tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50477186547445841582011-07-08T01:46:32.707-07:00Sharing ideas about gardening, plant care and fashion projects.Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01373990222454432008noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5047718654744584158.post-66866279451680045392009-06-21T12:18:00.000-07:002009-08-01T11:24:06.478-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ET1T3T0s0CA/SnR7SFZ3-RI/AAAAAAAAAAc/nsDbKT5I1z8/s1600-h/dcp_1176.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365048606723668242" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ET1T3T0s0CA/SnR7SFZ3-RI/AAAAAAAAAAc/nsDbKT5I1z8/s320/dcp_1176.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Top is my "Persian Carpet" Streptocarpus. Below it is my "Tatoo" Streptocarpus.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ET1T3T0s0CA/SnR7Rw6WKDI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hA_9vC3k5e0/s1600-h/Strep-Tattoo.JPG"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365048601222719538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ET1T3T0s0CA/SnR7Rw6WKDI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hA_9vC3k5e0/s320/Strep-Tattoo.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Plants always cheers me up. I always have something blooming inside my house during the Winter seasons. Growing up in the Philippines, I'm so used having flowers in the garden all year round. So when I first got here in upstate New York I was depressed when Winter came. Until I figured out how I can have continues blooms all year round.<br /><br />I started an indoor garden. My first collection were cyclamen, geraniums, and good luck bamboo. Later I realized that the cyclamen and geraniums does not bloom all the time. So I began researching what flowers I could have that would bloom all year long. I discovered African violet. I tried one plant and killed it. I researched the proper way to grow it and found out that I killed it by watering too much and wetting the leaves. Now, I'm very good of taking care of them and propagating them from a single leaf. I have many collections of different variety. From regular African violet to miniature ones. Then I extended my collection to other African violet kin like Streptocarpus and Kohleria. Learned the proper care and propagation so I have more than one of each kind in case one dies. I also began propagating them for gifts to friends for the last two years. I'm not crazy about buying gifts for someone not knowing what they like. I don't want my gift to be more of a clutter in their home. I think everyone would enjoy a pretty plant. At least they're made in USA... I meant grown in USA ha ha ha!<br /><br />I was infected by plant loving disease when I was only about 5 years old. My mom had all kinds of roses from little ones to huge bushes. She also had Gerber daisies and other pretty flowers like dahlias and different bulbs and tubers. I helped her water and fertilized them. That's when I knew I want a home surrounded with lots of flowers when I grow up.<br /><br />With the help of my supportive, loving husband, we are turning our little home into paradise.<br /><br /><br />The bottom photo is one of my African violet collection.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ET1T3T0s0CA/SnR7RkYspoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/H9gSnBz2KUc/s1600-h/dcp_0003.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365048597860361858" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ET1T3T0s0CA/SnR7RkYspoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/H9gSnBz2KUc/s320/dcp_0003.jpg" /></span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5047718654744584158-6686627945168004539?l=moreblooms.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01373990222454432008noreply@blogger.com1