Hey Rick...Couple of things to keep in mind here. Basil is a full sun plant, which means that it would truly thrive in full sun (as long as it doesn't get too hot). This does not mean that it won't survive in a spot that is less than full sun. It can survive, but probably won't look all that great and have very good yields of harvestable leaves. Not to mention, it may also be less nutritious without full sun. This is primarily why our algorithms are designed to use the best environmental conditions for each plant. Having said that, a full sun spot is typically defined as a location that receives at least 6 hours of unadulterated sunlight. I say unadulterated because you could have a spot in your yard where there are more than 6 hours of light but that light is filtered through the leaves of a tree. The cumulative light that hits that spot would not be enough to designate it as a full sun spot. A south facing window would definitely be your best bet for your basil. My prediction is that your basil will become slightly "leggy". This means that the stems will be longer than usual as the basil is trying to reach for the sun. This would result in less energy being put into producing leaves and more of it being invested into making those long stems. Other than that, it should be fine. Be sure to keep the soil evenly moist, but not waterlogged. You'd be surprised how quickly basil can suck up the water. :) Anyhoo, I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any further questions. Happy Gardening and I hope your basil allows you to make some awesome pesto!!! --Robby

Hey Bill...That's really good to know about the Ortho systemic. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California (zone 8b), which is just inside the lower zone limit for Gardenias. The one bummer about Gardenias and where I live is the lack of humidity. Of course the joy I receive when my little potted Gardenia flowers overpowers the labor I put into keeping that little plant thriving. Thanks for the input. I'm always interested in learning about other people's gardening techniques both locally and throughout the country. Cheers, Robby

Hear, Hear! Thanks, Bill. Sounds like your Bougainvillea is busting out with flowers. Also, the fact that you said bracts (which subtend the true flowers of the Bougainvillea and are the colorful parts) leads me to believe that you've been around the gardening block a few times. :) Happy Gardening! --Robby

You may also want to check the light conditions for the plant. Gardenias can take a good amount of light, BUT (that was capitalized for a reason) not if all that sunlight makes the Gardenia too hot. If the Gardenia is not getting enough light, it will also very likely drop its buds. Gardenias are amongst the most temperamental of plants. I too have fallen victim of premature bud drop even though I know the environmental conditions that cause it, so it can happen to anyone. I hope this was helpful. Happy Gardening!!! --Robby

Even though one of the primary causes of premature bud drop is low humidity, I would not advise misting the foliage of the Gardenia. Gardenias are susceptible to fungal leaf spots and will have a higher chance of disease if their leaves are constantly wet. There is little more that you can do other than keeping the soil for the Gardenia and all around the plant evenly moist to create a microclimate of higher humidity than you would otherwise have.

An EasyBloomer recently asked a question that I definitely deemed as worthy of replying to on the forums. The question was about why the buds on their Gardenia kept dropping right before they would open. This is a fairly common problem. (Confession: I too have had this problem with the Gardenia that is sitting on my porch). The EasyBloomer who was having this problem also mentioned that besides the premature dropping of the flower buds, the Gardenia looked great. This, unfortunately, is a fairly common problem with Gardenias. Gardenias are very temperamental, and premature bud drop can be caused by several environmental stimuli. Probably the most common cause for this problem is low humidity. Gardenias truly thrive in moderately warm temperatures where the humidity is also relatively high. This is why Gardenias flourish in Southern gardens where it doesn't get too cold. There are other reasons why the buds may have dropped. Large temperature swings can cause the buds to drop. Under- or overwatering can cause the problem. Poor lighting, cold drafts or even physical distress can cause bud drop. Physical distress can occur by simply moving a potted Gardenia to a different position. If you have a heat wave or a cold snap, the buds can also drop.

Hey Frank...Good call! The Blue Dawn Vine, which is also called Blue Dawn Flower, is known by its Latin name Ipomoea indica. It used to be classified under different names: Ipomoea learii & Ipomoea acuminata. I will add this plant to our database and you should see it shortly. Thanks for the recommendation. --Robby

Hey Ellen...I think that's a great idea! By chance do you have any specific lawn grasses in mind? --Robby

Hey Andrew...I wouldn't be surprised if what you had was a Chilean Wine Palm. Its Latin name is Jubaea chilensis. It generally has a thicker trunk than the coconut palm, but the fruits are very similar. By chance do you remember the color of the flowers? Did they have a purple hue? There are many edible palms, but I hope this was helpful. Happy Gardening! --Robby

Hey Win...I was going through some old posts just to be sure I did not miss anything. Unfortunately, I found that I did miss your post. :( I will add this plant to our database. In the meantime, I would recommend using the Weeping Willow. The temperature and zones would be slightly different, but the light, humidity and soil moisture should be very similar. I hope this is helpful. Also, if you have more plant suggestions for our database, feel free to post your suggestions in the Ask the Plant Doctor forum. I hang out in there all the time, since I am the Plant Doctor. ;) --Robby