Hi again everyone!
Thought I would start a new thread, for daily photo sharing and general chatting that we all enjoy so much! I had a couple of my episcias to bloom so I wanted to share. I uploaded my photos to the laptop and brought it out to McDonald's to get a WiFi signal so I could share (I really miss having the internest at home!)
This is 'Strawberry Patch' which most people have, but I just love the yellow in the throat on this one...
This is Episcia 'Showtime'. I have been really anxious to see this one bloom. This is the whole plant... still small yet.
And a close-up of the bloom... more yellow than described.... but very pretty.
A very different looking bloom on 'Ember Lace'. This one was much paler in the middle of the bloom, with a darker pink rim around it. Thought it was neat looking... photo doesn't do it as much justice though.
And finally... a strep I bought over the weekend. I wrote about this on another thread, talking about multi-crowned streps. I got this as a three-crowned blooming strep in a 6" pot, on sale for $8.95!
:o)
OMG! Look at all the kitty hair in each photo! Oh well! They love Mommy's flowers too!
Take care all! I've got to go back home and rest again.... doctor's and hubby's orders!
I became sick Sunday night/Monday... ended up in the hospital ER most of yesterday.
Thought they were gonna take my gall bladder, but I have a bad case of acute colitis.
Can anyone say... STRESS!!! LOL!
I miss my DG friends though, and had to stop in for a few!
Hugs to all!!!
Karen
Oh my Goodness! They are all Beautiful ... and I wouldn't even notice Kitty Fur since we have 4 cats in our family .... Fur is just part of my decor! LOL
I am sooo excited! I have my very first ever Episcia getting ready to bloom! I think this is Pink Panther but not really sure ... some labels got mixed up!
No pictures today but wanted to chime in :)
Karen, first of all, its SO nice to see you :)
Second, I'm sorry you're ill on top of all the stress in your life.
Third, you have some BEAUTIFUL flowers there! Hope they are bringing you much joy and happiness in the hectic life you are leading these days. They truly are stunning! Love the foliage on Strawberry Patch and Showtime :) The flowers are certainly bonuses :)
Lin, congratulations on your first bloom! It looks very content in it's little "bed". Can't wait to see it when it opens!
GREAT growing ladies!
Kim
I have Strawberry Patch too .... can't wait to see a bloom like that!
Oh .... I'm loving that Pink Bloom with the darker edge on Ember Lace!
... here I go adding to my long wish list again! And, I really want to find one with yellow flowers too!!
Karen..I am Loving those blooms! I am really smitten by showtime.What a neat flower that has!
Lin,Can't wait to see your bloom open.The plant looks wonderful and the excitement of that pending bloom probably has you checking it every few minutes huh?..LOL..I remember well
Hi There Kim..*Waving From Here* lol
OK Here is one in bloom I do have to share today..This is Aly's Blizzard Bunny..It reminds me of a Bridal Bouquet and I just Love the snow white blossoms..they almost look like fluffy snow : )
Oh Cedar ... that is really gorgeous! It does look like a bridal boquet! I don't think I've ever seen an AV with a solid white, white bloom like that. They usually have a bit of yellow tinge to them.
That one is really nice!
Thanks Lin..Yes it is definitely all white.. I started it from leaves sent to me in a houseplant swap last year.Of course I forgot to write down who..I hate when I do that : ( I learned my lesson..LOL..Now whenever I receive anything the 1st thing I do is write down is who its from because I know I am just too forgetful to remember on my own. I am hopeful whoever sent me the leaves will see the pic and know how much I truly appreciate those leaves : )
gee, these are all great fun to admire! I love that african violet, Cedarnest and she is covered in those wonderful blooms!
I finally found my battery charger for the camera batteries. Just a few fun blooms tonight.
This first picture is in the kitchen where I always keep tiny blooming avs as the shelves are small.
The back left one is an ionantha a friend in the AV club gave me to grow. She is different looking with a light lavender bloom coming on.
The baby 'Iced Pink Flamingos' are ready for 3" pots........we never catch up, do we?
'Blue Triumph' chimera bloom
Chimera 'Victoria Ribbons'
Now isn't this pathetic! Chimera 'Yukako' is now about 9" wide and has bloomed many times ...I am still scared to chop on any of them until Snow comes back with a tutorial (LOL)
Chimera 'Concord Blue' first flush of blooms for me
This is the only bloom on a new plant I got at the AV sale in Austin called 'Picasso'. I have already stuck leaves! Love both her bloom and the color of the bloom...
Happy Halloween my friends!!
Wow, some gorgeous pictures! You were right Karen, we needed a new thread for pictures and chatting! Strawberry Patch with her yellow throat is beautiful!
Lin that sure looks like my Pink Panther...the bloom will be a hot pink with a yellow throat if it is! One of my favorites!!
Cedar that white AV is awesome, just so full of blooms and such a pure white!!
Gail I took a sucker from my Victorian Ribbons and it is sending up new growth! Supposedly the suckers bloom true so I can't wait to see if that is so!!
Here is another picture of my chirita Blue Moon, each bloom that is opening is then having a second bloom open right underneath it from the same bloom head! It's a first for me and I'm enjoying it very much......Too bad I can't catch a good picture of it even with many tries!!!
~Brenda
Another try with Blue Moon.....
Lots of blooms still to come from Blue Moon....it makes waiting since early June worth it. LOL
This is a picture of a begonia I was talking about on the last sharing thread. It was one that Wal Mart and HD had in abundance a few weeks ago and I didn't buy one as the Rexes are impossible for me!! Well I went to HD this past weekend and the two they had left were just all wilted over and pitiful looking so I didn't buy one but I did take a picture as I LOVE the leaves on these. I may try to grow one if I ever find a healthy one again....Makshi are you out there??? this is the begonia I was telling you about!! Rubbery looking leaves but furry too.....it's a beauty.
~Brenda
This message was edited Oct 31, 2007 10:16 PM
Another shot of that Begonia, some of the smaller leaves in back of the plant....I still think it wold need more humidity than I could provide for such a big plant....
~Brenda
This message was edited Oct 31, 2007 10:02 PM
Check this out...I first showed pictures of my Kohleria Tane blooming about two weeks ago! Although I find the foliage hard to keep looking nice the blooms just last and last!! These are my two original blooms and they still look great!
~Brenda
Now these next couple of pictures I am especially proud of because they are my first blooms from Av's that I grew from leaf!!
I started these leaves long before I found Dave's and they have never had a heat mat or a dome or artificial light! I bought 20 leaves from eBay and stuck them in straight AV potting soil (not lightened up a bit) from the store and I put them in solo cups on my desk in a south facing window in January of 2007. I divided the babies this summer and these are the ones I kept. The blooms have been slow to come but it is proof that with nothing extra you can eventually end up with plants and blooms even if you know NOTHING!! LOL
These first blooms don't look like the pictures I see at the AVSA web site but I'm sure they will develop into the right look as they get a bit more mature!
Here is Saddle Shoes from today...
~Brenda
This message was edited Oct 31, 2007 10:18 PM
And here is Rebel's Splatter Kake...it is purple in real life...not blue like this picture! It will end up being a fantasy but I'm happy with this first bloom! It is so pretty in person...
~Brenda
One last one from me tonight! It is a hoya and it is blooming slowly, just a few buds at a time opening with more to come. It smells pretty when you get close enough.
Hoya Diversifolia
~Benda
Brenda
Awesome pics! That Rebe's Kate Splatter is indeed a special beauty. I can't get over your chirita. When my chirita blooms the leaves tend to start to get overgrown and spotty with brown which then makes me start all over and grow new ones! Darn it.......yours is perfect!
That hoya is yummy looking.
You can always send that leaf of the begonia to me. She is incredibly beautiful and quite unusual. Do you know her name?
this is victorian print, chimera
mrsbonnie
You all have the MOST BEAUTIFUL pictures I have ever seen! I celebrate new leaves, you all celebrate new blooms *lol*
Man I hate Maine sometimes!
Absolutely Breathtaking!!!
My list of "wants" just gets longer and longer every day. Maybe I shouldn't have stopped "lurking" *lol*
Great Growing Ladies, absolutely PERFECT!
Kim
this is carefree regina
mrsbonnie
this is bright eyes.
mrsbonnie
Oh Ladies .... How wonderful! A beautiful sight on this cloudy, dreary, rainy day here in Florida!
LOL Brenda: You gave me Episcia 'Pink Panther' so I guess I got that one right! When I was dividing some stolons and leaves and repotting I mixed up some of the labels .... doing too many at one time. So, now I know that one is Pink Panther and it has a new label on it! Thank You! I am so excited waiting for that bloom to open!
That Begonia is really AWESOME! It almost looks like the edges are fiber optic ... glowing! I too would love to know the name of that one and would love to find one at our Home Depot. I bought a Begonia from our HD a couple of months ago. They had these gal sized pots sitting there and they looked as they all had been covered in cement .... grayish tan stuff all over them and the even the sides of the pots were all covered in the stuff. The plants were so dry and wilted. The first time I saw them I couldn't believe they would even put something out on the shelf looking like that. I didn't buy it that first day but about a week later I was back in there again and picked one up and put it in my cart. I brought it home, repotted it in fresh soil after spraying it thoroughly with the hose. After 3 or 4 days it really looked like it was going to die. But, it ended perking up a bit. Lost some branches and lots of leaves but looks okay today. I have no idea what Begonia it is ... but I like it. I have never had much luck with the Rexes but love cane types! I have 3 or 4 of them.
Now: Hoya 'Diversifolia' .... gotta go google that one! I love hoya's and especially if they are fragrant! They are easy plants for me, guess that's why I like them so much! I'm surprised I don't have hundreds!
Your AV's are so pretty! And isn't it so satisfying when you've grown them yourself from leaf? I remember my dear MIL back in 1968 showing me how to root AV leaves in water. No fancy smancy soils or plant stands with lights. Just take a little dixie cup of water, cover the top with saran wrap or foil, cut a little slit and stick a stem down into the slit. They sat on the kitchen counter top until roots formed then got potted up. My MIL was a great gardener. I got my very first house plant when we moved to Florida in 1967 ... ended up with about 4 or 5 that first year. Went a few years without having plants - during the time hubby was in the military and we were moving around. But, as soon as we settled down in our permanent home the plants began to take over!
MrsBonnie: That AV Chimera 'Victorian Print' is just Gorgeous! Now tell me about 'Carefree Regina'!! Is that a Kohleria, Sinningia or what? I know that bloom is not an AV ... but it is really pretty! I gotta know what that one is! And 'Bright Eyes' too ..... the leaves sorta look like an AV but the bloom looks larger! Please, please tell me what those two lovelies are!
Here's a pic of my Begonia's. It stopped raining for a bit - very cloudy out and the photo is a bit dark but the one in the center front is the one I go at HD. I would love to find that one that Brenda posted a photo of above! I just Love that one!
Lin, how pretty those canes are. I didn't realize you were 'into' begonias. Here are some new ones I found at that Green Gate nursery on the last trip.
I can't remember which photo I just uploaded but I think she is a 'Whirlpool' like Brenda sent us
Here is a nice pot of 'Cathederal'
Here is the philo I picked up at the same place called maybe "Moonlight"?
a pretty rex I picked up.....look how her leaf swirls around?
This is a new cane begonia
