This was a little plant I grew from a package of mixed gessies seeds I received when I joined the society.I thought I had killed it about 3 weeks ago and was going to throw it away,but remembered Keyring had said some gessies go dormant.Look what I found today.
woo hoo! Isn't that great?! I have the little Sinn. pusilla and thought it was dead .... so glad I read that post about some gessie's going dormant and that I should give it more time! Sure enough it revived and has multiplied and has a little teeny bloom stalk on it!
By the way .... the Sinn. Rio das pedras you sent me is doing good too .... can't wait to see it grow and bloom!
Do you know what plant that is you have there from your seeds?
Yay!!! Look at that!
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
That is so neat Jannich.Remember that Sinn. Rio das pedras you sent me and I was so sure it wouldn't make it?Well..Drum Roll Please..Ta Da!! It is blooming! Below is a pic.My Tiel Emmet really likes the way its blooming too! Hes got that "Looks Mighty Tasty" look in his eyes..LOL
Can't wait to see yours bloom Lin.You will love it.It is soo dainty : ))
Nancy
I like Emmet too!!!
Wow Nancy .... So that's what Rio das pedras will look like? Love it. Now I can't wait for mine to grow a bit and bloom! It gets a bit larger than I thought. Is it considered a Micro Mini like S. pusilla?
"Emmet" sure looks like he wants a taste! We used to have a Parrot (well, I should say hubby had it -that bird hated me) who liked to chew on everything! Emmet is very pretty!
Thanks Wild Rose and Lin..Hes my Pal : )
Lin,You wouldn't believe how pretty that little flower is.I can't wait til yours blooms for you.This little plant has 3 buds left to open.I just love it.I keep it in a lidded jar.
Good going jannich and Nancy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is amazing...........don't anyone ever be jealous of my plants.............look what I just got.......I placed the order almost 2 months ago so that most every plant I wanted could be sent..........giving Lyndon Lyons plenty of time to fill my order.
I am going to give you a preview of the size of the box........there was nothing in it to protect the plants..........worst wrapping job ever and they even charged me to wrap plus shipping equaled over 40.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you God they didn't send many that i ordered.............
I am convinced in my heart that these plants were grown well.........you can tell that they were........I just think the box was crushed and there is no doubt in my mind that these plants were not packed on Monday and received today. They had to have been packed last week sometime and left to sit........(there were a couple of cups of peanuts in the bottom and nothing to protect the top when the box got crushed).
A few are Ok........but I am heartsick........not so much about the money (though i won't order from them anymore) but I really wanted the plants I ordered.
Back to the same growers.......that would be Kartuz, Rob'sVioletBarn and Gary's (out of Africa)...........the rest I will buy from shows and trade on DG or grow from leaves and suckers..........
***Lyndon Lyons has a great reputation.......i just can't figure out why they would pack this way and then leave in box so long.......before shipping
I just figured this out............this is not Lyndon Lyon's fault...........all my plants come to me at the post office box.........they chose UPS..i think maybe these have been outside all day without my knowledge..........The UPS guy didn't leave a note on the glass back door....so I won't blast Lyndon Lyons at all............just sympathize with me (LOL)
There is one funny joke on Lyndon Lyons though.............some of the chimeras were marked 12.50 on the tag and they charged me 15.00 instead for several of them...................
Someone out there who knows better than i do...........tell me what to do to save all these plants that costs me sooooooooo much.............thanks jannich!!!!!!!!! having a pity party on your joyous thread...........
OH NO!!!! The box was sitting outside in this heat? How very sad Gail.I hope someone can help you with your plants.
I do too........jannich..........I always thought you had to sign for UPS......I do!!! Don't know why he felt free when the box said 'live plants' all over it...........oh well........trying not to worry abou tit..................you did great!!!!!!!!!!!!! how exciting.......I am waiting for my first strep seeds to come up..........do you know how long it takes for strep seeds to pop up?:?:
Oh Gail .... I am so sorry about your order from LL's. I have never ordered from them but have heard good things. Any idea when the box left their facility with UPS to begin with? I think I would take a photo of the box and everything in it and contact UPS about the crushed box. Especially if it had Fragile and Live Plants marked on it. I don't know if it was insured by LL but maybe you should e-mail them the photo of the box also just so they can see how UPS treats their packages!
We have UPS leave stuff at our door all the time. Never have to sign for anything. Even when we are home, they pull up, come to the door, ring the bell and immediately get back in the truck. One time a few months ago, I got a package. I saw the UPS truck drive up, was waiting for the bell to ring .... he just dumped the package and was in his truck and gone by the time I walked from my kitchen to the front door - about 5'! Well .... when I saw the dented, crushed box I knew why he was in such a hurry! That box had wide red tape completely around the package that said "FRAGILE" in huge red letters .... they really mangled the box but luckily everything inside was okay. It wasn't plants, but I would have been really disappointed had anything been damaged. I should have taken a photo and reported it, but don't know if it would have made a difference. Sometimes people are just in a hurry and those guys loading trucks or airplanes just don't care! A few years ago I was on a trip with some folks from the University where hubby teaches and we were boarding a little plane from Boston to go to Maine .... we sat there watching the guys loading our luggage and since it was a small plane they have to do the weight balance thing to get the plane with people and cargo just right to be able to get airborne .... these guys were removing luggage from the hold ... one guy up at the top and just throwing suit cases down to the ground .... right onto the tarmac ... did not care one bit! Made me so mad watching it! Another lady and her sister had just bought brand new, not cheap luggage and we watched as one hit the ground! I guess that "Do Unto Others" just means nothing to some people.
Anyway, I hope your plants survive .... I have a feeling with your TLC they will recuperate from being left out in the heat. Please keep us posted! By the way .... what all did you get? AV's, Strep's, Episcia's??? Or ..... all of the above? LOL.
I will be happy to tell yu what i got.......i can save I think all but two and they are chimeras.........I will have to reroot the episicas........cut the crowns of the chimeras and avs.........a lot of time, but when you live in a small town you cannot afford to make enemies of anyone.......I am going to tell the UPS guy what happened...my brother said he saw him down here at 8;30 or 9:00 so they were out all day on the back porch.......
I am going to ask him either to put them in the house or come back the next day..........
I am just disappointed in everything......they only sent me 1 of 4 trailers I asked for
Chantaspring
These are the episcias which I will have to cut and reroot as the leaves are mostly dead and gone.
Ember Lace
Fanny Haague
Showtime
Suomi
Tri Color
Silver Skies
Coco
Aeschynanthus 'lobbinus'.....have to cut off....
Chimeras and avs (they may all be chimeras.....too tired to look)
Blue Triumph
Concord
Fancy Lady
Winter Love
Pixie Peppermint
Crown Jewel
Victorian Ribbons
Northern Reflections
***********they didn't have any of the best ones and I really wanted the trailers.......oh well, there are bigger disappointments in life........I am going to ask Lyndon Lyons if they can make UPS do something. My guy starts honking when he comes down the caliche road...........I run out and wait at the front of the truck for him to get the package always and he hands me the box to sign.......my brother says they are supposed to come to the door........mine doesn't.......he just honks until someone comes outside.
I'm sorry your shipment got to you in such bad shape Gail! From everything I've seen here on this forum, and the way you care for your plants, I'm sure you will nurse your new babies through. It's funny... I just sat down last night and made an episcia wishlist, and you bought almoast everything that I put on my list. Must have the same taste... LOL!
I personally don't have good luck with UPS, FedEx, or DHL. I prefer all my packages to go to my P.O. box also.
{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}} and hang in there!
Karen
You all are sweet!!!!!!!!!!! the funny part about it is ...........i don't need any more episcias..........wanted the baby trailers and chimeras so badly.........shame on UPS......I won't use them ever again for plants................don't even bother to wish for those light colored variegated episcias except I find Cleopatra and Pink Dream so much hardier than the others......giving up on them............
I had suomi and loved it.......gave away the last stolon and then killed mine (LOL).........
I am going to work all day tomorrow on plants again.........this is really a full time job.......I love it but it never ends..........haven't finished today's work which was cleaning and cloroxing all reservoirs........and flushing plants with clear water..........
My heart just sank when I read about your plants Gail.You are a real trouper! If that would have happened to me I would need to spend a few days under heavy sedation..seriously : ( .I hope you can save them.
I sure wish I wouldn't have pitched all my episcias or I would have sent you my Suomi.I got tired of looking at them because they never grew well for me and only bloomed once while I had them.I found out fast they weren't for me.Out with them to make more room on my stands..which are all of course full again already : )) Oh and I agree UPS stinks for plants!
I am laughing about the fact that i wanted avs in that order........they didn't send them but sent all these episcias that I must pamper because I "don't lose plants"...........I just can't give up on them..............
I have good luck with them, but what does one do when they get so big....i don't want hanging baskets of them in the house (ROTFL).............
I don't know why but I always try to grow them big..........have shelf after shelf of them serving no purpose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Does anyone know if you can pot them up as a houseplant without gro lights???????
Gail... I don't have any of my episcias under grow-lights!
well,show me some pictures.........what kind of container do you put them in???????? how much light?????????(natural this is).........i am tired of them taking up 3 full shelves of gro lights..........
I thought Episcia's were supposed to make great hanging basket plants? I have been thinking of getting a sturdy pvc pipe or old curtain rod and hang it from those wroght iron hooks that are used outdoors ... I think those would keep the rod far enough away from the window that it wouldn't interfere with the curtain rod already there .... just use it for hanging plants all along the window. A plant curtain rod.
Lin, go look at WildRose's picture on her new thread...........she keeps hers in an east window..............I am going to do that tomorrow........they can't take up any more gro light room.............I wouldn't have any place for hanging baskets in my house ..........but i could have beautiful pots of them like WR..............in that particular bedroom with an east window.........
I've never done one in a hanging basket, but the way me 'Kee-wee' hangs over the pot, Im sure it would look great in one.
Gail... I will take a photo of my episcias in the morning light tomorrow, to show you where they all sit. I have 'Ember Lace' in a terrarium, but the rest are in porcelain or clay pots. Being the biggest and most tolerant, 'Kee-wee' gets the most sun... the others sit to the right of her and get varying degrees less sun.
I just posted this photo on another thread, but this is 'Kee-wee' as of tonight... she's been blooming almost a month.
VAWildRose: 'Kee Wee' is Beautiful! Wow .... it is big! I think if the couple of little ones I have grow that big I will put them in hanging baskets! I have two decent sized East Facing Windows that would be perfect to have a row of hanging baskets!
Alright thats it.....I had NO idea they could be grown in natural light.LOL No wonder mine all went south.I am going to give them another try now.You all give me hope : )
Lin,Your episcia hanging baskets on a curtain rod idea sounds very neat.: )
Well ... I only have 4 and they are real small .... but I have lots of other hanging basket plants I can use until my babies grow big enough for hanging baskets! Or .... I could place an order for more Episcia's, to plant in hanging baskets!LOL.
cedar - were you growing yours warm enough? Mine do better in the summer outdoors, where temps are 80s-90s and humidity is up there somewhere. They do like to be in the upper 70s - 90s and will really sulk if cooler. And they don't like dry air either, although some are more tolerant than others. I found that Silver Dust was a real trooper through drier cooler temps, and Silver Skies does quite well too. If you like big,
Jan... I'm sorry we monopolized your thread!
Gail... this is a photo of my east window at 7:40am. The sun goes behind a tree for a bit right now, then comes back out hot and heavy until about 10:30-11:00am.
Thanks for letting me share. Off to work... have a good day!!!
Karen
Good Morning!
Hi Lin, Its funny how these plants come back isn't it.I'm glad you didn't give up on your pusilla.Please post a picture when it blooms.I don't think I've seen that on yet.I don't know what kind of plant that is.
Nancy,Great growing girl! The little plant looks good.I'm so glad Ki sent me the seeds and I was able to trade and share this little beauty with others.Looks like Emmet would like a taste of one of the leaves.lol.
Hi gail, I think my strep seeds came up in like 3 weeks to a month but I also read it depends on how old the seeds are.
I also read in a old AV book that Cleopatra is one of the hardest eps. to grow,even the seasoned growers have trouble keeping that one alive.
Oh Lin,I have a extra Kee Wee that needs a home:)
Jan, you are sooooo nice.........good news to report this morning.........i called UPS and they are sending a rep out tomorrow to inspect my dead plants.......now I have to go through the garbage sacks and get out all the packing materials and save the box........don't mind doing that!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the east window pictures.............
Oh My Jan .... I would give it a Good Home! Can we make a trade?
Alright Gail! Sometimes it is good to let them know .... I bet there are thousands of folks who just "let it slide" and never say anything. If enough folks began speaking up maybe things would change and the employees of these companies would try to do a little better. I just always wish the ones who treat packages like that would think of it as if it were a package going to someone in their own family .... then you know they would take better care of it and have the "Do unto others" attitude.
I had no earthly idea they would do anything about it............it wasn't delivered until 3:02 so the damage came from sitting in an unairconditioned UPS truck all day........
Yep ... or sitting in an un airconditioned UPS warehouse bay, or both.
Keyring,My house is sorely lacking in both heat and humidy.Central heat and air.It never occured to me to set them outside for the summer.If I would have thought of that I bet I would still have them and they would be happy now.They would have loved the sauna out there this time of year.Thanks..Gotta keep reminding myself learning is a neverending process.
Nancy, how hot is it there during the day?????? also, you know that streps like it much cooler.........don't put them outside..........what is the temperature inside your house now?
Gail,During the summer its always anywhere from 90 to 100 outside with high humidity.This week we are getting a wonderful break in the heat with 80 to 85 during the day.Inside the house I keep it at 72 year round.I hate the heat.LOL Streps and av's seem to love it in my house.
I vote for keeping your episcias in the house...........they won't take our heat which is normally in the 90's...................just find you a good east window like WildRose said........
my thermostat is set at 74 and they are very happy............
Well I do have an East window I am not using at the moment.You talked me into it.I will give it a try : )
I am going to do it today............move them all to two tables I have set up.............I would rather start out here.............maybe won't work but at least i won't kill them..........outside here is sure death.......
