Chaz,
Blanca is right up the coast from you. I am jealous! So...guess this means you sold the house in MA (change your zone please!!). Maybe we can catch up in October as I'll be in Sac!!
HUGS!!
Kristi

Thanks Kristi, Keep me posted on your trip out to Sac. Yes, house in MA sold and have an offer on place in ME. Chase has been out here since August of last year.
Nice sitting at my table looking out the window at a palm. Why did I ever return to the North East in the past???

Welcome to the Bay!!! I live in the bay area but I just started growing hipps this year so I can't say for sure how well they do outdoors, though I'm sure they'd love to be outside all year round. According to one member, hipps can stay green here all year long when planted in the ground. I'll be putting my plants outside in containers as soon as I get some systemic because I don't know if NBF is an issue here, but I'd rather not take my chances. Did you have to leave any plants behind?

Jared

Here is a link that might be useful: Amaryllis Outdoors

Hello Chaz...hope all is well with you.

Update from me: I'm now a grandmother to a baby girl!

Xuan

Xuan!!! Congratulations! I'm sure she's a beautiful child.

Jared, I left quite a few plants behind. Very sad, some over 100 years old that have been in the family on the east coast. those were given to family. I lost most of my hippis to NBF in MA, the few that were clean came with me after a check and double check. Lots of Orchids were given to a friend as well as many common houseplants. I took some cuttings of ones I knew would not make agriculture inspection with soil and roots. I also left behind any that were just to big to transport. Movers took furniture and other belongings, I took the few plants and bulbs in the car with me for the drive cross country.
I've lived in a few different places around the globe, I have family that will keep my treasures safe for me in the event that I return to the northeast. I also try to propagate what I can and eventually will have rooted cuttings or seeds of most sent to me.

I did make sure an ammocharis coranica and Boophane distichta came along and were safe for the transport.

Chaz, that's really great that you have people in your life that will take in precious plants in need of homes. None of the people close to me have green thumbs so my plants would be doomed. I'm not sure what kind of orchids you like to grow, but there are always cheap NOIDs available at the local farmer's markets. Most are well into blooming, but they're only $5 to $20 generally. Trader Joe's also has a good selection depending on the store. Cattleyas can stay outside all year round in these parts. You can also check out the San Francisco Flower Mart if you are ever in that area (check out their Yelp page) for an even greater selection of orchids for similar prices as well as a few stores dedicated to houseplants though the bulk of the stalls sell cut flowers for florists. Since spring just started, now would be a good time to start putting things in the ground if you have the space. If I had a nice space to plant in the ground, I'd plant a lot of colocasias (taro/ elephant ears), caladiums, and miniature tropical water lilies in container ponds. I've lived my whole life in this area yet I've never taken advantage of the subtropical climate. I'm sure you already have you own garden plans though haha.

I have many seed pods from my hipps that should be ready in a month or so if you would like some seeds.

Jared

Here's a photo of our granddaughter to share with you, Chaz.

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Xuan

Xuan!!!! she is absolutely perfect! How do you let anyone near her! I remember when my mother had her first grandchild, no one could get near her when Grandma was around!
blessings to you and your family
Chaz

Jared,
I plan on putting in a few colocasia, we're going to plant mainly fruiting trees, figs, persimmon, citrus. A few palms as well, eventually we want to put a small pool in but going to wait a few years. We've been moving pretty frequently and I've learned the lesson to wait a few years before major renovations! I can't wait to find the farmers markets and visit the flower market. I've already bought 2 cymbidium orchids, did manage to take a cattleya and dendrobium that I've had for many years. NOIDs are fine with me.
Luckily my family and friends back east generally have green thumbs, my family has kept a snake plant/mother in laws tongue going since the 1800s! I've taken a cutting of it here with me, my brother now has the main plant and various family members have pieces of it.
Chaz

Sorry for the mix up Chaz, I meant to say that cymbidiums orchids like it outside all year, not cattleyas. I've seen blooming pots of cymbidiums go for $20 at the farmer's market, but many can also be found on Craigslist. At the local 99 Ranch I picked up 5 small taro corms for 76 cents total. The large ones are $2.49 a pound, but I think they are the same regular green variety. Stay away from the ones with soft spots. To figure out which way is up, I just soak the corms in warm water for 20 minutes a day until I see which end the green shoots popping out from. Stock tanks/water troughs are a fast easy way to add a water feature without any real commitment, though they don't exactly scream tropical oasis.

That's a really long time to keep a plant alive! Do you include it in your family portraits? I know I would. I'm still trying to track down the hipps my grandma grew. I know that someone in my family took them from my grandmother's garden when she passed away so I hope they're still around somewhere. She started growing them about 15 years ago from a boxed kit when she used to live with my family so it would mean a lot if I could get a hold of some offsets.

Jared

I'm about 150 miles North of you. I hope you enjoy the Bay Area... lots of cultural diversity and plenty to do! I earned my masters at UC Berkeley and still sometimes wish I lived a little closer to the Bay Area!

Xuan, your granddaughter is absolutely precious!

Tina

Tina, So far I still feel like I'm on vacation even with the unpacking. I'm sure once I find work that will change. I'm sure I will enjoy the area, just planning out my little garden is so enjoyable!

Jared, no one in the family really makes a big deal of the plant, we just keep it going. Someone always has a piece of it to share when others lose it or need to pass it on to another family member. Luckily my family members all have green thumbs even if they don't have the passion for it I do.
I'll have to make a grow tent or put my cattleya and dendrobium nobile in the garage when winter comes along.
Just bought a calocasia calidora for a corner of the garden, hope it is hardy here as it's a huge variety. It easily got leaves 2.5 x 4 feet long in Massachusetts in one season. I want the garden to look as tropical as possible.
Have a great day all, finishing my coffee then off to unpacking.
Chaz

Chaz...thanks! You're right, I never wanted to "share" the girl with anyone :)

How do you like the Bay Area? I was there for more than a year and loved it so much. You can grow many many things so easily there.

Hope you will try (and like) some Vietnamese food in San Jose.

Cheers

Xuan

Xuan, so far I love it here. I have to find someone to translate the foods for me it has been many years since I've eaten Vietnamese food! I do remember liking it, but at my weight it's easy to see I like all kinds of foods!
I can't wait to get my garden going, already have a hyachia persimmon waiting to get in the ground.

:))

Xuan

Flowers for you dearest Chaz...

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Hello Maria, long time no...read! Hope all is well with you and yours.

What is the plant on the left of your photo? So beautiful.

Xuan

OMG, Maria they are both gorgeous! Haxuan the left plant is a clivia, they also grow outside here! Between clivias and Cymbidium orchids I"m going to be in trouble with Chase. !
Maria, great seeing you on here!
Chaz

I use to live in San Jose. I am now on the Central Coast by Santa Cruz up in the mountains. I use to plant my Amaryllis outside and they did great for years. Then they started to disappear. I don't know if it was gophers (you get a ton of those out here), ground squirrels, moles or voles or some disease like NBF. You could get a gopher cage at OSH or HD and plant them in that in the ground to protect them from the above. I don't know how to protect them from NBF and such.
Good luck and welcome to the West Coast.
Clare

Clare, thank you for the welcome! I've just found the flea market here and have bought cymbidiums for 15$ huge with 4 stems of blooms. I'm in deep trouble here...LOL
Thanks for the info about the Gophers etc, I'm thinking of keeping my hippis in pots although I live near an OSH so I'll check out the cages for the bulbs. I really don't wan to loose the few I've managed to keep going after the past few years in MA.
Thanks again,
Chaz

They are called "Root Guard". You plant your rose bush, or any other long term plant, in this wire basket so the gopher can't chew on the roots. Here is a picture and some information on them. Gophers are the West Coast Bane. They can destroy a garden or orchard. You might have to get traps to keep them under control. You will find them at OSH or HD.

Enjoy all the wonderful plants you can have in CA.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: Root Guard � Gopher Wire Basket

Chaz: thanks for the ID. I've never seen a yellow/cream clivia before!

Xuan

Clare, thanks so much for the link about the gopher baskets. I think I have a tunnel or two going on in my front yard!
Did you have any issues with them going over the top of the baskets?
I've just trimmed the bases of the few hippis I was able to take and will be planting them in a few days. My paps are alreading in pots, I'll be leaving them there as they are in orchid medium.
Thanks again,
Chaz

Thanks guys!

Yes Xuan..I still do drop by in here once in a while. I am getting old and getting tired of posting. I think I have posted enough in here for the past 4 or 5 years? Can't remember...Let the younger ones "hold the torch".

And yes Xuan that is a clivia. I am so much into it now as this plant thrives so well here in my growing conditions WITHOUT me needing to spray any poisons. Yes, my garden now is chemical free! This I think is my biggest trophy as a gardener.

Chaz...You gotta grow em clivias. You are now in clivia paradise!

More pics to share...

Grandbaby, Summer with Lola's flowers
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I'm jealous of your flea market find of a $15 Cymbidium with 4 flower stems! I'm just a little too far north for Cymbidiums to thrive... I grew them for many years just a little further south. Unfortunately the last few winters claimed almost all of my Cyms... what a difference a colder winter makes! Hope you enjoy your new digs. The Bay Area is a blast (I earned my Masters at UC Berkeley... I miss the Bay Area). -Tina

Hello Maria...your grandbaby is so sweet! Thanks for posting her photo.

Love to see your posting.

Xuan