December Blooms

I'm still trying to decide if I want to take the time with Gessie's! I have probably six or eight Chirita's which are still doing well ... some getting long necks and need repotting but as for AV's, and Episcia's ... the few I have left are almost kaput. I haven't been a good Gessie Mom, that's for sure! A year or so ago I had two beautiful large baskets of Alsobia cygnet and a small but cute Codonanthe but lost them when I had mites or something attack everything. I think I tend to attach more to regular ole' house plants that can be outside all year round and just do their thing. Gessie's need more attention and since I have a very short attention span (^_^) I'm considering not growing them ... well, except for my Chirita's, LOL. I guess I just need easy plants that don't require so much care. But, every time someone posts a picture of a gorgeous Strep, Sinningia or AV ... there I go writing down the name to look it up and "think" about maybe ordering one! LOL, I've been real good so far but once spring gets here and the "fever" hits again I may be in trouble!

I was looking in the 10 gal aquarium/terrarium this afternoon and see a little Chirita tamiana getting ready to bloom! I stuck a leaf in there and totally forgot about it ... can't even remember for sure exactly when it was cause I'm always sticking bits and pieces of stuff in there to see how it does. I keep saying I'm going to tear down that terrarium and re-plant it ... maybe I will just buy another 10 gal set up from Wal-Mart and plant it with just mini gessie's!

I have just finished the initial grooming on my rescues, which with a light watering has changed their appearance drastically. Only one looks really bad. I will follow phoebes advice-- will start repotting them tomorrow, one thing at a time. I am thinking that the cold temps in the store and the lack of water were the biggest stress factors on them. I have had the magnifying glass after them and can't see any critters-- but will keep them isolated until they have recovered enough to tolerate insecticides. As for a major undertaking-- it is winter-- I'll "garden" anywhere I can;) Hey Lin-- if a terrarium works--go for it!! I kill things in terrariums--with love(and too much water) I think. I have an adorable mini ground cover(kenilworth Ivy) that blooms little snap dragon flowers--does great in terrariums--lmk if you want some I can send it in spring

Hillbilly_Gran...you DID get a good find if for nothing else but those pretty pots. I would be thrilled to buy them for a dollar anytime. The violets will come around with a little TLC. The mini Optimaras are so cute and ideal for windowsills especially in such attractive pots.

Fantastic photos everyone, wonderful! I have had computer problems and I am so glad it is fixed now. I missed all of these photos!

Wondered where you went! Glad you are back

Tommie: I would LOVE to try some of that mini ivy in the spring!

I love planting in terrariums. I never water them. With the lids on, the humidity builds up and the plants seem to thrive. I can't remember the last time I put water in any of my terrariums. There have been a couple of times in the past where moisture has built up to the point where I had to crack the lid for an hour or so to let it vent. I had a couple of plants rot once or twice but not from me watering, just from not venting and too much moisture building up. My 10 gal terrarium needs thinning out. I still haven't taken the fern out and there's an arrowhead vine and red flame ivy that are touching the lid, they have gotten so tall ... way past due for pinching! I had a little lizard hatch in there a couple of months ago ... I called her "Lucy" - well she kept getting out of a little crack and I'd find her climbing up the wall. I was afraid the cats would get her so I released her in the backyard. I had put another little egg in there that I thought was not viable, didn't look or feel right. But, it hatched last month and now we have little "Lizzy" living in the terrarium! I catch moth's from around the porch lights to feed it! Cute little critters!

Ok, I gotta go google that kenilworth ivy now to see what it looks like!

The one I have is the dwarf--it has teeny purple & white snapdragons on it. Here is a link:
http://www.paghat.com/toadflax.html

Oooh, that is nice! Hey, I found it in PF: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/159806/ now I have heard of and seen Pennywort but never in bloom!

Searched some more and found another plant, different family, with a common name of Coinwort that looks similar: http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/cent_asi.cfm and in PF: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64222/

Hey Hillbilly Gran, how is the pink epi doing?? I hope ok. I got another one from Daves Pink Acajou, once it gets larger I will gladly send you a leaf if you want to add it to your collection??

I am bored and ready to go to bed but 'me thinks' we need a couple of pictures before bed time!
Something from the past...........

remember when jannich found these planters! I still use them. Thank you, Jan! I can't tell but it looks like that might be Night Beacon on the left..........

Oh, what cute little planters!

Here is Dale Marten's (I think) Texas Two Step Strep

Hi, Syrumani.............aren't those precious.

I will always love Rainbow's End. I noticed that LL is selling it right now.

I remember those Ladybug planters! I love them and was going to order them a few years back and never did. They are just sooo cute. I think it was a company called ABC Distributing that had them. I haven't gotten their catalog in awhile. I'm sure they aren't around anymore. I'm going to google and see what I find.

strep no name never found a name. She went to a friend on DG who doesn't care if she has a name or not. She was a big grower and bloomer.

Lin, your mind works like a 20 year old. I have no short term memory left at all.................this was a long long time ago and you remember the name of the company! I am sincerely jealous!

Well Gail ... I think I have "Selective Memory", LOL, I remember good stuff ... sometimes. I'm not sure if that was the company who sold those cute ladybug planters. There's another one I've bought from in the past too called "Terry's Village", they have some cute stuff sometimes. I googled but didn't find them.

I have a statue, not a planter ... oops, it's not a ladybug - it's a butterfly. I can't remember where I got it though ... either a catalog or maybe it was Big Lots.

... see, my memory isn't all that great at times!


Anyhow, here's my little Butterfly Gal

and a behind photo, showing her wings

Cute stuff like that just makes me smile! ^_^

That little adorable thing makes me smile, too. She has the biggest smile and check out those wings from behind............too cute............

You gals have just made my evening following your advice, pictures and comments. thanks so much for everything! I have learned so much from reading all of your threads!!

Well, I didn't have any blooms to post so I figured I would show my pretty little butterfly girl.

Extremely cute planters and butterfly ladies. I'm drawn to things like that also.

I ran and took a picture of an angel which makes me smile every day. The minister's wife came out to see me one time when I was under the weather and she brought this to me. The ladies of the church make them to give as guardian angels to an outside Kairos ministry for women who have loved ones in prison. Talk about someone being creative. I noticed it is a salt shaker top that holds her hair on...........

ok.......Lin...........here is one!

lhettenhausen: I learn a lot from all these great folks too ... unfortunately I sometimes don't retain much of it and ask the same questions again and again! Luckily there are some really great people around this garden who put up with me! LOL

Ok ... tell me, what does your user name translate to? Is that german and is hausen - house?

Gail, that is too cute! I LOVE Angels and have a few. Tomorrow I will try and find the one my Sister in Law made from lace years ago and gave to our MIL. I inherited it and liked it so much I bought all the supplies to make one just like it but never finished it! See what I mean about my short attention span?

Well ladies & gents ... I'm going to say nighty night for now, getting sleepy! Hope you all have only sweet dreams!

Ihettenhausen-- my little pink smoke is hanging in there--It had some deformity in the leaves-- i was a afraid of mites-- so I sprayed it-- made it REALLY mad. I have moved it to a warmer more humid spot and it is perking up. I would love some of the pink acajou in spring!!! Thanks for asking!!

Plant lady, my name is Laura Hettenhausen, when I signed up I didn't realize that my user name and screen would be the same (shows how new I am to forums!!) If you know a way I could change it, I would love to just be Laura or Laura H!!

HBG-I hope it perks up! As far as the mites, I had some nats appear after I picked up those plants at the sale, I wasn't sure if something got into mine or if I brought them in. If I sent you any Hitchhikers, I'm so sorry!!! I did not realize until a while later, and what should I use for that??? Are mine mites too?? And if I can save these I will gladly share in the spring!! You got me hooked on those pinks!! Geez, one more addiction, just what my DH would want me to have!!!!! By the way, I am gonna blame you!!! LOLOL

This little guy never go out of bloom!

Blame away!! Gnats live in the soil--I am told if you keep it too wet. They are harmless as far as I know. You can get rid of them by watering with 1/4 teaspoon neem powder/1 gal water. I can send you some neem--jlmk. Be sure they are not whiteflies tho. Mites are teeny--red spider mites look like little red spiders-- they live in the growing points of the plant and distort foilage by sucking juices-- you can also see webbing. Cyclamen mites are tinier yet and REALLY hard to eradicate. So difficult that the consensus is to toss infected plants.
Texasrockgarden-- that is gorgeous!!! which is it?

Laura: If you want to change your User Name you can contact Admin and request the change. I think I remember someone saying they allow you to change it one time. I know Susan51 just changed her username to TurtleChi. A lot of folks think up the cute user names instead of using their given name over the internet.

Texasrockgarden: Wow! That one is a beauty ... what's the name? It looks like one of the AV's with an Irish name! Really pretty!

IRISH FLIRT (7577) 11/07/1991 (S. Sorano) Double bright green and white frilled star. Medium green, wavy. Semi miniature

Got my first plant from Lyndon Lyon the year it was first offered in their catalog. After scratching the AV addition with well over a hundred miniatures, this is the only one I can't let go of. The others are all long gone. This one thrives on neglect. It is in the same spot (E-SE window) it has been in for over 6 years and it is the same spot its mama was in for 10 years.

I lost the first one not too long after getting it and went on the hunt for a replacement. For you AV old timers out there, you may have heard of Ken Froboese, owner of Hill Country African Violets and Nursery in Boerne, Tx. Well no more than when Sorano started selling the Flirt, Ken started propagating it. That is where I got my second plant, the mama to the one in the picture. About the time the mama was about to give up the ghost, I stuck 3 leaves in a 4" sq plastic pot filled with 1/3 Perlite, 1/3 Vermiculite, and 1/3 Cactus mix. The pot sits in a dish, and I only water (feed) from the bottom when the plants' leaves are soft.

Aaaah, it is a beauty to behold! I love the Irish series of AV's ... wish I had known about all of the different AV's and been interested in them when my mom was living, I would have gotten every Irish named plant I could find, she would have gotten a kick out of that as she was so proud of her Irish heritage!

I see a few folks here on DG have grown this one: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/66081/ You should add your photo's to Plant Files too!

Photo of Irish Flirt at the AVSA website: http://www.avsa.org/Photographs/IrishFlirtLrg.jpg#http://../Photographs/IrishFlirtLrg.jpg%23

Oh, GessieGail knows Hill Country in Boerne very well ... she has posted photo's for us in the past!

Ken is the president of my AV club in San Antonio.

We spend time in the hill country also. At least once a year, usually more. We really enjoy it. We love living on the coast in winter, close to the water, not many freezes, especially in my yard, we are sheltered with the fence, neighborhood, but trees etc.

I love going to Ken's nursery! Last year, my hubby had to go to the area on business and he brought back some nice AV's. It was like Christmas!

Oh, is that part of Texas called Hill Country? I thought it was just the name of the nursery. Living in the very flat area of Florida, we love vacationing in the mountains, totally different climate and scenery!

Lin, what we call the hill country in Texas is beautiful...........rolling hills and cool weather.............wonderful place to live. That is where all the summer camps are in Texas.............nice evenings for the campers.......hot days but at least it is cool at night. It is hot at night in south Texas.

Yup I changed my name and they told me they let you do it once... So TurtleChi I am now...LOL I love Irish Flirt and I have one and can't wait for it to bloom.... Please if you think you/anyone has bugs get them early... I had to disbud for over a month and I took the whole plant and turned upside down and dunk them into the killer for the bugs.... I had thrips... I dunked 4 times in two different things... I do believe I am bug free now... I keep looking for anything... and so far so good....
Hugs,
Susan
Roulette Cherry

Oh my goodness TurtleChi/Susan ... Roulette Cherry is Scrumptious! Great Growing!

Isn't Susan' Cherry Roulette scrumptious!

I am not quite ready for bed so I took a few pictures myself.............

Bristol's Showstopper. It is so much fun for all these to have come from leaves people sent me and now they are big enough to start blooming.