September Blooms, Part 1

We're coming from here - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/897320/

New month, new thread! I'm starting it off with what may be my new favorite!

Streptocarpus 'Bristol's Nightfall'

This is a Strep seedling 'Inky Fingers' x self. This is its first bloom. Cute little thing! Long narrow leaves, but I forgot to take a pic of the plant. Just got the flower! LOL I've never seen the actual Strep 'Inky Fingers' bloom, but the best I can tell, this one looks quite similar to it. I like it, though. LOL It's so fun to bloom out seedlings! ^_^

Strep 'Cassandra' just keeps opening more and more blooms!

Uh oh! Rain! I don't have any of those 3 leaves and they are beautiful! Maybe some trading coming up!

Of course, Gail! Nightfall is one of the ones I got that suffered so badly so it's still a tiny thing, but it's growing quite well! I cut the leaves back on it so it didn't have so much foliage to support because the root system was very small. I'm almost positive this is the first time it has bloomed, so maybe it's getting stronger and will really take off soon. I actually fertilized them all yesterday! LOL

The second one is just an unnamed seedling of 'Inky Fingers' x self, so I won't be sharing leaves of it, but I do have a small 'Inky Fingers' so when it's bigger, you're welcome to leaves of it.

Cassandra loves to grow and has sort of a rhizome-looking thing that crosses the pot. I have a leaf down of it, so hopefully I'll have babies of it before long! I know someone else who really wanted a Cassandra, too... ;o) She knows who she is, and I won't forget her when the babies are ready! ^_^

This message was edited Sep 3, 2008 9:16 AM

I know this is not the right thread to post what I am going to! (LOL) I got a real surprise present (for having shingles) from one of our new people called AV-OCD-girl I think. She sent me two rooted Rose of Sharon that she propagates. They are babies in pots and are getting ready to bloom the most gorgeous color.

Thank you, Av-ocd-girl and I hope you see this.
I will also post her on the outside beauties thread.

Spider - try this link and see what happens . . . http://davesgarden.com/products/market/search.php?q=streptocarpus

Spider, Vampire's Kiss is dynamite dark red........and Happy Time is a fantasy with blue , purple and pink..........Thumbelina has great tiny blooms of pink and yellow.........all great choices......

Nightfall is an awesome strep!!

I found a Roulette Azur on eBay that came with it's first bloom ready to open, I love getting a decent sized plant and to score a small blooming one was awesome!

Gail your gift certificate came in very handy. LOL

~Brenda

I have actually started playing on ebay and won 4 streps, but I was so nervous I don't even know what I won (LOL).

Isn't that Nightfall to die for!

Your strep leaves are just growing away and some have babies. I get so excited you would think I am having a baby at this point in my life! Beats boredom out here in the country.

I have 3 new plants from Lyndon Lyon. This is Phoebee and such a rich red color.

This is not a good picture of Sensation from LL. YOu know how I love anything in the center of a strep bloom.

I am the last one to get a Tattoo. I do have leaves that someone sent me planted but I couldn't resist a larger plant.

Nice new plants Gail! Susan just sent me Tattoo last week. ^_^ A beautifully grown plant that has several new bloom stalks coming up already! She also sent Cherry Pie which just opened it's bloom, and a Christmas Morning ...... I need to get some new pictures to share!!

~Brenda

Cherry Pie is one of my very favorite all time streps. What a color........between pink and red..
We would love to see your pictures!

Wow! Rain, that Bristol’s Nightfall is really striking! You have some beautiful streps. I like all the gessies but Streps have to be my favorite. Love ‘em!

Gail, I am soooo glad you like your little Rose of Sharons. I can’t believe they are already getting ready to bloom for you. LOL You’ve got the touch!

What did you get on ebay? I’ve been a good girl and have been resisting ebay…….I really got myself in trouble over there a couple of years ago. LOL Too many beautiful things over there that I just can’t seem to live without once I see them.

Roxanne

I am just learning how to use ebay for the first time. I won 4 steps but I don't know what they are (LOL). I had ordered 50 strep leaves from this same lady but it has been too hot for over a month for her to ship. So, she is waiting to ship both leaves and plants until the temps can cool off.

I am going to sell the strep leaves first and then come back and sell a lot of streps. I have to! I already have 13 trays of leaves and 2 jam packed stands of nothing but strep plants. It is an illness I am afraid to say.

I made up my mind that if I were going to ebay I would never pay more than 7.00 for a strep plant no matter how much I want it. If I want it badly enough I can grow it from a leaf which I have always done.

My son who is a tree guy by profession keeps saying that if he gets a break, he will come help me in the yard to start landscaping. I have been out here 2 years but I think I really need raised beds except for the basic planting (like Rose of Sharons). I used to plant a cutting garden at the veggie garden but I can't bend over like that all day anymore.

Wow!!!! 50 strep leaves! You must have a huge plant room. I don't know if I could find room for 50. Let alone all the babies they will make. I hope we'll be seeing them on the marketplace once they get growing.

I understand the illness.......with me it is African Violets, hence the name. Never met one I didn't have to have. Roxy

(laughing out loud) as I already have a complete stand of nothing but strep leaves.........
nite nite.........

Good golly, Gail! Did you get more plant stands since I was there?!?

My friend Betty from Houston helped me to add shelves to the 7 existing ones wshich gives me a lot more growing room plus I have the one in the kitchen for propagating the columneas, nematanthus , hoyas and aeschyanthus................

Tee hee.........I still have one bedroom with no light stands.........

How would you add shelves to . . . never mind! I don't want to know!

Doesn't more shelves mean more lights/bulbs? I'm still waiting on an order from IGS . . .

Ok, yes I do . . .

We had to take the whole 2 stands apart (including taking all the plants off)............and then we added shelves which are closer to the lights now.............yes............it meant a lot more lights because I am making two shelves with double lighting at the top for some sinningias I am growing from seed............the big almost florist like gloxinia........they are called Sinningia speciosas..........and require double the light to bloom...................

Waaaa .... :( Why don't Strep's like my house? Maybe I need one room that I can have a separate air conditioning system where I can keep it cool enough to grow them! I am just so in Awe of y'alls beautiful plants! Really gorgeous colors!

Gail: I can't believe you haven't put at least one light stand in the other bedroom yet ^_^, LOL. I can just picture your home ... I know it must be just the prettiest, most relaxing place with all those blooming beauties! What's your light bill like? :) No matter how high, I know it would be worth it to be able to wake up to all those pretties every day!

I can't even pick a favorite from all these gorgeous Strep's y'all have posted! I see one dark red and think, "Oh, that's my favorite", then I see the deep purples and say, "Oh Wow, that's the most beautiful one yet!" Then I see another ... I can understand how they become so addictive. I just wish I could keep one alive for longer than a week! Maybe one of these days I will slow down and try to figure out how to grow them and keep them happy!

Lin, I have just about calculated that the electricity bill runs about 50.00 higher a month.....but I don't have too many bad habits and I don't spend money on recreation really.........so..........I have justified it!

That's not bad at all Gail! Hey, plants are worth it! Our power bill runs right around $300 a month but that's because everything is electric ... the pool pump runs 24/7 and so do the pumps on my husbands huge 150 gal aquarium (the lights on that tank are on about 12 hours a day too.) I only have two plant stands the 10 gal terrarium and those lights stay on for about 14 hours a day. With all of that, plus washer, dryer, dishwasher, oven etc. I think all in all our electric bill is fairly reasonable. Rates will be going up soon, hopefully not a lot.

Tah Dah! Now you may think this is a little goofy airing my laundry on DG, but this announcement is big and wonderful.

I just got home from the neurologist with these shingles. I almost cried I felt so validated by him. He said that I had a very severe case of shingle and he could do a lot to alleviate the pain. Immediately he put lidocane (sp) patches on my back and on the side and front. He is working me in (booked until the end of October) tomorrow morning and going to block two nerves on my back that wrap around under my 'boob'.

Then he prescribed 2 different medicines used for the pain that won't go away after the shingles have dried up. Plus he gave me a prescription for the lidocane patches I am a happy camper and know that I have 'done good' with all this pain. I had begun to think I was the biggest baby in the world.

In about a month or 6 weeks he wants to get the shingles vaccination and wait on my teeth at least a month after I get the vaccination.

Thanks for listening to all my whining ....................but Brenda said she had them and she knew what it was like..........

Oh yeah, your right, I know what wonderful news this is for you!! ^_^

That is so fabulous to get the extra help with the pain, especially with as long as yours are lasting!! He is a very good Dr to already be thinking about the nerve pain that lingers after the shingles have dried up!!

I can see you doing your happy dance amongst your light stands, I'll do one for you too! LOL

~Brenda

Oh Gail, I'm SO happy to hear that!
You must be so excited.
Living with that pain must have just been so terrible.
How encouraging for you :)
That's great my friend! Congratulations!

What about a nice hot bath in Aveeno? Would that be soothing?

That's wonderful that he gave you those patches etc., that way you can put them right where the pain is. I'm sure you will be sleeping better and it will just make life so much more enjoyable again :)

Kim

Good morning!

Gail,That's great news from the doctor.Now you will finally get some relief from the pain and discomfort.And you really haven't whined all that much..I told you before you have earned every right to whine.You body has been though a traumatic experience.Hope you feel better real soon with your new meds:)


Oh,Beautiful plants everyone.Those streps are just to pretty.

Gail, I'm SO HAPPY to hear that the neurologist can help you! I just knew there had to be something more that could be done for you. How kind of him to work you in this morning to take care of those nerves, too! You're fortunate to have found one willing to do that. So many refuse to work people in, even when they desperately need to be seen.

Let us know how your appt this morning goes! You might do cartwheels home instead of drive!! LOL ^_^

Gail! That is just the best news. Don't you love it when you find a good doctor that knows what they're doing. So glad you are finally getting some relief. I think you have stood up to all this like a trooper. I'd have been whining so much you all would have kicked me off DG totally. LOL

Great news Gail!!!

Gail:

I'm so happy you found this doctor! I have never had shingles but members of my family have and the pain can be very debilitating. I hope this dr is close by and you don't have to drive too far to see him. How did the lidocaine patches work? Two of my sisters have used them for pain in the past and I remember my mom having them prescribed at one point. They said they worked well. My older sister has to go for nerve blocks for her neck (spinal stenosis). She says the injections for the nerve block are painful but within a very short time she is fine and the stenosis pain has been alleviated. She works full time and sitting at a computer and being on the phone all day sure takes a toll on her neck. She swears by the nerve blocks as pain meds have not helped her, and of course with some meds she wouldn't be able to drive or function at work because the make you kinda loopy!

Keep us posted on how you are doing later today! Get some rest and pop in here when you can.

Thanks to all my great DG friends for caring. I am up and so thilled to get the blocks today.

Gail..that is Great News..keep us posted on how your appt goes..good luck!!

Oh My..just about the time I think I have every strep I want you all go and post even more must haves..you are all terrible..lol..wish list growing yet again....

Gail, I'm glad you finally found some help for your pain. Shingles is very painful, before and after. My MIL had it years ago and after the rash cleared up, she was in terrific pain on her leg. She said it was like being stabbed with a knife. The pain lasted a very long time. I will pray that the patches and injections work for you and you are finally "pain free".

Going to bed and take a nap PAIN FREE. He blocked the nerves under the ribs 8, 9 and 10..........be back later.........Glory Glory!

Gail, that is great news! Is your doctor here in town? I hope you have a great nap! You certainly deserve some relief!!!!!!!!

wonderful news gail...its probably seems like an eternity to you since you were pain free..you might end up sleeping thru the weekend..lol..enjoy you nap : )

Just had to post my most recent photo of Cool Blue taken yesterday. For such a little bitty AV, it sure can bloom...

(H. Pittman) Semidouble light blue, medium green, plain. Semiminiature