1. I've had my Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium geayi) for a number of years and am rather attached to it. Last summer a storm blew it over and broke some of the thorns off the trunk, and it really does need to be repotted. I don't relish the repotting chore for this one but hubby will do the actual work.

I love this plant for its unusual appearance and the fact that it thrives well in this climate without a lot of fuss.

2. My second favorite at the moment is my newly planted Sweet Bay. I had one for a few years but it died from lack of water a couple of years ago. I kept it in the shade but the early morning sun in the summer on that size pot was still too much. This time I tried double-potting it in a terra cotta pot within a larger glazed pot, with peat moss packed in between the two pots for insulation.

I love this plant for the fragrance and flavor of the leaves which I use in cooking, and it is a beautiful plant as well.

3. I planted an everblooming gardenia. We'll see. But in theory, I will love this plant for the fragrance of the flowers by my front door. This plant will get a little sun in the late afternoon and I really have my doubts. We'll know in a couple of months if this plant will make it. I have a mister on that porch that may be used to cool the area on the hottest afternoons

Now I have a wok pot that I'm going to put succulents in, and a large azalea pot that I'm not sure about yet, but am leaning toward a Portulacaria afra.