I have sent a message to the nursery asking why the tag is marked a perennial. Not that this is THAT big of a deal...it's more principle. They've become quite large and I've lost count the number of times I've recommended them to folks.

ALAS!!! My house phone does not do any of that!
Don't think I will ever upgrade. it would be another confusing new gizmo
to deal with. No thanks!!

I was in "Dollar General" yesterday. Ahead of me in line was a young Mom
with her toddler in the cart seat. There was some confusion checking out--
so it took a while till my turn came. I had a very interesting observation.

This toddler--still in diapers, I am sure, had an appropriate (for his age) smart phone.
He was fully aware of all the functions of it. Press this button to change the visual.
Stroke your finger on the screen to move to something else.
Press another button to bring up a new "movie") Just amazing!!!
Almost all kids in strollers are now occupied with their "smart phones".
Sorry--but I don't know what to call these kiddie gadgets....

And--then many of us wonder why no one at can spend one minute w/o
texting on their phones. HEY! There is another LIFE out there! Live it!!!

I bet in about one million years--all other fingers, beside the thumbs, will have
atrophied. The thumb will have massive bicep-like muscles on it.

G.

OMG, Beck--that pergola, and all else there, is gorgeous!!!!

What a neat place that will be to chill and party. Just BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Now--re the Epis:
The pictures I sent you were from their "fresher years".
I call the big, heavy one "Epi #2". The other red Epi (Ackermanii) is "Epi #1.
I think I labeled them this way by who bloomed first...or second...

I have given away the massive Epi #2 twice to an Arboretum.
Also--my Ric-Rac cactus twice--which got so huge I was worried my ceiling
would cave in from where it was hanging.

The 1at adopted Ric-Rac lives happily in the Mediterranean House of the
Peter Rawlings Conservatory. It has rooted up and between the rock wall of the pond
and blooms nicely every year. I have yet to see that.

These would do so much better in your climate, even though our zones are
almost the same.
I bring mine in for the winter--and they hang from the ceiling by my LR window.
I seldom water them as they are so tilted (the weight) that the water would just run off.
SO--I ignore them. It is amazing that they even survive!

1--Here is my 2 Ric-Racs as they look right now. Totally healthy and shiny green fronds.
A section of a frond will root in a matter of days. They grow so fast!
I think these are, probably, just in their 3rd year from a cutting on my 5' DR table.
I think I better pot them in a HB--but then all the concerns will start all over again.


2--Here is a close-up of some of the fronds. Like someone polished them.....


3--Here is Epi #2 (with the amazing blooms) just hung outside after all winter inside.


4--And--here is the more dainty Epi #1 ( The Ackermanii) just out too.


LMK if you want me to mail some cuttings/starts of each of these--for postage, please.

Gita

SS--
I don't remember where I bought these 2 weird Iris. I remember seeing the
package and thinking--"OH! There sure are different!"
It may have been at Walmart. I no longer have the tags--but, I think one of them
was labeled as "batik". suits them fine! Wonder WHY the other one is so behind?????
Some of my other iris's are also slow to bloom. Where is my yellow one????

AND-How about my Kopper King Hibiscus???? It has not even broken ground yet!
The daffs around it are long done. Usually, the KK comes up later and bloom profusely.
This year is SOOOO screwed up!
***I better NOT lose my KK Hibiscus!!!! That would be a disaster!
G.

Do any of you remember the "mystery" cuttings these were ???

I think it was a Swap at Jan's??? Someone "pushed" these cuttings on me,
so I took them. They were two wispy stems with some leaves on them.
I potted them up--and they grew the next year. There was the possiility
that these were Mockorange. Wish i could remember the year?

Anyway--here it is. Thriving in the back corner of my YUK bed.
Sadly--the blooms are single and have NO fragrance! Bummer....
It IS growing well, though. I am NOT overly excited over this shrub.
I would have SO wanted a fragrant Mock Orange....

Here is what it looks like now. The whole shrub--and a close-up of the blooms.
Gita

Hm, my hibiscus hasn't woken up, either. I guess it's just been too cool for them?

Anyone else seeing their hibiscus pop up? All of my other late perennials are up.

I've got sprouts on one Hibiscus moscheutos, nothing yet on the others. They are usually late enough that I start wondering if they are dead rather than dormant... and then before I know it they're smothered in blooms!

Gita - I would love some cuttings for postage! Do you have Paypal??

Sorry--i do not have Paypal. I never shop on-line.

I will package the cuttings up and send them off.
Just plant them in fresh soil and they will root in a week or so.

The Epi #2 had a whole frond that broke off. You can cut it in 3"-4" sections
and just pot it up. Keep track re 'top" and "bottom" of the sections!
Also--careful~~~the 2 Epis have hair-like thorns around the edges.
You don't see them--but you will 'feel' them.

Will also, gladly, send you a whole frond of the Ric-Rac.
The Epi #1 (Ackermanii) will be more dainty, but they all grow like weeds.

Can you, please. T-mail me your address? I will let you know when I mail these.
Gita

One of my hibiscus has sprouted several good new stems but the other--nothing yet. It's usually slow--Every year I wonder if it's dead or just dormant but so far it's come back each time. Hope yours shows a sprout soon, SSG!

Should anyone be interested here is the response from the nursery regarding the Mexican Bush Sage.

thanks, Chantell. I have had trouble overwintering Mexican Bush sage. It seems to come back for me only about half the time.

There are always the zone pushers, and microclimates. I have a firmly 8 place in my yard. Amaryllis overwintered and are about to bloom. Salvia Black and Blue flourishes.

Sally, you and SSG are lucky to have hot spots in your yard! I seem to be only barely 7a everywhere.

Between my brick front and TH facing south-east I've been very blessed to grow many things in my front yard...hoping this will be one of them!!

My hibiscus made an appearance about a month ago, one us about 12 inches tall, the other about 16.

Kept a Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha for about 12 years, bringing it in in the fall. Finally, last fall we decided to let it go to the big compost pile in the sky. It always started blooming just before it needed to come inside. Flowers lasted a long time, but then the plant shed a lot of debris the remainder of its interment, requiring regular clean-up, hence the waning enthusiasm.

<a moment of silence> re: big compost pile in the sky'

Almost there! The 2 TD's will be sipping Daiquiries on here in a few weeks!!! 💕

ok if mine's a pina colada or soco and OJ?