Asiatica Open House - I went!!!

14 years ago

Life has been crazy as of late, so sort of spur of the moment I took off work last Friday and decided to head up to Asiatica's Open House! Woo Hoo!

If any of you should decide to go, which I suggest you do if you can make it, get GOOD directions prior to going! Or if you get lost ask the locals to direct you to the Speedway which is right next door...Asiatica is not typically open to the public so the locals aren't all in the know as to it's whereabouts. I was fortunate enough to run into Wendy, a driver with Fed-Ex who was more than happy to help a lost girl out!

When we(my Mom drove as she lives halfway between my house and Asiatica) pulled in, I got out of the car and proclaimed "We made it, we made it!" as it's not the easiest find and we were greeted by Jane who says, "Are you Kelly from WV?" Granted I did send an email the week before saying I was hoping to come up and asking about a few specific hoyas, but I'm still not sure how she knew I was "Kelly from WV". Wasn't the license plate on my car as we were in my Mom's car (PA license) and I own no clothing with anything WV on it. Pretty much the next words out her mouth were "I'll let Barry know you're here"! These people were fabulous and totally made me feel like a VIP!

Barry gave us a tour of his hoya/tropicals greenhouse which is JAMMED packed...I can't remember now just how many varieties of hoyas were in there, but there were hundreds upon hundreds of hoyas - many varieties not even listed on the website yet!

Jane in the middle and Barry on the right:

A wall of hoyas:

Across the greenhouse:

Barry with one of the few hoyas I DIDN'T buy:

Some of my hoyas:

Repotted hoyas:

I'm not even going to try to name them in the order they appear in the photos....here's what I got:

Hoya pandurata (not even on the website yet!)

Hoya thompsoni

Hoya pachyclada (has buds!)

Hoya megalaster (GORGEOUS leaves)

Hoya imperial "Pearl Pink" (It's HUGE)

Hoya siariae "Laguna"

Hoya hypolasia (LOVE the leaves on this one, too)

Hoya waymaniae

Hoya imbricata

Hoya lamingtoniae "Chocolate Star"

The greenhouse is totally overwhelming - it's literally a sea of plants! The walls are just covered in hanging hoyas and dischidias with even more mixed in on the tables! One could literally spend HOURS in there and amazingly Barry knows where EVERYTHING is. (Me: "Oh, I saw a picture someone posted on DG of imperialis 'Pearl Pink', do you know where that one is?" Barry: "Do I know where 'Pearl Pink' is...it's right over here!").

To be able to pick out my own hoyas was like a dream come true! Every single hoya I got has new growth on it! I already want to go back!

If anyone is close enough to go, I say do it! As if being surrounded by that many hoyas wasn't enough to make my day, Barry and Jane couldn't have been nicer people!

If anyone ever wants to go, let me know! I'd defnitely be up for going again!

Kelly

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (29)

gootziecat
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sounds like you had a great time, Kelly. Glad you were able to make the visit and add to your collection! You got some nice picks there and we'll be looking forward to your pictures of them in the future.

Sande
bihai
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sooooo.......
You're a guy??
Who woulda thunk it!
Related Discussions
Asiatica Open House
Q
Comments (5)
I just got an order in from them by FedEx. Very nice plants! I mostly dealt with his wife Jane and she was very sweet. Barry was out of town. The only downside is the shipping price but you do get them in only 2 days. That keeps stress on the plant down. Which is a plus! I'd love to see some of his higher end plants in person. Sometimes a picture just doesn't do justice. Probably better on my bank account I live too far away to go! hahaha.,,,,Debbie
...See More
Went to the Parade of Homes again this year.
Q
Comments (18)
Joyce - I think I used the same subway tile in my kitchen that was used in the last kitchen photo you posted and my granite is very similar to that granite. Mine is called Golden Dunes, but I've seen it called Yellow River too. My cabinets are a bit darker in color but it was nice to see a kitchen similar to mine! And even the back of the sofa almost looks identical to the fabric on my sofa! LOL Thanks for posting the photos - I love to look at houses!
...See More
So I went on the Parade of Homes this weekend . . .
Q
Comments (18)
I enjoyed reading this very much even though my experience of planned communities in Ontario is light years away from those in Alabama, and yet strangely familiar, if you understand my meaning. I've spent most of my adult life in these spec communities, getting progressively larger and more customizable versions. Currently, though part of a community, the home we are in has shed most of the internal telltale signs such as those one piece fibreglass tub/shower enclosures and prefab one size kitchens. (no disdain here just making an observation). I agree that the claustrophobic feeling of tight halls is awful and so spending money on opening them up or adding nearly invisible partitions (half walls, spindles, wide openings) is a really good idea. In my own house I incorporated the halls into the rooms in many cases, making the pathway a suggestion created my furniture, which I prefer. I have seen and lived alongside these front facing garage free homes and do enjoy the street scape more that way. But like you, question whether form is really following function here. Mass produced suburban homes, to me, can often look like an expressionless face, because they design them (at least in my part of Canada) with the family spaces all in the back and the front reserved for lesser used formal and work spaces. Maybe that is an age old design, but the with more uniform facades it can leave communities feeling cold. Walking down the street and being presented with 2 sealed garage doors, and a dark office can make you wonder if the armageddon has come and you missed the signs. I think a viable solution is something I've seen more called 'the widelot'. Which encourages the houses to be wide rather then deep. And backyards shallow but long, across the back of the home. That might help change the landscape.
...See More
Went to the Madison Parade of Homes yesterday and have kitchen pics
Q
Comments (40)
I live in the Madison area. My husband and I have been to two of the six Parade neighborhoods so far. In one, the homes were around the $550k. In the other, I’d say they were around $300k-350k. I heard someone mention that the lesser priced houses were a welcome addition to the Parade of Homes this year; that in years past, it was only more expensive homes. We have a 1200sf ranch, and we are almost finished building our new screened in porch. The next big project is the kitchen… and finishing up our single bathroom remodel. We enjoy going to the Parade of Homes to get ideas. We each bring a tape measure, and we constantly measure aisle widths, island dimensions, countertops, etc. It’s a huge help while we work on our renovation plans. I tend to look at overall layout and function. Here are some of my comments: - 9 of 10 homes have a great room set up, with a kitchen/DR/LR open plan space. The living room is often super tall (2 or more stories), and frequently, the only place to put a TV is above the fireplace. I’m torn on the super tall ceiling in the LR – I’m not sure I like the scale, and it tends to make the rooms feel taller, rather than wide, which makes them feel smaller in footprint than they really are. Also, TV is important to me, but above the fireplace is just. Too. High. -Speaking of TV, there is often a second TV room in the basement, or on a landing on the second floor. It seems like there is no way to close off the ancillary TV spaces from the first floor great room, which may or may not have its own TV. (open stairways to the basement, open railings to the great room, etc.) Really??? Is that cool? -Several homes had the kitchen sink in plain sight of the front door. In new construction (i.e., when all of the options are available to you), I’m not sure I like that. - Lots of pocket doors. I Love them!!!! However, I don’t love the dinky little hardware you have to fiddle with to get the teensy little handle thingees to pop out. There has to be a better way! -We looked carefully at the detailing in the screened in porches. Ours is DIY, and nearly finished. I was generally not impressed with what I saw. In just one of the lesser priced houses, we quite liked the detailing and quality of the work. In most of the houses, the screened in porches and decks were generic, regardless of the style or price of the house. (I like ours best!) -All of the 10 homes I’ve seen have a master bedroom suite on the first floor. It’s not uncommon to be able to lay in bed, and look straight out into the kitchen. (even in the more expensive homes). This is something I’ve been thinking about, because this will most likely be the case in our ranch home after our kitchen remodel. -In the majority of MBR suites, the closet can ONLY be accessed through the master bathroom. I am not impressed. -First or second floor laundry is standard now, which is pretty cool. -Mud rooms were an area that were greatly expanded in more expensive houses. In the less expensive houses, they typically felt quite cramped. -Yards seem small to me, in ALL of the houses, and the houses are close together. Kitchen comments: -For me, a 42” aisle is perfect. (our house and kitchen are small, so this dimension is important to me.) -For me, 12” overhang for seating at a 36” high counter is plenty. One kitchen had a 9.75” overhang for seating, and it was bad. -some of the islands are just out of control – too big! Too deep, too many angles in the differing counter heights. The above pictures almost always cut off the high/bar height portions of the islands. -One house had a giant pantry/storage area between the mud room and the kitchen. It was AWESOME. -Only the pricier homes had kitchens with lower drawers instead of regular lower cabinets. -I MUST have a landing space for the fridge – either across an aisle, or to the right of the fridge as you look at it. I saw one fridge that was all by itself next to a pantry closet, with no landing space within 7 feet of it in all directions. -I only saw a few prep sinks, only in the pricier homes. I can’t say I’m sold. They seem like a bandaid for poorly designed kitchens, IMHO. I have a friend who has one; she never uses it. -one kitchen (in a pretty pricey home) had a 32” aisle in front of a French door fridge. It was too small. -I hate MW below the countertop. hate it. Hate it. Hate it. (I am a heavy MW user). -Undermount sinks tend to be deeper than I like. -Several of the more pricy kitchens had GLASS pantry doors at a 45 degree angle in the corner of the kitchen, with the word “pantry” etched in. Really? Does anyone really want to display their pantry contents??? -Many homes don’t seem to have a formal dining room at all. If they do, it often seemed small (to me), and were typically near the front door, around the corner from the kitchen, with double doors that faced the great room. They seemed better suited for offices. But, I’m not a fan of an office that opens up in to the main social space of the house. And if it’s a dining room, I’d like better access to the kitchen.
...See More
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bihai,

No, the guy in the picture is a volunteer there- he works for plants. I believe his name is Von or Vaughn....I left his name off because I wasn't positive of the spelling....

All of the cool new plants and you want to know if I'm a guy?!?! Hardly - he's awfully cute, but I look nothing like him...

Kelly
johanna76
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
HA! That's a good laugh, Bihai, you took the words right out of my mouth! I was all confused! I can't even describe how jealous I am. Happy for you...but jealous. Enjoy your hand picked babies!

Johanna
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kelly you have me wondering if I choose the right destination for my holiday. Pictures really are worth a thousand words and seeing all those Hoyas in person must have been fantastic.

I have to say you picked some great species. Hoya pandurata is one I have wanted but passed up because I have not done well with Hoya polyneura and did not want to kill pandurata.
I got myself a Hoya hypolasia a while back and your not kidding that one has very cool leaves, soft furry and almost succulent.
So how are you planning on growing your Hoya imbricata? I have mine in a pot that is attached to a cork bark branch and so far so good although the growth was much faster while it was in the rooting aquarium. I am toying with the idea of building a large enclosure to grow some of my orchids and a few select Hoyas that like a really humid atmosphere.

Mike
PRO
Jan Sword-Rossman Realty 239-470-6061
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kelly, envy! envy! envy! that's all I can say. I wished I could have been there for the awesome tour, looks like you got some super plants!!!
Bahai, that's funny! but we don't really know what we look like soooo.....
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Mike-

My job can be demanding this time of year (fiscal year ends 6/30), so this definitely was my little summer getaway and WELL worth it!

Hypolasia is SO cool! Hoping I'll do okay with pandurata. Need to look up the conditions on these new ones, so as to decide where to best put them.

As for imbricata- I recently lost one...it had been doing so well- more than doubled in size since I had gotten it, then during a really busy week I overwatered the container it was in and drowned it...I was heartbroken! I'm going to keep this new one similarly to how I kept the last one and be more careful! Here's a picture of where it will end up eventually. Still need to put some holes in the container. (This housed tootsie rolls - found it at Sam's Club. Took the tootsie rolls to work and kept the container!)

I'll put hydroton and moss in the bottom to hold in moisture and attach a hook to the back of the support the imbricata is on, so I can hang it from one of the holes I'll poke in it. Mine is currently growing on some kind of fiber. Need to decide on larger support for it. Where did you get your cork bark branch?

Kelly
Denise
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yes, that would be a a heavenly field trip for any Hoya lover. Trouble is, they'd probably have to literally kick my butt out the door to get rid of me! ("Can I come live here? Please?!")

Denise in Omaha
puglvr1
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kelly,

How COOL was that you got to visit Asiatica in person!! What a HAUL!! I am also so jealous...very happy for you, but still jealous. Very nice hoyas you got there!!

Thanks for sharing your FUN trip with us! I would love to go one day...its just a really long drive from FL!
treelover3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kelly,
Thanks for the photo vacation to hoya paradise. Like everyone else here, I am very envious that you are close enough to go and visit them.

Do you remember the name of the variegated hoya that Barry is holding, in the photo above? It's got beautiful leaves, whatever it is, and I really need to add it to my collection. (:o)
Thanks again,
Mike
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wish we could all take a trip up there! It really was a great day!

Denise-
I would have hid out in that greenhouse had there been enough space! I was so overwhelmed when I walked in there that I no longer had any idea what I was looking for!

Mike-
That's macrophylla "Pot of Gold" and it's GORGEOUS! I think there were two others with similar coloring - an incrassata and a kenejiana, although I can't remember the rest of the name on either of those. All were magnificant!

I'm pretty sure this will be an annual trip for me!

Kelly
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kelly I got the hollow cork bark branch from a local pet store so it might be worth it to check the pet stores in your area. The branches are sold for use with reptiles and amphibians so they are most often in that section of the store. You could use a cork bark slab as well and they are easier to find but a plain old branch from the back yard would as well, cork just takes much longer to rot.

Here is a photo of my Hoya picta that is planted inside a hollow cork branch. You can use a drill bit made for cutting holes for door knobs etc. to remove a piece of cork. The bottom is sealed with a piece of plastic mesh from a potato or onion bag that is held on by staples and silicon, the branch is full of standard Hoya potting mix plus some chopped sphagnum moss to help hold more moisture.

Here is Hoya imbricata with two new growth points. This is all I was able to save from the dried up Hoya imbricata that needed intensive care after it's extra long journey from Thailand. I have one other little piece that is rooting and will go in a terrarium. The other little plant on the branch is Pleurothallis brighamii a South American orchid species. This branch is also hollow but I did not fill the cavity with anything because the Hoya will hopefully root on the moss covered branch, there is about two feet of space to climb.

Mike
treelover3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Very cool, Mike. Thanks for sharing your pics.
Mike
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Mike in Ontario-

Thank you! Will check the local pet stores!

Also- the pictures in your Flickr account are truly amazing!

Kelly
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks Kelly :)

What ever you decide to do with your Hoya imbricata I think you had the right idea in enclosing it in a container of some sort. The main reason I have a pot attached to the mount is that I don't want to take the chance of having the plants roots dry out. The mount is watered at least once a day but that would not be enough if there were no pot attached. I think once the leaves get attached to the bark they help hold moisture but before then things seem to dry out pretty fast.

Not sure if I posted this before but it is my inspiration to create an enclosure for Hoya imbricata or some of my other more demanding plants. The tubes were built out of thin lexan plastic, silicon and some metal brackets and hardware. The plants are growing on clay chimney inserts that are sealed at the bottom and kept full of water. I can't link to the page because of Gradenweb's filters. If you go to Orchid Source Forum and go to the orchid growing areas you will find photos of the terrariums, prepare to be awestruck.

Mike
treelover3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Mike,
Where is the orchid source forum? Can you type the web address in here rather than trying to link it?
Thanks,
Mike
treelover3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Mike,
I found the forum, but which thread or threads has the pics we should be looking at?
Thanks,
Mike
geosdee
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kelly,

Exactly where is this in PA. My sister lives outside of Lancaster, PA. Thinking I need to visit her again and go on a road trip.

Dee
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The site is orchidsource.com and the photos are in the gallery section under orchid growing areas. I wish I could post a link but it keeps getting filtered.

Mike
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dee-
Asiatica is in Lewisberry, PA - sort of southeast of Harrisburg, I believe.

Mike-
WOW! Pretty sure I found the enclosure you were referring to- it's on about page 12 or 13....STUNNING! What is it with all of the orchid growers being neat freaks?!?! I've never seen better organization and cleaner growing spaces than what's post on that orchid forum! Totally inspirational!
Found a nice piece of cork bark last night - thanks for the suggestion!
You must start posting photos! Your pictures are OUTSTANDING!
Kelly
geosdee
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks Kelly, that would be pretty close to drive.

Dee
treelover3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Well, I think I found the photos, too. The photos were posted by someone from Sweden? Correct?

Really cool, large enclosures for growing orchids? It appears that some people have way too much time and money on their hands. (:o) I am so envious!
Mike
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yeah I think that member was from Sweden. The photos are under orchid growing areas in the Gallery section and they are the last set on the first page, a set of four terrariums side by side. The enclosures are not very large once you know the scale although some members have huge orchidariums. I just can't believe how professional the cylinder type terrariums came out and from such simple materials anyone can get at a Home Depot!

I am going to leave this project for the fall or winter but I am seriously considering building something that can be automated with misters etc. for times when I am away, mounted plants don't like vacations. :(
If you build it yourself it costs much less, had a medium sized one years ago but did not keep it when I moved because it was built too heavy and bulky and was not properly sealed to be water tight.

Mike
treelover3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, I was looking at the wrong photos. Yes, those cylinder growing chambers are very cool. I bet they got those acrylic cylinders from a laboratory supply house. Pretty slick setups.
Mike
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Mike the cylinders are actually just a thin piece of Lexan that is bent into a cylinder and then secured with a strip of metal and some nuts and bolts, think DIY instead of big $. LOL

Mike
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Those are so cool! Please keep us posted on your progress when you get started!

Is Lexan the same as plexiglass?

Kelly
mdahms1979
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Lexan is made from polycarbonate plastic and Plexiglass is acrylic so it is more rigid. You can buy both pretty easily at bigger home improvement stores.

Mike
quinnfyre
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm wondering if you set that plastic tootsie roll container in a saucer, and drilled a few small holes maybe an inch or two from the bottom, you could avoid ever repeating that situation where you accidentally drowned your imbricata? The small holes shouldn't affect humidity much, if at all, and allow excess water to drain. I don't know if that's a crazy idea or not, any opinions?
kellyknits
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
GREAT idea, quinnfyre! Thank you! Will do!

Kelly

Asiatica Open House - I went!!!

Comments (29)

gootziecat

bihai

Related Discussions

kellyknits
Original Author

johanna76

mdahms1979

Jan Sword-Rossman Realty 239-470-6061

kellyknits
Original Author

Denise

puglvr1

treelover3

kellyknits
Original Author

mdahms1979

treelover3

kellyknits
Original Author

mdahms1979

treelover3

treelover3

geosdee

mdahms1979

kellyknits
Original Author

geosdee

treelover3

mdahms1979

treelover3

mdahms1979

kellyknits
Original Author

mdahms1979

quinnfyre

kellyknits
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Asiatica Open House - I went!!!

Comments (29)

Related Discussions

kellyknitsOriginal Author

kellyknitsOriginal Author

kellyknitsOriginal Author

kellyknitsOriginal Author

kellyknitsOriginal Author

kellyknitsOriginal Author

kellyknitsOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

kellyknits
Original Author

kellyknits
Original Author

kellyknits
Original Author

kellyknits
Original Author

kellyknits
Original Author

kellyknits
Original Author

kellyknits
Original Author