Both the Empress single strain and Brocade doubles have done well for me, in traditional colors (solid red, pink, white, purple and red picotees). Here are some seed-grown Brocade plants flowering about four months out from sowing:

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Anyone know of other good varieties available, maybe with speckled markings or in unusual colors?

Nancy

if you google "gloxinia seeds" - since the common name of Sinningia speciosa is "florist gloxinia" - you will see lots of hits. Amazon sells them, Thompson and Morgan sells them etc.

The issue is that the seeds lose their viablity quite soon, so seed them as soon as you get them - on a surface of the soil in a covered container and give them good light. The rest of the seeds should be stored in a fridge.

Charles Lawn is an Australian, his seeds and tubers very rarely make it here and they are not available commercially. So - keep an eye on ebay until the seller posts them again. Investigate who was selling them - and send him an email through ebay.

Florist gloxinias are not in a vogue right now - so even in a former AGGS - now the Gesneriad Society - you see - even the name "gloxinia' was dropped from the name of the society - not very many people grow them. There are probably some seeds in a Society Seed Fund - but you need to be a member to get access to them. (It is a very good thing to do, to join this society - lots of interesting stuff to grow and good people to socialize.)

Good Luck

irina