The Real Test

Happy Plant Buyer

            After unloading my plants at Strange’s Garden Center in Richmond, I observed a customer selecting three of my plants.

            I wanted to find out the ‘Why’, so I asked her-----

            She was holding two of our ‘hot’ plants --- Pilea peperomioides and Peperomia polybotrya ‘Raindrop’.

            I asked if she knew about these plants before she came there.  “Well, a little, but no.  I like these and I want to learn about them.”

            She also bought two nice ceramic pots to put them in.  There was a discussion about holes or no holes in the pot.

            Later, I happened to see her at the cash register and thought she needs to be in a blog story.  So, I asked her permission for her picture.

            She was very pleasant, and I met a real plant buyer who picked the ‘hot’ varieties because she liked them.

Mayor Pete, O. T.

Blue Skies Ahead

            After learning about Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a potential Presidential candidate, I discovered he has written a book about his life and accomplishments.

            I’ve recently tried audio books (Audible) so I can listen in the truck on long distance delivery trips.  I bought the book, ‘The Shortest Way Home’, written and read by Pete Buttigieg and I'm impressed.

            You owe it to yourself to hear the life story of a very smart and sensible American with the drive to be the President of the United States.  It is a compelling story and you will thank me for letting you know about him.

The Anniversary - Going into the Eighth Year.

Just resting

Pic- Kevin Cohn

    This blog started April 8, 2012 ---  seven years ago, today.  Thank you, Google.

            I’ve reread many of the stories.  Many are irrelevant or time sensitive (fleeting).  Some are actually very good.

            My form is a picture and some words about a single idea.  My inspiration is Seth Godin, who has had a daily story over 10,000 times.  Only a genius can do that.

            That first post said: “My target reader will be, first of all, me.”  This has taken the pressure off.

            Forcing yourself to write an idea is so much more exacting than a bunch of jumbled thoughts.

            I should have started sooner.


             My interest in featured plants has changed over time.  The hot plants this year are Chinese Money Plant, String of Dolphins and Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop'.

             What's next?

What will we do with them?

Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop" --Everywhere.

Right now, there are so few Peperomia polybotrya ‘Raindrops’ that nobody even knows that they exist.

But what if tissue culture propagation is successful such that an infinite supply suddenly becomes available.  It might happen.

          ‘Nothing is sold unless it has a name and a use’

I want the name to be Peperomia ‘Raindrop’.  The dominate player in the market will influence the name and what becomes accepted through common use.

The leading ‘use’ for ‘Raindrop’ will be as a low light houseplant.  It is sturdy and has shiny leaves.  It should be able to take its place by other houseplant standards like Pothos, Philodendron or Ferns.

If you follow the Law of Focus, then one use---- houseplant----should be enough.

However, the most dominate segment of the horticulture industry is Spring Garden and Patio Plants.  And more and more gardens are in the shade.

What if we made a planter with ‘Raindrops’ and Begonias?

If Peperomia ‘Raindrop’ could get in the Spring market, we will need a lot of them.

Why are we holding back?

Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop'

            The phenomenon of the Chinese Money Plant has gotten a lot of ‘Press’.  Many in the plant world have followed the rapid rise of Pilea peperomioides and tried to explain it.

            Indoor plant lovers published pictures on social media and the demand spiraled up.  The real shortage of availability fed the instinct of ‘Get it before its gone’.  With demand chasing limited supply, the prices moved up, which just made it more desirable.

            There is a similar plant, Peperomia polybotrya‘Raindrop’ out there waiting for its chance to zoom.

            Experienced plant collectors all say it’s a better plant than Chinese Money.  It has a sturdy stem with coin-shaped shiny leaves.  It’s the perfect houseplant.  It can live in very low light, doesn’t mind being a little dry and will branch and make shiny, green leaves.

            So, why hasn’t it caught fire?  The supply is very limited, but that didn’t stop Pilea.

            Why are we holding back?

            Peperomia ‘Raindrop’ needs to be promoted in every possible way.  Garden Centers need to promote it when the they have plants for sale.  Being temporarily sold out increases desire.

            This is a legitimate, easy houseplant.  Those who have one will tell others.

Note: This is not a political question, O. T.

Some ideas don't work

I buy Succulents from Mexico through a U. S. broker who has established a big business importing unrooted cuttings.

If there would be a tariff (tax) imposed by President Trump on this product, say, $1 Dollar per plant,  the idea is that production would return to the U.S. southern states.  The actual result would be that any U.S. grower who would enter the succulent market would charge the same as the imported plant plus the tariff dollar.

The law of unintended consequences would make your favorite succulent cost too much, you will stop buying and the booming succulent market will collapse.

Fortunately, horticulture is a minor industry, so it has been ignored by the tariff imposers.

Free international trade allows for low cost plants to be enjoyed by all.  Don’t let the President tell you that tariffs are helping U. S. business.

If tariffs were added to the price of plants, it would cripple us.

Tariffs are counter-productive, un-American and stupid.  President Trump is wrong to go against practical economics.

The next President will return sanity to free enterprise by abandoning all tariffs.

No Stagnation in Lettuce

'Just saying'        Credit- Kevin Cohn

I’m always annoyed with doomsayers who say there is nothing new and ‘Let’s go back to the good old days’.  There is no stagnation in lettuce.  I have no relationship with greenhouse vegetables, but I find this story amazing:

         "BrightFarms, a leading supplier of greenhouse vegetables, is ramping up its expansions efforts with new greenhouses planned for New England (Central Massachusetts), New York (Hudson Valley), and North Carolina. The new greenhouses will each be 280,000 square feet and sit on 20 acres of land. According to BrightFarms, each greenhouse is expected to create around 55 full-time jobs.

        The greenhouses will each produce more than 2 million pounds of fresh, leafy salad greens and herbs per year."

The full story here:

https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/brightfarms-announces-further-expansion-in-eastern-u-s/

Free enterprise at it’s best.  Is this a great country or what?