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African Violets

Robs and Lyons coming to Hartford,CT

16 years ago

I have information that they will be attending the Hartford Flower Show in Feb I believe. I'll repost when I hear more about it.

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Comments (14)

erlyberd
Original Author
16 years ago
Its the CT Flower and Garden Show Feb 21st-Feb 24th at the CT Convention Center. www.ctflowershow.com
vtstar
16 years ago
Man am I in trouble now, two big suppliers coming to the area. If my husband is smart he will hide all the car keys that weekend. Janice
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I placed my order for the leaves on Monday and they just arrived here today on Wednesday. They sent two of each. I was tickled to see that. The leaves were nice and firm but I trimmed the ends a little and have them all sitting in little Solo cups of RO filtered water with the labels I made for each leaf. I already have plenty of space under fluorescent lights for them as I make leaves into small plants into big monster plants but I am already planning on adding more shelves and lights just for the AV's. I baby my hostas constantly. I water about every other day unless we get a good long rain. I buy many tissue culture hostas so those always get babied. The AV's will fit right in because I am like a mother goose over the babies. I tend them constantly, never go on vacations or anywhere else that keeps me from taking care of my plants and house full of pets. Five dogs, two cats, two parrots and a snake. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Apache Brave. This one actually has pink variegation. I had never seen any variegation on an AV before. I can hardly wait until I have huge plants! Home Fires. White variegation. Lacy Lass. I love the scalloped edges. I am a big fan of fancy foliage. The date stamp on the pictures is wrong. I just bought a new camera over the weekend and I was off by a day when I set it. My bad. This is my new plant growing area in the basement. I will build something similar down there for growing out a bunch of AV's but without the pond liner. I will propagate and grow the baby AV's upstairs on my big seedling cart and under the other shoplights I have set up upstairs. I get the feeling that I know where all of this is going to end up. Once I get everything down pat I will probably end up showing. I just think these AV's are gorgeous and they should be shared. I also love giving things away to brighten someones day so these will fit right in. The recipients will also receive proper education into the care of their gifts with me as a source of information and rescue of the plants as needed. This is a picture of the kind of seedling cart I have upstairs. The pictures I take of mine don't look right since I have so many other plant lights lit up in the room.
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Growing Robs' mini violets?
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Comments (20)
I don't think think the trailers and the single crowned plants are really in the same category, Mark. Obviously, it depends on your window too. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought we were talking about the semis and minis (not trailers). Cyberdancer, I am just now trying Ma's again. I had tried a couple earlier and didn't care for them so it's another go-round. I think I probably have about as much experience as most people with growing in natural light. It depends on your conditions and some plants will work out and others won't like it. Harbor Blue, Maverick's Faded Jeans, Tommie Lou, Nortex's Snowkist Haven, O. Manitoba, O. Texas, O. Chico, O. Dali - all no problem. Also Feather, Witch Doctor, Fredette's Evening Star, Happy Harold and Candy Fountain (standard trailer, but I just let it grow in a pot). Some of these are very vintage and not to everyone's taste. If your windows get too cold (or too hot), the smaller pot will react to that faster. I've always grown in windows but generally had a light too so I could put them under the light if they didn't like the window. If you want a beautiful standard that seems to prefer a window, get Private Dancer. You should have it anyway with your name :) Pixie Blue likes the window. It's listed as a trailer but doesn't really "trail." It's kind of a shrubby little plant. Every hybridizer has plants that are better and plants that are pills. Even Optimara has gems and some that aren't such easy care-free ones. At the moment, I'm having good luck with Little Cheyenne and Little Ottawa. Those are two you might like. They are all blooming well but those have a little better habit. I have Rob's Vanilla Trail under a light and it seems to be doing well. You might try that one. I just haven't tried it in the window. (I have a plant of Rob's Argyle socks in the same window as the small Optimaras and I believe it is going to have to go under the light.) I have a Russian mini ordered but haven't tried any. Don't get discouraged but try a variety.of hybridizers. All Rob's might not work. Some old ones are still staying around because they are good. Diana
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Conifers of Rob Tudehope USA
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Back to Iowa! This broom is in a cemetery that is very close to where I grew up and as kids we would walk through to play in the fields and streams. I was a lucky kid to grow up so close to the edge of town, its not the edge of town anymore with 40 years of houses,malls and interstate highways. So many memories at this place, and to this day it is a destination for many bike rides! Maybe I will find another broom here someday! We call this one Picea glauca 'Graceland'
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Waiting for Leaves....
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Comments (4)
Yes, well said, Anne! Su, your selection is lovely. I did the same, placed an order. You chose two very nice vendors. The way you posted the photos is terrific! I won't even ask how you did it. I have about five of those you selected also. Here is a tip, have all your materials ready so when the leaves come, you won't be overwhelmed. Fancy Bloomers sends two of each and wraps the ends, so they should be crisp. I don't recall if Lyon's sends two, I believe they do, if they have them. They send them dry. If they look wilty, trim the ends then soak them in tepid spring water to which you add a pinch of sugar for a few hours. Soak the entire leaf. That will crisp them up. I normally use rooting hormone that I got from Lyon's, but you don't have to if you don't have it on hand. I use small seedling size trays I get from the nursery that are small, deep rectangles, about two trays of 12, comes with a separate drain train and clear dome. All thin plastic. You can also get corrugated seed trays, they work but you have to water more often and then eventually disintegrate. The plastic is more reliable. Karin (Froeschli) has experimented with egg cartons. You can use other, separate containers as well, but for that many leaves, keeping them in a single domed tray is tidy. Diana uses shoe boxes. That seems like an organized approach as well. Then when they get bigger and have mouse ears, they can be transferred to their own individual containers. This will give you enough time to beg your friends to save their Keurig used pods for you! High Five to DH! It is nice when spouses support our hobbies! Joanne
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vtstar
16 years ago
Just a reminder that this is the weekend of the plant show in Hartford, CT. I have already made up my wish list and will see how "good" I can be without going over the edge.
Janice
bspofford
16 years ago
FYI!! Lyons was not listed in the vendors, so I called them. They are not going to be in Hartford, but they will be at the show in York, PA the following week.

Wahhhhh, big time.

Barbara
bspofford
16 years ago
I am going to do a lecture for the Portland Flower Show on 3/9. Wouldn't ya know, I disbudded almost all of my plants the day before they called. So, since the Violet Barn will be in Hartford, I called, spoke to Olive, and she has packed a box of 10 for me to pick up Thursday morning! See, there is a God......

I will wear my signature turquoise vest, (goes with the grey hair) and if any of you are there, especially at the violet booth, please introduce yourself!

Barbara
m3rma1d
16 years ago
And Barabara is so nice, she's letting me go along with her!!

I'm so excited I may need to wear some Poise undergarments to keep her car dry!!
bspofford
16 years ago
Yeah, I'll be the one with the grown up wearing depends - on the outside..............ah, the enthusiasm of youth....

Barbara
angel2008
16 years ago
mermie, those poise undergarments will go just great with your leopard jammies. Hope you both have a great time there. And take ALOT of transport boxes to bring all your new goodies back home safe and sound in.
erlyberd
Original Author
16 years ago
I'll be going Friday and hope to pick something up from Rob's booth. I sure hope they brought the works!
m3rma1d
16 years ago
Oh erlyberd, you won't be disappointed, I promise.

Here's a pic I took today--it oughtta keep you salivating until tomorrow when you go:

{{gwi:362370}}
bspofford
16 years ago
It was a great road trip! I brought home 23, I think Mermaid had about 6 or 7, and the other person had maybe the same number. I could have easily brought home one of everything....

Thanks to erlyberd for the initial heads up.

Olive and Rob handpicked a nice selection of plants for me to display at the flower show in Portland during the lecture. Our club may pursue doing a booth next year.

Hope you all get to go. And be sure to do two other things while you are at the show. Make sure to stop by the AV club booth in the 'judged' area, we skipped all that educational stuff and would have missed it if we hadn't run into a member at the Violet Barn booth. Also, while you are in that section, check out the 3 violets entered for judging. They are next to the beautiful yellow clivia.

Barbara
m3rma1d
16 years ago
"Also, while you are in that section, check out the 3 violets entered for judging. They are next to the beautiful yellow clivia."
vtstar
16 years ago
Hi All,
I was able to get to the Flower Show Thursday after work as I was warned that the "good stuff" goes quickly. I felt I was well under control and only bought 5 plants. Unfortunately Barbara was long gone by then so I did not get to meet her this time. The Windsor African Violet club was there and I think I will finally jump in with both feet and join it. And from them I got more information on two more shows in the area this spring, so all in all it was a very interesting and productive trip. Janice
m3rma1d
16 years ago
I posted pics of yesterday's "haul" in the gallery just now. (Well, I got two that weren't blooming too, didn't take pics of those)

:-)

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