Well, I need to enjoy that brief whiff of Spring. We are officially back to
Winter! This evening I watched as the temperatures dropped from 42o and
rainy to 30o - 33o while we ran around in Knoxville trying to do last minute
business. Squire and I had just gotten into the van and were contemplating
going to Wallyworld when the air filled with sideways blowing sleet, then
changed to snow that thickened up so fast, visibility was obscurred and it
looked foggy. We decided Wallyworld could wait (not to mention people who
were panicking with the idea's of snow, winter storms, get that bread and
milk laid in, the lines would be horrendous).

As we threaded our way thru a detour and back street unknown to me, I began
to "fess up" to Squire about a trip I had ventured on yesterday while son
was turning in his mileage and hours for the two weeks he'd swapped at
another Lowes. I had made the mistake of going into the small area they
have designated for a tiny greenhouse at his Lowes and there she
was...............a lucious thing in full straps, green, with slightly
orange white buds held tight against the inside leaves, just barely
emerging. The one I was looking at was just starting to peek her buds up
thru the protective sheaths of leaves and on the side a bit away from the
central clump of leaves, another tiny sprout was showing itself, and as I
picked it up by the bulk of leaves carefully, I noticed nestled in the
potting soils, another tiny tongue poking up just off the side of that one.

I sat her down, and looked thru the 12 quart pots and chose another plant.
This one was much larger in girth, the just peeking bloom spike and buds
were a bit more noticable, but not opening like one of the plants on the end
of the table where they were displayed. My heart beat faster, and I decided
that I was to have one, and the one I was to have was the one birthing two
more small shoots of leaves as well as the emerging bloom spike and buds. I
saw no price anywhere, and I didn't care.

Just an ordinary Clivia minata, but these were prepped and ready to bloom at
another day or two's insistance and warmth. As I carefully held the plant
by it's thick stalk of leaves and bloom spike, I walked to the small
houseplant rack and peered thru the leaves searching for someone I was
curious to find again. And I did. A blackish leafed heart philodendrum by
the name of Majestic. Search the leaves and ahhhhhhhh a small pot of very
healthy and happy strawberry begonia, with three threads dangling tiny
leaves on their ends.

In losing the Golden Haneii sanseveria, the crocodile McCoy planter needed
something more forgiving of the lack of drainage. I had the dark leafed
philodendrum in mind, but not wanting to root cuttings, I decided I'd look
for a pot, and if not finding it, then root tip cuttings. I hit it lucky in
finding the pot tucked in amongst the rest of the plants.
The strawberry Begonia or "Mother of thousands" went into the frog pot that
another begonia had turned belly up in a while back. No disease, it was the
aridity of the house that had killed it quickly while I wasn't looking.

I left quickly, knowing that my hands were full of sticky pots that had
deliberately stuck to them, and knew I had no clue to the price to the
Clivia. I know that Pen down in Wanneroo, Australia will chastise me for
buying another Clivia, but I can say that once I got home with my bootie, I
placed the pots on the kitchen table, went down to the cold tool room and
picked up the massive pot of the ordinary pot of Clivia minata that Pen has
tried and tried to get me to successfully bloom after years attempts. I've
had it now for 10 years, plus Mary Emma had it for five years before me.
THIS year, I put her into the tool room where it gets quite cold, but not
freezing, watered it well and have let it dry out. I have checked on the
condition of her over the months, using the Scheffelera as a guage for
watering needs.
The Scheff got watered, she got dribbles.

In another smaller pot (which I fear is way too large for her) is a precious
gift that Pen sent me. A YELLOW Clivia she had seed grown and shipped to a
nursery up in Michigan. Once the owner got his plants, inside his order was
a baby plant with instructions to ship to me once all inspections were over.
I got it as a great surprise one day in my mailbox and promptly potted her
up and watered her in and she spent her first spring and summer on the
balcony with the mother Clivia that sits off my son's bedroom facing the
woods.

I have now moved them both into the warmer regions of Squire's Dragon Cave
(where his computer resides quietly waiting for him to return off the road
and tinker with it) and the moister laundry room just off the main area.
Hopefully the older Clivia will reward me this year with buds like the new
arrival already has. Maybe I should put them near each other so that the
older will get jealous and set her buds finally?? gbseg
The temperatures outside have plummeted 24o or more degrees, the winds are
pushing the flakes and pellets sideways and all the cats have come inside.
Piquito has fluffed up like the hair ball he resembles, pantaloons and all.
Even the dawgs who wanted soooo badly to go outside a moment ago, have
returned and actually begged and barked to be let back in. Smart dawgs.
With temperatures dropping into single digits, winds gusting to 60 mph and
making the wind chill temperatures resemble Minnesota and highs only in the
lower 20's tomorrow, I'd say that Old Man Winter had returned with a snicker
aimed towards me when I relished in the brief whiff of Spring yesterday (the
temperatures actually started out today at 51o!)
Keep warm and at least this chill has set the Spring bulbs back on course.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee

Maddy you are wicked ( lucky, that is) to find those sticky-pots!

I know as sure as I know my own heartbeat a Clivia with a bloom scape would
be a stick-to-fingers-pot and immediate new house-mate, in spite of the
fact that I have several taking up space already.

I'm floored that you have a 15+ year old clivia which has never bloomed. I
realize that it has some sentimental value for you. Beyond that value, I
dunno why you haven't sent it to the compost pile.

My clivia live in the darkest, coolest spots in the house and I don't even
BOTHER to water them between Columbus Day and Jan 15. Outer Mongolia
conditions with cold, and dark as the inside of your hat, the soil in those
pots actually shrinks away from the pot sides.

Long 'bout the middle of January, when I see midafternoon sunrays flirting
around formerly dark windowsills, I do give them a miserly scattering of
time release granules and a good dose of warm water to help plump up the
potting mix, but thats IT, nothing more TILL I SEE BLOOM SCAPE peeking.

THEN I do water, because one needs to get those bloom scapes above the neck
of the plant.

I have a 4 inch clay pot with 2 seedlings from one year ago, these are
seedllings from my own self -fertilized blooms from a seed-raised plant.
I'm never going to be a commercial clivia breeder, but , by golly, I
started with seed, got bloom, NEW Seed, and new plants. Only took 12 years.

Looking this afternoon, I have some ripe seed from Last Year's bloom, I
could peel and start some more seeds. But why...... been there done that.
Now I want a NEW challenge

Variegated Leaf Clivia, Yellow Flowers, multi-tepals.

I'm psycho, this is not appropriate behavior for someone in their 50's

Sue
Western Maine


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
Well, I need to enjoy that brief whiff of Spring. We are officially back
to
Winter! This evening I watched as the temperatures dropped from 42o and
rainy to 30o - 33o while we ran around in Knoxville trying to do last
minute
business. Squire and I had just gotten into the van and were
contemplating
going to Wallyworld when the air filled with sideways blowing sleet, then
changed to snow that thickened up so fast, visibility was obscurred and it
looked foggy. We decided Wallyworld could wait (not to mention people who
were panicking with the idea's of snow, winter storms, get that bread and
milk laid in, the lines would be horrendous).

As we threaded our way thru a detour and back street unknown to me, I
began
to "fess up" to Squire about a trip I had ventured on yesterday while son
was turning in his mileage and hours for the two weeks he'd swapped at
another Lowes. I had made the mistake of going into the small area they
have designated for a tiny greenhouse at his Lowes and there she
was...............a lucious thing in full straps, green, with slightly
orange white buds held tight against the inside leaves, just barely
emerging. The one I was looking at was just starting to peek her buds up
thru the protective sheaths of leaves and on the side a bit away from the
central clump of leaves, another tiny sprout was showing itself, and as I
picked it up by the bulk of leaves carefully, I noticed nestled in the
potting soils, another tiny tongue poking up just off the side of that
one.

I sat her down, and looked thru the 12 quart pots and chose another plant.
This one was much larger in girth, the just peeking bloom spike and buds
were a bit more noticable, but not opening like one of the plants on the
end
of the table where they were displayed. My heart beat faster, and I
decided
that I was to have one, and the one I was to have was the one birthing two
more small shoots of leaves as well as the emerging bloom spike and buds.
I
saw no price anywhere, and I didn't care.

Just an ordinary Clivia minata, but these were prepped and ready to bloom
at
another day or two's insistance and warmth. As I carefully held the plant
by it's thick stalk of leaves and bloom spike, I walked to the small
houseplant rack and peered thru the leaves searching for someone I was
curious to find again. And I did. A blackish leafed heart philodendrum by
the name of Majestic. Search the leaves and ahhhhhhhh a small pot of very
healthy and happy strawberry begonia, with three threads dangling tiny
leaves on their ends.

In losing the Golden Haneii sanseveria, the crocodile McCoy planter needed
something more forgiving of the lack of drainage. I had the dark leafed
philodendrum in mind, but not wanting to root cuttings, I decided I'd look
for a pot, and if not finding it, then root tip cuttings. I hit it lucky
in
finding the pot tucked in amongst the rest of the plants.
The strawberry Begonia or "Mother of thousands" went into the frog pot
that
another begonia had turned belly up in a while back. No disease, it was
the
aridity of the house that had killed it quickly while I wasn't looking.

I left quickly, knowing that my hands were full of sticky pots that had
deliberately stuck to them, and knew I had no clue to the price to the
Clivia. I know that Pen down in Wanneroo, Australia will chastise me for
buying another Clivia, but I can say that once I got home with my bootie,
I
placed the pots on the kitchen table, went down to the cold tool room and
picked up the massive pot of the ordinary pot of Clivia minata that Pen
has
tried and tried to get me to successfully bloom after years attempts.
I've
had it now for 10 years, plus Mary Emma had it for five years before me.
THIS year, I put her into the tool room where it gets quite cold, but not
freezing, watered it well and have let it dry out. I have checked on the
condition of her over the months, using the Scheffelera as a guage for
watering needs.
The Scheff got watered, she got dribbles.

In another smaller pot (which I fear is way too large for her) is a
precious
gift that Pen sent me. A YELLOW Clivia she had seed grown and shipped to a
nursery up in Michigan. Once the owner got his plants, inside his order
was
a baby plant with instructions to ship to me once all inspections were
over.
I got it as a great surprise one day in my mailbox and promptly potted her
up and watered her in and she spent her first spring and summer on the
balcony with the mother Clivia that sits off my son's bedroom facing the
woods.

I have now moved them both into the warmer regions of Squire's Dragon Cave
(where his computer resides quietly waiting for him to return off the road
and tinker with it) and the moister laundry room just off the main area.
Hopefully the older Clivia will reward me this year with buds like the new
arrival already has. Maybe I should put them near each other so that the
older will get jealous and set her buds finally?? gbseg
The temperatures outside have plummeted 24o or more degrees, the winds are
pushing the flakes and pellets sideways and all the cats have come inside.
Piquito has fluffed up like the hair ball he resembles, pantaloons and
all.
Even the dawgs who wanted soooo badly to go outside a moment ago, have
returned and actually begged and barked to be let back in. Smart dawgs.
With temperatures dropping into single digits, winds gusting to 60 mph and
making the wind chill temperatures resemble Minnesota and highs only in
the
lower 20's tomorrow, I'd say that Old Man Winter had returned with a
snicker
aimed towards me when I relished in the brief whiff of Spring yesterday
(the
temperatures actually started out today at 51o!)
Keep warm and at least this chill has set the Spring bulbs back on course.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee

I will answer you as it deserves when I get home from work tomorrow. I
promise. ((hug))
maddie
"sue and dave" wrote in message
...
Maddy you are wicked ( lucky, that is) to find those sticky-pots!

I know as sure as I know my own heartbeat a Clivia with a bloom scape
would
be a stick-to-fingers-pot and immediate new house-mate, in spite of the
fact that I have several taking up space already.

I'm floored that you have a 15+ year old clivia which has never bloomed.
I
realize that it has some sentimental value for you. Beyond that value, I
dunno why you haven't sent it to the compost pile.

My clivia live in the darkest, coolest spots in the house and I don't even
BOTHER to water them between Columbus Day and Jan 15. Outer Mongolia
conditions with cold, and dark as the inside of your hat, the soil in
those
pots actually shrinks away from the pot sides.

Long 'bout the middle of January, when I see midafternoon sunrays
flirting
around formerly dark windowsills, I do give them a miserly scattering of
time release granules and a good dose of warm water to help plump up the
potting mix, but thats IT, nothing more TILL I SEE BLOOM SCAPE peeking.

THEN I do water, because one needs to get those bloom scapes above the
neck
of the plant.

I have a 4 inch clay pot with 2 seedlings from one year ago, these are
seedllings from my own self -fertilized blooms from a seed-raised plant.
I'm never going to be a commercial clivia breeder, but , by golly, I
started with seed, got bloom, NEW Seed, and new plants. Only took 12
years.

Looking this afternoon, I have some ripe seed from Last Year's bloom, I
could peel and start some more seeds. But why...... been there done
that.
Now I want a NEW challenge

Variegated Leaf Clivia, Yellow Flowers, multi-tepals.

I'm psycho, this is not appropriate behavior for someone in their 50's

Sue
Western Maine


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
Well, I need to enjoy that brief whiff of Spring. We are officially back
to
Winter! This evening I watched as the temperatures dropped from 42o and
rainy to 30o - 33o while we ran around in Knoxville trying to do last
minute
business. Squire and I had just gotten into the van and were
contemplating
going to Wallyworld when the air filled with sideways blowing sleet,
then
changed to snow that thickened up so fast, visibility was obscurred and
it
looked foggy. We decided Wallyworld could wait (not to mention people
who
were panicking with the idea's of snow, winter storms, get that bread
and
milk laid in, the lines would be horrendous).

As we threaded our way thru a detour and back street unknown to me, I
began
to "fess up" to Squire about a trip I had ventured on yesterday while
son
was turning in his mileage and hours for the two weeks he'd swapped at
another Lowes. I had made the mistake of going into the small area they
have designated for a tiny greenhouse at his Lowes and there she
was...............a lucious thing in full straps, green, with slightly
orange white buds held tight against the inside leaves, just barely
emerging. The one I was looking at was just starting to peek her buds
up
thru the protective sheaths of leaves and on the side a bit away from
the
central clump of leaves, another tiny sprout was showing itself, and as
I
picked it up by the bulk of leaves carefully, I noticed nestled in the
potting soils, another tiny tongue poking up just off the side of that
one.

I sat her down, and looked thru the 12 quart pots and chose another
plant.
This one was much larger in girth, the just peeking bloom spike and buds
were a bit more noticable, but not opening like one of the plants on the
end
of the table where they were displayed. My heart beat faster, and I
decided
that I was to have one, and the one I was to have was the one birthing
two
more small shoots of leaves as well as the emerging bloom spike and
buds.
I
saw no price anywhere, and I didn't care.

Just an ordinary Clivia minata, but these were prepped and ready to
bloom
at
another day or two's insistance and warmth. As I carefully held the
plant
by it's thick stalk of leaves and bloom spike, I walked to the small
houseplant rack and peered thru the leaves searching for someone I was
curious to find again. And I did. A blackish leafed heart philodendrum
by
the name of Majestic. Search the leaves and ahhhhhhhh a small pot of
very
healthy and happy strawberry begonia, with three threads dangling tiny
leaves on their ends.

In losing the Golden Haneii sanseveria, the crocodile McCoy planter
needed
something more forgiving of the lack of drainage. I had the dark leafed
philodendrum in mind, but not wanting to root cuttings, I decided I'd
look
for a pot, and if not finding it, then root tip cuttings. I hit it lucky
in
finding the pot tucked in amongst the rest of the plants.
The strawberry Begonia or "Mother of thousands" went into the frog pot
that
another begonia had turned belly up in a while back. No disease, it was
the
aridity of the house that had killed it quickly while I wasn't looking.

I left quickly, knowing that my hands were full of sticky pots that had
deliberately stuck to them, and knew I had no clue to the price to the
Clivia. I know that Pen down in Wanneroo, Australia will chastise me for
buying another Clivia, but I can say that once I got home with my
bootie,
I
placed the pots on the kitchen table, went down to the cold tool room
and
picked up the massive pot of the ordinary pot of Clivia minata that Pen
has
tried and tried to get me to successfully bloom after years attempts.
I've
had it now for 10 years, plus Mary Emma had it for five years before me.
THIS year, I put her into the tool room where it gets quite cold, but
not
freezing, watered it well and have let it dry out. I have checked on the
condition of her over the months, using the Scheffelera as a guage for
watering needs.
The Scheff got watered, she got dribbles.

In another smaller pot (which I fear is way too large for her) is a
precious
gift that Pen sent me. A YELLOW Clivia she had seed grown and shipped to
a
nursery up in Michigan. Once the owner got his plants, inside his order
was
a baby plant with instructions to ship to me once all inspections were
over.
I got it as a great surprise one day in my mailbox and promptly potted
her
up and watered her in and she spent her first spring and summer on the
balcony with the mother Clivia that sits off my son's bedroom facing the
woods.

I have now moved them both into the warmer regions of Squire's Dragon
Cave
(where his computer resides quietly waiting for him to return off the
road
and tinker with it) and the moister laundry room just off the main area.
Hopefully the older Clivia will reward me this year with buds like the
new
arrival already has. Maybe I should put them near each other so that the
older will get jealous and set her buds finally?? gbseg
The temperatures outside have plummeted 24o or more degrees, the winds
are
pushing the flakes and pellets sideways and all the cats have come
inside.
Piquito has fluffed up like the hair ball he resembles, pantaloons and
all.
Even the dawgs who wanted soooo badly to go outside a moment ago, have
returned and actually begged and barked to be let back in. Smart dawgs.
With temperatures dropping into single digits, winds gusting to 60 mph
and
making the wind chill temperatures resemble Minnesota and highs only in
the
lower 20's tomorrow, I'd say that Old Man Winter had returned with a
snicker
aimed towards me when I relished in the brief whiff of Spring yesterday
(the
temperatures actually started out today at 51o!)
Keep warm and at least this chill has set the Spring bulbs back on
course.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee

Maddy,

While I've been a lady of leisure today, I've been thinking about your
non-blooming Clivia, and wondering if the venerable Grand Dame holds her
scapes too close to her vest.

I did miss a bloom season from my oldest Clivia a few years ago because the
scapes didn't ever get enough length of stalk to rise above the neck of the
plant. Remiss on my part in culture, so I thought, root bound is one thing
but roots still need SOME medium!!

after that fiasco I did repot in a rather brutal matter.....

I didn't want A BIGGER POT, I just wanted some depth of potting mix under
the roots. So I knocked the monster (I count 8 necks now) out of her 18
qt "barrel" , used the biggest sharpest knife in the kitchen and sliced
about 3" off the bottom of the root ball. It was ALL ROOT, not a speck of
planting medium at all.

I replaced that volume with new potting mix in the bottom of the pot and
replanted so that I had the necks at the same level as before. She quickly
threw up leaf growth and bloomed again 8 months later. I suspect I ought to
investigate that rootball again ( Sooner than later!).


On another note, since daylight is extending noticably now and the sun is
really warming my south facing window sills, I dragged my dormant Amaryllis
pots ( 4 of them), and my dormant Jacobean Lily ( 1 LARGE pot) out of their
chilly dormancy prisons and watered them up for another chance.

One needs ALL available hopes in the depths of winter !


Sue
Western Maine


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
I will answer you as it deserves when I get home from work tomorrow. I
promise. ((hug))
maddie
"sue and dave" wrote in message
...
Maddy you are wicked ( lucky, that is) to find those sticky-pots!

I know as sure as I know my own heartbeat a Clivia with a bloom scape
would
be a stick-to-fingers-pot and immediate new house-mate, in spite of the
fact that I have several taking up space already.

I'm floored that you have a 15+ year old clivia which has never bloomed.
I
realize that it has some sentimental value for you. Beyond that value,
I
dunno why you haven't sent it to the compost pile.

My clivia live in the darkest, coolest spots in the house and I don't
even
BOTHER to water them between Columbus Day and Jan 15. Outer Mongolia
conditions with cold, and dark as the inside of your hat, the soil in
those
pots actually shrinks away from the pot sides.

Long 'bout the middle of January, when I see midafternoon sunrays
flirting
around formerly dark windowsills, I do give them a miserly scattering
of
time release granules and a good dose of warm water to help plump up
the
potting mix, but thats IT, nothing more TILL I SEE BLOOM SCAPE peeking.

THEN I do water, because one needs to get those bloom scapes above the
neck
of the plant.

I have a 4 inch clay pot with 2 seedlings from one year ago, these are
seedllings from my own self -fertilized blooms from a seed-raised
plant.
I'm never going to be a commercial clivia breeder, but , by golly, I
started with seed, got bloom, NEW Seed, and new plants. Only took 12
years.

Looking this afternoon, I have some ripe seed from Last Year's bloom, I
could peel and start some more seeds. But why...... been there done
that.
Now I want a NEW challenge

Variegated Leaf Clivia, Yellow Flowers, multi-tepals.

I'm psycho, this is not appropriate behavior for someone in their 50's

Sue
Western Maine


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
Well, I need to enjoy that brief whiff of Spring. We are officially
back
to
Winter! This evening I watched as the temperatures dropped from 42o
and
rainy to 30o - 33o while we ran around in Knoxville trying to do last
minute
business. Squire and I had just gotten into the van and were
contemplating
going to Wallyworld when the air filled with sideways blowing sleet,
then
changed to snow that thickened up so fast, visibility was obscurred
and
it
looked foggy. We decided Wallyworld could wait (not to mention people
who
were panicking with the idea's of snow, winter storms, get that bread
and
milk laid in, the lines would be horrendous).

As we threaded our way thru a detour and back street unknown to me, I
began
to "fess up" to Squire about a trip I had ventured on yesterday while
son
was turning in his mileage and hours for the two weeks he'd swapped at
another Lowes. I had made the mistake of going into the small area
they
have designated for a tiny greenhouse at his Lowes and there she
was...............a lucious thing in full straps, green, with slightly
orange white buds held tight against the inside leaves, just barely
emerging. The one I was looking at was just starting to peek her buds
up
thru the protective sheaths of leaves and on the side a bit away from
the
central clump of leaves, another tiny sprout was showing itself, and
as
I
picked it up by the bulk of leaves carefully, I noticed nestled in the
potting soils, another tiny tongue poking up just off the side of that
one.

I sat her down, and looked thru the 12 quart pots and chose another
plant.
This one was much larger in girth, the just peeking bloom spike and
buds
were a bit more noticable, but not opening like one of the plants on
the
end
of the table where they were displayed. My heart beat faster, and I
decided
that I was to have one, and the one I was to have was the one birthing
two
more small shoots of leaves as well as the emerging bloom spike and
buds.
I
saw no price anywhere, and I didn't care.

Just an ordinary Clivia minata, but these were prepped and ready to
bloom
at
another day or two's insistance and warmth. As I carefully held the
plant
by it's thick stalk of leaves and bloom spike, I walked to the small
houseplant rack and peered thru the leaves searching for someone I was
curious to find again. And I did. A blackish leafed heart philodendrum
by
the name of Majestic. Search the leaves and ahhhhhhhh a small pot of
very
healthy and happy strawberry begonia, with three threads dangling tiny
leaves on their ends.

In losing the Golden Haneii sanseveria, the crocodile McCoy planter
needed
something more forgiving of the lack of drainage. I had the dark
leafed
philodendrum in mind, but not wanting to root cuttings, I decided I'd
look
for a pot, and if not finding it, then root tip cuttings. I hit it
lucky
in
finding the pot tucked in amongst the rest of the plants.
The strawberry Begonia or "Mother of thousands" went into the frog pot
that
another begonia had turned belly up in a while back. No disease, it
was
the
aridity of the house that had killed it quickly while I wasn't
looking.

I left quickly, knowing that my hands were full of sticky pots that
had
deliberately stuck to them, and knew I had no clue to the price to the
Clivia. I know that Pen down in Wanneroo, Australia will chastise me
for
buying another Clivia, but I can say that once I got home with my
bootie,
I
placed the pots on the kitchen table, went down to the cold tool room
and
picked up the massive pot of the ordinary pot of Clivia minata that
Pen
has
tried and tried to get me to successfully bloom after years attempts.
I've
had it now for 10 years, plus Mary Emma had it for five years before
me.
THIS year, I put her into the tool room where it gets quite cold, but
not
freezing, watered it well and have let it dry out. I have checked on
the
condition of her over the months, using the Scheffelera as a guage for
watering needs.
The Scheff got watered, she got dribbles.

In another smaller pot (which I fear is way too large for her) is a
precious
gift that Pen sent me. A YELLOW Clivia she had seed grown and shipped
to
a
nursery up in Michigan. Once the owner got his plants, inside his
order
was
a baby plant with instructions to ship to me once all inspections were
over.
I got it as a great surprise one day in my mailbox and promptly potted
her
up and watered her in and she spent her first spring and summer on the
balcony with the mother Clivia that sits off my son's bedroom facing
the
woods.

I have now moved them both into the warmer regions of Squire's Dragon
Cave
(where his computer resides quietly waiting for him to return off the
road
and tinker with it) and the moister laundry room just off the main
area.
Hopefully the older Clivia will reward me this year with buds like the
new
arrival already has. Maybe I should put them near each other so that
the
older will get jealous and set her buds finally?? gbseg
The temperatures outside have plummeted 24o or more degrees, the winds
are
pushing the flakes and pellets sideways and all the cats have come
inside.
Piquito has fluffed up like the hair ball he resembles, pantaloons and
all.
Even the dawgs who wanted soooo badly to go outside a moment ago, have
returned and actually begged and barked to be let back in. Smart
dawgs.
With temperatures dropping into single digits, winds gusting to 60 mph
and
making the wind chill temperatures resemble Minnesota and highs only
in
the
lower 20's tomorrow, I'd say that Old Man Winter had returned with a
snicker
aimed towards me when I relished in the brief whiff of Spring
yesterday
(the
temperatures actually started out today at 51o!)
Keep warm and at least this chill has set the Spring bulbs back on
course.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler, overlooking
English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee

"sue and dave" wrote in message
...
Maddy you are wicked ( lucky, that is) to find those sticky-pots!
Yep, considering I now work on the total opposite side of the store (Lowes
that is) and the only thing on my mind at the end of the day recently is
just going home to unwind........for all I know, we probably have Clivia's
too....it was a monetary moment g

I know as sure as I know my own heartbeat a Clivia with a bloom scape
would
be a stick-to-fingers-pot and immediate new house-mate, in spite of the
fact that I have several taking up space already.

I feel that if I can at least have one year where ONE Clivia is blooming for
me, then I am a happy plant person.......

I'm floored that you have a 15+ year old clivia which has never bloomed.
I
realize that it has some sentimental value for you. Beyond that value, I
dunno why you haven't sent it to the compost pile.
Sentimental value. Mary Emma my beloved mentor/extra mom/garden friend gave
it to me and I'm DETERMINED to make her bloom one day. I just hope I am able
to do it before Mary Emma leaves this mortal coil. (she's now 80 and been
forbidden to garden due to her crumbling bones, not being able to garden is
killing her......and my hectic life has prevented me from visiting her
because of the price of gas and work since she lives over an hour's
drive.....not much distance, but the reason or excuse is there. I do call
her though and check in on her at least. Just haven't been able to go and
sit down and visit properly. It's not the same since we can't sit and talk
plants and longings for what we want anymore. I am about to just go anyway
and make sure all is as well as possible)

My clivia live in the darkest, coolest spots in the house and I don't even
BOTHER to water them between Columbus Day and Jan 15. Outer Mongolia
conditions with cold, and dark as the inside of your hat, the soil in
those
pots actually shrinks away from the pot sides.wonderful
advice snipped but forwarded for reference (Pen told me the same thing, but
your directions are a bit more that I want to try if all else fails this
time. I watered the plant once since designating it to the colder room this
fall. That might have cost me the first bloom on the larger plant)

I have a 4 inch clay pot with 2 seedlings from one year ago, these are
seedllings from my own self -fertilized blooms from a seed-raised plant.
I'm never going to be a commercial clivia breeder, but , by golly, I
started with seed, got bloom, NEW Seed, and new plants. Only took 12
years.

wow, I think that Pen's seed grown plants take about 7 years as they're able
to winter out in her greenhouse. She's got me drooling with the images of
her varieties she's come across that I'd really love to have a seedling of.
The orange, peach, yellow one she named for her daughter would be awesome.

Looking this afternoon, I have some ripe seed from Last Year's bloom, I
could peel and start some more seeds. But why...... been there done
that.
Now I want a NEW challenge

Variegated Leaf Clivia, Yellow Flowers, multi-tepals.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo I adore variegated anythings. Have you seen the
variegated Heliopsis?? I also have Fallopia growing in my garden that I
just adore for the mottling leaves and at the end of the growing season, the
little sprays of flowers that hover over the tips in October or November.

I'm psycho, this is not appropriate behavior for someone in their 50's
you fit right in with me then, Sue. Brrrrrrrrrr Western
Maine............you know, the last time I remember seeing a gardening
program that had remarks about Clivia's, was a woman in I think Minnesota or
Iowa who had wonderful luck with them to the point where the plant had burst
it's pot and she divided it for the gardening show. That was a few years
ago and I forget the name of it. but I remember the strap like leaves and
that she gardened somewhere cold like you do. I bet you have awesome flowers
and plants. And speaking of someone who gardens in Maine........I adore
Barbara Damrosch and her four seasons gardening guru husband, Elliot
Coleman. Have you read their books? Excellent writing. And their older
show, "Gardening Naturally" was awesome. I wish they'd update their format
and run it again.

Keep in touch as you can, I'll let you know if "Mary Emma" blooms or
not.........
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee zone 7, sunset zone 36

Sue
Western Maine


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
Well, I need to enjoy that brief whiff of Spring. We are officially back
to
Winter! This evening I watched as the temperatures dropped from 42o and
rainy to 30o - 33o while we ran around in Knoxville trying to do last
minute
business. Squire and I had just gotten into the van and were
contemplating
going to Wallyworld when the air filled with sideways blowing sleet,
then
changed to snow that thickened up so fast, visibility was obscurred and
it
looked foggy. We decided Wallyworld could wait (not to mention people
who
were panicking with the idea's of snow, winter storms, get that bread
and
milk laid in, the lines would be horrendous).

As we threaded our way thru a detour and back street unknown to me, I
began
to "fess up" to Squire about a trip I had ventured on yesterday while
son
was turning in his mileage and hours for the two weeks he'd swapped at
another Lowes. I had made the mistake of going into the small area they
have designated for a tiny greenhouse at his Lowes and there she
was...............a lucious thing in full straps, green, with slightly
orange white buds held tight against the inside leaves, just barely
emerging. The one I was looking at was just starting to peek her buds
up
thru the protective sheaths of leaves and on the side a bit away from
the
central clump of leaves, another tiny sprout was showing itself, and as
I
picked it up by the bulk of leaves carefully, I noticed nestled in the
potting soils, another tiny tongue poking up just off the side of that
one.

I sat her down, and looked thru the 12 quart pots and chose another
plant.
This one was much larger in girth, the just peeking bloom spike and buds
were a bit more noticable, but not opening like one of the plants on the
end
of the table where they were displayed. My heart beat faster, and I
decided
that I was to have one, and the one I was to have was the one birthing
two
more small shoots of leaves as well as the emerging bloom spike and
buds.
I
saw no price anywhere, and I didn't care.

Just an ordinary Clivia minata, but these were prepped and ready to
bloom
at
another day or two's insistance and warmth. As I carefully held the
plant
by it's thick stalk of leaves and bloom spike, I walked to the small
houseplant rack and peered thru the leaves searching for someone I was
curious to find again. And I did. A blackish leafed heart philodendrum
by
the name of Majestic. Search the leaves and ahhhhhhhh a small pot of
very
healthy and happy strawberry begonia, with three threads dangling tiny
leaves on their ends.

In losing the Golden Haneii sanseveria, the crocodile McCoy planter
needed
something more forgiving of the lack of drainage. I had the dark leafed
philodendrum in mind, but not wanting to root cuttings, I decided I'd
look
for a pot, and if not finding it, then root tip cuttings. I hit it lucky
in
finding the pot tucked in amongst the rest of the plants.
The strawberry Begonia or "Mother of thousands" went into the frog pot
that
another begonia had turned belly up in a while back. No disease, it was
the
aridity of the house that had killed it quickly while I wasn't looking.

I left quickly, knowing that my hands were full of sticky pots that had
deliberately stuck to them, and knew I had no clue to the price to the
Clivia. I know that Pen down in Wanneroo, Australia will chastise me for
buying another Clivia, but I can say that once I got home with my
bootie,
I
placed the pots on the kitchen table, went down to the cold tool room
and
picked up the massive pot of the ordinary pot of Clivia minata that Pen
has
tried and tried to get me to successfully bloom after years attempts.
I've
had it now for 10 years, plus Mary Emma had it for five years before me.
THIS year, I put her into the tool room where it gets quite cold, but
not
freezing, watered it well and have let it dry out. I have checked on the
condition of her over the months, using the Scheffelera as a guage for
watering needs.
The Scheff got watered, she got dribbles.

In another smaller pot (which I fear is way too large for her) is a
precious
gift that Pen sent me. A YELLOW Clivia she had seed grown and shipped to
a
nursery up in Michigan. Once the owner got his plants, inside his order
was
a baby plant with instructions to ship to me once all inspections were
over.
I got it as a great surprise one day in my mailbox and promptly potted
her
up and watered her in and she spent her first spring and summer on the
balcony with the mother Clivia that sits off my son's bedroom facing the
woods.

I have now moved them both into the warmer regions of Squire's Dragon
Cave
(where his computer resides quietly waiting for him to return off the
road
and tinker with it) and the moister laundry room just off the main area.
Hopefully the older Clivia will reward me this year with buds like the
new
arrival already has. Maybe I should put them near each other so that the
older will get jealous and set her buds finally?? gbseg
The temperatures outside have plummeted 24o or more degrees, the winds
are
pushing the flakes and pellets sideways and all the cats have come
inside.
Piquito has fluffed up like the hair ball he resembles, pantaloons and
all.
Even the dawgs who wanted soooo badly to go outside a moment ago, have
returned and actually begged and barked to be let back in. Smart dawgs.
With temperatures dropping into single digits, winds gusting to 60 mph
and
making the wind chill temperatures resemble Minnesota and highs only in
the
lower 20's tomorrow, I'd say that Old Man Winter had returned with a
snicker
aimed towards me when I relished in the brief whiff of Spring yesterday
(the
temperatures actually started out today at 51o!)
Keep warm and at least this chill has set the Spring bulbs back on
course.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee

"sue and dave" wrote in message
...
Maddy,

While I've been a lady of leisure today, I've been thinking about your
non-blooming Clivia, and wondering if the venerable Grand Dame holds her
scapes too close to her vest.

well, I thought of that, but I have to tell you, their scapes aren't too
close. The scapes on the one I bought are far tighter and larger than my
own. I guess I need to granular food them too..............

I did miss a bloom season from my oldest Clivia a few years ago because
the
scapes didn't ever get enough length of stalk to rise above the neck of
the
plant. Remiss on my part in culture, so I thought, root bound is one
thing
but roots still need SOME medium!!

after that fiasco I did repot in a rather brutal matter.....

I didn't want A BIGGER POT, I just wanted some depth of potting mix under
the roots. So I knocked the monster (I count 8 necks now) out of her 18
qt "barrel" , used the biggest sharpest knife in the kitchen and sliced
about 3" off the bottom of the root ball. It was ALL ROOT, not a speck of
planting medium at all.

I will check on this, but mine haven't crammed the pot yet. I suspect there
is still plenty of soil for the rhizomes to nurture off of. Maybe not the
BEST soil but soil never the less. I will check it out tomorrow when I am
home. and will get back to you.

I replaced that volume with new potting mix in the bottom of the pot and
replanted so that I had the necks at the same level as before. She
quickly
threw up leaf growth and bloomed again 8 months later. I suspect I ought
to
investigate that rootball again ( Sooner than later!).

I think in my case that the plant (the older, larger one) hasn't filled the
pot up tight yet as I transplanted her from a tiny pot to a much larger one
when Mary Emma gave her to me years ago.


On another note, since daylight is extending noticably now and the sun is
really warming my south facing window sills, I dragged my dormant
Amaryllis
pots ( 4 of them), and my dormant Jacobean Lily ( 1 LARGE pot) out of
their
chilly dormancy prisons and watered them up for another chance.

One needs ALL available hopes in the depths of winter !

oooooo a Jacobean lily................I myself have BLOOD lilies that
haven't broken dormancy yet. I hope to see bloody tongues poking up thru the
soil soon...............................
I can actually say that I NEED winter more than anything. You might be
surprised when I say this but I need to time to appreciate the houseplants
that I have.............later friend. You've given me food for thought and
actions.
maddie
Sue
Western Maine

snipped previous ( wickedly)

Mad, I've joined the clivia-enthusiast yahoo group just recently and there
is some interesting stuff coming from around the world. Do you know of it?
Pen is a moderator.

Sue
Western Maine

why am I not surprised? how did you subscribe to the newsgroup? I use
Outlook Express........would you like to see a picture of the new baby that
is now in FULL BLOOM? I am SOOOOOOOOOOOooo pumped about the possibility of
getting the old girl to bud for me now............no signs yet
though....................vigilent though. e-mail me if yer interested in
seeing pictures.............
maddie
"sue and dave" wrote in message
...

snipped previous ( wickedly)

Mad, I've joined the clivia-enthusiast yahoo group just recently and there
is some interesting stuff coming from around the world. Do you know of
it?
Pen is a moderator.

Sue
Western Maine

Maddy I'd LOVE to see pics!!!!

As for the Clivia group, its a Yahoo e-mail list, if you have Pen's e-mail
she can subscribe you internally, alternately go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clivia-enthusiast/ to join the long way.

As for my e-mail, it is munged.... simply lose the mind thats tucked in
there for safekeeping.

Sue





"madgardener" wrote in message
...
why am I not surprised? how did you subscribe to the newsgroup? I use
Outlook Express........would you like to see a picture of the new baby
that
is now in FULL BLOOM? I am SOOOOOOOOOOOooo pumped about the possibility of
getting the old girl to bud for me now............no signs yet
though....................vigilent though. e-mail me if yer interested in
seeing pictures.............
maddie
"sue and dave" wrote in message
...

snipped previous ( wickedly)

Mad, I've joined the clivia-enthusiast yahoo group just recently and
there
is some interesting stuff coming from around the world. Do you know of
it?
Pen is a moderator.

Sue
Western Maine