Stay strong!! If they didn't tell you to stay off it, that's good! Just take it easy for a few days! Be well!

No Greg, in fact he gave me no restrictions, no further treatment, just told me to not bandage it too tight when I change the bandage......I have that for more support. My daughter gave me a new pair of good sneakers that she bought for herself and they have good arch support, etc. I am able to get them on over the bandage and they feel so much better than the boot. Even more support. The boot is for a much taller person and I am so miserable and restricted when i wear it. I am going to keep the shoes on and not overdo it for a few days until I see how the pain is, then I will see if I am ready to walk without the walker. Keep hoping.

Glad your daughter is helping you! Heal well and fast!

Threw the boot away yesterday...today the walker is next. I am determined to walk and drive very soon. No three week crap for me. My plants need me and my little Strep is just as beautiful as it was the day it opened. I do love these plants. I am sure it is helping me heal. Thanks so much for the encouragement. I know I will love growing them.

Hey Greg,,,,,I have a bud on my new little "WoW Strep. The bloom on the other one is still very pretty. I am so impressed with these plants. I feel I have missed so much not looking into them sooner.
Maybe the name is what kept me away. Not very pretty a name for such a darling little beauty.

I agree "Cape Primrose" sounds much prettier doesn't it?? Hooray for you and your plants!! Any budding on the Russian frosty that I sent you?? It had what looked like possible buds, I was hoping once it settled in they might get going pretty quickly!
How are you doing otherwise Jacquie?? Hope your ankle is mending??

No, the Russian is still alive and well, just not ready to bloom. Looks good and has settled in very well. You should see the stock Disocactus ...in another day or so it will be a mass of blooms. I am thrilled it made it through the winter as well as it did. I found mealy bug and scale on my house plants this past week and my girl came and we took them all outside, inspected them and sprayed and put granules on the soil to make sure it was not spreading. She also did the greenhouse. She is the woman whose Mother gave me the disocactus.

I am healing slowly and am tryng to get around more but I am not getting enough exercise and I can feel my body getting weaker from lack of exercise. I must soon be able to walk again outside or I swear I will just fade away and get old. I hate this. Thanks for asking and hopefully I will be in a happier frame of mind next post.
As soon as I can walk without pain I am going to use the treadmill and try and build up the strength in my legs again. All it takes is time and patience. Time I got....patience I aint got.

Aw! Hang in there JB!! Its great that you have someone who was willing to help you with your bug situation!!
Enjoy what you can!! (especially those amazing blooms!!)

Take a look at Spin Art and Wow. They are doing so well, I am loving these plants. I am so thrilled the like it here. The Russian looks great too Greg. No buds yet but looks great. What strength these plants have.

That is still the first bloom on spin art. Just beginning to look a bit droopy and Wow is just openinig. That is a beautiful flower.


i

They are beautiful JB! Be careful... they are addictive!!!

Karen

Here is a new one of Wow this morning. She is open now.



I am so happy with these plants. They are new and young and already blooming.

How pretty JB! You're taking good care of them obviously! These are very rewarding plants!

Hello everyone, I am back to show you my latest surprises

Here are the first buds on Strep. Sashenka (Russian).


Next is the first flower of Step Keigetsu



Greg, some of the leaves on these plants get really big, do you suggest we cut them off or just leave them hang? They look strange with one big long leaf and the rest fit the size of the plants. Never saw that before.

Hi JB, Your streps look great!!!
Yes they can get very large leaves, I left mine on while the plant was blooming, but I think its your choice.
I was told (but haven't confirmed this, and don't know if its for all streps or just certain ones) that the blooms come from the individual leaf, each leaf will produce 15 or so blooms and then its done. Mine have always been prolific growers and bloomers (probably because of the Shultz's liquid fertilizer that I use)
I do cut the leaf as soon as the bloom stops - although only if you don't like the look, there are several that I loved because the leaves were so grand - 2 feet or more long and a foot wide, so I just potted it into a 12inch pot and let it go!! Most people don't have that kind of space, so it is fin to cut the leaf. (whew, guess you got the long answer )
Also when cutting the leaf, you can just trim the tips, you don't have to take the whole leaf until it begins to die back!

These are still babies, but do they like to be pot bound? I would like to keep the leaves on for awhile until I repot them for sure. I some day would like to propagate them and now I know why they use the leaves the way they do. I have a printout of how they cut the leaves and it is so cool. Do I use my own judgement when to repot or is there a sign I can look for before I repot them.

The one you sent me is doing so well and it is so healthy. I have had a great time with these plants but I need to do more research. The problem is, I would rather hear it from someone who does it than read two or three different ways of doing the same thing. Sometimes too much research is a bad thing.

I am learning by doing that is for sure, and I love every minute of it. Thanks for your help.

JB One sure way to tell is if you're having to water more often than usual. I think these guys don't care if they are pot bound or not. Except that they do want to stay hydrated

Wow great pictures!! When I moved to a different house a couple of years ago I realized that the African Violets love to grow here, so I have recently gotten a leaf of a gloxinia to see if this also will be a hit in this house. I have started many African Violets from leaves so went that route, glad to see it will be ok to stick a leaf in the soil. I was interested in seeing these are not long lived plants and to restart them yearly? Thanks for all the info.

Thanks Greg, have a good day.