Great pic Brenda! My leaves aren't as pretty as they used to be. I may stop using super thrive in the gallon of water on my streps but still use a couple of drops on the avs.
I might practice on the whole strep this afternoon (pic that is)........I got carried away with the macro..................but your leaves look healthier than mine.
********forgot to say how funny it is that your cousin went out and got a camera like mine!
This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 8:11 AM
What's blooming in April IV
Wanted to say that the only way I can grow episcias is to start them out as a couple of stolons in a vase.....I guess they get more humidity that way.
Lin, I know you will wonder what the plant on the right is and it is a new start of a lipstick plant I haven't seen. A friend brought it back from the AV show in San Antonio for me.
***don't know what I am going to do about this camera not liking that florescent lighting. I guess take them away from it when shooting a photo......
God morning!
Flair is a beauty Gail.All your sinningia are.AC 1503 broke it's pot,how funny.Is it a good idea to repot it now? Doesn't it have flower buds on it? Maybe you could just set it in another pot for now.I hate to see you loss your flowers,it won't be till next year to see them again.
Brenda,your streps are beautiful!
Gail- The Lipstick you are talking about- I recently got one with reddish purple leaves and have been wondering what it is. Is that what color yours is? It looks like it on my computer. The bloom color is very vivid! Mine isn't blooming so I hope it's the same.
I water my streps with Eleanor's VF 11 most of the time. Every once in awhile I mix it up with the Hill Country fertilizer Gail sent to me or a shot of the beer fertilizer if I'm watering my hoyas.
Here is your snow shot from this morning Lin!
I'm actually glad that you asked for it as it made me realize how much snow has actually melted for us. See the little "bears" climbing up the pine tree? For a lot of the winter you could only see half of the top bear! So spring is on it's way!!
~Brenda
WHat a magnificent picture ..........even bears!!!
Glad to know what you are feeding your streps.........may cut back on the fertilizer I am using (the 12-36-14) plus superthrive.
What a great photo Brenda! I just love the serene look of snow and the bare trees ... so peaceful looking!
Gail: I have that same Lipstick Plant! Mine has not bloomed yet and I was wondering what the bloom would look like. Here I kept calling it a Columnea! I think I included some in my box to Cicada for the April House Plant Swap ... guess I better tell her it is Lipstick Plant and NOT Columnea but she may actually know what it is when she opens it.
Well, all the pics have made me sit down with pen and paper and go to ARob's Violet Barn to make a list to order....sigh....my order is longer than my money. Going to try to cut it down then send it in! I've never ordered from them before. I know some have mentioned sometimes they send really small plants but other than that they're OK right?
Diane, yes, Rob's sends very tiny starter plants. I sometimes am not so good with little tiny plants but my experience with Rob's has been good. I think I've lost a couple but for the most part they have survived. His plants are healthy. I haven't ordered in quite awhile ... got hooked on Bluebird because they had the same prices but larger plants ... they just don't have a lot of variety like Rob's.
LOL ... I know what you mean about your wish list being longer than your money! I think that is so true for a lot of us! ^_^ Especially you folks with kids and grandkids!
Hmmmm...Bluebirds. I think Gail has told me of that place before. I'm going to look it up and compare what I've picked out on Rob's with theirs. I was going to order from Lyons but the shipping was high
Lin, for all I know it may be a columnea...........I think it is.............I know it is!!!!!! I just misspoke.
Are you sure, Gail? I have searched and cannot find an ID. I bought it at HD last year but only found the one. It is one of the EA plants but I couldn't find a photo at their website. I have taken cuttings and they root really well in water! I can't wait for mine to bloom ... yours is lovely.
Gail, here's a photo of it from a couple of months ago. Does it look the same as your plant? I sure hope I get blooms soon.
Lin, she looks the same as yours! Marjorie Bullard gave her to me and maybe she is a lipstick plant.........they were grown by the man in Boerne and I can call him this week.............no I won't........I will be there at the nursery the weekend of the 2nd so I can see for myself and let you know.
Lin! We have the same plant! I bought mine at Lowe's last week. Mine doesn't look as good as yours (Lowe's classic over-watering!) There was only one when I bought mine too. Am anxious to know which one it is. I was thinking maybe Columnea chocolate soldier- some times listed as Nematanthus choc. sold.- but have never actually SEEN that one to compare.
stupid me!!! The name is on the plant, Lin and Diane.......it is called Columnea 'Aladins Lamp'
Brenda, I love your snow, trees and BEARS. What are the bears made of? Very pretty picture.
I have seen photo's of Aladdin's Lamp and didn't remember it looking like that ... going googling again!
Found this one, Columnea Aladdin's Lamp: http://www.gesneriads.ca/colum190.htm leaves not as dark as my plant.
Really nice ones here: http://www.gesneriads.ca/gencolum.htm
I think that new foliage is always lighter but look behind the new foliage and it is dark. Mine is very dark foliage.
OK, here's an unknown that was supposed to be party Girl.
a dendrobium orchid with hoya javanica.
Thanks to Kim for the hoya. Beautiful. OOPs, wrong picture. See below
This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 5:01 PM
This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 5:05 PM
The pink orchid in the picture above is an oncidasia
This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 5:06 PM
This is another oncidasia (cross between aspasia & oncidium)
Another picture of that greenish one
beautiful fragrance.
This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 5:19 PM
Here's a close-up of that pink one... I think
And here's dangling nematanthus castenet.
Heres combo lipstick pot I put together this winter.
I LIKE the Nematanthus castenet!!!!
I'm with Diane, the Nematanthus castenet is a very cool looking flower! Your orchids are very pretty too cflowr, thanks for sharing.
Rob's Violet Barn is hard to beat for selection Diane but be prepared to baby the little things for awhile. I bought semi mini violets and streps from him last spring and the violets definitely did better than the streps for me. Maybe because they are supposed to stay fairly small anyway. I like Brennan's Orchids for nice healthy sized streps but their selection is small.
Sally those "bears" are made out of a burnished brown metal of some kind. I found them on clearance this past fall and for being just a simple cut out type thing they still grab our eye. Our two little dogs barked and barked at them when I first put them up. LOL
These four streps in my office window were all from Rob's last June and they have been in here getting babied but it has finally paid off.
~Brenda
Yes they certainly have paid off! They're beautiful! How long does it usually take to get a baby Strep to bloom?
Nice Hoya too BTW Is it sheperdii?
It takes me 3 months to stick a leaf and have 2-3" babies to plant up. Then they bloom in a matter of a week or so..................(but the plant is still small)
Yes, I'm pretty sure the hoya is sheperdii....Kim sent this beauty to me this past fall and I am kicking myself for not labeling it when it came. Kim will you confirm the name for me please?
It bloomed for me early this spring, just three small blooms but the perfumed smell of them was huge! I would have had to move it out of the office if there had been any more blooms on it. LOL
Gail the speed of your babies blooming is amazing to me!! Your overall conditions are better than mine but I bet the biggest part of it is the excellent methods you use!!
Right now I'm averaging six months for a bloom stalk to start showing on a baby plant, but it was the dead of winter here. I hope to have better results this summer!
This is Bristol's Blackbird. I put the leaf down the end of October and you can see it's first flower stalk forming here. I'm excited!!
~Brenda
Brenda: Oooh ... I noticed that Hoya first thing too! I could very easily become a hoya addict! LOL. Nice plant!
Cflowr: That greenish orchid is amazing! I have never seen one like that ... and you say it is fragrant? That is one neat looking orchid! I too love, love the looks of that Nematanthus castenet! Never heard of it but it sure is cool the way those flowers hang there. What's that yellow flower in the background? Looks almost like Allamanda.
Brenda, it is the weather I promise. I have had the air conditioning on for months now. It has been close to 90 every day and will continue to get hotter. That is a pretty plant of Bristol's Blackbird and big!
Thanks for posting the close-up of the bloom stalk. Now I know what ot be looking for! My one-and-only Strep is just a baby now...but maybe if I have Gail's luck it won't be long!
CAn't wait to see the blooms on Blackbird- that's a new one for me.
Oh I can see I missed alot today..Loving all the blooms!
Mulletman..your pink gator is gorgeous and annabelle has always been a favorite of mine..gotta love those bells!
Beautiful sinningias Gail as well as your episcias.Love the bloom on fireworks..really different and neat!
Brenda..Those bears are too cute climbing that pine tree.I bet they really make people do a doubletake thinking they are real..too cute! Oh your streps are gorgeous!
Sally I saw your Laser Celebration on the other thread and I must say that has to be one of the prettiest av's ever!
cflower you have so many beautiful plants.Love your photos and that un named strep is a gorgeous color!
Lin I love the foliage on that lipstick plant or columnia..oooo thats neat...
Diane,I agree with everyone..lol. on rob's plants being on the smallish side..but they are very healthy and strong and once they get used to their new homes they really take off fast!
I don't do alot of starting streps from leaves anymore but for any streps I have ever started from leaf it has never taken less than 6 or 7 months from the time I seperate the babies from mama,put them in their own pots til I get my 1st bloom...even longer for av's..lol..They love my cooler temps when it comes to blooming but It must be Gails great year round temps that makes those strep grow so fast..they have to Love those temps!
Brenda, the streps are pretty, love the blue! I have two that are blooming like nuts, two pinks.
I have enjoyed all of the orchid pictures. We are enjoying our blooms, so special.
Here is one of my orchids that just started blooming again. Don't know why the bloom spike is so short. Never had that happen before. Maybe not enough water/fert at the right time? Anyway...
Now I always hate to say I envy anyone..lol... but..I really do envy all of you who can grow those beautiful orchids when I can only dream! Beautiful bloom Diane..Love the color!