Check out my trade list. For a fast grower that blooms several times a year I have Blc Sea Urchin, the purple variety. Nick

Well, I resisted reading this thread as long as possible because my collection is supposed to be getting smaller. The current reframing - it's getting more refined. Like that? Not-so-clever rationalization for adding more plants BUT, they're different and almost all are lots smaller than previous ones. Blooming: - Bl. Richard Mueller, just purchased - Dendrobium ceraula (gonzalesii) - still blooming from 8/07, when it arrived - Dendrobium Mini-Snowflake (Den. aberrans x Den. johnsoniae), just purchased - Dendrobium moniliforme, Scented Moon - first moniliforme to rebloom under my care! - Doriopsisium Little Emma (Pixie Star 'Starry Night' x delicosa 'Tinkerbell'), blooming from purchase - Dtps. Kenneth Schubert 'Blue Angel' (Doritis pulcherrima x Phal. violacea), everblooming - Oncidium Twinkle 'White Cap' (Onc. cheirophorum x Onc. ornithorhynchum), 1st time reblooming under my care - Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fantasy,' 1st reblooming under my care - Paph Estella (fairrieanum x godefroyae leucochilum 'Cabernet Splash'), 1st reblooming under my care - Sl. Marriottiana (flava) (L. flava 'Clone 1' x Soph. coccinea flavum), just purchased In spike/sheath/bud: - Aerangis fastuosa - 1st Ang. in spike for 1st time under my care! - Baptistonia echinata, just purchased - Brassavola nodosa, var. grandiflora, 1st time in spike under my care - Chiloschista pygmeas - in the middle of sequential blooming for the first time under my care - Dendrobium aberrans, 1st time under my care, after skipping the last time - Dendrobium atroviolaceum ('Pygmy' x sib.), 1st time under my care - Dendrobium Himezakura 'Sanokku' (Den. Oberon x Den. Cassiope), 1st time, etc. - Dinema polybulbon, just purchased - Dtps. Sogo Gotris (Phal. Be Tris x Dtps. Sogo Manager), 1st time, etc. - Dtps. Sogo Melinda 'Caribbean Sunset' (Dtps. Autumn Leaves x Phil. Sogo Lit-Angel) - Masdevallia Celtic Frost (Angel Frost 'Orange Parfait' HCC/AOS x glandulosa 'Nemo') - 1st & only Masde spiking for 1st time under my care! - Phal. Baldans Kaleidoscope, peloric, budding from original spike when purchased in early Sept. - Phal. Cameo, aka Phal. Windsong's Sonnet 'Pine Ridge Peloric' (Zuma Poem x equestris) - Phal. Center Stage 'Pine Ridge Cockleshell' AM/AOS - Phal. Guadalupe Pineda (amboinensis 'Pisang Ambon' x bellina 'Whitey'), 1st time, etc. - Phal. I-Hsin Salmon 'Joy No. 3' (Princess Midas X Kuntrarti Rarashati) - Phal. javanica (KF#1 X KF#2), 1st time, etc. - Phal. parishii, 1st time, 2 spikes - Phal. Penang Girl âChing Reuyâ (Phal. violacea x Phal. venosa), 1st time, and I've had this sucker since 6/05. Thrilling! - Phal. schilleriana-stuartiana (schilleriana (2N from the Phillippines) x stuartiana 'Miami Beach'), just purchased - Phal. Summer Beach (Ken Peterson x Mama Cass) - Phal. Tetra Bell (bellina 'Star of Borneo' x tetraspis 'Snow White') - Phal NOID, white - Phal NOID, yellow, 2 spikes - Polystachya piersii - Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos' FCC/AOS (Butterfly x papilio) I didn't realize this many are spiking/blooming for the first time under my care. Exciting! Congrats to everyone - Whitecat8

I think generally much of what many hobby growers (especially those inexperienced in ID'ing plants) instinctively use to distinguish species, like leaf shape/size/color, bloom color, umbel shape are inappropriate and unreliable to use because there is so much variability in those factors in the same species and often even on the same plant at the same time. When I read hoya species descriptions, like in old Stemma issues, those people are very methodical in their descriptions. They know what they are looking at, and they are simply going down the list. Those paragraphs read like Greek because of so many botany words, but I found it useful to google many of those words, so that I can see what those pros see. It's quite amazing - you start looking at the same plants you already have and suddenly notice all sorts of things about them that were flying under the radar before. Old Stemma issues can be found at the bottom of the page here: http://apodagis.com/asclepiadaceae/hoyas/hoya_index.htm. They are a very good read for many other reasons in addition to hoya descriptions.

George, I got the canoe to take up to Yosemite, to go canoeing there. Unfortunately, haven't had the time to get all the way up there. So I started practicing in the pool, and before you know it, it became a daily activity. I'm very good at turning now! Does anybody remember the old Hamm's Beer sign that had a moving picture of a red canoe going past a waterfall, and ending at a campsite with a campfire? It was scenic and beautiful and hypnotic - something most beer signs today aren't! May have affected me as a kid. Allison (toomanydogs), I like the way you think! The house on the right has a bigger yard, hmmm. Of course, there's still the off chance that Jandey will move next door! I hope she brings one moving truck with those Texas pralines! And thanks for coming to the meeting, it was a long drive for you, Allison. That was a blast though. Can't wait till the next! Thanks Mark! James (Freak4), you've been an inspiration, thank you so much. Thanks, Jen (jandey). Really appreciate it. So are you moving? Are you bringing the praline truck, too? That would be too much fun being neighbors. Roxanne, this year had been great, and meeting you and the rest of our Ventura County group has been a big part of it! Thank you so much. We have lots of great adventures ahead! Lonnie, there's nothing like the hammock and the sound of running water, and the smell of plumeria and jasmine and ginger. And dessert. Laura, you've been my inspiration ever since the days I knew nothing about plumeria (which was a surprisingly short time ago!). If I can inspire you in any small way, that means a lot. I may print and hang your posting in my office. I'm very moved, thanks as always! I felt like a ranger giving the guided tour at the meeting Sunday. I guess i've always wanted to do that, so it was a blast.