Okay Linda I have your address, and will send you plenty of seeds -
I'm not sure what loco is...so that sounds good to me.
I know you've seen Brian or whatever his name is from Kentucky - how he sort of makes his own shade, but that looks like quiet a bit of work. My weekend is Sun/Mon off, so I'll try to get it in the mail next week.
Janet,
I have never seen an Iochroma in bloom, it looks like it would be rather striking. I'm hoping mine lives long enough to flower. I did loose one plant this week, my fault - I was experimenting with lava sand mixed with soil. I learned that on the Brug site. I'm still trying to get the mixture down right. I've been to ebay a couple of times, but I find looking through all of that tedious as things seem to be repeated way too often. There are a couple of good sites too. I've yet to bid on something though, I just do the buy now thing.
Wow those palms...I'm always growing something without having any idea where or what I'll do with them, but they always end up finding a place.
Papaya trees
Rj I have found a place here that sells the duranta erecta, i have looked at their site before, but carriage is £12 so unless I bought a lot of stuff a bit costly! They do have some seed of their own on offer, used to have a list but now say it is impractical, so could email them to see.
I have done ebay to death, the traffic here has increased by 3-4 times over the last year, every Tom Dick & harry is putting stuff on. It makes it difficult to search or sell. There used to be fewer categories, and now so many you just don't know where to start. I have looked just lately and bought some ipomoea and other seed, if you just search for a specific thing it is easier. It can be cheap but a lot of newbies get carried away, and some sellers are cunning when it comes to deceiving. There is an addiction if you get into it, which takes a year to work itself out! I read once when searching on google, a guy was into old watches, and his experiences of how he made all sorts of assessments on what was going on sounded VERY familiar, and what you sometimes get is totally different to what it looks, a good laugh! It is more expensive here to sell as well, so if you don't get a sale it costs too much for a small amount. Shops are better for listing fees, but a monthly charge so need to be active. It is a lot of hard work and time consuming.
i read your experiment with lava sand in your diary, we don't seem to have such a following here, perhaps in the specialist societies. I just make up my own mix with approx. 1/3 each of Irish Moss peat compost, my own leaf/grass compost, and the gritty soil/leaf mix from our brick lined beck. I call it black gold, it is so friable and free draining, everything loves it. I grow orchids, agaves, cactus, palms, bananas, any other plants in the same inc. tomatoes, peppers etc etc. It keeps moist without drowning, and feeds too. My agave Americana variegatas, inc. the young ones I grew, went through at least -9C in a cold greenhouse, the frost was prolonged, the central new growth was covered in frost rhime, thick and white, for a long time, it was frozen solid. When it thawed it went slowly down, and wasn't touched, its babies will easily survive as well, even if wet. I have quite a few now. Time soon to try some in the garden.
Look see, the duranta
http://www.spnurseries.co.uk/Conservatory2.htm
That was the one plant I just lost was ipomoea, although I was fortunate to have saved a section of it that I had accidentally knocked off.
Yes I have written ebay off unless they have been recommended by a DG member, and there is a link to get there, otherwise I don't bother. I suppose I'm getting a bit snobby...haha
The lava sand I learned actually from someone in Germany - there is a HUGE thread that we got to chasing the lava soil as it's called around. We have nothing like that here, and I have been one of the first people to have found something similar. The theory is that the lava sand/soil allows a longer absorption time for roots, (Brugmansia in particular) to absorb nutrients that are other wise washed out of normal potting soil. Here in Texas, I must water daily - sometimes twice daily because of the high evaporation rate during our 90 plus summers. Indeed the lava sand combined with the soil has rendered some exciting results with raising plumerias from seeds last summer. The growth rate was at least quadrupled in my experience from growing plumeria seedlings previously. My problem is adjusting the watering schedule between cooler and warmer times of the year. I am thinking that plants should not be wintered in the combination of lava sand. I know from the Brug thread that the Brugs were pulled out of the soil for overwintering. Anyway experiment still in progress. This summer I intend to combine the lava sand with water crystals - then the peat compost and other goodies. My computer is fragging...so I'll write more latter.
Anyway...I agree with your black gold definately. Our problem is that the moisture is leached out in days, and likewise nutrients for plants. There is a product there in Europe that I wish we had access to, and was in fact the basis of our discussion. There is a blend of "lava clay" and other volcanic sources blended in with peat and other soil blends. It's called Haawita, I'm thinking it sources from Germany, but am not sure. My experiments so far have been largely successful as the lava sand really does drain well in high temps, and the plants respond quiet well. In the winter, the ratio needs to be lighter.. I use it in the Papaya's, but tend not to water them in the green house because of the moisture retention..
whew..am I out of breath...blablablablaaah...:)