Not following the vegetarian remark, unless it's a joke about beans. I've been a vegetarian for 40 years and I swear I'm gas-normal. :-) I've never apologized for living, either. We all leave a footprint. I appreciate the fact that Canada has sat on the peat industry, but there's a great deal of difference between putting it all back and restoring the habitat. There's a lot of controversy over whether or not it's even possible; the water table has been changed, the soil has become nutrient rich, and species may or may not have been destroyed. All this is a small matter compared to the real problem: peat bogs are the most efficient carbon sinks on the planet, period. Nothing else touches them. Now, more than ever, we need every inch of carbon sinks we can get. That's my #1 reason for avoiding it. My other reason for not wanting peat in my seed mix is that I hate it. It stays too wet, then dries out and becomes hydrophobic. It has no nutrient value (which is-actually- fine for seed-starting), is acidic (sometimes good, but not for everything) and retains any pathogens the living moss might have had. By me, it's a lousy soil addition. I always lose seedlings in peat.I'd much rather use clean coir. Coir, of course, isn't an innocent. You have to find a sustainably sourced product and then figure in the environmental impact of shipping across the globe. Upside is that it's very light and compact, so can be shipped efficiently. There is no perfect solution.

One thing, there are Columneas, and then there are other Columneas!!! A lot depends on which one you are trying to grow. I have hads the best results with (I think) Orange Crush. Unfortunately the name is lost in the mists of antiquity, Iv'e had it so long. Grows (in winter) in an unheated,but not freezing south window, blooms later outside.

I think your columnea will do much better in a light soil. You can pot it and put it in a ziplock baggie out of direct sun. After it will start growing - keep taking tips off and sticking back in the same pot so you will develop a bushier plant. African Violets do root in water, but a lot of gesneriads will rot. Another easy to grow geseriad that some people call Goldfish - Nemathantus - is very happy to root in soil - but will refuse to do it in water. Offtopic: Funny about these common names - - in Lowe's hardware I saw a nice annual looking plant with tubular orange flowers which was named Cornucopia and was refered as a hummigbird attraction. Why it was labeled Cornucopia - is beyond my understanding. I was able to track it by the hummingbird thing - and it is Cuphea ignea, or "cigar plant". Good luck with your columnea, they are lovely, keep it on the eastern or western window, they like to be on a cool side to bloom - and try more than one variety. Some are practically everblooming. Irina

I wish you would stop coming up with neat plants! I am still trying to find a thunbergia erecta locally:) Pat