If All Goes Well, Fuchsias Will Be The Focus This Year

  

     If all goes well, then this just might be the year that I am able to finally get all of my fuchsia stock growing well enough to make and grow cuttings from all of them.  For the last ten years, all I've been able to do is pretty much just try to keep them alive while I worked jobs and grew lavender to raise funds for the fuchsias. 

    Selling lavender has proved to be a huge waste of time now that all e-commerce sites have become all about what thousands are searching for and one of a kind or unusual items few people know about are lost completely.  I have had to waste far too much time trying to get my lavender wands noticed.  So much time that in the end, I don't make any money on it.  In fact I lose money after all of the fees, shipping, advertising, etc.

    I do love growing lavender and using it to make all sorts of things.  But practically everyone with a lavender bush or two sells lavender sachets.  Which is why I have always made a practice of just giving them away along with every invoice.  

    So from now on, I will make a few lavender wands in the summer, as it is something I hope to continue to be able to do way past my retirement when that day comes.  I have always hoped my lavender wands would be established enough by then that I could depend on them for a bit of extra income by then.

    The focus this year must be growing blooming perennials such as fuchsias.  I do love fuchsias and it has always been my hope to preserve as many of the upright heirloom hybrids as possible.  

    Meanwhile, I do hope that the lavender will sell itself somehow and redeem itself by paying off the funds invested in that effort and maybe even help fund growing the fuchsias.

    The fuchsia shown above is 'Annabel' and is in full bloom right now in mid-January of 2021.  She is benefiting from the radiant heat of one of the windows here and I can see her from my desk.  Along with about 15 other varieties I have put on a shelf high enough to be even with the window.

    And of course this also means I get to watch the hummingbirds up close while I am working on my computer!  Even a Ruby Crowned Kinglet has come by to look under each leaf for insects.

    All of the streptocarpus are doing well too and I hope to begin making cuttings of the ones I chose to keep as stock plants.

Pink Sunshine

 Icy white with a bit of raspberry drizzle, right!?

Harlequin Streptocarpus Cape Primrose

I confess that the ones with purples and blues in them are my favorites.

 

Purple Blanket Stitch Streptocarpus

Isn't it cool how the colors in so many flowers highlight their veins?  One person remarked that the edges of this one looked like it had been blanket stitched.

 

I Have Realized Almost All Have Seven Stripes

As I attempt to tell them apart and not post the same one twice, I have come to realize that all visible throat patterns have a pattern of seven.  Two, three, two.

Bear in mind as I post these, that I need to decide which ones to keep and then propagate from leaf cuttings.  Breaking my wrist in July was a huge set back, because there are hundreds of itty bitty ones that have been waiting all summer for me to tease them apart and transplant them.  At the moment, it is so hot, they'd fry from the shock.  I hope to begin soon though.  As room in the greenhouse for the winter will be a premium and who gets to stay and who has to make it outdoors remains to be seen.  

And not forgetting the fuchsia cuttings!

  I really like this one!

 

Blooming in the Sunshine

This beauty has sunlight on her petals because I really do grow them outdoors where they get morning and or late afternoon sun. 

One After Another

 Even I have been amazed at the range of colors and patterns which have been opening up all year from the microscopic seed I sowed in May of 2019.

And again, all of these can also be found on Instagram under various hashtags such as #floweringshadeplants  💜😀

Saturday Morning Blue on White

 I submitted this one to be the cover for a groups cover photo, but they went with a marbled purple.  I have never really been into the marbled look...  But I do like this!

Blue Sunshine

 Don't forget that all of these have already also been posted to Instagram under the hashtags for #streptocarpus #capeprimrose #gesnariads #floweringshadeplants #floweringhouse plants etc.  And almost all of the photos I take are of the ones growing outdoors where they either get a bit of morning sun or late afternoon sun.

They are ALL my favorites!

Cape Primrose Streptocarpus Gesnariads Are Showing Colors

Just a quick update on the the new colors that are showing up in the streptocarpus that have begun to bloom.  Here are a pink and a purple.  There is another one opening up that is going to be a deep maroon red and another one that is going to be a very pale pink.

I am going to keep the ones that are showing colors so I can make cuttings from the leaves and be able to offer baby streps with known colors in the future.  This is so exciting, I have waited so long to see this species of gesneriaceae bloom again like they once did under my cherry trees.

Look out!  These are going to be the new outdoor shade flowering rock stars.