Thanks Deborah, I'm amazed at how it's grown without much help from me. I am so lax when it comes to plant care but it sure seems happy and healthy and I can't wait to see the open blooms!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Will do and it looks like I will have blooms on Hoya australis soon too ... found buds on that one today and I really look forward to those because of the wonderful fragrance!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
mj, I am so excited about how this plant has done and how fast it's grown. Although I did remember to fertilize a couple of times early this summer, it has survived with a lack of care for the most part. We moved back to the Daytona Beach area from Sebastian about 3 weeks ago and if we have any real cold temp's this winter, I will move it indoors because I don't have a protected area to leave it outside like at our house in Sebastian.
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
mj: Thanks for the heads up on the temp's for Ruthie! I've left some Hoyas out in 45-50º temps over the years and they were fine as long as we didn't have many consecutive nights with low temperatures but they were on the south and southeast side of the house and I'd throw an old blanket over them.I will definitely be bringing in my 3 hoyas and my few orchids when temp's drop here this winter. I can't even leave them on the screened porch because it's located on the north side of the house. I guess I'll jusut have to turn one of the bedrooms into a winter plant haven.
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Lin you should post pics on the Facebook page. I'm sure others there would love to see it too ! I need to try to get pics of both Ruthie and Optimistic blooming in the greenhouse now. Except it's literally a jungle in there !
mjsponies said:Lin you should post pics on the Facebook page.
MJ, for some reason I can't post photos to your Little Garden in the Country Facebook page, I can leave a comment but there is no option for me to upload pictures.
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Aha, I've been following your FB page but I didn't even know about the group page so I just joined ... as soon as I'm approved I can share the pictures.
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Umm don't know why it didn't let you on the business page, I'll have to check that. But I just did the approvals for the group. And for some reason it's not sending me notifications of requests, even tho I have it set to in the settings. ?????
Anyhow your in !
This morning I was walking around the yard and found my big Hoya Ruthie plant tipped over; probably a critter during the night because it hasn't been windy! I gently picked it back upright, thinking the buds would be smashed from the weight but it's fine ... and the blooms are opened!
Yeah !!! Great going Lin. If you keep it warm and in a sunny spot it will keep blooming thru thur late winter. Both Ruthie and Optimistic are blooming in the greenhouse now.
Thanks mj, I'm loving Hoya 'Ruthie'! She's located on the Southeast side of the house, up against the brick wall. If we get any cold temp's this winter, I will definitely be bringing the pot inside!
I'd never heard of 'Optimistic' so I went googling! It's not in the database here so I've submitted a proposal to add it. It sure is a beauty too! I like the looks of those re-curved flowers. I couldn't find out much about it but one site said it's an Ed Gilding hybrid and another listed it as a hybrid of Eriostemma Ruthie and E. ciliata.
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!
Lin they are dropping the Eriostemma now. Just Hoya Optimistic. I believe cv. is being dropped from the nomenclature. After being beat into our heads to use it. Now it would just be Hoya 'Optimistic'. Hoya's are getting almost as bad as Orchids with the naming. Here's a pic of Optimistic. Blooms are a little smaller than Ruthie, leaves are fuzzy, but just as robust a grower.
Keep us posted. 
