Passions

Aside from each other, our dogs and the ocean, plants are our passion. It's been and still is a learning experience here. We lived in a tropical beach location in southern California and really thought we had the climate here figured out and what we could grow. When we moved we smuggled a number of plant cuttings that we knew would thrive here.

Very minimal joy. Everything that we had read about extensively died. After 8 years we still have three things hanging on, but barely. We finally figured it out. The plants we wanted to grow need a cooling off period at night. MOST plants at night need a cool period. We don't have that here, and love it.

Phalenopsis orchids were tough in California, we were gone for the winter, they didn't stay warm enough and died. Here, after two years, we learned that they wouldn't bloom in the house. Too hot. Grown outside on the terrace, they bloom beautifully and are weeds.

Give seeds a try, you may be very successful! Even the many large tropicals that we love can have an issue here. Of the 7 heliconias we have grown, only 5 do well here, and several of them are touchy. It's HOT here! We love it.

Please keep us posted as to what you are successful with, we'll try them too.