The Hoya's are growing!!!

I'm excessively happy with every new grown in the Hoya's, I check them every day while
I mist them, and so far, I am not disappointed!:-)
Here is new growth on Hoya australis:

A new stem on Hoya kentiana;

Two green growth points on Hoya kerrii;

New leaves on Hoya pubicalix GPS 282

I made leave cuttings from the Hoya wayettii and the Hoya bilobata when I got them from Gerrit van
der Zee, last week I checked the wayettii leaves, they both had a tiny little root, so I was very happy!
I didn't make a picture than because last week was so dark, that we had to put the lights on .
I hate dark days, esp. when there is nothing going on like a nice storm and or a lot of rain.
Today I checked  the 6 bilobata leaves, and they are also rooted!!:-)
I split them in two, 3 leaves a pot.

Here is a picture

And 3 of the rooted leaves in their new pot,

Hoya serpens is doing fine sofar,

And one of my old Hoya carnosa's( probably 'tricolor') is full with umbels, some of them producing the first flowers at the moment, it is a longggggg proces....       

   

 And finally I want to share one of my Hoya windows, Mart made me this, and he

couldn't make me more happy!:-)

I recently installed the 4th and final board, with 14 cats I have to save some 

space to make it possible for them to look outside.

And here is the window from the outside, with Bram watching,

                            

About sheep and lambs

Last week we took a ride around the island - Schouwen-Duiveland, where we live, we
are surrounded and protected by dikes, and the grass on them is mostly kept short by sheep.
The dike where I've taken the next pictures is in a nature-area.

It's a favourite place to ride, walk and ride a bicycle.

Or to do a little nap in between feeding the little one's!:-)

I really love the little lambs! They look so adorable with their round bellies! And they are nosy
too!!

 

:-)

New Hoya cuttings

Yesterday I got new Hoya cuttings from Paul Shirley;

First one is Hoya crassicaulis GPS 10042

                                               Hoya dasyantha GPS 10183

                                              Hoya dolichosparte GPS 8844

And two rooted cuttings, the first one is Hoya finlaysonii Thailand GPS 10056

And the second one should be Hoya latifolia GPS 10063 (also called the 'dinerplate' Hoya),
but I received a mail from my new friend Denise Evans, she grows Hoya's over 30 years, and
she told me that it is more likely to be a Hoya macrophylla.
I looked on the net and she must be right, because latifolia has more round leaves, while macrophylla
got more large leaves .
I've found an interesting link about that:

http://hoyasrus.lefora.com/2008/05/21/hoya-macrophylla-vs-hoya-latifolia/

Hoya carnosa: my latest catch

 

 

I saw this Hoya on Marktplaats last week, a green carnosa, and after we made a deal, the postman
brought this beauty last friday. It's not that easy to make good pictures in the house, so I used a
flashlight.

 

It has long stems, most of them about 1.20 mtr, one of them was almost 2.00 mtr, I used that one
to make cuttings, and another one I 've wind around the Stephanotis pot ( the one at the top of the
window). Most leaves are about 12 cm in diameter, but the longest are 15 cm. I also saw a couple
of umbels. I hope she enjoys the surrounding here!

And here are the cuttings:

April in the garden- Pictures of last month

Mini on the remains of the " big boy" that came down a few weeks ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Hoya Class is OUT!:-)

Yesterday I had the feeling that the cuttings were ready to face the outside world, and now the
greenhouse is empty!

( Waiting for the next unrooted class to come).
Here they are, the little one's ,starting with Hoya australis;

H.australis is a climbing Hoya, but I think about let it hang in the future, I am not sure yet.
For the moment I put it in a pot with a little stick (and the growing point UP, because otherwise
there is a chance that it won't grow any further).



The next one is Hoya kentiana;

Than Hoya wayettii;

This one was already growing in the greenhouse.




Here is Hoya thompsonii;

Hoya Bilobata;

Hoya sulawesi;

And last, but not least, Hoya Serpens;

In the left corner some leaves of a Ceropegia - I thought they look a bit alike.


I've made also leave cuttings from H. bilobata & H. wayettii, I haven't looked yet if they are rooting,
it seems to be a long process for a leave cutting to become a plant, and than only if it has a bit of the
stem on it.
The " Ikea Hoya" is an example of a leave cutting, and because there is most of the time no stem on
it there is only a 10% chance that it's gonna look like a Hoya Kerrii plant. Sometimes they root but
most of the time that's all there is gonna happen.

And than, as last, this isn't a cutting I got from Gerrit van der Zee but from  Paul Shirley,
there is grown on my Hoya diversifolia!
I think it looks like a lobster:-)

Calathea musaica "Network"

 

 

 

Also a plant that is rare to get,if I may believe the internet.
It's one of the latest Calathea's that is on the market.
I saw them here at a local garden center and brought one home ( and within a week I went back
to get another one! I don't see myself as materialistic, but when it is about plants, the only limit
I know is my - much to thin - wallet:-) ).
It's a beautiful plant because of the very special leaves, that look like nature itself made some kind
of green barcode:

It's a low light plant, doesn't like a lot of sun,here it only get's a bit of sun in the morning.

Last week I discovered a flower at the bottom of the plant.

I was amazed! Searching on the internet brought me nothing, so I decided to contact the nursery,
Plant Planet here in Holland, to ask if it is common for Calathea Network to flower.
I got a very nice reaction back, and was told that they also see flowers in the nursery, but they are
removed because the plant is mainly sold for the leaves.
Well, I enjoy the flowers although they aren't very big, I think it's lovely and subtile.