I'll second what Martha said previously - according to many sources and studies, some of the tropical varieties of milkweed appear to encourage monarchs to hang around when they should be moving along to their over-wintering grounds in Mexico. Here are some varieties that I found on another site which are native to South Carolina (source is below): Asclepias amplexicaulis Asclepias cinerea Asclepias connivens Asclepias curassavica Asclepias exaltata Asclepias fascicularis Asclepias humistrata Asclepias incarnata Asclepias lanceolata Asclepias longifolia Asclepias mexicana Asclepias michauxii Asclepias obovata Asclepias pedicellata Asclepias perennis Asclepias physocarpa Asclepias purpurascens Asclepias quadrifolia Asclepias rubra Asclepias syriaca Asclepias tomentosa Asclepias tuberosa Asclepias variegata Asclepias verticillata Asclepias viridiflora Cynanchum leave Source: http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/resources/milkweeds-by-state I have A. curassavica seeds up for trade. It does appear that this one is native to three counties in SC though so if you're interested, shoot me an email. I was looking for A. incarnata (swamp milkweed) but also interested in heirlooms and other things.

This year I found a 'maurelii' banana at the local nursery so have a couple along with my musa basjoos in pots and flower beds. I also found a musa zebrina (blood banana) but I really don't think it's liking full sun. Interesting though, there's an impatien plant in the same pot that's doing well in full sun. My cavendish banana from last year is indoors as a houseplant and seems to be doing much better, I guess it didn't really like full sun when it was outside. I bought an 'improved meyer' lemon and so far so good (nice growth). My spindle palm is about to open it's only new leaf of the summer. My bismarck and fan palm from last year are only former versions of themselves (from growing indoors in poor light for the winter) but are back outdoors and doing good. My latest thinking, with this cool summer, is to analyze tropical plants that seem to do good no matter what the summer. The moonflower, morning glory, persian shield, begonias, nicotiana, petunias and even easy-to-grow marigolds seem to be doing fine. I am coming to the conclusion that my mandevilla is growing so slowly that it's not really worth the effort especially in a cool summer. It's only two feet high and not really filling out a trellis. Every gardener can probably relate to planting something, giving it a prime location and hoping it makes a big impact, and then have it just sit there and do nothing. I also have my rubber plant growing outside for the summer and am trying a Wollemi pine - I just had to have it. Part of my thinking for this year was that summer, even when we have nice summers, are so short. Therefore for alot of my plants I started with ones growing in a pot (example morning glory) rather than start from seed. Happy tropical gardening, Glen

Christy~Maybe your husband could help answer some questions I have about my basement bathroom remodel? There was a sheet metal box jutting into the corner, that we could cut a vent into for central heat. Since we moved the wall back, extending the room, this box is no longer in the corner, so we drywalled around it. My husband and his friend rounded this box to match the neo-round shower, which I understand was a lot of work, but to me it looks horrible! Maybe it wouldn't be so bad without the vent stuck in the middle of it. There is an eyeball recessed light behind the soffit they created, in the corner, that the mirror will be mounted under. The soffit blocks most of the light from this fixture. The neo-round shower is in the opposite corner. My husband did a beautiful tile job, with a stone border. This half of the ceiling is drywalled, the other half is suspended, with smooth gypsum tiles. We needed access to several shut-offs. It doesn't look drastically different, but I wonder if a suspended ceiling could have been used over the shower as well? I don't think we needed a vent, the combo fan/light/heater seems like it should be adequate for our needs? What is involved in removing this sheet metal box altogether? I don't like how it turned out at all, and am maybe considering tearing down the drywall on the ceiling (husband will love me for that, ha!) and doing suspended tiles throughout, esp. if we can get rid of that box. We haven't installed the frameless shower doors, mirror, vanity or toilet yet. Please help! Here is a link that might be useful: Picture of Neo-round Shower

Hi Thom I think you should contact the Seed Savers Network at Byron Bay They travel all over the world doing what you are interested in (and they train the Indigenous people to search for and identify and catalogue local vars) The take internees and also have a huge bank of not only vegetable species (and vars) but also fruit such as bananas etc The SSN at Byron is foremost in the world in the direction they have taken in promoting (etc) seed saving cheers Peter Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Savers network