Travel! Pictures! Hurrah!

I've been traveling through the midwest recently and met a gessie breeder in Hillsboro outside of Festus, Missouri. (I'm in Carbondale, IL now)
Actually, I'm just looking for an excuse to share pictures of gesneriads he grows in his greenhouse. I took the camera with you folks in mind. ("drool time.") He was a very hospitable gentleman to let me look at his private growing areas (not public) right after he had surgery.
Let's see. Greenhouse shots.
Just for kicks, I'll start with 'Strawberry Fields.'


This message was edited Jul 19, 2006 10:44 PM

Oh, and before I forget, he's Gary of "Pat's Pets." I was honored to meet he and his gentle wife, Pat. He has his own series of hybrids of some genera.

I asked him what it was that really excited him now, and so he introduced me to his Smithiantha hybrids. They are all named after Mammals, mainly african. For example, 'Pat's Pet Lion' and 'Pat's Pet Giraffe.' He has two unique (first in the world)plants that have morphed to have seven, not five lobed flowers. I fell for 'Pat's Pet Jaguar.'
Did I mention his prices were great!? $15.25 and I am taking three awesome AVS and a Smithianthus back to Colorado.
(By the way, I'm Kenton -if we've not met, seeing as how this forum is growing gangbusters)

http://www.jcn1.com/patspets/

The humble and talented man.


This message was edited Jul 19, 2006 10:46 PM

Heya, Kenton!! Glad you're having a good summer ramble... thanks for checking in and sharing photos with us!

'Strawberry Fields' is stunning. I think it's the next Episcia on my wish list! :-)

That's a great shot of Gary & his growing room. I like the way he has spaced his plantlets out so they shape nicely as they grow... I've picked some wonderful plants at the Violet Gallery, but they are so crowded together in their trays that they often take a while to grow out of various foliage contortions.

LOL at "how this forum is growing gangbusters" -- isn't it wonderful?!!

His Gessie house.

Hi Jill! Tell me how you (&family) is in that D-mail if you get a minute.

Teeny Bopper in a 2" pot. Indeed teeny!

And he does space them well on his brilliantly arranged capillary mat. Lush! Look!

Episcia shelf in the greenhouse. he apologized that the plants needed watering- it's constantly110F in there.
What lovely starter plants.

Those are gorgeous!! I can feel my resolve not to order more AVs this fall slipping.... ;-)

I had a Teeny Bopper plant that was beyond adorable... unfortunately, neither it nor the crown cutting I took (in an attempt to make it start trailing) survived... with these micro-minis, I think it may be better to let them do their own thing. If I get another, I may take a leaf from near the crown to encourage suckering, but that's it!

It looks like he has the capillary mat covered with some sort of plastic, with openings in it on which to rest pots... definitely brilliant!

Unrelated travel photo.
Tropical pots at Missouri Botanical

'Designer Dress' has a broad but delicate white edge.

Hey, for anyone else who's interested, here's a link to Pat's Pet's catalog page, http://www.jcn1.com/patspets/index1.htm

Kenton, although they are in our forum sticky, I noticed that there are no comments about Pat's Pets in the Garden Watchdog... perhaps you could fix that. :-)

'Marqui de Sade'

Will do!

Red Ryder

Done. I'm tired and will finish later.
K

Beautiful pics!
Love the growing area, too.
Have a safe trip home!

MsC

Thanks Kenton for sharing your wonderful Experience of visiting these great growers !
Beautiful Fancy pictures

What a great experience! It's great that he was so nice. Beautiful pictures, Kenton.

Oh man you are going to have a great "what I did this summer" essay when you go back to school!
Lovely pictures, what a great experience. I have to say I am always curious to see the set up the vendors have. Thanks for the photos.

Sure enjoyed Gary & Pat's wonderful website. Exquisite collections they have. Thanks for sharing.

Don Ü

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Don-"Umlaut": Is that Fairview-Van? A fair view indeed.

Your all welcome. My suggestion is to support his little hobby and see for yourself. I think the four-foot tall Smithantha will be an adventure!

Kenton, I am so disappointed that you didn't stop at my house and say 'hello'! It looks as if you had the time of your life!!!

Gah! That's who it was! I was somewhere in Kansas at night, thinking: "Who was it in MO that I could visit?" (As another MO friend was, ironically, going to be in CO when I was passing through.

Hmmmm...

While researching, I stumbled on this picture you folks might enjoy:
http://www.gesneriads.ca/achime79.htm
K

That pic is to die for! Scrumptious!

Glad your back!

MsC

Wow that is gorgeous.

So when you left Kansas did you say to yourself, "Totto, we're not in Kansas anymore?"

wow ! a whole type (unscientific term) of plant i know nothing about!! theyre beautiful ... im looking forward to meeting you! my husband thinks its funny... meeting other plant obsessed people on line !.. ive become quite addicted to the daves thing... i ve been learning so much from everyone ....ever broadening my need for plants. below is my supervisor...
taya

Well there are plenty of people who are obsessed here and lots of folks willing to share there experience.
Cute supervisor!

I love Strawberry Fields!

TFS!

Joanne

(I must note here that I visited Taya {greenobsessed} and her extremely well-designed and artistic garden. Her supervisor and I amde good friends.)
Watch out for the DG addiction, Taya!

Photo credits go to my neighbor, these pictures were E-amiled to me of my garden now. Why do the most spectacular things blom while I'm away? This happens all of the time.

Common but fun Eucomis bicolor.

Zantedeschia 'Black Star' Calla lily in Nicotiana 'Domino White' Miniature flowering tobacco.

(Heart skips)

The neat color combo of Gladiolus 'Flevo Kosmic'

And (drumroll) the uncommon (I think I recall the name) Curcuma zedoaria maxima

That's all for now, folks. I warn you; I think this will become my travel pictures thread when I get home and unload the camera. So if you are after AVs only, please ignore me, although there will be some from Pat's Pets.
Kenton

.

Fancy

It's bad karma catching up to you! LOL. I am sure that you have not created any bad karma!
Fancy is right, your plants are gorgeous, hope your neighbor is enjoying them, LOL.
Love your Curcuma zedoaria maxima- I have only the more common, can't even recall the name, it's pretty, but not like yours! WOW!

Back in good ol' Colorado.
Details later, but here is a part of the splendid garden of KayJones.
Kenton

Very splendid.

Beautiful !

Kenton, you are tooooooo sweet - thanks for the nice comment!