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Last weekend I repotted the lipstick I bought from Jeff Searle in March 2008. The palm had become so top heavy it tipped over with each gust of wind through the shade garden. I pulled out the largest pot I owned, moved palm and supplies to the back lanai and went to work. And here the palm will stay because it is now so heavy I can barely turn it. We will need a hand truck to move it indoors when temps fall below 50. And my husband will curse me forever. But for now my lipstick is healthy, happy and quite lovely. I cleared out some clutter to expose the red stems. Yesterday I took photos. Some of them turned out darker than I hoped because of shade but others were good. Enjoy. Cyrtostachys renda Deep green fronds Red stems Green fronds and red stems. Ho, ho, ho.

The 2010/2011 farmer's Almanac is predicting a colder and wetter winter than last year. I don't think alot of palms will be able to handle two cold winters in a row. Even here in Miami Beach some things are just starting to look good. Coconut's took the biggest hit down here. Our lowest low was 35 degrees on at least 3 nights. Two days never got out of the high 40's during the day. I hope their prediction is wrong.

And another - a bit closer.

whats YOUR story ???? I got lost on the way to college. Or maybe I took the lyrics from a Jimmy Buffett song too serious. I know I was hammered, this much I do know! And the rest they say, is history!

In the wise words of Dave, "Welcome to the Forum" I started just over a year ago and a reclinata was one of the first I planted also. They are extremely durable, and can take a beating cold weather wise. A few things I'd suggest (actually recommended by Dave from SoCal...) don't bother using a rich mixture of soil. If you have native clay, they love it! Maybe throw down a little gypsum to break it up a little, but those pups love clay. Also, don't plant in January, when it's snowing. (that's a bad time to plant, evidently..) And lastly, don't soak the roots when you first plant. Just slam that puppy in the ground, backfill, and water in small doses in moderate frequency. Mine (because of the cold, i think) really rotted with too much water in too rich of a soil mixture. Other than that, it's a solid plant I'm sure will take your climate. The forum might seem a little overwhelming at first, but most of these miscreants are harmless, and are usually very helpful. Good luck with the Palmage! FINS UP!! -eric