That is one of the wonderful things about plants.

Oh Lin, I'm so sorry. I remember seeing your beautiful oxys several years ago. I wish I could send you a cutting of mine, however, I am still in FL and my grandmother's original plant is really the worse for wear -- barely alive. I figure it is about 75 to 100 years old as I remember seeing it when a small child and was allowed to stay up late one time when it bloomed. Now I'm an old lady. First we cut some trees and forgot that it needed the shade and left it where it had always been; it got sunburned. Then the next year our pump failed in the watering system, and it went for a long time without water (not much rain that year). Then after all of that we had the two cold spells in December of 2010 and it barely survived that. I have a couple of scrawny little leaves left and that's all. With me, if there's still green, there's hope!

That is very sad Lin, sorry about your plants and everything you have gone through, and your right of course, there are always more plants.

Jean: I can still enjoy our photo's of E. oxypetalum in the database: Queen of the Night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) and I was talking of downsizing with plants anyway so all is okay. I just wish he could have been honest with me (about more than just plants LOL.) Originally he told me not to leave any plants because plants weren't his thing and he couldn't guarantee he'd water them or keep them alive. He said if there were any that I didn't want to take to give them to the neighbors (who would have loved them!) Then on the day I was loading plants into the trailer to move them to my new house he began taking many of the larger ones and moving them back saying that he wanted to have a few plants around the pool. I've always been the passive one ... but I kinda wish I had stood up for my plants.

Margaret: Thank you ... life is a mystery and sometimes things happen even though we don't understand why. I have supportive family and friends so I know I am blessed!

Lin!

Lin, it is wonderful that you have a supportive family and friends. Along the rocky road of life, I have always been grateful for those who have given me a hand when the journey got rough. I'm sure I speak for your virtual friends here.

The lovely, changing banners have always been one of my favorite features here.

I often wish I could give a particular banner a 'thumbs-up' maybe as many as half of them!

I agree, they are a great feature and I too wish I could give them a thumbs up!

Me too.

I kept meaning to come here and ask what the current banner bloom is. It look familiar but I can't put my thumb on it.

Wait, blue wisteria type vine, tropical.....oh what is that name??

Bingo, love Google!

Petrea volubilis http://toptropicals.com/html/t...

and my guess is this is Dutchlady's banner!
Queen's Wreath (Petrea volubilis)

Looks like a good call to me!

yes indeed 'twas mine! Still blooming here too. I love that vine!!

Beautiful shot Hetty, jealous of it too, that you can grow it!

I was wondering, too, thanks!

What pretty pink blooms in the new banner, a great photo of spring! Who's beautiful shot & what tree is this?

Looks like a flowering almond.
How beautiful.

You are close, Sharon. That is a peach tree in my orchard. I took the photo just an hour ago.