Lali, Patricia and Robin and I ............

attacked the .......San Francisco Flower and Garden Show with so much wanton lust.

http://www.gardenshow.com/sf/

And we hardly got to see any of it. LOL. I was mesmerized by one plant room of plants for sale and didn't get out of it except to eat. LOL. My 2 loves: plants and food.

We had such fun though. I LOVED meeting LALI! She is so calm while I was in a state of hyped up plant frenzy or perhaps you could call it plant hysteria. LOL! Patricia called it this morning "plant enthusiasm", she was being nice. I get a natural high at these things. LOL

We missed you, Sue!!

Here is Lali with her new tree begonia. She had a hard time geting everything in her car.

I was thinking of you yesterday, I could just hear your "OMG, OMG, look!"
So, whatcha get? Lots of goodies? Lots of pictures? I am so looking forward to going tomorrow.

I am SOOO envious. Where's the pictures of all your loot?
Sharon

Honestly I only bought half a dozen orchid cactus and one Agave. The begonia guy wasn't there, but also I didn't get to one of the sale/show rooms.

It was Kell that loaded me up with loot. She tells me she's bringing me a brugmansia cutting (I'm thinking a 2' long branch or stick) and in the back of Patricia's truck is this 8 foot tall multi branching tree with 3" diameter trunk! (Kell doesn't kid around when she takes a 'cutting' - this thing is a full size tree-standard!) It had to ride shotgun with the top down on my beetle in order to get home with me. LOL!

I mean that darn begonia was huge as it is and had to lay down in the back seat sideways! It was pretty funny!
Plus she gave me a flat of other brug cuttings and begonia starts!

Kell, remind me to help you match the tags with the begonias I brought you!

Sue, keep your eye out for the tropical hibiscus seller, he had some fantastic dinner plate size flowering beauties! And his place is in Santa Rosa - just a half hour from here! (can you say field trip!)

Yeah, I bought from him a couple of years ago, see them every year there too. Resisted last year as I lost a big one in the winter so now I am leary.

And I do know about those big brug "cuttings" from Kell! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/546788/

WoW

Hey, who's Robin? Missed that earlier LOL!

Robin is a sweetiepie friend of Jerodsmom. Very nice lady!

Yup! Sue that's just about the size of the 'cutting' she gave me.

oddly enough in that link you posted above you had the link for Don's place (the fella I bought my orchid cactus from at the show)

http://www.epiphyllumworld.com/

I also just got his catalog in the mail. He's not too far in Freemont (field trip again!!)

Kell and I are planning a galloping gardener road trip soon - you should join us! We have to hit some north bay nurseries around here. (I'm thinking some nice ones in Sebastopol, Petaluma and the hibiscus one in Santa Rosa). Maybe Empire garden center.

BTW, Kell the nursery we were trying to remember the name of in Occidental (that closed) is Western Hills.

Galloping gardener road trip sounds real good! I have only been to a couple up there years ago, Cottage Gardens and a rose one in Petaluma, can't remember the name now.
Kell LOVES my driving, don't ya Kell?! :-) Actually, it's the big trunk she likes in my SUV, gets real full fast when we go!

Sue is making fun of me because I am like an old lady back seat driver. She is a pretty young thing that likes to zip. She also lies about her age. I have never met a female who lies to make herself older unless they are in a bar.

I have to admit... I WENT BACK TODAY!!! LOL. Did you get to see the exhibition hall, Lali after lunch yesterday? I went to all those rooms I didn't get to. I had such fun and wished you guys were with me. I even got to talk to an expert in my new love interest,Vireya rhodies.

I had to laugh for another Daver emailed me a link to a page on the Vireya Society site which showed collectors and where they lived in the world. I found one from Palo Alto so I googled him to see if I could find his email. I wanted to know where he buys them. All I found out was his bridge score in a recent tournament. Well, about 30 minutes into talking to him I connected his name to the other day and I said, you play bridge don't you. I think I freaked him out but I got the name of his supplier. LOL

This was my big purchase today. I fell in love. Now I need a name for her.

Sue, OMG is exactly what Kell was doing. I get such a kick plant shopping with her. She has so much enthusiasm that it is catching. And she always get's the most interesting plants, I always stock up on bulbs and tuber's for my perennial beds when I go to this show. I ended up with 5 new variety's of trumpet lily's, 3 peony's, 2 phlox and daylily 'Clothed in Glory'. I would have bought a bunch of stuff from Annie's annuals, but it was so crowded in that booth and the Digging Dog nursery booth that I didn't even try to get in there with my cart. My big purchase of the day was a yellow flowering Clivia. I was so bummed yesterday when I saw the same thing in one of my local nursery's for $10. less than what I paid. Oh well

It was the first time I had met Lali although I had traded with her before. Robyn is a dear friend that I met from the other Gardensite about 3 yrs. ago and we have become fast friends.

I just knew that Kell would be back at the show yesterday. We ran out of time and knowing Kell, I knew she would have to see what was in those other rooms. Me, I was so tired yesterday it was all I could do to just function.
But what more could you ask for in a day than to get to spend it plant shopping with friends.

Oh my aching feet!
Kell doesn't believe me when I tell her I am a grandma but I sure feel it today! What a fun day my Mom & I had! Got there at about 10 AM and didn't leave until 6:30 PM. We visited the plant sales room AT LEAST twice! Hey Kell, Marilyn was there, she was working a succulent/cactus booth, was there the day before she said and didn't see you. I bought lots of succulents, we did manage to get into Annie's, our first stop as I knew it would be packed, chatted a bit with Annie too, and we did get into Digging Dog, I picked up 2 pieris from them, also bought a cymbidium, a rice coppery gold one. I'll post some pics I took, more later. Heading out to Livermore with DH to pick up a couple of cases of wine and spending a nice sunny (finally!) day together!

Marilyn is helping me find the chocolate coppery aloe picture in the right here. This was my favorite display.

This message was edited Mar 19, 2006 7:47 PM

This message was edited Mar 19, 2006 7:49 PM

My favorite garden colors and look, love the rich tapestry of textures.

These are always fun to photograph, but unless I have a greenhouse, I am not tempted.

Man, sure wish there were begonias though! That would have been a hot vender!

Marilyn emailed me last night. I was so sorry I missed her. Wasn't it so much fun?? Loved the orchid room, and I refuse to be drawn in to those. That is one addiction I would not survive. LOL. Too many incredible looking ones.

Does no one like my flamingo??? I am so crushed. I carried it to the back gate from my car yesterday and you could see it from the road. I forgot to go around and open the side gate to let it into the backyard. I am such a poor sneak.

Anyway as I was leaving for dinner last night I remembered and had to confess to my DH of my purchase and ask him to take it back. I told him someone would steal it. He took one look and said if we left it by the road no one would take it but he wanted to try just in case there was someone with my sense of style lurking out there. OUCH

This was my favorite garden, so whimsical. I loved the that tall sculpture. Maybe it is true that I have no taste. LOL

I just loved it.

Kell, you could always hang colorful lights on that new flamingo you got. That would be 'whimsical' and perhaps you DH would like it then?
(kidding)

Did you name her (it) yet?

My poor Flamingo. It goes to show you that it is true, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. LOL Gertie is her name.

Patricia, I didn't decide to go till about noon since it was a bad gardening day. I closed the place out. I could have gone back again but I was too poor.

I got a really neat plant too. I just love the flowers.

I like the flamingo, it has a nice antique finish and should look real nice in the garden. Better than those plastic bright ones!
Did you buy that plant above, I was eyeballing it, as were several people.
I liked this one too.

I want this vine, kennedia coccinea, or coral vine, native to Australia.

I bought mostly succulents this time.

Kell,
LOL I am just catching up and found this thread and my first thought when I saw your flamingo was "gertrude"!! I have one, too, but she's not as big as yours. I think they are very tasteful :-)
Sharon

Calif_Sue, what is the name of the red succulent you bought? Love it!

The label says Kalanchoe blossfeldiana but not sure what variety. It may be Flaming Katy but I have yet to find an image with the redder foliage.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/66695/

Lali....are you telling us that that begonia in your car is a *cutting*????
No way.......!!

Wonder how big it is now 3 months later.

Thanks Sharon. My poor Getrude has yet to find her final resting spot. My DH still hates her. LOL. Where do you have yours?

Oh Sue, do you like your Kennedia Coccinea vine? has it flowered a lot for you? So how hot is San Jose?? I am frying here and I know we are cooler than you. I need to water but I just have no energy.

Well I am put to shame, all this time later and I still haven't repotted my huge begonia to a bigger pot. I keep meaning to do it. Mine hasn't gown at all but it hasn't died either! LOL. Lali, did you repot yours bigger? If so has it grown more?

We are currently at 95. I watered early this morning but will again this evening. Looks like it's this way rest of the week.
My Kennedia vine is growing between another vine (ornamental grape something or other) and it bloomed a second time. It's in a pot as I didn't want to commit it to the ground until i saw if it looked good. Once it cools down, i will plant it in the ground.

I am so pathetic. I went and took a nap, woke up and went to Safeway. Just got home. Am on my out now to water the back. Tom came home while I was gone and he turned off the water. He always does that. Makes me nuts. He is opposed to running water.

It is 84 here now, thank God for air conditioning. Normal is 70.

I once heard (or read, I should say) a woman who is very well-versed in her begonia knowledge say....If you want a big begonia, pot it in a big pot!

My trouble is I barely have enough room for the small pots, so if I started potting everything *up* a size, there'd be no room for people!
(Well....maybe if they all just sat still....but we'd have no room to move around at all! LOL!!)

So, Kell....your begonia is the one Lali's cutting came from?
Have you posted a photo anywere? If so I'd love to see it (maybe I already have?!)

I hear you, Nan. Here you can't walk at all. I hop and jump over plants. LOL. Long ago I gave up on the pretty garden look and went to the nursery hard core look. LOL.

I bought Lali a whole begonia plant. It was big!! It was bold!! It was beautiful. LOL. I got me one too, but of course.

I think I might have seen it, after all.....'cuz I recall saying 'WOW, that's a big 'un'!!!

I am so jealous! I'm going to sit and cry in my coffee cup. LOL... I need to move where you ladies live.

Ditto on the jealous part. If there is a place around here that sells any of the rarer begonias, I haven't found it.


Susan