Chandra, thanks for sharing your pictures. Everything is so beautiful, especially Lucky. Larry

earthworm - I love the Persian Shield. I'd grown it several years ago but have had a hard time finding it at a reaonable priceand hadn't been able to propagate it. I bit the bullet this year for $7 per gallon for an annual. I'm taking cutting and trying to root them in water. So far still alive. I live in North Central Pennsylvania in Dubois, about an hour WNW of State College, the coldest zone 6 in America. Depending on what site you look at our Jan avg highs/lows are either 28/14 or 31/17? I'm a little warmer than the airport official readin which is about 150 feet higher in elevation. Lits of microclimates here, I'm about 250 feet higher than in town where they seem to get half the snow but are considerably colder. Hunter - I've always wanted a monkey puzzle, but I think what you are referring to is a cactus, and I believe it is cylindropuntia imbricata. E-mail me at brm olshanski @ yahoo.com and I'll send you a cutting. Sorry for the chopped up e-mail address but I don't want to make life easy for spammers. They are a piece of cake and totally winter hardy. Those are third year from a very small cutting. Thanks for the kind words tropical! While I don't post much anymore I still read the boards and your stuff looks great!

First off let me say once again say I am such an IDIOT! Vic honey, I messed up on your box, I was thinking I had the large flat rate box BUT when I got to the PO the postmaster told me it was the 10.00 whatever box soooo I am sorry about that. Anyway, I had the wrong postage on it, I had the amount needed to send the Large Flat rate box so we had to remove some postage and he forgot to give me my DC#.... IT DOES HAVE ONE, I JUST DON'T KNOW what it is, he will save it for me and I can get it Monday BUT I hope by then you will have it. Anyway, I am sorry I screwed up. I had to take the plants out of their pots to fit them into the box, I was wondering why everything had to be taken out and I was thinking the box looked awful small BUT I always think those boxes look small even when I have the 'LARGE' flat rate box. I remember how big they used to be, they we bigger years ago ANYWAY, I digress.... PLEASE forgive me, but we were in a rush at the post office the mail truck was already there to pick up and I THOUGHT he gave me the thing but I can't remmeber if he did or not and IF he did then I lost it in our truck but I searched it over and can't find it so I really don't know. ANYWAY, all your plants did fit so that is a good thing. I also included some other little things I hope you appreciate the gesture! Please let me know if something doesn't make it, it all looked great when I packed it but you know how traveling goes. The echies were small when I got them so they have grown a tad, I would put those back in a pot and baby them over winter if I were you, like in a garage or something. OH and there is something in there with no name, one is a NOID it is solid green I thought you would appreciate it and the other I have a name and when you open the pack with them in it which is in the very bottom of the box you will know what I am talking about when you get it I will send you the name of it. DO NOT OPEN IN THE HOUSE unless you want to make a mess, there is soiless mix on pretty much everything, just to forewarn you! Ok, I think that is it...HOPE YOU ENJOY THE BOX! :) Fran

That's so funny! That time I thought you were just being silly! Good news at the dentist always makes for a better day! Yay! Lisa - I'm so sorry that I've been remiss in taking time to post on the board that I received my prize package from you. I sent you an e-mail when it arrived on Monday. I hope you received it. To everyone else - Lisa sent me the nicest box of prizes from last month's games. For some game when I was the next person to post (it seems like we were waiting for Tracy to materialize but I don't remember why) she sent me some nice gloves and plant markers. For finding that tiny Christmas tree, thereby putting an end to her 'I Spy' game, she sent me a plant off of my want list. She chose to give me Phlox 'Orange Perfection'. I was very excited to get this, as I've never seen it in my area. And, just because she's so sweet, Lisa sent me another start from Larry's iris collection! I'm a lucky girl!