Flora, Thanks for explaining this further. It makes me think that the exposure to sun may have little to do with my current problems: I live close to the ocean, where it is cooler than inland, and there are cooling breezes. Also the sunlight (for just a couple of hours in the morning given the facing and construction of my balcony)is broken up by a slated railing. However, we sometimes get Santa Ana winds here -- very hot and dry from the desert -- so I'm glad to have this info for the future -- when I could take the plants inside. I do understand the odds are against me, but I've already invested time, work and money in these plants and since I have the one plant that looks happy, I want to see if I can't do the next-to-impossible. :) If you, or anyone else on the list, can answer my question about possible cuttings, I'd appreciate it. Claire

I am not sure where you are located, but the two leaved things might be lily of the valley, perhaps? These are a sure sign of spring when they flower. I think they can be very pretty, too. Some think they can be weedy, but a weed is just a plant growing where you don't want it. I think they are pretty, as opposed to the goutweed, for example!! I'd pretty much spend the season observing everything. If you want to get your gardening jones on, plant some annuals for color. That way you can enjoy some new plants and see what is going on out there already as the seasons change. As things grow, mark plant with sticks or whatever markers you can. I use rings of small stones and pebbles for bulbs and stuff, take notes with corresponding pictures as things grow and flower. Come spring you will have markers and places marked to know where things are you may wish to move, and even perimeters to know how far to around to dig if lifting crowns of plants and such. It will be helpful to be able to refer to your pictures, notes and markers, and much easier to move the plants as they are breaking dormancy than now. Plus, you have a whole winter to plot and conspire where everything should go, lots of charts and graphs to keep you busy all winter! That is what I do in the "off season"! I am sure if you post other pictures around the forums as well as here, others will be able to help you identify some of what you have. Wander garden centers in your area, too, and see if you can match some of you plants that way. Local nurseries can be helpful with identifying things, take in a sprig of the unknown and often you can come out knowing exactly what it is. (That is how I identified my goutweed by the way. They just looked at my plastic baggie in horror and said "Where did you get THAT!" LOL!) Here is a link that might be useful: lilly of the valley images

I had been wanting to move them (and 4 others for about 4 years or so, so that is why I dug the whole thing. I didn't really see any way of just digging off a clump, knowing how bad the top looked. Would 4 eyed (multiple eyes per piece) up woody pieces and 4 nice healty roots make for a nice start? do you think? Should I send more? Maybe the fairest trade would be a flate rate box with a 'bunch' of each. I know when you buy a potted red one at a big box store, that it doesn't have much foliage, thus not many eyes, and they aren't cheap.

Looks like a winning combination to me,and the mini's look great too. Jean