My Newest Gesneriad: Kohleria

After a rough evening of therapeutic foster parenting—that had been preceded by three other difficult days and evenings with the same 10-year-old client—when my husband arrived home last night I knew that the first thing I would do when I gained my freedom today was run up the hill to the spring plant sale put on by the Portland African Violet Society. As usual, I was not disappointed, and as always, it was the calm and soothing plant purchasing experience I needed on a day like today.

I am just a novice when it comes to my knowledge of African Violets and their many lovely cousins, but from what I have been learning from watching last year's acquisitions over the past seven months or so, these plants are just a lovely addition to any collection of houseplants and for those of us who want to see blooms and blooms, these do not seem to disappoint.

One of today's purchases was this Kohleria "Tropical Night" plant. As can be seen in the photo, it was hard to miss at the sale and I was really excited once I put it in the windowsill upon my arrival home. Though it will grow quite a bit more in the coming months, its lush tropical Central American beauty just warmed my heart and melted away something tired inside of me. What I'm left with after that is my continual and ongoing fascination with African Violet folks, and an earache I just cannot get rid of from this horrible head cold I've contracted sometime in the last few days.

Spring Plant Sales

It is that crazy time of year again. There are tons of plant sales, so many poor plants out there in search of a home, and here I am pining away—as usual. I don't even know what I want, but I know that I want it. This pain inside of me is so bad that I love it when I can share it with someone else who feels the same burning need themselves.

My current plant obsessed gardening partner is out of the country right now, but that did not stop me from asking her what she wanted. Her distance did not stop her from giving me a short list of things to look for this upcoming weekend. What I didn't tell her is that this weekend will be amazing. (She is still new to the area.)

So, to all those who may care, here is the list of Spring Plant Sales:
Sat & Sun: HPSO (Hardy Plant Society of Oregon) sale at the Expo Center
Sat: Villa Garden Club Plant Sale, a local plant club sale at a local church on top of Mt Tabor on SE Stark
Sat: The annual Leach Botanical Garden fundraising sale
Sat: Earth Day at The Oregon Garden
Sun: Beginning of the Berry Botanic members' sale as they clear out their nursery

Gesneriaceae: Streptocarpus "Spin Art"

This amazing little bloom has cheered me up immensely. I purchased the little start back during the fall with a friend at one of the Portland African Violet Society sales here in Portland. Up until then, I'd always enjoyed African Violets, but now I really love them, and their other family members too. This is Streptocarpus "Spin Art". It was hybridized by Thompson and has been available for some time now. It is very popular and I can see why. The gourd planter it is currently housed in is a vintage Red Wing Pottery hanging planter I bought a year or two ago. I love how it showcases the bloom.

My Favorite Garden Memberships

With October 1st only hours away I am proud to say that I have renewed many of my memberships—finally. By far, my membership with the American Horticultural Society is the most rewarding. Their publications are great, annual seed sales splendid, and they have a wonderful education program. (My dream is to be one of their publishing interns. You work for 6 months-I think-at their offices located on a farm which once belonged to George Washington.) In addition, they have one of the largest reciprocal garden programs I have ever seen. You are allowed discounts all over the place.
The Berry Botanic Garden is a local membership I renewed today. With an annual membership you are able to choose 10 free packets of seeds each year during the winter months. I usually buy an additional dozen because the varieties are often hard-to-find plants.
I renewed my Leach Garden membership a few weeks ago. I just cannot say how much I love visiting there. As part of the local Portland Parks System, it is a jewel, and during my trip over there I bought tons of native seeds. I just couldn't resist. Their gift shop is full of all kinds of things I really enjoy. (They offer special plants for sale and have a great compost display area showing you urban composting ideas for your own home.) Photo taken at Leach Botanical Garden, Spring 2008

Garden Memberships and Volunteerism

If I could, I probably would join every public garden in the US, if not the world! Not only do I enjoy their newsletters, plant sales, events and seed sales, but part of me always longs to visit them too. In my area alone I belong to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, the Portland Japanese Garden, the Berry Botanic Garden and the Leach Botanical Garden. In addition, I belong to the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon and the Portland Rose Society. This just sounds crazy, but I simply cannot live without them! In a way, this all allows me to stay in touch with the world when so much of my time is spent resting on the couch or otherwise. If I could right now, I really would like to earn a Master's in landscape architecture, but my health just won't allow for this until the plasma product is available.

I am a member of the Garden Conservancy as well as the American Horticultural Society. They do so many good things, I just cannot say enough about them and they really inspire me to want more out of my own life and garden. Years ago, while visiting Alcatraz Island, I longed to see what the gardens had once looked like, and now, the Garden Conservancy is helping to make that happen. The American Horticultural Society really tries to tie our nation of gardeners together and is run out of one of George Washington's farms. Although I love this kind of tradition, being a 22-generation American on the one hand, I would love to see a bit more of the West too since that is where my heart and soul are for the time being.

The volunteering part is often the hardest part for me. I would love to be able to help them all more, but I just cannot. Things being what they are right now, I have to try to make a living as much as I can. No matter what happens, though, I will continue to renew my memberships again and again.