Ramble on. I just told someone today that I had thought of retiring to a warmer climate and my travels took me all over the US and Puerto Rico. I vacationed on some beautiful islands but realized the beauty I craved was right in my back yard. So I chose to stay and buy what I wanted to have my dream of room to grow as many outdoor plants and a patio large enough to grow all the tropical plants I wanted. I have a patio that is as large as a suburban yard and 4 acres of garden fun for my Perennials , Lilacs, Mock orange and Spring bulbs.

The old fashioned Lilacs and Mock orange will not survive in warm climates because they need the cold. They have some of the newer ones but the most do not have much fragrance at all. A lot of the plants we enjoy cannot be grown in tropical climates just like we cannot put a tropical plant out in the snow.

I would still be in PA but my life changed and I was offered a job I could not turn down in NJ back in 1987 and I am still here. I loved my good old Lancaster County. Amish may annoy some, but to me I had such fun with them. Your place sounds wonderful. I am homesick just thinking about good old PA. When I came down here, I had already retired and we had a houseboat we had sold and planned on getting a larger one and just cruising up and down the intercoastal waterway and stay in Spring and Fall climates all year if possible. I wanted a bigger one so I could take my birds and plants with me. But, my husband died and I was left with a small farm here in NJ which I eventually sold and I am still here at my daughter and SIL's Christmas Tree farm. Birds, dog, cat, and greenhouse and house full of plants. More rambling.

How about Sweet Olive? Has anyone mentioned that one? There is a new one at Logees that is tempting me big time. It is 'Fudingzhu'. Sounds just yummy.

Another that many grow as a houseplant that has fragrant blooms:


JB: Seems many gardeners have a lot in common. My husband and I just sold our 24' boat and he wants to buy a 42' - 44' trawler in the next year or two so that we can travel the southern (and perhaps northern) intracoastal waterways, as well as visit the Bahamas. Although I've lived on the coast my entire 66 years, I will not go out in the ocean, even on a big boat! I'm okay on the intracoastal waterways but I will not cross the ocean on any boat; I fly over to the islands and meet him when we go there. About ten years ago, my husband, brother in law and a friend took our 24' boat across to the bahamas!! The wives flew over to meet them and we rented a house for a weeks vacation. It was great having our boat there to visit all the different islands but I will not go in the ocean. I kinda, sorta thought I might make the crossing on a trawler until he told me we'd be @ 7 or 8 hours without seeing land! Uh Uh.

I gave up ocean travel years ago. My husband was a criminal trial attorney and in order to wind down after court he would travel when he had an open schedule. He made several trips around the world, all of which I remained home with the kids since I am not a great one to travel. He insisted I take a cruise one time and we got to Miami to board the ship and it had some sort of accident coming into dock and the cruise was cancelled. I was so relieved. Next thing I new he had booked us another cruise to Cuba...thinking it was a short trip for me I suppose from Miami. Just days before the cruise, Kennedy and Cuba had a disagreement and the cruise was cancelled. I figured seconds are thirds and the third could SINK, so I told him to forget the cruise thing...I am finished going on any kind of vessel in the ocean. I too am o.k. on the intracoastal and rivers like the Delaware ....we kept our boat at a dock in Maryland and we did go out on the bay but I am still not happy on a large body of water. Our houseboat was great, had a steel hull and I felt really safe on it, but I just can not take being on ocean or bay for some reason. I am a great swimmer, but even with that, no way. Give me a small body of water for sure. Of course now I am 86 and just sitting on the back with my feet up, a glass of wine or cold beer, fishing is what I call Heaven.
I need a young man who likes the water, is trained as an EMT and is a good mechanic to work for me and be my captain....so help me, I just may do that one day before I die. I am just one cazy old lady.

JB said:I need a young man who likes the water, is trained as an EMT and is a good mechanic to work for me and be my captain....so help me, I just may do that one day before I die. I am just one cazy old lady.

I say ... Go for it!

I've never been on a cruise but I know many folks who love them. I'm not a strong swimmer at all, I have a fear of deep water. I've informed my husband that when we get the trawler it must have a dingy that is hard sided ... not one of those inflatables that will pop if a shark bites it.

Jacquie

I love to travel but cruises are not my cup of tea. Years ago my sisters said we had never taken a vacation together as adults and they wanted to do a cruise. I went very reluctantly. I was sick the entire time and when I came home when I laid down I could still feel like my bed was on the ocean moving. It was horrible. It took a week for my body to realize we were no long on the ocean. Hate the restriction of the crises too. I like to go and stay on an island and not have to rush back to the ship.

I was an auditor. I would leave every Monday and return home on Friday. I was on a plane and in a different city for 20 yrs. When I was not going away for business I was going to an Island for vacation. That was where I got the love of tropical plants. I am ever so happy to sit on my patio and watch the tropical plants grow in front of me on my patio. My gypsy wonder lust has been cured.

Now that we are back from our travels, I wanted to share my latest information with you all. I think I mentioned the African Gardenia (Mitriostigma axillare) before but if I did not, it is such a great houseplant with such a sweet soft aroma...anyhow, mine has been sitting in my bedroom, just blooming and growing for several years. I did not cut it back because I was just curious to see how tall it would get. I have decided it is time to take out the main leader and give the rest of the plant more strength to grow into a more full bush.........not going to happen......thank goodness I decided to ask Logee's how much I can take off and much to my complete astonishment they said 1/3 of the leader is the max or I will kill the plant. Wow, was I surprised and now the plant will look really stupid....the middle leader is over 24 inches tall and Logee's said no more than 8 inches for sure. I did find out that I can take those 8 inches and try and root them in water. They gave me the instructions of how to do it. I must say, they are extremely helpful and free with information. Something hard to find these days with people who are in the business to make money. Here is what it looks like now. They ask for a picture and sent me an email with the information. Nice huh?????


You can put this information in your little files and if you ever get one of these plants remember not to permit it to grow too tall before you decide to trim it. My lesson for the day.

Thank you JB. I am going to purchase that plant. I have not heard good things about this nursery in a long time. People started complaining that they were sending them small plants and that they were not as good as they where years ago. It is good to hear they are doing a better job.

I have not purchased lately because I was one of the unhappy people but I did take the opportunity to ask for information and I was impressed with their prompt reply and willingness to share. I have no idea if their plants are bigger now or what condition they are in. They always replaced bad items for me in the past and never had a problem doing it.

JB said:I have not purchased lately because I was one of the unhappy people but I did take the opportunity to ask for information and I was impressed with their prompt reply and willingness to share. I have no idea if their plants are bigger now or what condition they are in. They always replaced bad items for me in the past and never had a problem doing it.

Thank you. I have searched and found it at a few places but more than I want to pay for a what I know will be a small 3" pot. I will not give anybody $25 or $30 for a plug size pot. Shipping is so high by the time you are done you end up paying 50 bucks for a little thing. Nope I won't do it.

Cinta said:

Thank you. I have searched and found it at a few places but more than I want to pay for a what I know will be a small 3" pot. I will not give anybody $25 or $30 for a plug size pot. Shipping is so high by the time you are done you end up paying 50 bucks for a little thing. Nope I won't do it.

I am not surprised at the price. I have tried over the years I have had it to propagate it and I was unable to do so, that is one reason I ask what Logee had to suggest to start a cutting. Anyhow, Logee had it in 2.5 inch pots (a bit larger than plug size) $12.95 and 4.0" pot $24.95..that is about the going rate for that plant I feel sure.

That is the problem with propagating plants and trying to sell them. I know from experience that I can not sell my jasmine in a 3" pot.for more than $10.95...and I do not consider that a plug size....plug to me is 1 1/2 or 2 inches. By the time they get to the 3" pot, they are six months to a year old and the grower has all that time feeding, watering and the expense of the greenhouse under his belt, then if you ask more than $10....they say it is too much money. That is one reason I began selling cuttings....that way I do not have all the expenses I mentioned above and I am still making people happy and moving my plants. Gives me more time and more room in the greenhouse for things I want to play around with. Fragrant house plants are a luxury to me and I have very few of them anymore. I just can not afford them...that is why I only grow the two jasmine (Maid of Orleans and Star) to sell anymore, I feel unless you have customers in the city who are used to paying high prices, you will sit on your plants for years. I have three Maid of Orleans that are now 2 years old, left from one year when I refused to sell them less than $12.00 for a 3" pot. I will use them as stock plants when they get old enough. Many of my customers are city dwellers and that is good.

The other week I put a classified ad up on ATP when I was trying to make room in the greenhouse. I put up some beautiful year old, still in a 3" pot Chlorophytum comosum 'Vitittum' ....these are ready to go into 6 inch pots. I ask $4.99 and offered if they buy one, they get one FREE. NOT ONE PERSON WAS INTERESTED. I was amazed....that was a good deal for plants that age. You just never know what people are going to buy and when but I am not in this to make money, this is a hobby gone MAD....too many plants love to grow for me...anyhow, I end up giving more away some months than I sell. Just wanted to give you an idea what it is like on the "other" side....hope no one was offended. I did not mean the information to be hurtful in any way.

Jacquie, I understand the nurseries have to make a profit. It is a business they are suppose to make money. No one should be upset.

When my daughter was small and I did not want to work outside the house I decided to be a seamstress. Lord that was hard. I was basically self trained. I had one yr in middle school I did not finish the apron. The teacher sent me to the office because I would not pick out a seam she did not like. Back then we had to use a pin. I saw some of my classmates fingers bleeding I was not going for that pain. The Principle put me in cooking class.

I made all my daughters clothes and learned on her. I ended up doing wedding party bridesmaid gowns and prom gowns. Good money but people do baulk at the price.

I have a limit of what I will pay for a plant I like plants but I just have a limit of the value for me. I do live in an area that I can get most plants without the added high shipping. My local nursery will order plants at wholesale prices if they can get it. I can get a bigger plant and do not have to pay the shipping.

Ok, I have got a 12" pot of Jasmine Confed. Everything looks good (tall branches, 20~30", keep growing up; am waiting for a 48" iron trellis arriving next week) except a few leaves at bottom would turn yellow and fall off. Is it normal for the leaves to turn yellow and fall (not many though)? Or it's a sign of trouble: under-water or over-water?

Another question: So far I have placed the plant outside in the patio. I don't worry about the cold temp in winter, but reckon it would not be able to stand the rain in winter and spring? I will have to move it inside when raining? Please confirm even though it's definitely difficult to move in (weight & size). Thanks

I think your plant is just acclimating Fiat. Give it a chance to adjust. I have not grown that but I would think rain in Spring is okay, still depending what the temp is already outside..cold freezing rain in winter for any tropical will not be good.

I have two Star Jasmine which at times are referred to as Confederate....but according to several pictures I have seen of confederate, they are not the same....either way, depending on which one you have you can leave it outside during sun and rain. In the Spring I put mine out on the South deck and that is about April 15th. I never bring them in until Sept. 15th unless as happened this year, the temperature dropped to 60 very suddenly at night and although they can take a sudden drop like that, I did not want it to happen everyday for a week, so I brought them and the camellia inside. The other jasmine stayed out until the middle of Sept. since they are more hardy. I think you need to look up Confederate Jasmine and be sure which one you have before you decide how you want to take care of it. The flowers are the only way you will be able to tell.
Just google it and take a look at the pictures. This is what I would do, and I am only suggesting it to you because I know you really want to make this plant happy.

Many thanks, Tarev and JB. I have decided and prepared to move in my confed (together with 5 big Aloes + 12 baby aloes) when winter cold and rain come.

Oh, JB: I am pretty sure that I got a confed by looking its flower. The petal is not as long as star and the edge is not as smooth. And it has a yellow color around the hole in the center of the star shaped flower.

You have a confed for sure and I have never raised them, so I am going to back off now and let the people who have them in their yards/house give you the advice. Thank you for putting up with me and good luck with your new baby. Iif you need me for Maid of Orleans or Star or other Jasminum Sambac, I am here.

Thanks, JB. All I have read about jasmine points to very similar if not exactly same caring for star and confed. I do need your good wishes for my new confed baby and I'll definitely remember you if I am in search of jasmine again.

JB is a lot more knowledgeable than I am is why I have not jumped in on advice.

The one I grew was picked up at Home Depot and it was in their outdoor garden area because the tag said Confederate Jasmine and was hardy to zone 6. I did not trust it so I grew it in a pot and brought mine inside in the winter. I usually do not bring any of my plants in until we are predicted to get frost which is usually Oct sometime it does not happen until Nov.

I remember it hated to dry out so I kept it moist. I put it outside from April till frost. It was very easy. It died when I brought it indoors for the winter and did not water it all winter. But that was after several yrs. of in and out.

I learned a long time ago,the hard way, that most jasmine love water...when mine are outside which is almost all 'Spring and Summer, I put the hose on them as I do with the mandevilla and bougainvillea . I soak them every day if the sun is really hot and they do dry out. All of them are pot bound and I do not intend to transplant them into bigger pots until I must. They seem to thrive in the pot bound 12 inch pots. I sit them around the dog yard and the deck and just take that old hose to them every evening or early morning. Now of course they are in the greenhouse and they do not get as much water in there which could be a problem since they are now so large. I did cut them all back but they grew so much this summer they were monster plants. The Mandevilla is a beautiful houseplant and although not fragrant it is worth looking into. It does get larger than most houseplants but if you are into tropicals it may be worth a try. That is another thread. sorry.