A couple of hours later, I had packed the truck with as many pots as I could. Mike wanted me to take more, but I think I'll be hard-pressed to use all of these next year (although I do have an alarming number of elephant ear bulbs that will need potting).
Not only did I come home with dozens of pots though, I also got several buckets (what gardener doesn't have a need for a few more buckets?), and a sampling of plants:
A few begonias and one Sansevieria were what I carried home, but it was Mike's hope that I would be taking home much more. Much, much more.
You see, he wants to find somebody to take over his entire begonia collection, which looked to be approximately 30 plants.
He was giving me quite the sales pitch, suggesting easy and cheap ways to make tables, and offering to give me all of the fluorescent light fixtures he uses to overwinter these plants too.
Since I already have a garage full of semi-dormant plants, a two-shelved table of plants under growlights, and several potted plants on the floor around the table, I accepted a few interesting plants, but had to decline his offer.
He said that I had another month or so to decide, and that he'd be happy to give away just half of the collection (and lights) -- whatever I could take. I told him I'd think about it.
So now I have a few types of begonias, of which I know almost nothing. Although I repeated the names of the varieties he gave me until I had them right, I've forgotten them already.
Mike thought that I might find growing the begonias to be quite rewarding. That may be, but if they require a lot of special care I may lose interest -- I prefer plants that I can forget about once in a while.
That's why I accepted the Sansevieria:
I know I won't be able to kill this guy (unless I overwater it).
So new plants and the potential for a lot more. I'm considering Mike, I'm considering.
.
You have some really fabulous friends!
ReplyDeleteI planted some Begonia bulbs I received as a prize and they are just starting to flower now. They came up quickly and easily, so far no extra care (in my climate of course). But I'm not really sure I like them.
That's pretty awesome. I got my 15 gallon begonia from a tiny cutting back in 2008 which has behaved like a clumping bamboo ever since. It seems to fry in full sunlight during the summer so it needs evening shade, but during the winter, I bring the begonia into a spot that gets almost no sunlight and it seems to thrive very well, making new shoots by around february. Unlike most houseplants, it seems like begonias like being watered a lot even over the winter.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a pretty good deal on the nursery pots. The best deal I've gotten on nursery pots is around a 200 pot project where a landscaping company was planting shrubs & trees from 3gallon to 55 gallon sizes and I'm surprised they never re-use them.
Alan, the begonias you got are spectacular! I got a start of Angel Wing begonia from Steve this spring and it has thrived. It's in the dining room for the winter and it's continuing to grow. I think they make very attractive and easy house plants for the winter.
ReplyDeleteI think you should go back and get some more :-)