Very nice jodik, esp 'Baby Doll'.

As always, viewing your pictures are enjoyable! Thanks for sharing Jodi. =)

So, this looks like a good spot to post my own personal jungle. Not as exotic as Jodi's but filled with potential! MIne is in my workroom in the corner of the garage. It is insulated and has wall board but is unfinished. I heat it solely with the lights and a little ceramic heater I got for $14.

My potting bench
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the bottom shelf on the south wall
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some fat buds
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my first cymbidium, Strawberry Parfait
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And:

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Jodi, I keep hearing jungle drums! Baby is definitely a DOLL! I wish you guys had the opportunity that I have to let amaryllis just roam the patio decks!

Geeze Liza, you have an amazing set up. Makes me think I am not Amaryllis-Nerdy enough lol!!!!

I have my plants and seedlings wherever. My patio, potting bench and around my front circle garden and a/c unit. You guys actually stage almost LAB-type homes. I am so glad I am not in the cold climates!

Thank you! I enjoy posting all these flowers... they're way too pretty to keep to myself!

Cindee, remember that we have to do this to get them to survive and grow for us! IF I Could keep mine outdoors all year I would. But it sure is nice to have a place where I can putter and drop potting soil...my own little world. NO one else is allowed to come in without an invite unless they are calling me to dinner.

THe crates are tulips that I am forcing for Valentines Day. Each crate holds about 60 and I they are jsut starting to peek out of the soil. I have a crate of pink, one of a double red that smells like roses, and one of white. Outside I have about a dozen more crates to keep moving in. I am definitely out of room! Maybe some of the tulips will have to spend some time in the outdoor greenhouse and just be brought in to finish up. THey are getting their cold treatment outside now.

Compared to the effort of some of you I am Mr.dolittle.
My problum of heat and sun is nothing compared to yours.

Lizalily... your potting bench and lighting set-up are great! I love your jungle! I have to be a lot more careful with potting soil and water where I'm at! I'm going to try your crate forcing method for other bulbs next year... it's a fabulous idea! I never would have thought of it!

Cindee... us northerners have no choice but to group our cold sensitive plants and bulbs indoors, huddling them as tightly together as we can to take advantage of window light, and to help counteract the dry winter air... you are so very lucky to have weather that permits outdoor growing year 'round! If I could convince Larry to move south, I'd do it in a heartbeat! But, he loves the winters...

Arif... I would think those of you in hot climates would have more work to do... the watering must be monitored closely so your plants don't dry out too much, so you must constantly be watering and feeding! Especially the bulbs in pots!

What I find especially amazing is that these bulbs thrive in so many different climates... from the hottest, most arid places to the coldest places... and every climate in between! And regardless of where they are grown, they faithfully bloom every year, and sometimes more than once! Hippeastrums are so adaptable and so dependable... they are such wonders... and all it takes is a little care...

Liza, now tulips...geeze I wish I could grow them here. They come in cut arrangements only and if you are lucky they may last a day. I do miss a lot of northern flowers, especially in the spring. My Dad had our driveway ringed with Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths and Lily of the Valley....sigh We all have our trade off's for where we choose to live.

Cindee, do tulips only last a day inside as cut flowers? Oh my gosh! You poor deprived girl! He he! You must keep them away from any fruit or vegetables..they give off ethelene that causes them to bloom out too fast. IT will also kill the embryo blooms in the bulb, so never store them in a fridge with fruit or vegetables. Also, keep them out of direct sunlight.

Anyone who grows such beatuful amies should be able to grow the other bulbs if they have an ethelene free (Seperate) fridge) to give them their winter chill. But tell you what. I will just enjoy them for you this year and send you pictures... A little dorm fridge gets a lot of service from me at this time of year.

I actually have about 1000 bulbs I have not been able to get into the ground this winter because of the arthritis and lousy weather. Half of those were to go into my personal garden, but the other half still need it. I should be grabbing every hole in the rainclouds to go out and put a dozen in. I kind of ran out of space to do my monster trench digs..70'long,4' wide, 8" deep and layer the bulbs!

Did your PT before surgery cause you a lot of pain? I have fibromyalgia too, and it seems every exercise of therapy I do stirs up a fibro reaction with swelling and pain. A lot of gritting my teeth and getting on with it here! But yesterday I made my last two appts. Pre-surgery physical with family Dr, and to get my teeth cleaned in the city. Down to 3 weeks waiting time and I think I am using it wisely. Still need to get my workroom clean and organzied a bit better so I can toddle down the ramp to it afterwards. IT will definitely give me a destination!

Oh, Lizalily, you poor dear! Fibromyalgia too? My niece has Fibro, and it's not a nice disease! I've seen her on bad mornings, trying to get out of bed, and it just breaks my heart! Luckily, she has a very good doctor who keeps her pain level manageable... so, you know what I mean when I complain about my Lupus, then... very similar in some respects...

Do you get Horticulture Magazine?? If you don't, pick up an issue! There's a great article in the February/March issue about forcing species Tulips in winter! They're just gorgeous! I happen to have a dorm fridge out in the kennel, and I'm definitely going to try some species Tulips next season! Right now, I'm waiting on a pot of Hyacinths to finish their dormancy so I can bring them in for more color!

This is the very first time I've ever tried forcing bulbs... I hope I did everything right! I planted them in the pot, labeled it, and it went in the dorm fridge at about 40 degrees F. My book says between 11 and 13 weeks for Hyacinths, the longer the better... I put them in October 20th, so I can probably take them out at the end of January... that should be just about 13 weeks... I hope they grow and bloom for me...

And I'm definitely going to grab some crates and try your dormancy method of burying bulbs in potting soil in the crates, and stacking them outside for their dormancy! That's such a fantastic idea! It's got to make it much easier to dig them up and pot them in whatever you want... I only wish I had come across your idea sooner!

I hope your doctor visits go well... and of course, your surgery! We're all rooting for good results! And of course, you're in my prayers...

Cindee... surely there are some bulbs you could fool with a fridge chill, no? I'm not sure which ones, but there are so many types of bulbs, there must be a few that would grow and bloom well for you... I'd try forcing some if I were in Florida... even if they didn't do well, I'd at least want to try, and it's a good excuse to look through more catalogs and order some more bulbs!

There are tons of northern bulbs you can fool here, but their flower life is so short lived that it's not worth it. Around Easter I will get a hyacynth for the fragrance, but it lasts a terribly short time. It's just too dang hot here even in winter, so I have to be happy with what I can grow.

Liza, babe, my PT was heaven scent. She was not painful. Moving always feels good to me. Stretching and all feels wonderful. Keep in mind, I had done about 2-3 mos of PT before my surgery, so I was moving much better and sooner than my roomate in the hosp. She did not have as severe a right hip prob as I yet she stayed in the hosp a day longer. She called me today and she is still behind me in her recupe. She is even thinking about NOT getting her other hip done, now. Says it's too much hassel. That's like being only 1/2 baked! Most of my pain right now is my knees and my lower back due to my "new" leg being so much longer and straighter. I walk very tipped to my left. I cannot imagine walking this way the rest of my life and suffering the back pain!! Still, Dennis and I talked about it, and it is a hefty decision to make to have the 2nd hip done. At least the left isn't as 'bad' a shape and now I know what to expect. I'll talk more to my surgeon on the 29th when I go again. Liz I actually miss my PT!! It kept me moving! Plus she was a great lady and I looked forward to her visits.

Cindee, do you think the back pain will stop once the other hip is replaced and everything is even once more? I know what pain is, and I couldn't imagine having surgery and coming out with all NEW pains to deal with! I certainly feel for you!

When Larry had his most recent injections on his neck and shoulder, he discovered that there was pain in his back that he never really noticed before, as the neck and shoulder pain was so severe that it made the back pain seem like nothing... now, his neck and shoulder are much better, but they want to do surgery on his back... he's taking a pass... we only know one person who went through spinal surgery and came out better, and with no pain... back surgery is too scary and too risky...

It's my fondest wish that both you and Lizalily come out the other end of surgery and physical therapy to be 100% movable, bendable, walking and running individuals! You're both too nice to have to suffer at all! :-)