My First Babies To Arrive

Well, my first orders arrived today and I have to say that I am just totally tickled!

In the front row:

Aeschynanthus Holiday Bells
Nematanthus Dugny
Nematanthus Castanet

Back row:
Hatiora Gaertneri (pink easter cactus)

I was thrilled with both orders and although the pink easter cactus is not a gessie; it's a plant I have always wanted to acquire to share with Gram as Gram has been growing her moms red one for over 20 years and Gram is 82 so it's very special to me to be able to share a pink one with her.

I was extremely happy with the size and the fact that some arrived with blooms.

More pictures to come.

Kim

Here is a closeup of the bloom on the Nematanthus Castanet..........It's so darn cute.
I couldn't believe it arrived with bloom in tact. I was impressed.

Kim

Here are the blooms on the hatiora gaertneri (pink easter cactus). I can't tell you how much this plant means to me and to be able to share with Gram!

I wrote the vendor to tell them what a wonderful plant they sent me and to thank them SO MUCH.

Kim

Here is a shot of the Easter Cactus in it's new home.
These were "candle holders" I picked up at a store called Mardens for $1.99.
I never intended for them to hold a candle but I saw some beautiful plants hanging out on them in front of the bay windows.

Hope you enjoyed as much as I did unwrapping all my new babies :)

More to come :)

Kim

Nice find, Kim! You will be playing and admiring those babies for the rest of the day...or two (wink). Beautiful blooms on the Easter cactus. I have 4 or 5 baby starts of Christmas cactus. Can't wait for those to grow. Uh oh...my husband would ask me "what exactly do you mean by "first" orders?" HA!!! More on the way Hee, hee. Just read the thread on your crochet work. PRETTY! I do that also. I decided to knit a baby afghan instead of crocheting one. Don't know why 'cause I can crochet so much faster and a lot easier to correct in case of an "oops". It is a pretty pattern though so I guess I will finish it.

Thanks for sharing :)

Connie

Hello Connie and thank you for responding.
Yes, I was SO impressed by the first few plants to arrive. Starting a new collection isn't easy. One vendor carries this, one vendor carries that. Spent WAY too much in shipping but had to order from various vendors to get the plants that I wanted *lol*

I'm very happy with the orders that arrived today and will definitely be repotting them soon after they settle in. I'm just so thrilled to have new babies to care for. I can't tell you how much I have missed the feeling of having plants in the house. I didn't realize just how much..........

Thank you for your compliment on my crochet. I kind of do it "on the side" the help with depression.

I can't imagine knitting a baby afghan! That is just 2 awesome and certainly not anything I would ever attempt to do. Please share pictures when it is done!

Kim

I will post a pic for you. I am making it good size so the baby won't outgrow it for a good while. It is half way there...YAY! I have some beautiful doily patterns (crochet). Remind me to post a blue one that I crocheted when I put the afghan on here. I usually give everything away and didn't even think to take a pic so thank you very much, Kim!

Connie

Great plants Kim. If you want cheaper shipping, just ask me for some cuttings. I have a few different Aes, Nem & Col. - for postage. Probably a little too early to be sending them up north. I don't have heat packs.

OR..I'd take childrens prints, stripes, etc fabric to make pillowcases for childrens hospitals in exchange for postage.

tish

Great plants Kim.That baby cactus is HUGE.
Lynn

Hi Kim;
Oh the plants look great,it's always so thrilling to get new plants, i will be shipping you some new ones soon. when the weather stays a little warmer. lol
bonnie

Hiya Buddy :)

No rush............you just let them get good and strong my friend.
Sending you a D-Mail to show you what I won on E-Bay today and share a picture of the babies that arrived today.

Kim

Today's arrivals:

All chiritas

hetertrotricha
Keiko
longganesis
moonii
Ms. Beige
Patina
Rachel
wuhan

Various sizes and a couple are tiny but it will be LOTS of fun to watch them grow :)
The mooni is the large one in the back and it has buds on it. When they open I will share pictures of the bloom.

Kim

Reading all of your lists and looking at your pictures made me want to start ordering things but I managed to stop myself in time. I have a few trades planned and I'm sure if I asked I could even get more and I don't have room and know I'll have some new things in a short time so I just don't need them...but...but

But I want all these others anyway and right now drat it!

Be careful Anna...........it's addictive *lol*
Remember, I'm starting over so these are the FIRST plants to arrive *lol*
I promised not to let myself get more than what I can handle this time but I needed SOMETHING to get me started *lol*
These are very small babies but I'm trying to remember that they won't stay this small *lol*
It's hard to not "want them all" though isn't it?
Soon I'm sure you will all be trading away. I won't be able to play trades this year but next year I will :)

Kim

More nice finds, Kim. Can't wait to see the blooms!

Nice plants you bought to start your collection again Kim!

they are very nice Kim!
are you going to grow streps and AVs too?

nice plants kim,but what kind are they?kin to avs.



i have a question about my avs
i only water when the soil is dry to touch and i check them every day.
question-why do they have very limp leaves?
i have tried every thing i know,but nothing works.

Why thanks everyone!
I repotted a couple and they are making me nervous right now as they are not looking real well *lol*
I KNEW I should have just LEFT THEM ALONE *lol*
Shanika, I'm not really going to grow many streps or AV's. I really want to focus my efforts on hybridizing chirita this time :) I am going to grow some sinningia, nematanthus and a couple streps but my main passion is with chirita.
Lilspirit, I'm sorry I'm not quite sure what you are doing wrong with your AV. I don't really grow AV's but those that I know that do usually have them on wicks. Limp leaves almost sounds like either too much or not enough water. I do believe that is why alot of people wick? Sorry, I know that isn't much help. When you pick the pot up is there weight to it after you water?

Kim

lilspirit,
I water when the top is dry for a day or so.Just feel down into the soil with your finger.Also,be very careful if your pot does not have drainage holes and make sure your soil is not too heavy.You usually have to add a little perlite to most mixes.
Lynn

I learned a new trick for better watering from my neighbor. She doesn't wick water but she puts in string as if she is going to and when she checks the pot she feels the string. Depending on the plant she waters when completely dry or when barely damp. I put some strings in a few of my pots and it's working very well and I never under water anymore unless I'm not paying attention of course. My neighbor told me there is another benefit in that even with a lot of perlite she says that peat can hold a lot of water more than needed. This wick will let excess water drain if you over watered so in a way it prevents you from over watering too. As I repot I'm doing it to all my plants. I just watered this morning and it was so easy.

I allow the streps to completely dry out but not the AVs because it seems they are too dry if the string is completely dry but the streps it's perfect to be completely dry.

That's a GREAT trick Anna! Thank you for sharing!

Kim

You are welcome Kim. I found that I couldn't get my finger into some of the pots especially for little plants or AVs that cover the pot. I broke a stem trying to check once and was mad at myself. Now I don't worry at all that I'll hurt my plants. I was just thinking today that if I go away for a few days I can then use those same strings to wick water while I'm gone.

I also just read today of someone who used a crochet hook to pull a wick into the pot without repotting. I think I'll go buy one or may make one out of some sturdy wire.

Anna, I have actually done that several times with a crochet hook. You need a small one and you can go down the edge, through the hole and pull back up. The plant won't even know what happened :). Don't know why you couldn't use a wire and hook the end. That should work for you.

Connie

thank you for that idea,i will give it a try.do you think yarn or crochet thread would work?
i have plenty of crochet hooks that don't get used any more.

Good morning, lilspirit and welcome!

You can use yarn. Depending on the pot size and your planting medium, you can use 4 ply or seperate the strands to 2 ply. You can play with it to make sure it stays moist and not wet. The wick has to be wet for the wicking action will work. I have learned that you can use panty hose strips or wicks and that is supposed to work better. I am testing that now. Just make sure whatever you use, it is not cotton because it will rot. I have been using that "twine"...I forgot the name of it. It comes in pink, green and all kinds of colors. (ok, I need more coffee HA!!! Doubt if that will help, but it was a good excuse :)

Connie