La/Ms road trip.....

We're planning to go to Biloxi, Ms for Thanksgiving (my first trip home since Katrina). I'd like to stop at a few tropical nurseries that carry hibiscus on the way back to Austin. I know there are a few in La. Driving from the Ms Coast, to La, to Houston via I10...are there some nurseries that would be open to the public in late Nov? Sandi

Sandi,

You can try contacting Dupont - lots of great hibs, but not typically open to the public. I know they've made exceptions every once in a while. Can't hurt to call, right? They're between NOLA and Baton Rouge. http://www.dupontnursery.com/

Also, just outside of New Orleans in Metairie is Perino's. They're a huge garden center, but have a varied inventory and often have interesting tropicals, including hibs. They're on Veteran's, just off the intersection of I-10 and the Causeway. http://www.perinos.com/

Hope that helps!

Thanks so much for info and the links. Now I'm really interested in Perino's, as I have mostly tropicals in my backyard! (I've donated the front to the deer...feeding them my salvias and perennials). Hadn't heard of it, but looks like it would be fairly easy to find. Appreciate it...Sandi

Sandi, get ready for the shock of your life. You won't hardly recognize it. NO got all the publicity but MS got Katrina. So much of the beach is GONE. Old manisons that were there forever have disappeared. I go over there every TG & Easter for the last 30+ yrs & I still can't believe no more has been done to rebuild. You know it is extremely serious if they weren't going to rebuild Kessler.
Happy Turkey Day!

Smockette, We were in MS on 9/11/01. We loved that place so much! We were going to the space center there but it was closed due to the 9/11 disaster. We ended up going to Old Bay St. Louis, shopped the art stores there (I have a Crab print from one of the places) and had a delectable lunch at one of the Italian places there right near the water, went back to Biloxi, toured a mansion right on the water and took a ride on the shrimper, went to a show down the road at one of the casinos and just generally had a great time. It pains me so much to think that is the last time we will see all that as I am sure everything we saw is now wiped out.

Ann

10-4 on the 'wiped out'! I don't think Bay St Louis even exists anymore. The mansion is gone! Casinos were moved onto Hwy 90, literally moved by Katrina. Houses off foundations & setting in the street still in tact. Shrimpers piled up on land like wooden matchboxes.
I have one friend that is still living in apt w/2 kids!
Absolutely unreal!

Truly devastating! And it was so idyllic!

Ann

Smockette....my family still lives on the Coast...and they even have a difficult time identifying streets because there's no "landmarks." My niece said it's eery driving at night ( on the beach) because the street lights are gone, so you're in nearly total darkness. I want to go home to be with family, but I'm not looking forward to seeing the devastation of another hurricane. 'Don't think I could live there again....Camille was enough for me...
Do you have family on the Coast?
Sandi

Military family! In fact the friend in the apt, is actually the DD of friends. We were stationed @ Clark in the PI in the early 70's when she was born. I say I have 3 military sisters, St Rose, LA, Biloxi, & now, after Wilma, Lake George, FL. FL sis lived in Key Largo but Wilma made her move north. Bad year, 2005 for hurricanes!!!