Lights on!

Lights on!



Story # 114, O T

            Why don’t cars always have headlights on?

            It’s been known for years that headlights on in the daytime decrease accidents.  The driver doesn’t need them to see; ---- the lights are for other drivers to see you.

            No research or further study is needed.  Just do it.  All that is needed is for one brave car manufacturer to make ‘lights on’ the default and others will follow.

            Of course, there will be ‘idiots’ who won’t want to have their lights on, so there will be a switch to change the default to ‘Off’

            Can’t we just agree that it makes sense and do it.

            Lights on!

'Eyelash' Begonias from tissue culture?

Table Top Garden with Begonia 'Tiger Kitten'



Story # 113,

‘Eyelash’ Begonias from tissue culture.

                Begonias  -- ‘Rex’ and ‘Eyelash’ --  can be easily propagated from rooting leaf cuttings.  Crop time is about 3 months to get a clump of plantlets to pot into a 4” pot.  In 8 – 12 weeks you have a nice sized foliage plant for sale.

                Should tissue culture propagation be able to compete with leaf rooting?

                Technically, it’s possible.  The only two questions are:

1.        Can ‘Eyelash’ Begonias be produced by tissue culture for less cost than leaf propagation?

2.       Will the tissue culture plantlets be multi-crowned and husky to compete with good leaf starts?

Nobody knows.

The start of the NO mildew campaign!

Table Top Garden with Begonia 'River Nile'



Story # 112,

The start of the NO mildew campaign!

            Begonias are a major plant category.  ‘Rex’ Begonias are very colorful and millions are sold as houseplants and for combination planters in the Summer.  Several major propagators feed the system with an assortment of ‘Rex’ with multicolored leaves.

            What’s the catch?  They will get mildew that makes them ugly and to the extreme --- kills the plant.

            What’s the answer?  Commercial growers spray fungicide and get the ‘Rex’ Begonias through to the retailers.  Unless the homeowner treats for mildew or just gets lucky, all ‘Rex’ Begonias will get mildew.

            The secret that has been known for 50 years is that rhizomatous ‘Eyelash’ Begonias are immune and do not get mildew.

            Why have growers ignored this fact?

            ‘Eyelash’ Begonias are not as showy as ‘Rex’.

            But what has changed is that now there are a complete range of colors and leaf sizes to compete with ‘Rex’

            We have greens in ‘River Nile’ and ‘Party Dress,  yellows in ‘Snoopy’ and ‘Golden Lime’, black in ‘Black Truffles’ and bronze in ‘Marmaduke’ and ‘Dr Block’.

            There are tiny varieties for Miniature Gardens like ‘Little Darling’.

            A new addition, ‘Angel Glow’, gives us a reddish type.  No one will confuse it with the brilliant red ---- ‘Rex’ ‘Red Heart’.  But ‘Angel Glow is red enough.

            If you want a Begonia grown for its interesting colorful leaves that will not get mildew, ask for rhizomatous ‘Eyelash’ Begonias.

            ‘Rex’ gets mildew.  ‘Eyelash’ doesn’t.

            Lead the NO mildew campaign!

The Depression is over!



Story # 111, O. T.

The Depression is over!

            The Depression that has been going on since 2008 is over.  Economists, who get quoted, never could agree that the recession should be called a Depression.

            Now the Economists can’t agree that the recession is over, so I can just declare it over and move on.

            My proof ----- the roads.  Just try it drive anywhere near a city or be brave enough to get on Interstate 95.  There are too many cars.  Driven by people trying to get somewhere to do something.

            Sure there are workers unemployed, underemployed and unhappy with their jobs.  That’s always been true.

            If you‘re in a tough economic situation, do your best to get out of it.  It’s not the economy.

The trade show report

Streptocarpus 'Yellow Purple Cap' from Green Fuse

Story # 110,


The trade show report



      The largest horticultural trade show in the United States had many interesting trends going on last week in Columbus, Ohio.


      Well, trends that I care about anyway.  Miniature Gardens – up, Succulents – up, New plants – always, People that care about the plant industry – always.


      From Green Fuse, the only national importer/promoter of Streptocarpus, there are two new bicolor varieties.  Selected from Dibley’s Greenhouse, the world’s leading hybridizer of Streptocarpus, they are more interesting than the previous introductions.  The names are bazaar—‘Yellow Purple Cap’ and ‘Yellow Pink Cap’ but the plants will sell once we get them this winter.


      Although I’ve only recently looked for succulents, the category is expanding with an infinite variety of shapes, colors and forms.  Off-shore farms are producing these by the millions to help supply the demand for these care-free plants.


      The Miniature Garden segment (Lloyd Traven says it’s been going on too long to be called a trend) has some new players and all vendors said they increased over last year.  The accessories (trinkets) are infinitely more varied.  For example, a water- feature with moving water (electric pump).


      Mark, a new vendor for compact houseplants showed for the first time and was basically overwhelmed with interest.  He has 100 potential plants from years of selective plant collecting.  I hope to get some of them.


      I found a new Nematanthus that has creamy variegation that has never been seen before.  There will be a future story once more details are known.

I've changed my mind

Sinningia 'An's Nyx' with potential

Story # 109,


I’ve changed my mind


“It will be lucky to be a collector’s plant” ----- November 16, 2012

“It will not be a commercial plant “----- June 18, 2013

“It should be produced commercially and see what happens”----- NOW

        Sinningia ‘An’s Nyx’ has very striking yellow/cream flowers which hang down, but they are held out far enough for all to see.   We always knew that---- it was the initial attraction.  The problem was the plant appeared weak and there were not enough flowers at once.


      My one plant appears to have overcome these faults.  The second flowering from stronger growth off the tuber has produced several flowers at once with buds waiting.  Multiple flowers can be achieved with multiple shoots from either pinching or planting 2-3 plants per pot.


      The double calyx novelty (flower petals form where the calyx normally grows) ensures that the flowers will not fall off.  Of course, this means that flowers gone past will have to be cut off --- you can’t have it both ways.


      Commercial plants only survive if they are pretty.  Collector plants survive if they are interesting.


      Sinningia ‘An’s Nyx’ could be both.

100 Years old.

Story # 108,


100 Years old.


      My Mother would have been 100 years old today.  Ida Ferne (Irey) Hunter was born July 1, 1913.  Her parents were George and Ora Irey.  She lived to be 94 years and 10 days.


      Mom was a Farmer’s wife and raised my sister, Joan, and me on a 200 acre farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  We joke now that we were poor, we just never knew it.  But we always had everything we needed.  Dad was tied to the farm with twice a day milking and field work.   It was Mom who found a way to get us to activities like 4-H, Little League Baseball, Vacation Bible School or Cub Scouts.


      After Dad died young, Mom had to survive on her own for half of her life.  Somehow she was able to go to Commercial College to make her more qualified as an office clerk at the feed store and later at the Washington Hospital.


       In retirement she was always busy with local activities and volunteering at the hospital or Bethel Church.   As she got older with health issues, somehow she would always bounce back.  She was tough because she had to be.


      We miss her.