Never, NEVER order from Aloha Orchid Nursery. The Better Business Bureau says "this company has an unsatisfactory record. . . . Company failed to respond to the BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues. . . . Unpursuable - The company cannot be located or is out of business." Yet they're still selling stuff. My sister sent me "4 Blooming Dendrobium Orchid Plants" for my birthday. When I received them, they weren't blooming, and in fact two appeared to be dying. I called and spoke to Mahehalani. First she told me that there was absolutely no guarantee for orchid plants, even if they're already dying when they're mailed and further damaged by lousy packing. I told her the plants clearly weren't "blooming," and she claimed "budding" was the same thing. Realizing I was going nowhere fast, I pointed her to the "Tropical Flower Guarantee" on their website (http://www.alohaorchid.com/flower_guarantee.aspx) stating "We offer 100% unconditional guarantee on all of our tropical flowers." She claimed that this doesn't apply to orchids -- which are clearly tropical flowers -- and in fact ONLY applies to anthuriums, WHICH THEY NO LONGER SELL. Apparently, then, the guarantee doesn't apply to ANYTHING they sell. I emailed the sales department and they confirmed what Mahehalani said: that I was stuck with ugly, dying plants. See photos at my website and decide for yourself if I've been defrauded. But please, please don't give these people your business. Here is a link that might be useful: My website

I can sell you my Ameriwillow. A special cultivar of native willow but I will not tell you more about it... I will be secretive, ok! You can propogate it if you want I suppose LOL. I will also offer you via private sale PAulownia, Mimosa , chinese privet and wisteria. You'd be in heaven. Oh yeahs I got some of that too. Tree of heaven, 5 plants for $19.99 plus shipping and handling. Kudzu vines and bradford pears are only $9.99 each potted size. Wowzas. I'll gladly withold my phone number and take 3 weeks to get around to your email but I promise I will prompty charge your credit card. How does that sound? I can be really accommodating too! You don't want none of that oregon grown plants. Get your plants from GA because our plants are more *drought*tolerant*! Wow! Drought tolerant! Can you believe it?

Hi, What a fun project. I hope you will keep us posted and post some photos of your developing pond. I did a little search and came up with a few websites that have some good information. There is a Phx. Pond Society that has some info on thier site, and also an a website for AZ Aquatic Gardens that sells supplies for ponds and I bet you could contact them for info specific to AZ ponds. As for plants and direct sun. AZ sun is much more intense than the average direct sun in most the the US. I know this because I grew up in Phx. then went to work as a travel nurse after college (thus gardening in all different parts of the US) and then returned back to AZ. If you put certain plants in direct sun here in the summer they will fry. Native plants and things like bougainvillea that require fun sun are fine. It seems that many fdrought tolerant plants will do well in full AZ sun. Most tropicals that require humidity, especially those with large leaves seem to do better with a little afternoon shade. Large leaved plants (like elephant ears etc)lose alot of moisture from thier leaves and will fry in the hot dry direct sun and climate. Give them a little shade and humidity they do better. Some canna can do well with some full sun but I have found many of them do much better with afternoon shade, epecially the white variegated ones and the dark/vivid colored ones. My tropicanas leaf color will definitely fade out in full sun. It also depends what is around the plant -like say gravel, cement, block walls etc will reflect and hold heat making direct sun situations worse. Now in the winter this could work to your advantage-In summer...certain death for some plants. One thing I have found with my tropicals is to slowly acclimate (by keeping them in pots for a while, I can move them slowly into more sun and see what works. If you watch them and see signs of sunburn it it too much and you can always move them back into the shade etc. AZ Aquatic Gardens http://www.azgardens.com/index.php Here is a link that might be useful: Phoenix Pond Society

Well, thanks for posting this. We are going to go to the one in Murietta soon to find a fast growing shade tree with non-invasive roots. It will cost more to remove the current tree than the replacement tree, but the tree that is there is the messiest tree on earth. It's a Silky Oak from Australia and there is not one season where it's not dropping something on our patio. Hubby likes it because it shades the house but it's ruining the septic system. Has to go. I called and was told to speak with a certain man there and to bring a photo of the existing tree and location. It won't be easy for them to plant a tree either. We are figuring $1500 to remove and maybe $900 for the replacement. Nice to know negotiations are possible. Commission. Hmmmmmm