Briefly touching base - Begonia & Gessie Heaven

Been a might busy with my job picking back up (boy it was easy to get used to having time off! Sigh!) and so may babies to care for (ok, you all konk me on the head for putting down so many leaves, Ali you were right!!!) anyhoo just want to check in and give out some good news.
I started my position at the arboretum in San Fran today and oh my goodness... all I can say is NIRVANA!!
Aside from being blessed with being able to work under my long time begonia Guru - doing begonia propagation in their greenhouse, I was asked to take on the gesneriads as well! (clunk, I fainted again!)
The person who was in charge had to leave due to an ill family member and hasn't been back in six months. SO... I've inherited the streps, sinningia, gloxinia and chirita (so far that's what I can remember)

They need work since they are in a state of neglect but the good news is that the director offered to order any seed I wanted to start - cant even imagine...

so that's my good news. Just wanted to share...
hugs all around.
L-
(photo from my September visit, I didn't bring my camera today... DUH!!! )

That would be even more fun than working in an ice cream shop!! Lucky you!! Be sure to share all you learn.

Diane

And another shot. This is one corner where babies are kept, there are three other places in the greenhouse/lathhouse with cuttings and such.

And less calories too, Diane!

You're right about that one. Just get out of there on paydays with most of your paycheck and you'll be doing GOOD! You are going to have such a good time that it'll be like vacation instead of work.

Diane

Woo hoo!!!! sounds fun : )

What?!?! A greenhouse full of bagonias to play with?????

You lucky thing, Enjoy your job. you deserve it!!!

Oh, how TOTALLY cool!!!

*BIG CONGRATULATORY HUG*

Bagonias??? I am so excited with the news I already created a new plant!

Talk about a dream come true. Pinch her and make sure she isn't asleep!!!!!

Have fun !

Laurie..that's great ...congrats...so happy for you

OH my GOD! Lucky Duckie! I am SOOO JEALOUS!
Beautiful plants..Do they sell them?

Here's a thought re. new acquisitions... is the director willing to pay postage for trades? ;-)

wow wow wow wow......

intensely busy with work over here as well... and trying to keep my cactus/succulent seed craving at bay......

They hold monthly sales (I've been going for years, in fact that's where most of my obscure begonias originated). They raise about $200K a year in sales with half of that coming from the one big spring sale (next month). There are many rare plants in the collection that never go out to the public gardens due to theft (sad!) So it's like going behind the scenes at a museum.

The good news is, they have hundreds of rare and hard to find columnea, Aeschynanthus, streptocarpella (bought one last week) etc hanging from the rafters that I'm allowed cuttings of. I just have to ask. I saw one that looked like Lorry's Champagne and another that looked like Jesse's (was it a columnea? can't recall) Some from Madagascar I think? Anyway, I'll bring my camera next week and show you all.

I brought home a strep 'Mary Sakamoto' who is just about to bloom. I wanted to take a photo of it and make a name tag for sales. It needs help. Mealie bugs and someone dumped slow release fertilizer on the crown (I know it's not really a crown but what do you call the center where all the leaves/plants start? Ali?) so it is starting to melt and rot the center. I want to repot it and treat it - no pesticides are allowed in the greenhouses, I don't even think they allow neem. So I think i can at least give it a fighting chance.

thanks for all the enthusiasm gang. I am pretty excited to be there myself.
(photo is of the lath house where the begonias are kept, it's one of four areas devoted to begonias. OH MY GOSH you should see the Epi's hanging from the ceiling! (fainted again)

I promise, photos next week.


edited to change petrocosmea to streptocarpella. I've got petrocosmea on the brain - can you tell! I can't wait for my LL order to come.

This message was edited Apr 13, 2006 7:16 AM

Also, you can view that beauty of a strep at this great link. (dont forget the great gessie links, I even do!)
Streptocarpus 'Mary Sakamoto'
http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/tablem.html

Cuttings? Even luckier still :)

What an absolutely fabulous job!! Can't wait to hear about all the super plants you get to play with.

Ooooh....can we say *DREAM JOB*!!!

Not many people can say that they truly get to work at a job they love!
Congrats to you!

Well, it's only one day a week, no pay, but of course the rewards are in the education and exposure. Plus to spend a day talking 'plant speak' with the plant geeks IS my dream job. DH does not speak Plant Speak at all. He speaks "lawn mower" so I can't complain, but not too many plant geeks in my community.

Lucky for me I love my regular job too!

Well, yes...still a dream job even if a non-paid position....I agree w/your concept of 'rewards'!!

lol! My DH doesn't speak Plantese, either....same...Lawnmower and Grill!!!

I like my job, but don't love it by any means....now if I worked at a greenhouse or arboretum.....I'd love it!

Sooooo, when's the next plant sale???????
What a drop dead gorgeous strep you came home with!
Resistance is futile I see now! LOL

Here's their schedule, the next one is THE big one, not to be missed! Kell is going for sure, I asked her to be my date, but then got asked to work it so I don't know how that will play out. Friday is Members only, but Sat. is open to the public. the line starts like 2 hours before it opens so come early.

http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/plant_sales/plant_sales.htm

Membership is $60 per year and you can read about it at the above site.

God I wish I was in CA :)

wow great job Laurie! I had no idea there were so many streps.Beautiful.

Oh my goodness yes Jan so many Streps !! He is the best web sight of Streps !
http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/index.html

Jan Black Panther is her !
Black Panther
1999 (J. Ford) Dark purple velvet with light purple throat, two prominent yellow "fangs" inthroat, lightly ruffled. (AGGS register
http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/tableb.html

Here's the strep I brought home.

Mary Sakamoto. She literally just popped open overnight. There was a good sized bud and {POP} she just opened up.

(pencil for size context)

Bloom alone.

Pretty

Beautiful!

what a beautiful flower!

Wow Allison,I didn't know there was so many Streps. Another addiction coming on.LOL.


Laurie nice to see ya posting! Thats a beautiful flower!

I wish it was not so buggy or I could share leaves. But it's in serious quarantine at the moment. (mealies)

OOOOH, AAAAH! Very pretty! I hate mealie bugs! Almost all the plants in my yard are covered w/ them and I know that many of you will tell me the kinder gentler way to deal w/ them, but I have tried that and now it's WAR! I am pulling out the heavy artillary! they are so creepy!

Your job sounds like so much fun. I hope you have lots of fun and learn all that you want to learn. I'm happy for you.

Jesse

Very Special

I'm excited to ask the director to order sinningia and chirita seeds for me to start! Imagine the varieties they must have available.

WOW all the fun you will have :))