Based on the recommendations of many, I was the happy recipient of a mantis for my birthday and so far at least I love the 4 stroke little beauty. Even watched it rip through s mature but annoying ivy bed with little difficulty. However mother nature gave me a head fake a few weeks back and I actually beleived it was warm enough to plant here in Northern California. It was in the 80s for a couple of days. Within a day or two the temp dropped into the fifties and the rains resumed. Lost my chocoalte habs to root rot I think(sniff, sniff) but everything else seems to be hanging in for now. Jim the chilehead lawyer ( as opposed to other more reputable Jim's on the list)