Thanks guys! With all your suggestions and my super-power googling I'm quite sure I've got an Echeveria pulvinata, some kind of opuntia, another agave americana, and a bulbine frutescens "Hallmark." Not bad for my first plant exchange! As for #3. the other echeveria, I think it might be "Briar Rose." Crenda, I'm still dazzled - I never even heard the work "opuntia" before this forum! Rina - yes, all except for the opuntia which came to me potted already. I have a 100% success rate rooting with water, plus I get to watch the roots take and grow, which makes me feel like I'm not such a failure in life after all. When the roots get pretty substantial I plant them in-ground.

Thanks Susie! Sounds as if you have some great butterfly plants. I did the same thing that you did and am now digging up and moving plants to better spots with the appropriate companion plants. I buy what I like and then try to find a place for it :) I will say though, that sometimes chaotic just looks more natural as long as you have 3 or so of each plant grouped , not 20 different plants. I personally like purple and blue flowers pared with gold or orange flowers. A favorite combo is purple penta with orange Lion's ear. I know what you mean about the reds, there are so many shades and many have an orange cast which in my opinion don't look good with the pinkish casted reds. Now that you know what colors the blooms are, you can dig up and replant with the colors that you find pleasing together. A good rule of thumb if you're not sure what colors to pair, use a color wheel....it takes a lot of the guessing out of the equation. I learned this years ago in art class. I found this simple one on the web. The easiest thing to remember is that you can't go wrong if you: 1) Pick 2 to 3 analogous colors (touch each other on the wheel) 2) Pick 2 complimentary colors (across from each other on the wheel) 3) Pick 3 triadic colors (equal distance apart on the wheel) Most important thing is to plant what you enjoy and don't worry if they may not be matchy matchy. Rhonda

Interesting Jim, that you asked the boss. What words would you have selected for yourself? BTW, when I asked DH for his 2 words, they were different than the 2 qualities I said of him. But I do agree that his two qualities have served him well. Must mean he has FOUR good qualities, swoon!

"Growing your own" would be much less of a challenge if you also ate squirrels.... and maybe rabbits ;-) Got rid of our fruiting peaches, getting rid of the fruiting pear, and can't get tomatoes unless grown up against the house where the critters fear to tread. Once scoffed at a GW suggestion to grow things they don't like... and now find myself doing it. Short list so far of just bird peppers, chives, and other spices like rosemary that they don't bother much. They also don't strip our thorned wild blackberry, though still waiting to see how a thornless variety does. They don't show much interest in the prickly agarita either, but too soon to tell if they'll leave the fruits alone. Am thinking okra might also be okay.