Just wanted to say I think we have a tentative date for the Hybridizer's Clinic for '16. it will be April 23rd. The day before we hope to organize tours to some of our local nurseries (bring your credit cards!!). I only say tentative at this point as I have to book our banquet but this far in advance I should be in good shape on that too.

This year we will have another special guest or two. You'll have to come find out just who!

Would there interest in booking a block of rooms at the Red Lion Hotel here in Salem?

Looking forward to seeing lots of you come to lovely Oregon to see lots of semps and laugh pretty hard too!

We will need to know numbers for the banquet but all other events should be wide open. You might want to car pool so that you can visit with each other from place to place.

Kevin

The development of a weird Sempervivum (noname)

ever had semps with crested blooms?

Joann and I will be at the clinic. We'll drive down and back each day and can cram a few people in the back of our two-door hatchback for day trips if needed.

'Pacific Knight' (actually a NOID since I doubt its authenticity)


Wee little 'Pepito'

Yay, a date to save on the New Year's calendar!

Wolfgang, That semp has gotten quite scary looking and I have never seen crested blooms on semps.

Love the pics Wolfgang!!!
Kevin - can't wait to go to this clinic!! I'll talk to my people and see if they are ok staying at Red Lion in Salem @Patty and @Springcolor

Tim - personally I'm thinking that your semp could very well be Pacific Knight

the countdown begins! I'm good with Red Lion or anyplace else. I'm hoping it works to leave Koko here with Bill

gg5 said:
Tim - personally I'm thinking that your semp could very well be Pacific Knight

That would be a real disappointment.

Wahoo, things are heating up and getting exciting for the upcoming clinic.
I'll start a new thread for the 2016 Hybridizing Clinic.

What a cool looking semp Wolfgang. It actually looks like it is making offsets, kind of like a heuffelii does. How very interesting.
I have had weird blooms on 'Oddity' and crested blooms on 'Solist II'.

And here is one in Kevin's garden


Tim, we should be able to know more about your lovely NOID come spring time. 'Pacific Knight' is very distinctive that time of year.

I'm with you Bev, already have it on my calendar.
Patty, Greg and Julia, can't wait to see the three of you.

Hoping MR can make it again this coming April.

Yes, valleylynn. I have some offsets of this. And they do strange things too. In spring I'll show more pictures of these.

dirtdorphins, that's some nasty weather you got. But it's amazing the abuse semps can take and come out looking good again the spring.

wolfgang, love the color of those semps! You take some beautiful photos! I like your weird one with no name too. I've had a few crested blooms also.

Tim, your plants are looking very healthy and happy. Cute little Pepito!

Lynn, those are some amazing crested blooms - giants! Very cool!

Chris,

Yes the crested 'Dark Cloud' was over a foot across! The flowers occurred in a ridge along the top of the crest and were themselves crested.

COLD this morning in Oregon. everything covered in frost. Good day to watch football!

Kevin

Aren't sempervivum an ever evolving source of surprises and pleasure. How can you not just love this plant.

This is a picture of 'New Sunrise' taken in this morning's sunrise.


And here is 'Jungle Fires'.


Lots of soil splashed splashed into the leaf crevices of these two semps. I'm not sure but they actually seem to like this. At least I've received no complaints thus far.

Weather has gone from wet and mild to dry and frozen. This has made the gravel in my semp garden do an odd thing. It seems to have fluffed up and threatens to swallow up some semps. I came out this morning and thought birds had flown off with pieces of them. Turns out the gravel is just expanding and rising.
Poor little 'Pacific Devils Food' used to sit on top of the gravel, now it is surrounded.



It seems to be ice expanding in the top soil layer, pushing the gravel up. It doesn't seem do be doing any harm.
Anyone else notice this sort of gravel behavior?



This NOID is decked out for the new year.

Great pictures everyone!!! Date is good and so is the Red Lion. Very cold in Illinois today, well for a PNW person

valleylynn said:Wahoo, things are heating up and getting exciting for the upcoming clinic.
I'll start a new thread for the 2016 Hybridizing Clinic.
Hoping MR can make it again this coming April.

Now I will have something more to watch for...

Those are all wonderful and interesting variants of the semp plants you guys have there!!

Tim, I have the same thing happening in my raised beds. And when it thaws the soil is all fluffy under the gravel. Doesn't seem to hurt them. Great photos, and goes to show that sand doesn't seem to cause rot like soil does.

Are you going to come this April Marilyn?

I will start the new thread tomorrow. Just got home.

Happy new year everyone !

Happy new year Paddy, and everyone else.

Happy New Year everyone
From frosty Carnation where it's 24 right now. Tim - the soil pushing up is called heaving. Ice crystals down in the soil force it to rise.



This is a pic of a Frost Flower a friend took - it's just ice crystals on a twig.