Bboy, thanks for the assistance with the cultivar name. I scrutinized page 222 of Shrubs and in all honesty it's very hard to tell them apart. Something about the curve of a certain part of the petals. Conveniently shown next to one another perhaps, but not conclusively so. My plant barely bloomed this year but I will check next spring if we have a mild enough winter, which seems increasingly unlikely. ;-( If it hadn't been for the good snowcover I had, I have no doubt last winter would have killed it at least to the ground. According to my spreadsheet, I got the plant at Forestfarm, if that helps. Fortunately there are enough "west coast" rhododendrons hybrids that for me at least have easily weathered this winter in the single digits. (3F to be precise, but more up & down oscillations in one winter than you have likely ever had in the PNW) In a fact a interesting oddity is compared to a collector on Long Island, which is not any colder than I am, I'm having better luck w/certain cultivars in terms of winter hardiness. I wonder if it could be that I grow my plants very lean, only a smattering of fertilizer every few years. He both feeds and waters for 'optimal growth' which may not mean optimal hardiness. Mine still bloom very well mind you, it isn't a like a Brugsmansia which is a absolute hog and requires P and some K probably to bloom. For example the very excellent IMHO 'Captain Jack' had only the tiniest bit of leaf burning, on an old leaf. Even though it would not be considered very hardy by most people (in other words only zn 7 hardy). OTOH, the Hachmann hybrid Lisette, which US wholesalers have incorrectly rated zn 6 hardy, was severely burned. Compare with rated-zone-7 hardy Gardenia 'Kleim's Hardy', which was killed to the ground even in a more sheltered spot. In other words zn 7 hardy can mean a lot of things but rhododendrons -in general- seem to me to be prolonged-cool-tolerant plants. Maybe a Rubiaceae Ericaceae comparison just isn't fair haha. Sounds like some of the people in the PNW you know were experimenting with the California hybrids generally thought to be zn 8 or even 9 hardy. I've never ordered any plant not rated to at least 5F, though there's sometimes ambiguity about wheather that means foliar or bud hardiness. I think 'Nancy Evans' might only be 5F bud hardy, but closer to 0F plant hardiness. It's the most tender rhodie I am trying to grow but it's such a great yellow to breed with and you have to have the plant because it doesn't make pollen. The real problem with it here is dying in summer from root rot, which can befall any plant derived from R. wardii. My long term policy is going to be to graft any plant having R. wardii, even if it's a small %. Finger crossed I believe I finally have a viable graft of it going. Final thing, it isn't outside the realm of possibilty some are just a bit hardier due to the warm summers of the east. No not most rhodies, just ones derived from species coming from hot summer areas like R. arboreum. George in Bandon told me 'Bibiani' was considered very tender in the PNW; yet there are pictures on the web of large plants in the suburbs of Atlanta, which is on the 7b/8a border. I'm sure I told the story here before of my R. arboreum delavayi which sat UNDERWATER for at least 2 days after Hurricane Irene, and was fine! You can't have poorer drainage than that! I'd forgotten it was in an outer pot that didn't drain, and had other distractions at the time like the power being out for those 48-72 hours, my cellar being flooded, etc. This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sun, Nov 9, 14 at 16:53

In terms of other sensations, some people like chimes which are on sale everywhere now. Chimes tend to drive me crazy but some people love them. Also, I'm not sure how natural you want to be but another idea might be a fountain. They come in all varieties from complex underground piping systems to some simple (but not "natural") plug in varieties. Someone smarter than me probably knows how to build one with no electriciy. I bought a fountain at Lowe's made of fake rocks for around $200.00. It was so easy to lift, even I could do it and easy to set up if you have an outside plug. You need to be a little creative to hide the wire but you can just bury it yourself. It also can stay out all year in New England (don't need to store inside in the winter). I was a little skeptical how the fake rocks would look but was assured I could return it. I put it in the patio area near a wall made of real rocks and it blends in just fine. Everyone who sees and hears it loves it (unlike chimes). I love the sound of running water and for me, it would be something for a meditation garden area. Just my two cents.

This year I found a 'maurelii' banana at the local nursery so have a couple along with my musa basjoos in pots and flower beds. I also found a musa zebrina (blood banana) but I really don't think it's liking full sun. Interesting though, there's an impatien plant in the same pot that's doing well in full sun. My cavendish banana from last year is indoors as a houseplant and seems to be doing much better, I guess it didn't really like full sun when it was outside. I bought an 'improved meyer' lemon and so far so good (nice growth). My spindle palm is about to open it's only new leaf of the summer. My bismarck and fan palm from last year are only former versions of themselves (from growing indoors in poor light for the winter) but are back outdoors and doing good. My latest thinking, with this cool summer, is to analyze tropical plants that seem to do good no matter what the summer. The moonflower, morning glory, persian shield, begonias, nicotiana, petunias and even easy-to-grow marigolds seem to be doing fine. I am coming to the conclusion that my mandevilla is growing so slowly that it's not really worth the effort especially in a cool summer. It's only two feet high and not really filling out a trellis. Every gardener can probably relate to planting something, giving it a prime location and hoping it makes a big impact, and then have it just sit there and do nothing. I also have my rubber plant growing outside for the summer and am trying a Wollemi pine - I just had to have it. Part of my thinking for this year was that summer, even when we have nice summers, are so short. Therefore for alot of my plants I started with ones growing in a pot (example morning glory) rather than start from seed. Happy tropical gardening, Glen

David, thanks for your reference to this species, O. cacanapa-ellisiana! I did not know about this Opuntia at all until you mentioned it. I just purchased and received cuttings from an on line source. Absolutely gorgeous! Received several LARGE pads for $12.00! I have LOTS of O. humifusa which I also love..., despite the thorns and the prickles. The spineless one is hardy also to Zone 7a..., I hope it too is deer resistant! LOL. BTW, do you happen to know if either of these species is eaten, by humans (I know that there is at least one tropical species is eaten), O. indica (which I do grow but not to eat!) Oh, I am not even that much of a cacti nut..., except for epiphytic cacti, Opuntia and Cereus (so, I guess the more tropical/subtropical species, not so much the xerophytic ones).