Wow, activity! Hi Linda and Carla! I'm only part time in Phoenix so I mostly have cacti and succulents. I did plant a brugmansia in the ground a few months ago and it's taking off and looking much happier than when it was in my NM greenhouse. I don't know if I should dig it up to take it in the house for the winter, or if mulching heavily and covering it for frosts would be enough. Any ideas there?

I've always had potted plumerias and hibiscus that go inside for winter. They do fine on my covered patio or in filtered shade during the heat.

I used to grow lettuce, tomatoes etc, but we have dozens of rabbits who have taken over our yard. Any more veggie gardening will have to be in cages or really fenced well.

Hi Karen. I have also grown Brugmansia's here and some did fantastic. Yes, they need to be covered against the cold or brought inside. I only have one old sick one now. I have had terrible problems with spider mites on them most years so pretty much have abandoned growing them. I grew them in pots and they grew so big and so fast they would end up out growing the pots .

Thanks for the info on the Brugs. I can imagine they get quite large quickly! I hate spider mites! I have them right now on my plumeria in the NM greenhouse. They are trying to take hold of my Adeniums too. Fighting insects has been the hardest thing for me.

I share your hatred of spider mites, those things could almost drive me out of gardening!!!

Afternoon y'all from rainy Maryland ! I would like to offer a suggestion that should help increase activity. I don't know that it would work for you as I don't know how close you are to each other.

Over here in the Mid-Atlantic group, we actually have in-person swaps. We use the seed swap tool here on the site. An announcement is made where the next in-person swap will be held and then interested people sign up, start posting what they have to trade and away we go!

We have an actual seed swap in January and plant swaps in April and September. For the seed swap, we meet at a buffet restaurant for the afternoon. We swap stories, experiences and, of course seeds. All of this takes a back seat though to a leisurely lunch.

For the spring and fall plant swap, we still use the seed swap tool, only we list plants instead of seeds. On the designated day, we all meet at the volunteer sucker's, I mean member's, place. Everyone signs up to bring something to pass and eat. We also encourage people to bring any extra plants they have that are in need of a new home.

For each of the swaps, we also try to set up a couple of group buys that are distributed at the swap.

These in-person events help new members and old members alike to know each other better. And of course, everyone gets something new for their gardens, usually for 'free'.

Back in the spring I took 30 requested items and ended up bringing home close to 50. This fall, I took 40 requests but only brought home 12. (Hey, I'm running out of room! NEVER! )

Anyway, as I said, I don't know that it would work for you as I don't know how close you are to each other. But, it's something to consider. And in-person get togethers can be used to recruit new members.. neighbors, local nursery people, etc.

Just my 2 cents.

Best of luck and to mis-quote the 80's.... Garden On Dudes and Dudetts!

Sounds like a great idea, Rick.. However, we are few and very far apart on this forum, at this time. for suggestions.

Hi Rick! Thanks for stopping in and feel free to come by anytime for a warm place full of cacti, succulents and tropicals! Your group was what I had noticed, and all of the seed and plant swaps do sound like fun. The food part must be yummy! I hope we can get something going here in the near future. I think we have enough members to give it a try.

Linda, I have to leave my greenhouse for 2 to 3 weeks at a time, and I almost felt like giving up when I found my plumerias totally destroyed by spider mites. I've made a dent in them, but they're still around. :(

I've been nurturing a pyracantha in NM. In the beginning I had to put it in a cage because deer were eating it, stickers and all. It's finally grown large enough that I took the cage off today. I'm hoping they won't be able to do much damage now. Any bites just make it bushier! I figure they're helping me prune.

Linda, there are quite a few members in the Phoenix, Tucson area. I did a quick member search. Look at all the members. Maybe we could contact a few and get them active again.
http://garden.org/users/member...

Karen that list was interesting and a total surprise to me. They must all be hiding somewhere.

I agree! It would be so wonderful if some of them got active! I'm swamped right now, but maybe later on a group gathering could be held, and we could send invitations to them to gauge interest.

Sounds like a plan.

Great! It would be a nice thing to do during our cooler weather. I try to be a hermit during summer in AZ! I go out at dawn and sometimes at dusk, and the rest of the time I won't go out unless I'm in the pool!

I am watering between 5-6 A.M.

quietyard said: I am watering between 5-6 A.M.

Good morning Linda, Karen and Rick,

It is so nice to see activity here, I thought everyone had given up due to the extreme heat we fight here.

Linda I have looked at Plumerias but potted plants do not do well in my south and west facing yard. They just burn up, the only survivors are Euphorbia tirucalli and Portulacaria afra.

Karen I had a couple of Brugs but the bugs won, even though I love them I live in farm country and because the farmers spray the bugs seem to come my way. I do use DE to try to control them but sometimes they win and with the Brugs I gave up.

Rick we did swaps like you are talking about in Washington and we went to each others houses when help was needed in garden areas it is a lot of fun being around other passionate gardeners!

I have decided to line the block walls with sunflowers of different heights and varieties in the spring, I am hoping to keep the reflective heat down a bit. Plants that say full sun do not mean full sun in AZ.

Hi Carla, I'm happy to see you here again! The sunflower idea sounds like a good one, and I may have to copy you. I had been concentrating on cacti, but we have a new dog, and it's difficult to find a place to throw a ball for him. He keeps landing in a cactus pile! Sunflowers would be more welcoming, and so pretty!

I agree getting to know one another in person would make it much more fun! I do envy the Mid Atlantic group their gatherings.

I may find that the brugs are too much trouble here. Bugs are my nemesis at both places.

Hello again Karen,

I have dogs too...I got rid of all things with stickers, even the roses. Not only did the dogs get stuck but I did too!

The sunflowers grow great here, I had them the first year I moved back, so this year I was trying to come up with flowers that stood 5 to 6 feet tall and so I purchased about 14 variety of seeds so I will have all colors. I am hoping it will work and even if it doesn't it will look great!!!

I am planting 17 new daylily and some seedlings today, looking forward to next spring!

Have a terrific Tuesday.

Hi again! I think I'll try the sunflowers for sure. When will you be planting yours? I am trying to move some of my cacti. I had them all over the big yard, and now I'm trying to concentrate them in just a few areas so we have more room to play with the dog. We've had to spend a lot of time picking out stickers. At least this dog will let us. Our last one hated anyone touching his legs or paws.

I've never though of trying daylilies here. Somehow I figured they wouldn't make it. What month will they bloom?

Hi gang,

Nice to see something zone specific going on. Love the other forums and degree of participation on them BUT... (always that 'but') it is tedious sometimes to give lengthy explanations in regards to the quarks and idiosyncrasies unique to us 'desert rats' and perverse ecosystem prior to launching into discussions about our plants that all can share in.

Kind of hate seeing people go, " or and " when I say, "Today it was 118 in the shade..."

I see Linda lives in my neck of the Saguaro woods and I believe Karen does too. Who else is out there floating around in zones 9B-11? Anyone?

AG

Hi AG, isn't it wonderful that we finally have cooler weather? We are able to walk the dog again, something we haven't done in about 3 months. He was so happy! He is still swimming, but our pool is just about too cold for us now. I keep wishing we had put in solar a long time ago. We can eat outdoors again and I'm just really enjoying the weather now.