Well I completely forgot about this post, so I figure I better get it up. It was such a cool plant event at the time, and then with moving I completely forgot about it. I didn't notice this until I went to water the plant one day and saw a long string of fluff coming off the plant. When I went to wipe it away, I found it to be attached.
I have no idea what could have pollinated this, but I do remember trying to do it myself once or twice, so maybe I was successful. Other than that, it was strictly an indoor plant, and the only insects around would be the odd moth or housefly.
I collected the seeds in a baggie, and I had intentions of sending it to the gesneriad seed bank, but I didn't even find the baggie until yesterday when I was unpacking plants. I am not sure if they are still viable, but I am going to try and plant a few over the next few days, and if they are still viable, I might still send them off to the seed bank.
I have to admit that it was quite a unique thing to see, it's not something one sees everyday. The next time I get flowers on any of my lipstick plants, I am definetely going to try and cross them again, with hopes that maybe it was me and not a stray bug. All I did was take one flower off, remove the outer flower petals, and inserted the one into the other, and moved it around. We all know how it's done......lol. Complete botanical porn......for the gardener of course.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Aeschynanthus Longicaulis Seed Pods
Wildflowers around Amherst
So this is where I am now, across the country from where I was originally. I spent close to $400 shipping hoya's and plants across the country.....I know crazy, but I love them.....lol. I think I can finally start getting back to my plants again after a bit of a hiatus. 
It's a beautiful place here, I went from a zone 2 to like a zone 5.....what an incredible variety of plants I can grow now outside.....lol. The wildflowers that grow around here are amazing! I think the pic above is of morning glory......let me know if I am wrong someone.......I need some id's on these ones.
I am not sure what the above yellow flowers are, but they are everywhere, and they are quite rampant. I think they are just beautiful. Anyone have an id??
These pink and white flowers are everywhere too, and ants seem to love them. Again I don't have an id, but I sure do think they are pretty. I am amazed at the flowers that grow wild here.
These couple pics of the yellow flowers are again nameless for now to me. They are quite big, and they make a nice little bouquet of flowers for kids to pick and bring home......lol. They are growing wild everywhere too. The sides of the road are scattered with yellow and purple flowers. It is just a beautiful part of the country.
Even the odd things you can find on a walk in the woods here are amazing. Here is an old tree house many many years old we found out back of the house. It is overgrown and broken, but still a beautiful sight to see on a summer day's walk.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Hoya Compacta Flower from Start to Finish
My compacta just had an umbel of flowers open up, and I actually caught a few pics of the flowers opening. They look so neat when they are in the process of opening, which only lasts a few hours. Even though I have seen this hoya flower a few times, I still love seeing it's flowers and I still love the smell of this one the best (chocolate).
