Gail, I am so glad you shared the story of your "lost" money! It's wonderful to hear, and to confirm my belief, that there are still many good and honest people in this world!
Now, fuschia has never been a favorite plant of mine but that is a beauty! And, $9.00 for such a huge plant, Wow!
February Blooms - V
Lin, there are a lot of good people around. I have never totally lost anything because of the goodness of people. About two years ago I left my wallet on the top of my car in Austin getting gas. I went to HEB (the grocery store) and explained that I had my check book but no wallet for identification. I asked him if I could buy groceries for my son's house and just get 50.00 spending money until I got home.
Not only did he let me do that, but when I got home that week, there was my wallet at the post office with every single thing in it plus my money...........the note read, "I found your wallet at the service station at the corner of ....... and ............Please know I took two dollars out to mail it to you".
Isn't that amazing!
I'm pretty sure that most people are good. Stories like yours confirm that. I've had things stolen from me but more often I've met the grace of God in people. Even, or especially touching was the punk/anarchist kid that I worked sorta near that literally went out of his way during an ice& snow storm to show me a backwoods way around a blocked freeway and to the area of the Army base that I had just moved to. I was sure that I would be stranded at that gas station 30 miles from home (and without my purse or cell phone charger!)
From 67 years of living I have found that some of the best people in the world are young lost teenagers in trouble either with drugs or the law...........but they always pull through when compassion is needed and honesty, too!
Beautiful stories Ladies.I prefer to believe there are still more good people than bad in this world.We just hear a lot more about the bad ones.
Great pictures Goldleaf and Brenda! Goldleaf,do you do anything special with your Episcias?You are both obviously talented.
Lin and Gail,I've never seen a Jewel orchid.Are they hard to grow?
Lynn
They are very easy to grow. I had one that the cat turned over on the front porch, so I am rooting (just took a cut up to the foliage) them now. You are in a cold zone so I would just treat it like you would any plant in the house that needs plenty of light. If you have gro lights, all the better or just put the plant by the stand of gro lights...........they spread by runners underneath the soil........
Thanks Gail.I may have to try one of those.All I have right now is one Phal.I cut it back to three nodes after it bloomed.It has three little buds,but they don't seem to be getting very big.It's probably been 3 months.I'm ready to cut back the whole plant.
I don't know anything about orchids but they seem to grow and bloom. I have never cut anything from my phals.........am I supposed to?
I don't either.Maybe Lin can help.
Spent part of my day off potting up some baby streps off the leaves.
Followed alot of what I've seen and read here!
Wish me luck! Still aiming for my first bloom!
You go Girl!!
Awesome looking plants, Wildrose! You will get lots of blooms from those healthy plants! I am excited for you.......
I think you're not supposed to cut the flower spike off orchids unless it's brown and looks dead. If it's still healthy but has no flowers, leave it be. You might get more blooms or a keiki (baby orchid) might develop on the spike. I should say that I've heard this in regard to phals--don't know about other varieties.
Sarah
Coming from you Gail, as many gorgeous streps as you have grown, that is quite a compliment! Thanks!
I sure hope I get some blooms! I have tried really hard to grow these streps, and I haven't given up yet!
Sarah, you are correct about cuttting the phal's flower stem. Sometimes I cut them back to the second or third joint after they have bloomed. They will send up another flower stem from that joint. I've had no luck with keikis growing from the spent flower stem, so I cut them hoping for more flowers.
Me too, imadigger. I've gotten second flower stems off the initial flower spike, but I've never gotten a keiki. That won't stop me from trying, though!
LOL, I don't know much of anything about orchids, I can't even remember which variety is which unless I look them up! I do wait for the spikes to turn brown and then I trim them off. And, I remove any yellow leaves. I have one orchid hanging in the bedroom window that bloomed about 1 1/2 months ago and it still has two flower spikes that are alive so I haven't cut them. I just took a picture. I will cut off the brown, dead tip of the one stem but you can see there are little nubs/buds forming on the ones that are still green.
Karen: What a great Strep nursery you've got going there! Looks wonderful!
Now I've got to go look up the word keikis ... never heard that term before! .... see, I told you that I know nothing about orchids!
hmm ... maybe keikis are not a good thing, this says when an orchid produces a keiki )baby) it means the mama plant is under some kind of stress: http://www.orchidplantcare.info/archives/what-to-do-when-you-have-a-keiki-on-your-orchid
Here's something about propagating them: http://www.easyorchids.co.uk/site/content/view/30/71/
But, at the bottom of this page it says you are lucky if you get a keiki! http://www.orchidflowerhq.com/phalaenopsiscare.php
You ca buy a chemical called keiki grow that will help them produce keikis-- it is also used on chimera av's to promote suckering.^_^
Lin, thanks for the awesome site you gave....I just bookmarked it. Thanks so much, Miss Professor!
LOL, Gail ... that is NOT a good name for me! I never even went to college and I'm not even a wannabe professor - one in the family (my DH) is plenty enough, believe me! I just love to google to read about plants and things!
I know you do and that is why I love to call you 'Miss Professor'! You help us out all the time and I love it that you do!
I won't ever take the time.....
Still don't have anything blooming that I haven't posted in the past-- but thought I'd show you an update. Back in Dec i rescued a bunch of Optimara minis from Lowes-- well I lost some and saved some...the top shows the plants in Dec--bottom how they look now
African Violet - Rob's Puddy Cat
African Violet - Rob's Antique Rose
Went to the Hartford Flower Show yesterday and picked this up at the Violet Barn Booth... Was the only plant I got, but its a leaf chimera so it cost $20--At that price means it counts as more than one plant I think LOL
The best part is that my best friend Lenny bought it for me as a gift--I LOVE HIM!
African Violet - Rob's Lucky Number
Oh my goodness ... what beauties you have there m3rma1d! I love the ruffly blooms of Rob's Antique Rose, and Rob's Lucky Number is amazing ... I've never heard of a leaf chimera and that is one pretty plant!
Hillbilly Gran...talk about night and day! Your rescue violets look 100% better. They are beautiful now.
Lucky you, mermaid, with Lucky Number. I love the color combo. Antique Rose has really nice frilly flowers.
Va_Wild_Rose...you are doing great with your baby streps. You WILL have blooms before you know it.
Forgot to post this one earlier, was taken yesterday at the Hartford Flower Show in CT...
Yes I am shamelessly name-dropping HAHAHAHAHA
Left to right: Me, Ralph "Rob" Robinson, Olive "Ma" Robinson, and my best friend Lenny
This message was edited Feb 21, 2009 11:12 PM
Oh, what a great picture!
That is a cute picture!
On February 5th, Lenny and I gave a presentation on violet photography to the Granite State African Violet and Gesneriad Society in New Hampshire..
Here's a pic I took of my friend Barb's plant during my "demo" in front of the club:
African Violet - Rob's Combustible Pigeon
Love that AV, M3.
Thanks mortswife :-)
African Violet - Irish Angel
One from my obsession, the Optimara "Little Jewels" series..
African Violet - Optimara Little Moonstone
And another from the Optimara "Little Jewels"...
African Violet - Optimara Rose Quartz
Little Moonstone is just precious!
M3rma1d, they are beautiful. I am going to have to get some of those mini AVs. They are so cute.