stilldew said:Welcome to the Forum of the Doomed Tim. At least you live in a good zone for semps. I'm planting new babies knowing half may not make it through the winter here in zone 5. Four new raised beds are now on the way here in the mail, plus a big one in the basement. All waiting for me to put them together and figure out what I need to order to amend the soil. Stilll have 3 bags of gravel in the driveway, but think I will need to get a load of sand and gravel mix dumped in the driveway once those are used up. Good thing I don't have a car that needs to park in that drive.

"The forum of the doomed". I like that. How appropriate as we are all doomed to a fate of eternal Sempervivums. Not a bad way to go.

I agree Tim. There are so many worse addictions.

Lynn, we have had to cancel Halloween because of blizzards, but normally get our first big snow in Dec. Then it can vary a lot, but the snow cover is never permanent. Lately we often get some strange warm spell up into the 80's even in Jan. Just very up and down. I think it's all the melting and thawing that is hard on plants. Lost a lot of mums last year because they started to grow in the spring, then we had another hard freeze. Checked the baby semps I planted a couple weeks ago and they seem to be rooting well into the ground.

Susan,

I grew semps in a cold pocket of borderline Zone 4-5 in MA and saw 32 below zero more than once. The semps were fine. I did lose 'Commander Hay' every year there and finally gave it up as a bad job!

Tim, you'll be able to grow most with no problems here in Oregon. Some of the species from Turkey and some of the Balkan species don't like our winter wet but most things are fine.

You'll have to come to the clinic next spring, although the clinic will NOT cure the addiction.

Kevin

JungleShadows said:
You'll have to come to the clinic next spring, although the clinic will NOT cure the addiction.

Kevin

Yes Tim, you are doomed , but what a wonderful way to go and so nice that you are out there in Oregon, so close to the clinic...
be afraid, very, very afraid, but don't miss it!

It's a wonderful clinic and fun crazy people that like to talk about plants.

I agree that it is an amazing group of crazy plant lovers.

Dirt, maybe you could join us next spring?

The 'clinic'... what's that? It does sound oddly appropriate.

As the disease progresses, so too does the semp bed. It has actually gone around the corner and out of sight.
Have I gone "around the bend" as well?

I would say YUP!!

Here you go Time. The perfect place to go for help.
The thread "Schedule for 2015 Kevin Vaughn Hybridizing Clinic" in Sempervivum forum

Oh, poor Tim really has it bad, doesn't he?

Perfect!

Yes Tim, you must go to the clinic.

Lynn, I would love to! My job is so demanding and we are perennially short-staffed, but especially so this year--I can make no promises--
when is it going to be?
I schedule my leave a year in advance, but I don't always get to take it

We haven't set the date yet, it could be April or May.

@JungleShadows
Kevin did we decide yet what month for 2016's clinic?

Susan, You got it bad as well. You need to fly out here for the clinic! Would love to meet you all.

Susan rest assured you'd fly home with a box of semps!!

I know I would totally enjoy meeting all of you and going to the clinic, but my job sounds all too much like dirtdorphins! I'm having to pick up way to much overtime and vacations have to be set up a year ahead of time and still aren't aways granted. Hopefully you will learn lots of new information and take lots of photos to share.

Oh, not the answer I wanted to hear from Susan and Dirt. Looking on the bright side, maybe it will happen for both of you, a vacation in Oregon.

Don't know the date yet for the '16 clinic. Need to check on when Easter is and also to avoid any concerts. It will NOT be the first weekend of April as I have a speaking date in Iowa at the Iowa Arboretum, talking at their Spring Fling.

Kevin

Please talk to Cynda & Dave about their schedule also. We want to make sure they can come.

I second the suggestion by Susan. Please take lots of pictures of people and semps for those of us unable to attend so we can experience it vicariously.

For those that have not watched the video from the very first clinic, here is a link with information on watching the videos that Tony did.
The thread "Hybridizing Clinic with Kevin Vaughn" in Sempervivum forum