Phragmites' peat is composed of reed grass (Phragmites australis), and other grasses, and is denser than many types of peat. Peat material is either fibric, hemic, or sapric. Fibric peats are the least decomposed, and comprise intact fiber. Hemic peats are somewhat decomposed, and sapric are the most decomposed. I hadn't heard of the Von Post Scale until your post: A – Young peat, very light – Von Post scale: H1-H3 B – Standard blond peat, slight decomposition – Von Post scale: H2-H4 C – Brown peat, medium/advanced decomposition – Von Post scale: H3-H6 D – Black peat, very advanced decomposition – Von Post scale: H7-H10 E – Organic sediments and mineral subsoil From UC Davis's Peat Moss Fact Sheet, "Sphagnum peat can adsorb 20 to 30 times its dry weight in water, while hypnum peat and reed-sedge peat can adsorb 5 to 7 times their dry weight." Being in Sweden, you likely have access to different types of peat than we do in the US. Dale's been posting porosity data and moisture release curves of various substrates lately; if there's a way you could test the various grades of peat you have access to there, I'd be very curious to see what their actual characteristics are. If you're going to grow hundreds of bags, you might as well use a few different soil mixes, and see what works the best. Please take pictures and report back! :)