I am only planning to be at the Gesneriad convention this year.

Irina

Irina, more than likely, I will target next year's Gessie convention in Seattle. I've never been to the west coast and that would be the PERFECT opportunity. My family will go with me, so it will be even more entertaining!

I've seen pics of you in some old issues of the AVSA mag, I believe. Or maybe it was the Gessie mag. I can't remember which! I think you were sitting with Thad Scaggs? Anyway, it would have been nice to meet you this year! :)

Aha - that's me - he is my best friend. And he is a very talented hybridizer and great grower - so I always bumming him for all kinds of interesting things. That's how I always end with way too many plants - more than I have shelves. Just was thinking how to hang a shoplight above the bar in a basement. Hanging a couple of shoplights above the pool table would be even better - but I am afraid that my husband and son would seriouslly object.

Irina

Thad is absolutely a very talented hybridizer and grower. He recently showed some of his new crosses on Facebook and they were just beautiful! I've learned a lot from Thad over on the Yahoo! groups. He's a wealth of information, and so are you for that matter!

We can get crafty and creative when it comes to making room for our plant babies, can't we? :) lol

Yep = if not my family members... I would end being a plant hoarder - like these people on TV who have 100 cats in a house - and love them all.

I.

LOL, I SOOOOOOOOOO identify with that statement, Irina. :)
I would have Gessies, Orchids, Houseplants, Sansevierias, you name it, I'd have it!

I got rid of houseplants. Have may be 3-4. Last one out was a Philodendron the size of my kitchen. Found it a good home. They really should grow outside in FL. I still have some orchids, would prefer to keep only Paphs, they do good for me. Have several Phals, they rebloom for me - but they do not make my heart beat. I have 1 Beallara - that never ever blooms for me - and other odds and ends. Sanseverias? Not soft and cuddly at all.

Gessies are more challenge and more interesting - and some of them have the great WOW factor when they bloom. Plenty of soft and fuzzy and cuddly ones. If you can grow violets - you are oblidged to grow some - what gessies do you prefer?

I.

Sinningias do well for me, though not speciosas. I can't get them to grow worth a darn. Tried growing them center tube and close and wicked, but still, nothing. It would bud up, but then buds would turn brown, crispy and die. Maybe I let it get dry one too many times while it was budding up?

Kohlerias grow for me, but I've never been able to bring one into bloom. Shame, because I really do love them! I can grow them from rhizomes to nice compact plants, but they just won't bloom. Not even a bud!

So now, I've just gone in on a seed order with a friend from the Ges. Society. Keeping fingers crossed!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I grow streps too, but am seriously considering downsizing that collection. They require too much from me and are a bit more finicky than violets, in my opinion. I have an attitude with my streps right now. LOL

I do better with sinns and kohlerias now - I make dirty moss - and add dolomite lime. I take my regular 1:1:1 mix - add 30% of milled NZ sphagnum moss and about the same of extra coarse perlite - and a pinch of dolomite - and I put a layer of coarse perlite on the bottom - and I wick. Thad's idea. And it goes for all rhizomatous and tuberous. Streps - only add coarse perlite, no moss. And they like more light. They do OK under 2 tubes in a middle - but Kohlerias try to grow into tubes.
The only large Sinnigia that likes low light for me - is S. iarae. Mini-sinnigias - just like violets - 2 tubes - but - in dirty moss mix.

If you have a good semi-sunny window - Streps, Kohlerias and especially Nematanthus grow quite happy. And you do not need light setups - and you can hang them in baskets. The only issue - streps cannot stand heat. So - summer is a trying period for them.

But - I got down from couple hundred streps to 20 varieties - and it is still lots of streps. I am with you on them.

How far are you from DC gesneriad group? There are some of the top growers and hybridizers of the country in this club. Keep an eye on them, read their petaltones - and try to get to their Shows. I would say that the best advice you can get in your conditions can come from them.

I.

PS you can grow some stuff outside... I am envious.

Here is a link that might be useful: DC club

Thanks Irina. I know Brian Connor and Carol Hamelink.They are also members of the Baltimore African Violet Club, which is how I met both of them. He has a really good strep wicking mix which I tried last year. It worked pretty well, but I stopped because of some other issues with my streps. I enjoy reading petal tones and have gleaned quite a bit from the publications. One of these days when my life lets up a bit, I will join them, but they meet on Saturdays in DC which is not conducive to my schedule. I would love to be able to go, though!

Can't wait!
Just look for me at the registration desk--I plan to be a permanent fixture there! :-)

Hoping I can whip some plants into shape for show so I can finally say I've entered at a National... I was gonna try and enter last year but Lenny dumped my show plant on it's head OOPS! (Accident or sabotage? You decide!)

Since I know Lenny - he is mischievious enough to accidentally sit on it. I do not know about dumping.

Irina

Can't wait to meet you Anne Marie!

Irina--Oh, he dumped it alright. I watched it happen. He went to hand me the box it was in, it went upside-down, landed with a *THUMP* and then he said, "Oh... That was your plant, right?"

X_x

Shanika--Will be cool meeting you too! You're in Baltimore? I'll see you again later in the year at MAAVS too, then! Lenny and I are photographing it again this fall--WHOOHOO!

Mermie-

I think we can call it accidental death and dismemberment(?!?).

Next time - you mark the box with - TOP. BOTTOM, Do NOT TOSS, DO NOT TURN - and and a pic of skull with bones.So Lenny cannot claim it accidental anymore.

Want to go to DAVS? Warm up from the long winter in Maine?
Hilton in Ocala is not cheap - but we can rent a place in Shamrock roachmotel across the street - and seriously misbehave. Put Lenny in charge of mischief.

Irina

yes, I'm in Baltimore. I remember someone from BAVC, whose name I can't remember right now, mentioning that Lenny would be taking pics at the MAAVS. He is in charge of something for MAAVS. Ways and Means, maybe? Anyway, I'd never met him before and he lives in another part of Maryland, so that's why I can't remember his name. My point is, finally, LOL, that I knew when he mentioned that Lenny would be the photographer, that he was talking about Ann Marie's Lenny.:)

*coughgrumble* It's Lenny AND Ann-Marie that are the doing the photography for MAAVS. (I can't tell you how many times I hear "Lenny is photographing X show" and I think, "Wow, did I get the day off?")

Sorry Shanika, don't mean to shoot you as the messenger there :-p If you talk to that guy again, help a girl out & set him strait!

Irina--I SO WISH we could do DAVS this year! But we are going to AVSA Nationals AND the Gesneriad Convention--So I will see you there at least!

You betcha Lady, I sure will!

I'll be there also. You can find me sitting at the entries desk so bring a plant to enter.
Fred in NJ

Oh this is very exciting thinking of many internet buds I will get to meet!:)

I'll be there! I plan to arrive Thurs.
A friend and I want to buy at the pre-show sale Thurs. night,,,do we need to be a member of the AV society and also be registered for the show to do this? Any info about this would be appreciated!,,,Debbie

Hi Debbie,
According to the convention pages on the AVSA web site, the sales room is open to registered convention attendees only on Thursday.
There is a one-day registration available for $35.00, and I have emailed the AVSA to find out if the one-day registration is available to anyone or just AVSA members. I will let you know what I find out, as I want to be able to buy on Thursday too!
Donna

Just a suggestion... Why not join the AVSA? It's only $30 for a year, and they could certainly use members. And you'll get a magazine for the entire year--Whoohoo! (And if it's for your friend, what a perfect gift bait to reel in a new person to our struggling hobby!)

argh, i now consider myself a AV grower (with 2 nights of experience, aren't i over-eager) ["well, i recongnize this plants ability to make me a total slave to it>]

i have been admireing AV's for years, my late grandmother had an insane collection before her house caught fire, and she moved into a home a few years ago. I wished i started my gardening love earlier. She had probably 300 AVs

i wish i could go to those things, but ya, the whole high school thing prevents most of that.
Andrew

I heard back from AVSA, and the one-day registration is available to anyone, member or not.

Also, if you register before March 31st, and have a confirmed registration at the host hotel, you get a $10.00 discount, so that would make the cost of a one-day registration only $25.00!

It seems to me that just to see the show - not the talks - you need to come when the Show is open to the general public - and it should be $5-10 = or sometimes it is even free.

I.

Tickets to the show are 5 dollars this year.
Fred in NJ

Okay - I shouldn't have opened this thread.... I now have May 15 - 22 in my brain and on my calendar. I am less than an hour from Cherry Hill so I guess this means I can jump into this new addiction with both feet this spring.

Timing in life is everything :-)

Alexa

Yesssssssssssss, Alexa, timing is everything.:) Hope to meet you too!

Hey Alexa,
Don't forget to bring plants to show.
Fred in NJ

Thanks Fred - but I won't have anything ready. My entire collection is leaves with babies, and 3 NOIDS! I plan to pick up a few while I am there though :-)

BTW - I was at Philly Flower Show today - some really nice AVs there!

A