What will be the common name for Achimenes?

                                 Achimenes 'Red Elf' grown by Ron Myhr, Aug, 2021

What will the common name be for Achimenes?

 

Achimenes               ah-KIM-eh-neez

 

 Achimenes are pretty flowering summer plants not commonly seen.

 

They were a commercial crop about 50 years ago and then disappeared.  Interest in Achimenes continued in the Gesneriad hobby world but seldom anywhere else.

 

With work and luck, they may make a comeback.  I’ve obtained the best-in- the-World hybrids from Romania and will be introducing them to the North American market.

 

Achimenes are long day to flower, so plants started in the spring, will flower through the summer, and go dormant in the fall after making underground rhizomes.

 

Here is the problem.  There is no good common name.  A Google search will give you:

Cupid’s bow, hot water plants, magic flower, monkey faced pansy, Mother’s tears, nut-orchid, Orchid pansy, star of India, widow’s tears.

 

I’ll just jump to the conclusion.  None of these existing common names make any sense nor are any good.

 

The field is wide open.

 

What should the common name be?

 

Purists will want us to learn to say Achimenes {ah-KIM-eh-neez}

 

We practical humans will want an easy memorable common name.  Nobody says:  “Have you seen my Aeschynanthus radicans?”  They say: “Wow. Look at my Lipstick Plant with its red flowers.”

 

With no good established common name for Achimenes, the time is right.

 

What will the common name be?

'Prudence Risley' has passed the test...

                                 Sinningia 'Prudence Risley' bought at Longwood Gardens - 2012

            Plants come and go, and some should stay.

 

            Sinningia ‘Prudence Risley’ has proven itself to be a dependable flowering houseplant and needs to be available to garden centers.  It has red tubular flowers that open in succession on a short branched green plant.

 

            Production could be speeded up with tissue culture turning out thousands, but top cuttings can work if commitment is made to enough stock plants.  Root one tip, cut its top piece for the next crop.  The two to four branches set bud quickly and will flower with a head of bright red flowers to draw attention of indoor gardeners.      ----- A side issue is that it wants to flower so much that it’s hard to keep the shoots vegetative for propagation.

 

            After a long flowering period, the top will die back and look ugly.  A tuber has been forming and will resprout for another round of top growth and flowering --- A very rewarding plant.

 

            My neighbor, Vicky, has her ‘Prudence’ in a big patio container for summer flowering.  She keeps the tuber in the planter over the winter in a cool and dry basement.

 

            ‘Prudence' can be in a small hanging basket at a window so it can get maximum light to keep it short for flowering. 

 

            Even if it must stretch for light it will flower on the trailing stems.  Some people like free form.  I like short and sturdy.

 

            Sinningia ‘Prudence Risley’ has been tested for over 10 years.  It’s pretty and red.

 

            Try one and tell your friends.

                           'Prudence Risley' grown by Jim Steurerlein -Hybridizer

Who wants to tissue culture my plants?

Sinningia 'Colorado Sunset'

        

                                                                                  
 

Who wants to produce my tissue culture plants?

 

            Maybe there is someone out there that wants to propagate my specialty plants with their own tissue culture lab?

 

            The commercial labs that I’ve talked to are too busy with the hundreds of clones that can benefit from this specialized technique.

 

            Specifically, I want someone to give me Stage II unrooted top cuttings of Sinningias.  Stage II is slightly hardened unrooted top shoots that can be shipped to me, and I will root them.  I’ve done this before until my sources disappeared.

 

            Commercial labs mostly have production greenhouses associated with them to grow plantlets to Stage IV, rooted plugs ready for transplant.

 

            But I only need the test tube part of the system.  I’ve not done it, but clever adventurous homeowners have done this in their kitchens.

 

            The serious science is in establishing the correct protocol for the chemicals in the agar.  The formula is known for Sinningias and there are sources for the media.

 

            So, who wants to do it?

 

            Please email me, gary@garysspecialtyplants.com with your plan.  It would be a great service to Horticulture.

What is the next BIG thing in houseplant trends?

Aeschynanthus 'Big Apple'

 

What’s the next Big thing in houseplant trends?

 

            The booming houseplant trend is dominated by foliage plants.

 

            Although it seems like there is an infinite number of foliage houseplants to choose from, sooner or later, customers will get bored.

 

Garden center managers do not want bored buyers --- they will stop coming into the store looking for interesting plants.

 

            So, what’s next?

 

            We know what it is.

 

            Flowering houseplants.

 

            You know, we have done this before.  The last houseplant boom added flowering plants into the mix, and it worked.

 

            All those young people who have found indoor plants to be satisfying were smart to start with Pothos, ZZ plants and other indestructible’s.

 

            Now, some adventurous indoor growers will want to move up to houseplants that flower.

 

            We have some already --- African Violets, Phalaenopsis Orchids, Crown of Thorns, Begonias.

 

            All along we have had holiday flowers, but they get thrown away.  We want the sustainable ones that potentially can flower repeatedly with higher hobby skill --- Christmas Cactus, Aeschynanthus ‘Big Apple’, Sinningia ‘Prudence Risley’ and all other Gesneriads.

There is no end in sight !

  Don't Stop

There is no end in sight !  The demand for houseplants is on an upward path.  Every time we think that every plant lover is satisfied, we get giant orders from our Independent Garden Center customers.  I get requests from new plant shop operators about every day.

 

On March 21, we stopped taking new customers because our weekly supply quickly sold out.  Now, we have more variety and more plants, so we are opening up sales to new customers.

 

With our added small hanging baskets with new different varieties, we have a longer live inventory list.  Additionally, our supply line has caught up a little bit and incoming starter plants are actually showing up.

 

We are inviting in our waiting list and hope to be able to absorb the new demand.

 

Producing interesting plants is fun and seeing a new generation of indoor gardeners appreciate them is rewarding.

The Best Marketing Strategy

'wittle' Hanging Basket

 

            “The best marketing strategy is to create a great product!”

                                    Josh Spector

 

            “If you build it, they will come.”

Field of Dreams

 

 

Every new product designer expects their creation to be immediately accepted and that it will take over the World.

 

We already know that our 10 cm ‘wittle’ hanging basket meets a need of indoor gardeners.  It’s cute and can fill small spaces at the window.

 

Our Independent Garden Center (IGC) customers are finding them easy to sell when displayed in their houseplant sections.

 

Are they selling themselves?  It’s hard to know.  We’re selling about 1,000 per week, so that’s a good sign.

 

What’s the next move to sell more?

 

Increase availability with more and different varieties.  Have them in more stores.

 

Why does Coke dominate the drink world?  Ubiquity.  Coke is everywhere.

 

Will ‘wittle’ hanging baskets be everywhere?  Unlikely.

 

Go to your local IGC and ask for one.

How could you not?

Primulina 'Xuan's Party Dress'

 

           This Primulina ‘Xuan’s Party Dress’ is flowering in my West kitchen window.

 

            It has been there for several years and flowers 2-3 times a year.  I call it a success.

 

            How could you not want one?

When is enough, too many?

Baby Bears are cute

When is enough, too many?

 

            A rare set of events has been happening in the commercial houseplant business.  There are too many buyers and not enough sellers.  This almost never happens.

 

            Look at other industries.  When the oil price goes up, the wells pump more crude oil.  When the price of gas goes down, the wells stop drilling and wait for the next price change.

 

            Greenhouse production space can relatively easily convert from Spring plants or flowering plants to houseplants.  However, the demand for all plants is so strong, there is little need for changing crops.

 

            The demand side for houseplants is running its own exponential run-away demand curve--- straight up.  Homeowners have discovered the decorative value of greenery with houseplants.

 

            The supply is stretched from both ends.

 

            Our delightful record sales are near the breaking point.

 

            I’ve decided to not accept any new customers.  We will start a waiting list of interested buyers until our situation changes.