Hey Kim

I just purchased some accent plants and will be dividing them. Should I send you some fiber optic grass and sempervivum?

Beth

Hey Beth! LOL, thanks for the thought. I've planted fiber optic grass in the past, unfortunately they didn't prove to be long-live here. I'm not familiar with sempervivum? Do you interplant those with our bonsai speciment?

It is a succulent that forms tight rosettes. You would probably use it in a very small pot ,or shell, or whatever as an accent to a larger plant in display.

Why did the fiber optic grass not do well? Too hot, too humid? Any idea at all? If it didn't like Alabama, it isn't likely to appreciate Georgia either.

I picked up a lovely Arizona cypress 'Blue Ice' today. I am almost afraid to start working on it for fear I won't do justice to the plant. The trunk is still limber enough that I am thinking informal upright. I also picked up heavy Cu wire but I may need to hit it with the torch to anneal it for wiring.

You have quite a collection in training pots. I look foward to shots of your wisteria in bloom.

Beth

Humidity is the big factor here, Beth. Especially we live nearby a large water body. A lake. It's wonderful in a way that it creates a unique microclimate for my garden compared to that of my neighbors inland. However, plants that have a high resentment for humidity like that of plumerias, shasta daisy, zinnia abhor my microclimate. They are ladden with powdery mildew, or rust. In short fungal infestation is nortorious. I don't know specifically with the grass (fiber optic), it could be low temp. in which they didn't return the next season.

Uummm, I think that I found the problem. It is only hardy up to zone 8 and you are in zone 7 right? Well, I intend to treat it as a potted plant for kusamono anyhow and it was not terribly pricey. I'll split the pot and use some as a marginal for my container water garden and try to keep the other in a small bonsai pot beddind in moist sand.

We have mildew problems too, but I find that it is actually worse during the drought. I suspect that at a certain point of soil dryness assexual sporing is triggered in the fungus and the spores are splashed up to the leaves by watering. A heavy mulch does seem to help reduce mildew.

I have kicked all the potted plants outside for the day and night. I will have to bring them in tomorrow night since it is due to drop below freezing again. Soon I won't have to worry about that and all of the bonsais, figs, euphorbias, and the other tropicals,as well as the hardy ones will be out for good. I am so ready for spring!

Beth