Nice Beck, looks like Greg got someone moving. It's a shame you can't grow night blooming cereus, like my dad does in Florida. The flowers are great and smell heavenly. It may be able to grow in a large container, but would have to be moved into a garage or something during winter.

LOVE night blooming epis...agree re that scent...almost lily-ish...

I might go ahead and get some...I have so many that need to come inside for the fall/winter now, what difference does a few more make I am already looking for shelving to put up in the laundry room and spare bedroom so I can overwinter the now growing C&S collection

As I said...confirm with airlines and I'll bring you a leaf down.

Chantell, You should be fine taking something along to Beck"s. As far as I know Florida is the only state inspecting for inter-state shipping of plants. There is no inspection for continental flights.

Becky---
A really far-fetched question....
How long did you have the NBC that I lugged over to your townhouse
at the 1st swap you held? It was quite large!
It had never bloomed for me--but then it bloomed the next summer for you.

I have a lot of rooted cuttings, or just a whole "frond", that just broke off
from the most "amazing" NOID Epi I have. (see pic #1.)



Another Red Epi-has bloomed profusely for me--(Ackermanii).
See pic. #2 and #3)
2--
3--

Also--I can give you a section of a frond of the Ric-Rac cactus.(selencerius anthonyanus)
This one grows like crazy, weighs a ton after a few years--but here--I have only seen
it bloom ONCE--the 3rd year I had it--from "kachinagirl" in CA. Pics #4--#5)
#4-- (only bloom)


#5--Full size Ric Rac--at least 35lbs. I kept hoping my ceiling hook
would hold the weight...


All 3 of these Epis were sent to me as single cuttings in 2005.
Will be glad to send you some starts of either one.
LMK. Gita

@gitagal are you sure that wasn't me? I got one from you as well that bloomed but I thought I picked that up at Ric/Holly's. I know Bec had to down size (gave many plants to fellow prior DGers) her plants in order to move.

Gita, I had that for more than a couple of years...and cannot for the life of me remember what happened to it?

I would LOVE some of your Epis! They are beautiful!

Only the pergolas, hanging the swing & getting the trees in the ground & Eden is done! Got some fantastic trees/plants today, thanks to contractor's prices...

Grill nook, fire pit, pergola... and the stone surrounds under the pergola supports look to be a perfect height for perching on, too! Sweet!

Now you need to till up some garden beds along those fences...

Makes my heart happy to hear you so thrilled with your lovely new home!

Sooooo....stopped by Southern States on the way home as I realized I'd run out of grit (course I arrived home only to realize I didn't have that much soil either ) Any-who...thought I'd just take a stroll and 'window-shop' the plants (said no plant lover ever). I simply wanted to find that beautiful Centaurea montana and maybeeee pick one up. Needless to say I left with grit plus 4 pots...LOL. It's an exercise in futility, I tell you...why I even try to avoid plant purchases - SMH. They had Frost Proof Gardenias for $9.99 (got home and realized she only charged me $6.99) - they did have the Centaurea Montana (but ONLY in the larger size - ok twist my arm ) and then I found this Mexican Sage which said perennial however I'm now wondering if it's truly hardy here. Oh and I found biddy thyme - which will go in the fairy garden I'm planning for the girls

Mexican Sage
Although perennial in its native habit, Salvia leucantha is only reliably perennial in (zones 8b-10).
Maybe you can collect seeds or take cuttings.

@Eric4home - ok so here's my frustration with that. If you are a reputable nursery in 7a (which this plant came from - I've been to the actually location in central VA) growing this plant don't send it out to the stores in the state with a perennial tag on it. Maybe just me...but I feel like it's false advertising sorta. My bad I know...as it's my responsibility to google the plants I'm not familiar with...but still <pouting>

ALL: Meadows Farms is doing a ladybug give away. I'd rather just buy them then try to beat out others going first thing in the am. Any suggestions of online or local places that carry them? I'd really love to get the ongoing white fly issue resolved on my poor Gardenia. You'd think with the last two winters those lil suckers would be gone...nope. I see them ready to hatch...nasty buggers

Chantell, they sell ladybugs at the nursery I go to in Bethesda although that would be a hike for you! I'd be happy to pick you up some if there were plans to meet somewhere or if you were driving through this area.

Heya!

If you're able to come up to my "neck of the woods" tomorrow (Saturday) night, we're putting together a dinner gathering at Chef Lin Buffet. I'm setting the time at 6:30 so John (Viburnum Valley) can make it. Please let me know if you're interested in joining us, and I'll see if Donna can save a couple tables in the back for us.

Robin - thank you....I've made a 'couple of calls'...I think I've found some.

Chantell, Yes, Yes, Yes, I have seen plants in Lowes (when I worked there) that I knew were not hardy in our zone. The tags even said that they were only hardy to zone 7 not our zone 6 and they had them mixed in and marked with the perennial plants. Yes, the Lowes in Zone 7 can sell these as perennials but our Zone 6 Lowes can't. I know that Lowes is just a big box store not a good nursery but really that is not the way it should be done. Finding that in a good nursery is even worst and the other thing is get some D%#@ proper plant tags on these plants. I am so tired of going to pricey Greenhouse/nurseries and finding plants with generic plant tags.

I've started taking advantage of using my phone to look up plants online... but that takes time.

You can push the zone on some of the zone 7 salvias, but I have mixed luck with those. Mexican though is a tropical, pretty much. Might overwinter inside -- and the blooms might convince you to try!

critterologist said:I've started taking advantage of using my phone to look up plants online... but that takes time.

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