Streptocarpus WOW (Polish)

Okay, so I "borrowed" this photograph.  It's okay, I'm not realizing any financial gain from doing so!


Here's an awfully pretty new streptocarpus from Poland.  It has hit eBay a couple of times and is currently listed for sale by a grower in Poland.  It seems like a very reasonable price to pay...about $42 for the plant with shipping.  Click HERE to go the eBay listing.  


I am also growing this variety, courtesy of he who can't be named, and will have some starters available in early summer (provided of course I get good propagation).  The hybridizer will be paid 50% of the sales price for any that I sell.

African Violets on my Website

I decided to upgrade my point of sale system at my gift store and one of the benefits is the very robust website tools that accompany the system. I can now seemlessly manage both instore and website inventory which is going to free up a lot of maintenance time for me.

What am I going to do with this new found free time? Add my violets and streptocarpus to my gift store website of course!

I suspect I will have the website transitioned by the middle of February and will then focus on bringing the violets, streptocarpus (and possibly supplies) into the inventory. I should have everything ready to go by the time spring shipping starts. One of the benefits to using the point of sale system is it will manage my plant inventory as well. Meaning, if a plant is in stock, it will show in stock! That means no substitutions!

The web address is: www.yourenchantedgifts.com

Stay tuned!

Pixie Runaround Sport anyone?

Last year I didn't propagate any of these great little trailers for sale.  This year I won't (rather you won't) miss out.  They are coming along quite nicely!  It is one of my favorite little trailers that just blooms and blooms!  And it is also very easy to propagate.  Win/win!

There be SEEDLINGS in those trays!

It feels like it has been forever since I posted a blog entry and apparently it has been!  Here is a sneak peek at some trailer seedlings I have been cultivating over the winter.  Hopefully by February I will see a few blooms!  Time will tell....the foliage parent is Alan's Fallen Angel...hence the variegated foliage!

Darth Vader has returned...sort of!

This was without question the largest flower on any plant in the LSAVC show and boy is it ever showy!  Although commonly referred to as "Florist Gloxinia" these plants are actually Sinningia.  In this specific example we have Sinningia speciosa 'Peridots Darth Vader'.

Streptocarpus Blueberry Butterfly

This was a STUNNING plant at the LSAVC show in Fort Worth.  I've almost purchased this variety several times but for some reason never pulled the trigger.  Now I wish I had!  UGH!

Rebel's Rose Bud

This is a GORGEOUS standard variety that made more than a few heads turn.  Simply gorgeous!  

Rebel's Rose Bud (9288) 11/12/2003 (R. Bann) Double light pink two-tone star/ruffled fuchsia edge. Variegated dark green and cream, pointed, quilted/red back. Standard

At Home with Hortense Pittman

I always take a few extra days when I attend the Lone Star African Violet Council show to spend time with my old and dear friends Ray & Hortense Pittman.  This year was no exception and I managed to capture a good picture of Hortense grooming some of her entries for the show.

Lone Star African Violet Council Show (2011)

The 2011 Lone Star African Violet Council Show is in the books and what an amazing show it was with over 450 horticultural entries.  I'll be posting some of the exhibits from the show over the new week or so.  So keep checking back!

Harlequin Blue goes Batty...just in time for Halloween!

I seem to be on a roll lately with Streptocarpus sporting on me.  Here's the latest.  This is occurring on a plant of Dibleys Harlequin Blue.  The flower shape is now "tubular" (trumpet shaped) and the color within the tube is yellow but the outside is still the original blue.  Strange but true!

Myfanway - a strange name but a pretty little Streptocarpus!

Did you know the general public goes CRAZY over strepts?  Me either!  Well, I didn't until I started putting them in my gift store.  Some months they almost pay the rent!

Here's a newer variety from Dibleys in the UK.  I'm not a "fan" (no pun intended) of the name but I do like the plant.  It blooms young, is very prolific blooming and the foliage is well behaved.  It should definitely be on your wish list!

Lone Star African Violet Council Show (a.k.a., Texas State Convention)

I'm just a few weeks from taking my annual pilgrimage to Texas to participate in the Lone Star African Violet Council Show (LSAVC).

This year it is being held October 27th - 29th in Fort Worth, Texas.  The convention hotel is the Crown Plaza Fort Worth South.  The theme of the convention this year is, "A Violet Traveler's Guide to Cowtown".  

The guest speaker this year is Dr. Bill Price from Vancouver BC, Canada.  He is an avid grower of the "other gesneriads" and is recognized as an expert on many.

If you're in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area come pay us a visit!

There be SEEDLINGS in those trays!

I sowed the seeds on September 22nd and 14 days later...presto!  Seedlings.  The mother plant is Alan's Fallen Angel.  The pollen parent is TOP SECRET! :)

"Doc...I'm seeing SPOTS" or "Me thinks Streptocarpus Cajun Shrimp has sported!!

My friend was kind enough to send me a starter plant earlier this year.  It was shy about blooming so when this first blossom came on I paid close attention.  Much to my surprise it has SPOTS!

It will be interesting to see if the spots continue or if this is a "one and done" type of aberration.

Stay tuned!

The Lifecycle of an African Violet seed pod or "We're going to have BABIES!"

I think it is fair to say that my interest in hybridizing saved my interest in African Violets.  After growing them for over 20 years I had really lost my passion for the plants.  Fortunately my good friend Hortense Pittman kept putting a bug in my ear, "Why don't you do more hybridizing?"  So I took her advice and have once again embarked on the quest for the perfect violet! 

For those of you who may need a new challenge with your violets, let me introduce you to the initial result of crossing "this variety" with "that variety".

The first photograph was taken about a month after I crossed Rose Garden onto Alan's Fallen Angel.  The seed pod, as you can see, has grow to a nice size in only 30 days.

The second photograph was taken four months after the cross was made and the seed pods are fully mature.  I do allow the seed pods to fully mature on the plant (turn brown) before harvesting them.  Once harvested, I place them in a cool/dry place for about 10 days to complete the drying/maturing process.

The last photograph are the actual seeds that came from just one of the seed pods.  There are well over 100 seeds pictured.  The large, round, "plump" looking seeds are viable and should germinate in 7-20 days.  The other seed (the ones that look like dust...left side of the picture) are likely not viable and will therefore, unfortunately, not germinate.

Come back in about three weeks and I should have pictures posted showing the germinated seedlings!

Here's a tip for you...grow Interlude!

Interlude, (4935) 08/09/1982 (Eyerdom) Double silver-blue lavender star/white fluted edge. Glossy, ruffled. Standard, is one of the best tipped blossom varieties ever hybridized.  Unlike many tipped blossomed varieties that lose their tips in the heat of summer, Interlude shrugs off the dog days of summer and delivers a brilliant boutique of blossoms richly tipped in deep lavender.

I periodically offer starter plants and leaf cuttings of this variety on eBay.  My eBay store is http://stores.ebay.com/Hoovers-Hybrids

 

Stand Your Ground!

Just what I needed, another stand!  This makes six!  Does anyone really need six stands?  Probably not but for some of us, we just can't help ourselves.

Yes, I bought another chrome food & beverage cart at Costco ($84) and added three lights from Home Depot ($29.86 each) plus Natural Light T8 bulbs ($35 for 10 bulbs).  I haven't moved anything to the top shelf yet which is why it isn't pictured.

I've been selling quite a few strepts in my gift store and really needed a stand that I could focus growing them on.  These stands come with five (5) shelves but I only put three up so I could get some space between the plant and the light fixtures.  Similar stands growing my miniature violets have four shelves.  I can grow 54 strepts in 4" Oyamas with this configuration.  I sell about 20 - 25 plants a month in the store so I just need to keep up with the rotation so I don't run out!  What you don't see is another stand (with four shelves) that has several hundred starter plants just waiting for their turn at the "Big Stand".

If you need/want a stand - these chrome stands are very economical and work very well.  Give one a try!

What's Blooming - Kohleria 'Manchu'

I don't grow many of the "Other" Gesneriads but when I say this one pictured I thought, what the heck...give it a try.  WOW!  This thing never stops blooming, produces vigorous new growth/chutes and seems pretty hardy.  It also doesn't seem to be overly sensitive to my inconsistent watering schedule.  Not growing any Kohlerias?  Give this one a shot.

What's Blooming - Streptocarpus Bristol's Black Cherry

This blossom is so dark, creamy and rich that it should be adorning some delicious dessert!  The foliage is just about as dark as the blossom.  A compact grower with a simply stunning blossom.  The foliage is neat and tidy. 

What's Blooming - Streptocarpus Butter Blues

I just love a blue/yellow combination and this one doesn't disappoint!  It does grow a bit on the larger side so if you're looking for something in the compact range this may not be the variety for you.