I don't know much about Alamanda, but one link I went to said that it blooms from branch tips. If you are pruning it, maybe it isn't getting a chance to make blooms? Or maybe it just isn't old enough. It looks like some cuttings there, maybe they just need more roots yet. They look healthy, at least as much as I can tell from our photo and with my limited experience. The Zinnias have fungal problems. They are notorious for powdery mildew etc. Really the only way to not have fungal problems is to anticipate them and apply antifungals before the fungus shows up. Most of these products do nothing about a fungus that is present, they just help to keep them from showing up later. It may be that the cinn water you are putting on is just wetting up the leaves and providing the moisture that the fungus needs.

With all the stress it's been through, there's no telling if it will bloom for you this year. More than likely, if you provide it plenty of food and sunlight, you'll get a bloom from it next spring. Just don't over water it, as they prefer to be on the dry side. Use a weak water soluble fertilizer with each watering, and provide it the best light you can give it. Keep us posted! Phoenix Ryan

It depends on how drastic you want to go. You can cut each trunk to a couple of inches above the soil. This is very drastic but will fatten up the trunk. I don't know if I would go so drastic. I have a single trunk jade that was about 6-7 inches tall. It branches into three limbs at about the top third. I trimmed each of the branches back to withing 1-1 1/2 inches of the main trunk and took off all leaves. It has no less than 8 new leaves on each limb and that was only two weeks ago, maybe three. Without seeing it, it is hard to say where to prune. I am sure that each of the main trunks has secondary limbs. I would find where the first secondary limb is from the top and whack it down to about 1 inch above that limb. Prune each secondary limb to within 1 inch of the main trunks. Yes, this takes off all the leaves, but that is okay. It will put out more within weeks and be full by mid-summer. Let all of the cuttings lay out on the counter out of direct sunlight for about a week. If they are really big in diameter (more than an inch) leave them out longer. The place where you cut should be calloused before you plant them. As a general rule, I go about a week for each 1/2 inch in diameter. Once it is calloused, put it in soil. Make sure you've taken off the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting as you will need to plant it about that deep so that it can stand on its own. Otherwise, you'll have to secure it another way. Wait until you see new growth in the the form of a bud that will appear right on top of the top set of leaves before you start watering. When you have new growth, you have new roots. Then you know it is time to water. I would not do this in the same pot as the mother plant. Do it separately and get them established before you move them to mama. This way, you can keep mama watered well to put out all those amazing leaves. Keep mama minimally to moderately moist during the growing season, as well as the others once they're growing. Allow them to dry, but not completely between waterings. Fertilize every 3-4 weeks with Schultz C&S fertilizer or regular house plant fertilizer diluted by a fourth of the directed amount. Only fertilize in spring and summer. To propagate the leaves, place them on well draining soil or high fired clay. Leave them alone and new roots will grow down into the soil and create a new plant. Doing cuttings from leaves takes a long time to get a significant sized plant. By the end of a year, you'll have a three inch plant. Use your bigger cuttings. The rewards are seen much sooner.

Good morning! I too try to visualize people and it rarely, if ever, works out. it is nice to put faces to names. Shirley, still thinking of you and keeping you in my prayers. i know that's your daughter, brittney and dawson -- who are the others (inquiring nosey minds want to know) and as for your mom, you never know what the next roommate may be, perhaps you can hold off on the move until you see what comes in LOL, however, I think I'd want to be with my own and her secrets kept!!!! annie your dogs are beautiful, as are you. my aunt and uncle, for as long as i can remember, were the first home for service dogs until they were ready to go into training. they had several different dogs from what i recall. sorry about your lizzie...i know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. my next dog is going to be a shepherd, but it's been decided that we will only have one dog at a time now, so I have to wait my turn. (we'll see) i made an anniversary cake for a group i belong to, it was our 7 year anniversary so i made this massive cake. i filled it with alternating layers of buttercream and lemon curd, and dang, if it was not tasty. I was able to take a slice home for the family to taste and seriously wish there had been more leftover, would have made a nice breakfast!!!! a real nice combination, even though it started out that i was going to use raspberry as well...i just couldn't get enough to cook them down to make a nice sauce/filling. it's still so cold and seems to be staying that way until at least next week, when it's supposed to go to the high 40's, with rain. by then, i'll think it's summer. this cold is bone chilling and of course, they are calling for more snow. we haven't got much of it, but.....this year it is bothering me like mad! i shouldn't complain, there are parts of the country that are in the negatives, so i'll just keep my mouth shut on this subject any further! so whose left to post their pic? come out. come out whereever you are! speaking of which, jeanne, how are those triplets of late? is mary ellen still a part of this group? i feel like i haven't seen her in a long time...maybe since she became a grandmom, or right before that? hae a nice thursday! maryanne