Ehh... it was a long time ago.... I took my break from it and got over it.
I'm trying to learn to be more diligent about isolation and prevention now.
For at least three years, I didn't even look at pictures of streps.
When I started looking around last March, the new varieties just blew me away!
The Polish and Russian ones are crazy good! I actually ended up making an order
to the Ukraine directly.... and successfully too!
I have a number of leaves down right now for the latest Polish varieties.
Your strep and AV are beautiful donner! Pretty blue on the strep.
your Mid At and Friends indoor gardens 2013
Quote from VA_Wild_Rose :
I have just recently taken the first step into hybridizing my own! I will keep you posted!
How amazing are you!?!?!
Ha ha.... NOT!!!
I officially have a case of winter-itis...doesn't matter when or where...I seem to be 'gathering' plants. Back to eyeballing the succulents, hoyas and even the orchds (God help me!),,,course the Ponytail palms (don't you love the 3 tufts). Love the variety of jades out there now.
Gita do they have these mammoth pitcher plants at your HD? I didn't buy it but certainly wanted a pic of it. ^_^
Chantell! OMG... Where was that mammoth Pitcher Plant???
I love theses babies and that one looks HUGE!
I might want it depending on cost first, and size second!
Chantelle--
I have only seen Pitcher Plants once at my HD. I think it was last year?
No, they were the regular ones.
Years ago--we used to get in Venus Fly Traps as well--but since Bell Nursery took over--we no longer get them.
Probably, because the deteriorate quickly--and every kid has to touch them.
I have read that they can only "stand" opening and closing about 4 times before they start going downhill.
Can you believe the people are having the "Big Plunge" at Sandy Point Beach this weekend???
Some people are commited to the BIG plunge--once every hour for 24 hours. This will raise $10K each
for the Special Olympics....CRAZY!!! It is wayyy below freezing...Water temp is 35*--air temp right now is 22*.
G.
It is refreshing! It is refreshing....
Brrrrr! But a good cause!!
Pitcher plant is at Stafford HD as of last night
Refreshing!!!!!!!!!!!!
My son went to Plunge one year. 2011? 2010? They had snow beginning mid morning, the weather was TRULY terrible, and after a few emergency runs they canceled the second round of plungeing and sent everybody home. THere are HUGE numbers of people who make a big event of the day. SOme are very well refreshed as in half drunk...My ex Navy neighbor always goes, maybe being Navy he has trained in it in younger days.
Oops off topic
I wanted to pop in and say I, hope you are keeping warm during this miserable cold weather.
My only saving grace is the fact that my indoor plants keep me sane. I wanted to show you some that are blooming now and have been blooming most of the late fall and winter months.
The first one is a camellia called April Blush, this plant goes outside all summer in full sun and comes in late Sept. She starts to bloom early January and continues. Just now she must have 6 blooms on but she is so big I can not move her to show you all of them, so here is just one.
The second is my weakness, Star Jasmine or as some call it Confederate, Angelwing, Shining Jasmine. No matter what you call it the aroma it give off is so soothing and my bird room smells so good. She started blooming in October and has not stopped. This also gos outside all sumer.
Last but not least is a tiny little plant, looks like a small tree, was started with cuttings from a bonsai, called Dwarf Breynia disticha 'Nana' or dwarf snowflake or dwarf snowbush. It gets little flowers which I have never seen but the plant itself is so adorable and tiny you just want to squeeze it....well, not quite, you know what I mean.
I hope you enjoy my indoor garden plants as much as I do. Also want to wish you a very good day. JB
Very nice JB! Love your Jasmine!
I have a Jasmine sambac and I love it when I catch a whiff of it when I am working at the computer!
Karen
WOW! That thing is amazing.
JB, What nice plants you have growing there. They look really good.
JB - that jasmine's petals look different then I remember my Confederate Jasmine. Is her fragrance fairly strong - like the sambacs? You're making me jealous, you know? Mine won't bloom while indoors - temps not warm enough in my house. They pout, their leaves start looking a rather unhealthy light color - then start loosing their leaves come Feb-March....then do the happy dance when they're back outside mid to late May. So funny...same thing every year.
Quote from Chantell :
They pout, their leaves start looking a rather unhealthy light color - then start loosing their leaves
Chantell, So glad to hear you say that, my Jasmine is looking just like that. It's in the GH but you know the temps down there get into the 50's at night. So now I know that it is normal and hopefully it will come back when the temp go up.
Chantell, I just knew that every time a fragrant flower was mentioned the next post would be yours. LOL! We are ordering oriental lilies on another thread. You don't want to miss it.
Hey, maybe you are over watering those jasmine...the ones in the greenhouse and the ones in the house all are really green just now and blooming, but, the Jasmine Sambac Maid of Orleans has just begun to get some yellowing on the new leaves coming in. But she is not blooming either. It has been so cold here and the GH goes down to 55 sometimes lower, but during the day the sun is very hot and it goes up to 90 sometimes 100, it is impossible to keep these plants watered the way they should be. I do not water for sometimes two or three days in the GH just now because of that. Same as in the house, which is about 70 deg.
They do not drink as much in the winter and they can be over watered. Rather wait until they feel dry before you water them. Sometimes dry on top does not mean dry roots too.
I do not know what to tell you Chantell about the petals except this is a Jasmine nitidum. The species all have differences and when I bought these I thought I was buying one Star Jasmine nitidum and one Royal Jasmine which is a Jasmine grandiflorum. Logee is selling the Jasmine nitidum as a Royal, when in fact it is a Star. If you look on DG Plant files
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1198/ look at the second picture on the right side and you will see a picture that is actually a Royal , not a Star...the first picture is a Star. I would remove that picture, but then maybe they got one that was mislabeled. I really did some research on these two different species especially when Logees sent me the plant. I did buy another Star from Hert and there jasmine was a Star for sure. I told Logee about it but they did not want to hear it. So, who am I to argue. I think it is pretty clear, if you look at the flowers on the first picture, the star ( nitidum) it is not the same as the second picture which is the Royal. Wow, I did not mean to get into all that, but the jasmine are so special, I just want to be sure what I have when I get one I like and of course I propagate and sell. The star has a strong beautiful aroma, almost like the Maid of Orleans which is a Sambac.
Forgive me for this long post. Just wanted to share the info with you. BTW, I still do not have a Royal. LOL
I'm having the same problem with Jasmine cuttings from Jill! All the older leaves yellowing and falling, can't seem to make her happy. Yet still seems to be growing at the tip.
Sure is a learning curve for me with the GH mine is up to 95 right now. Ric worked in his Uncles commercial GH about 40 years ago so he is pretty good about knowing how and what needs to be done. Today would be the perfect day to do a little GH keeping and plant cleaning.
Sally, maybe you can pull up those cuttings and plant them deeper to "restart" them. Check for those mites... they can hide pretty well.
My NBJ isn't doing much growing or blooming lately, probably because I've bee letting those berries mature; bet that's where its energy goes.
Time to grow a couple of AV babies, something I haven't done in a while (because I get a little obsessed with it). But Joyanna would adore them, and she's getting dextrous enough to pot up her own.
There's a great violet place up near Gettysburg... good road trip / meet-up! It's been a few years since I've been up there. They used to allow people to stop by as long as they called earlier in the week... they may be too busy now with show sales to allow that. Looks like they're only shipping leaves now, not plants. And I don't see a "come see us!" page any more. Hmm. But they still have a great selection! http://www.violetgallery.com/
Critter, I have always loved AV but can not seem to grow them, can not even root a leaf. What do you suggest if I wanted to start a collection. What should I begin with. Something easy to grow. I want to much to grow them. I adore the colors, etc. I will check out the link to the violet gallery.
At the risk of sounding flippant, I'd suggest you read my "AV 101" article: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/249/ . I wrote several other articles on African Violets back when I was growing bunches of them... click on the "for more articles by Jill" link at the bottom of any of my articles to find them, or search the articles for "african violets" or click my name at the left of this post & scroll down.
Most people who have trouble with them are watering too much and/or using a heavy potting mix. Try half perlite and half "regular" potting mix, and check with your finger before you water. AVs with root rot droop and look just like AVs desperate for water!
So far so good. No pests yet.
Nice plant display, Roses. Love that Spider plant on the mantle--and the purple Oxalis by the window.
Just perfect!
Wish I had windows like yours.....:o( I have NO direct sun in any of my windows--except in my bedroom--
and that is where I have my light set-up. At this time, it is full of Coleus cuttings, AV's, and on yjr top shelf--
my Brug cuttings as well as a couple CC's.
Still--everything makes it through the winter in OK shape. Some level of neglect can be
a positive thing when it comes to plants. G.
Notice your Brugs and Brazilian Plume Flower, Gita?
Roses, Sure does look nice. I remember what a beautiful home you have.
Roses---
Braz, Plume is picture #4. Right? I did notice that. The brugs--are on the window sash--right? looking good!
Roses - gorgeous pics....such a beautiful view as well!! I have yard envy!!
JB - I'll do as you mentioned with the watering - they seem fairly dry when I throw water their way but I'll be better and dig my finger in there...LOL. I think I 'need' a star jasmine from you at some point this spring/summer...when/if you have some avail. We'll talk via dmail or email though as I don't want to get the forces that be upset.
Donner - ^_^ I'm consistent though you gotta admit. Course now I've got to go find that thread you're referring to...have mercy!!
AV 101 article....ok! At the moment I have none because I am too stupid to raise them. I am hoping that will change after I read your article. Thanks.
JB, if they were not tough plants I'd never have succeeded with them. I will try to stick a couple leaves of "Big Blue", my favorite toughest everbloomingest noid variety so I have him to share around this spring. No worries!
very very nice Roses
Great pics and windows Roses!
I have the light, just not as big of windows!
JB - I simply can not believe that a woman that can keep Gardenias alive indoors in pots struggles with AV's....say it ain't so... HUGS
ditto to Chantell, its funny how we develop a knack for certain plants.
My plumeria looks so weird right now. It has baby flowerbuds on two stems and I am nursing it hoping those will open this spring. But all the leaves are gone. Yet the stem ends are really fat and healthy looking.
Oh my African Gardenia is blooming again. I can not believe that plant. It just keeps on blooming about every two months. The bedroom smells so good. The plant is now almost three feet tall. I have two, the other one I cut up because it was not happy and now it is in the greenhouse and it is also blooming. This one has a soft sweet aroma. Not sickening, just nice and soft and sweet. LOL
Sounds wonderful!!!! Googling African Gardenia now...
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/114014/
I got mine at Logee's and they grow very fast. Like lots of water. I have mine inside a Southern window and it gets late afternoon sun.
A few more of my streps blooming today...
Bristol's Mello Jello
DS-Little Furry Arctic Fox
Geronimo
Nerys.... this one actually sits on my desk at work
And some more...
A double image of DS-Polar Summer... a color-changing strep... day one and day four
Eva
TSF-Zhizel
And some other plants...
Jasmine sambac
Pearcea abunda
Purple Passion or Purple Velvet plant
Sinningia Gabriel's Horn sport
So nice to see these pictures. It must be heaven to see them in person during this dark cold weather!!