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mwedzi

Northern Illinois Gesneriad Show and Sale

mwedzi
19 years ago

The AGGS affiliated group I just joined is having a show and sale this upcoming weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 3pm at the Friendship Park Conservatory in Des Plaines Illinois. Should be fun.

Comments (6)

  • larry_b
    19 years ago

    Nikki,

    Sounds like fun. You should be able to find lots of gessie to buy.

    Have fun,

    Larry

  • larry_b
    19 years ago

    Hi Nikki,

    How was the gesnariad show? Did you enjoy yourself? Did you buy lots of gessies?

    Larry

  • mwedzi
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi Larry,

    Well, it was okay. There wasn't so much this time. The sale they had last March, where I first knew about them, was much bigger and the show was much nicer. I did, strangely enough, buy for a mere $5 a large rooted cutting of a beautiful variegated Monstera! I got a rooted african violet leaf with babies, and I got an episcia cutting. But that's it. There was a very big and very nice Dibley's Gold someone had that made me ashamed to come home to mine (esp. after the bunny ate 1/2 of it). But I'll grow out some things nice and pretty for the show and try to propagate at least 20 items, that's my goal at least, for the show in March.

    I did also go to the Lake Shore African Violet Society's show and sale. Not much variety on the sale, almost entirely Optimaras, but they did have a few streps (more than the gessie society had!) and they had a beautiful show. I nearly dropped over dead from someone's Arctic Frost and another person's Victorian Flirt. Good googamooga, they were pristine!

  • jon_d
    19 years ago

    Hi Nikki,
    Aren't shows fun. We had a plant sale on Sunday for our chapter (San Francisco). I managed to unload three trays of plants so am pleased to have the room now for more plants, which I will propagate for our next sale. I donate all of them.

    Don't you love that monstera. You almost certainly got the clone which I named 'Super Clone'. I have been bringing them to the convention for years as donations for the fund raising auction. My goal was to have this wonderful clone propagated by everyone until it was everywhere. Now you have it (hehehe). At the auctions it would go for up to $40 and never lower than $20, so you got it for a very good price. It not only has very nice variegation on the leaves and stems but also is quite vigorous and easy to grow.

    I got it from one of our members, who, in turn, got it in a trade from Holland. He gave me the first cutting from his plant and then he passed away at the age of 90. His plant went somewhere never to be seen again, but I have spread it around.

  • mwedzi
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Jon, that is such a cool story about where this plant (most likely) came from. It really is beautiful, and I was just amazed that she would sell it to me for $5. It's not a tiny cutting either, a good size.

    Sounds like you got rid of a lot of plants! Your show and sale must have been so nice. Ours was reeeally small, we mostly just sold to each other! The day I was there I only saw 2 non-members buy something. But the show in March will definitely be nicer, they really prepare for that one. It's at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, and I think it's judged by AGGS judges. I will try to grow something nice. My strep "Heavenly Scent" is currently in perfect form. I have to get batteries for my camera, then I will show you guys some pics.

  • larry_b
    19 years ago

    Jon,

    When the national convention was in Denver (I think around 1998) there was a variegated monstera deliciosa offered by silent auction. I wondered what it was doing at a gesnariad show. I had thought of bidding, but I was not able to go back and collect it if I had won. Now I know what it was doing there.

    I felt fortunate to visit the show that year. Unfortunately because of my health I was not able to participate in any of the functions.

    If I were to join a plant club in Denver it would be the 3Gs. I know a few members and they are really nice and really nice to me. I see them every year at the African violet show in the spring and the gesnariad show in the fall. Again, my health does not permit me to drive down to their meetings though.

    Larry

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