{"id":3149,"date":"2015-09-22T19:05:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-22T23:05:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-13T17:38:09","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T21:38:09","slug":"my-ongoing-begonia-and-gesneriad-denial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardern.co.za\/2015\/09\/my-ongoing-begonia-and-gesneriad-denial\/","title":{"rendered":"MY ONGOING BEGONIA AND GESNERIAD DENIAL"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This Petrocosmea, may change your mind about gesneriads – those African Violet relatives that just may make better terrarium plants than, well, terrarium plants. I am convinced once other garden bloggers catch on, these will be as popular as succulents. Oh, and in case you are wondering, succulents make sucky terrarium plants. With it’s Epic Fibonacci-ness aside. It’s really true: – “once you go hairy, it ain’t so scary” – Cool rooms, bright light.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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A collection of small, Petrocosmea plants.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nSometimes, I am just my own worst enemy. Sure, I can just keep saying it over and over again to people – ” well, you know\u2026.I just can’t get that<\/i> interested in gesneriads or even begonias for that matter. I don’t have the room, and they really don’t interest me that much.”.<\/p>\n
Right.<\/p>\n
OK, OK…I am kind-of a ‘social collector ‘of gesneriads and begonias. As in “I only do them on weekends”. Besides, sorry folks, but I just I can’t every single plant society\u2026.(or can I?). I’d love to, but perhaps not just now. I just ‘dabble’ in various genera, like a few of you, I know!<\/p>\n
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Since the American Begonia Society held it’s national show in nearby Natick, MA a month ago, this show was not judged (the begonia portion), but this particular group – The Buxton Branch of the American Begonia Society is rather famous among plant societies. You can find out more, here<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\u2026although the judges seems to think otherwise.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nWithout defending my position any more, here are some very poor iPhone images from this past weekends’ shows at Tower Hill. All kidding aside, both gesneriads (those often fuzzy-leaved plants in the same family as African Violets) and begonias make terrific terrarium and window-sill plants, and they make for a curious and interesting option to most plants sold as terrarium plants, so look for them either on-line (some of my favorite sources for really interesting terrarium plants are listed below) or at your better garden centers.<\/p>\n
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I’m not sure how I feel about these newer Streptocarpus varieties, but they sure are striking.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
So here is my problem. While at the show, people would spot me as ask why I didn’t enter anything, and i would respond with one of my typical excuses (afraid to admit the truth, which was that I just wanted to be a little selfish with my time). I do like African Violets and Streptocarpus though, and it is usually around mid autumn when I crave new or memorable old varieties for my winter windows. These are perfect indoor plants, either under artificial light, or on east, or west – even northerly exposure windows. Who doesn’t want some color when it is snowing outside?<\/p>\n
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Related to the florist Gloxinia, this Sinningia bullata x sinning tubiflora grows from a bulb-like structure. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nThese excuses such as “I am not really all that ‘into’ begonia’s only took me ‘so far’, since it appears that most of these people were blog followers ( oh\u2026right\u2026.that blog). Dang.<\/p>\n
‘We know you have amazing begonias” shouted one person. \nAnother said “Oh, I know you! I follow your blog – look\u2026. (as she showed me photos of some of the dahlia varieties I had suggested that readers might like to grow.”.<\/p>\n