Serendipity --- It's everywhere

Serendipity is my new word.

            This July at the Gesneriad Convention in Cincinnati, I was wondering if I understood the word Serendipity and if I was using it correctly.  I had asked various people if they had a good definition.

            By a serendipitous meeting with Bob Clark, from Seattle, I asked if he had a definition for serendipity.

            Without hesitation he said, ‘happy accident’.  What a great response.  Happy accident is perfect.

            I’ve had many serendipitous events happen recently.

            If you pay attention, you will have serendipity more often then you believe is possible.  You may find a new plant that you like.

            Pay attention.

It's all still true...

It ain't bragging if ...

'Mini' Plants with Custom  Blue Tags

For years, my tag line was:

            “Nobody does what I do with plants.  They could, but they don’t!”

It always seemed like bragging, but six years of developing the ‘Mini’ plants program has proven it true.

"It ain’t bragging, if you can do it."

My ‘Mini’ plants for Miniature Gardens and your Windowsill have substance---they are full pots of unique varieties that indoor gardeners want.  Serious collectors recognize my custom blue tags when seen at one of my 30 retail outlets.

A Specialist beats a Generalist every time.

      Gary K. Hunter, Grower

   Gary’s Specialty Plants

‘Mini’ Plants for Miniature Gardens and your Windowsill !

          1610 Fern Glen Drive         

            Drumore PA 17518

   (717) 951-4507 – Cell (Voice Mail)

Gary@GarysSpecialtyPlants.com (Best way)

http://GarysSpecialtyPlants.blogspot.com/  --- Blog

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     Two years ago, this was important enough to write about.  Now with plant sales doubling every year, the relevant news is I have 65 customers.  I get two or three new customer requests every week.  

      The houseplant boom continues.

What if there is no heart?

String of Hearts

What if there is no heart?

            String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii) is a perfectly named plant.  Since it’s one of the many Strings of Things, it is in high demand.

            In our search for more stock plants to propagate from, we discovered a different clone called Ceropegia linearis woodii.  In researching it, I found that the leaves are not shaped like a Valentine heart, but more like a teardrop.  Otherwise, the same green and silver leaf on a string.

            Now, what to do?  How can we sell this as String of Hearts?

            So, you know about lemons and lemonade?

            I want to call it ‘Heartless’ String of Hearts.  Everyone that I’ve told, laughs and agrees that’s it.

            ‘Heartless’ String of Hearts.

Sinningia 'Li'l Georgie' Returns

Sinningia 'Li'l Georgie' -- The Best Miniature Flowering Houseplant

Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’ returns.

            Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’ is the most amazing miniature flowering houseplant.  Much has been written about it here, here, and here.

            I will not break my rule of saying what is going to happen before it happens.  Delays and failures are always lurking.

            I will only say that ‘Li’l Georgie’ may return for sale within the year.

So, You Want to Start Your Own Business... , O. T.

There is no limit!

And so ---- you want to start a small business!

            Thousands of job-haters would like to start their own business but stay small.

            I’ve discovered a book --- The Million-Dollar, One Person Business:  Make Great Money.  Work the Way You like.  Have the Life You Want.  by Elaine Pofeldt.  I’ve listened to her read it to me from Audible.  She has done brilliant work in studying this expanding model of Entrepreneurial activity.

            With her case stories and from her being self-employed herself, you will get a sense of what it is like to start and succeed with no employees and little fixed costs.

            If you don’t find it interesting nor learn from it, you should not start a business.

            The million-dollar business is not the goal. (Unless you want it to be).  The goal is to be independent. 

Who knows the origin of String of Dolphins?

String of Dolphins -- The hottest plant

One of the ‘hottest’ plants is String of Dolphins – Senecio peregrinus.  Where did this come from?  Why had we not known about this novelty plant before?

The internet will tell you everything.  But what to believe?

              I don’t know if the stories of its origin are true.  One account is that it is a hybrid of two species and has a species name of peregrinus.  This is suspect, because hybrids of two species are conventionally given a hybrid name in single quotes; e.g.  Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’ is a hybrid of (Sinningia concinna X Sinningia muscicola).

            Perhaps, it is natural occurring species found in nature as Senecio peregrinus --- common name:  String of Dolphins.

            A counter argument is that it is a hybrid---- either natural occurring or man-made.  We have had hundreds of flowers go to seed, but have not seen any seedlings sprout, implying it may be sterile.  This is a common phenomenon of F1 hybrids of two species --- a sterile hybrid.

You are welcome to comment to give an accurate picture of String of Dolphins.

This novel plant is going to become a standard.  It would be nice to know its history.

Does Pilea peperomioides flower, Part II ?

Pilea peperomioides with open flowers

          The flowers are open.

          Still not exciting.