Self-employed is...

Self-employed is a good life

Story # 103, O. T.,


Self-employed is…


      My Dad and Grandpa were Farmers with their own farms.   When I was a kid, I never once heard the term self-employed.  They were just Farmers --- that’s what they did.


      In commercial floriculture there are very few high paying jobs.  When starting out 40 years ago, I saw that to get such a job would require tremendous stressful work.  If I had to do that, I should just work for myself.


      Self-employed is often like having the work of being employed and getting the income of being unemployed.

What's the report on 'Li'l Georgie'?

Sinninigia 'Li'l Georgie' - 'Mini' Plant for Miniature Gardens

Story # 104,


What’s the report on Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’?


      So where are we in the distribution of Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’?


      From the very beginning with the observation that ‘Li’l Georgie’ was a breakthrough in the micro mini Sinningia category, supply of plants has been the limiting factor.


      Production by tissue culture was the answer and by trial and error, hundreds were grown to finished flowering plants for sale.  Over 600 have been sold locally.


      Sales have been underwhelming.  Is it because we don’t have the right story yet?


      One ‘Li’l Georgie’ was bought at Longwood Gardens at Christmas and grown as a specimen plant that won a Blue ribbon in the Springfield African Violet Show in April.


      Another ‘Li’l Georgie’ fan has one and was searching for five more to give as gifts.


      A woman responded to a mention in the Philadelphia Inquirer that a very unique tiny flowering plant was available at Longwood Gardens Plant Shop.


      Is this how it’s going to be?


      The supply is still limited and distribution is very local.  I don’t see any showing up on eBay.


      There is currently a break in my tissue culture stream but I expect that it will be solved.


      When we can project 1000 plants per month, then we will find out if this ‘Mini’ flowering plant for Miniature Gardens will make people happy.

It could be better...

Nematanthus australis - First Flower



Story # 102,


It could be better…


      Finally I have a flower after waiting for months for buds and then the first flower on Nematanthus australis.  It’s very nice---- a bright yellow pouch-like, guppy-like flower. 


     There are now many buds with reddish calyx and the plant will look great when they open on the multi-branched plant.


      This will be a saleable plant if it is picked for production.  But, it could be better…


      As speculated before, it could be worth the effort to cross N. australis with N. gregarius or N. ‘Cheerio’.

 
      Nematanthus ‘Cheerio’ is the best Nematanthus hybrid with shiny leaves and candy corn flowers.  The new goal would be shiny leaves with candy-corn flowers without the orange---- yellow guppy flowers.


      So why not be happy with what we have?


      There is always room for the ‘New’.  I’m guessing that a ‘Cheerio’ plant with yellow flowers would be a hit.


      No one will know until we have one.

'Fluffy Ruffle' Fern - 'Mini' Plants for Miniature Gardens

'Fluffy Ruffle' Fern

Seventh in a series,


Common name:  ‘Fluffy Ruffle’ Fern

Botanical name:  Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Fluffy Ruffle’
Height: 5”  Width:  4”
  Why would you want it?


      ‘Fluffy Ruffle’ Fern is the best bushy compact Fern.


What is its best feature?


      The best small Fern.  A standard in the trade with the Boston Fern look.


How would you grow it?


      From high light to low light.  Should not be in a desert scene but can be durable.


What would you do with it in a Miniature Garden?


      It could be the bushy filler plant with some height.

The Buzzard Baby Today

  Story # 100, Part II, O. T.

Buzzard Baby sitting back, resting his legs

Standing up today, ready to go

Nice view of the guardian's power beak



The Buzzard Baby

Story # 100, Part I,  O. T.

With one egg,the results were uncertain this year

The egg hatched on Sunday, 21 April 2013

The chick, 7 days old, has grown rapidly