Obsessed

[Blocky71]

Hi all, This has been my first season of collecting cp's and after the usual disasters and tribulations i've ended up with what i'm hoping will be a nice little collection for next years growing season.

The trouble is i get a little obsessed and can't stop searching for and buying plants!.

I've now already filled my greenhouse i built this year!.

I have a lot of similar looking plants/clones and i've come to realise that there really is no need for me to own every species available so..............

Next seasons plan is to thin out plants, keeping the more diverse/interesting/rarer clones.

I'm planning on keeping aroud 40 sarracenia, 40 vft's, 10 drosera, 6 cephalotus(already got) and possibly a few of the easier to keep nepenthes.

I guess what i'm after from you experienced growers is a list of plants that would be in your "favourites" catergory, going on colour/rarity/uniqueness etc but also plants that aren't going to die if i don't go down and speak to them every day.

I hope to get some great suggestions from anyone who has the time and i look forward to compiling a list that will give me a greater diversity with fewer plants.

Big thanks as always, Chris

[ada]

Chris, now i remember your name,seen owt of stevet? That's far too many vft's,he can sell sand to the arabs.ONLY JOKING LADS.

It all comes down to personel preference and what grows well in your area and conditions.

Neps are nice,but i don't grow them now,i found them too fussy and demanding,so i just went for stuff that can stand the cold and frost and as you say can be left alone if need be for a while.

But other growers will have different opinions and say sarra's are boring because they don't colour up properly in their conditions.

Its up to you and trial and error,

ada

[Blocky71]

Ha ha, that's me Ada, no one warned me about Steve and that potion he puts in your tea.....

Well ok I don't know that for sure but I walked out with 10 x the plants I intended buying lol!.

I've been too scared to return since !.

All joking aside, I got some top plants at very good prices, he also let me have a cup trap and a wacky trap he'd put aside for eBay, what a Nep collection!,

I love nep's but I can't do the necessary over wintering, I have 2 that I'm just about to bring indoors but I have no more room.

Conditions make big differences as you say, I guess I just want to get some more sought after/ prized additions.

[FredG]

It's not always the rare ones that you get most enjoyment out of. Utricularia bisquamata "Betty's Bay" isn't what you'd call a rarity but it flowers it's head off for 6+ months and looks great. The rarest thing in my greenhouses is space.

[Blocky71]

Ha ha, excellent quote Fred.

I only have one utric, I got it free with another plant I purchased.

He couldn't get it to flower and I didn't have any luck either, I can't remember it's name but if it's Betty's bay I better hang my gloves up!

[Stu]

You're definitely going to get a mix of answers depending on peoples favourites/conditions!

I agree with both Aidan and Fred though. I have a couple of Nepenthes which I appreciate but they do require specific overwintering that adds extra headaches. I'm a fan of plants that will not worry me if the temperature drops an extra degree lower one year to the next! (I don't use winter heat in my greenhouse)

As well as U. bisquamata 'Betty's Bay', U. reniformis is a great addition (this may even be the one you have that will not flower) as it does just fine in an unheated greenhouse and produces beautiful flowers.

For me, when I go into my greenhouse, it's nice to see the following in my collection (reasons in brackets);

Cephalotus (everyone appreciates a good healthy Ceph!)

Darlingtonia (you didn't list this - I highly urge you to grow some - interesting plant to grow and wonderful flowers)

Drosera binata var. multifida f. extrema (lots of deep red multi branched leaves creating a glistening mass)

Dionaea muscipula 'South West Giant' (everyone appreciates giant VFT's!)

Sarracenia alata purple tube (lovely deep purple colour contrast)

Sarracenia readii (a very tall clone I have - towers above other Sarracenia and retains its pitchers late.)

Sarracenia CV. 'Maxima' (Slack's) (Big, tall and in your face - great to see pitchering and in flower.)

Sarracenia × 'farnhamii' (great almost black colour and fenestration detail in the pitchers.)

Sarracenia × 'Juthatip Soper' (Vivid deep pink colour that never fails to draw attention)

Sarracenia alata 'Red Lid' (has a bright red lid that seems to glow in the sunlight)

Sarracenia ['Brook’s Hybrid' (luecophylla x flava rugelli) × leucophylla] (bulbous pitchers with interesting pale coluration to the upper region)

Sarracenia [readii × oreophila] (very dark colouration and interesting upright hood)

Sarracenia flava atropurpurea (Blackwater) (Impressive strong red colouration and large pitchers)

Sarracenia × 'Brook's Hybrid' (one of the tallest Sarracenia)

I would also recommend Drosera regia (impressively large and interesting) but do not have this in my collection.

However, new things will always catch my attention such as my Sarracenia × 'harperi' that produced a siamese pitcher this year, my Sarracenia CV. 'Maxima' (Slack's) that produced a six divided flower (rather than five) and my Cephalotus root cutting that produced a mass of pitchers recently.

Also I have acquired a number of new additions to my collection this year that I will only be able to see in full splendour next year (depending on the weather!) so my favourites may change again!

Therefore, I fear you may always be on the hunt for new things as new and interesting cultivars catch your eye!

For me, the fun comes with discovering new things. I have for the first time crossed a large amount of my Sarracenia and will be growing seedlings en masse soon. Seeing them grow and discovering interesting variations will provide a great deal of new excitement and enjoyment for me.

[Blocky71]

Some excellent choices and descriptions Stu, thanks.

I have a few drosera but nothing that i chose, they were hitchhiking in other plants i bought, i love freebies !.

I do like the tall, branching drosera's, mine are all small clumping varieties,

I shall have a good look at the plants you've recommended Stu and start making my "want list".

It looks like i've just lost my 2nd darlingtonia this year?, I'm not sure where i'm going wrong, no obvious signs, fit and healthy one day, brown and wilted the next.

I'll try again as they are fabulous, albeit a bit hit and miss from what i hear?.

Most of my collection was gathered towards the end of the season and i didn't have a greenhouse so many got battered by the weather, i too am looking forward to to next year and watching some hopefully splendid plants thrive.

Thanks for some excellent suggestions, p.s i have Juthatip soper and it's one of my fav's so that's one i can cross off the list ha!

[Daniel G]

Drosophyllum is under rated. It's a really nice plant to have waiting for you. Plus it smells amazing!

Darlingtonia are simple plants really. Not too much direct sunlight, and good amounts of water.

Something nice to have in with the Sarracenias is anything Anthocyanin free. Antho free leucos are amazing, as is 'Green Monster'

[Blocky71]

i'll look into the drosophyllum Dan, i agree the antho free plants can look stunning.

I'm already after an antho free psittacina, i've not seen the leucos or green monster, i'll take a look.

My cobra was in amongst my sarra's, dappled shade, plenty of water, it just gave up on me.

It was a new plant though though so maybe just got too stressed.

I want an antho free ceph if anyone wants to create one just for me lol !

[Daniel G]

You might be waiting a while for that Antho free Ceph

[Stu]

I shall have a good look at the plants you've recommended Stu and start making my "want list".

I find browsing the CP photo finder is a great way of spotting interesting plants to add to your list. Unfortunately, my list never seems to considerably reduce and just gets bigger and bigger! ;-)

It looks like i've just lost my 2nd darlingtonia this year?, I'm not sure where i'm going wrong, no obvious signs, fit and healthy one day, brown and wilted the next.

I'll try again as they are fabulous, albeit a bit hit and miss from what i hear?.

Sorry to hear that. I must've been lucky as I've yet to lose any of mine and in fact seem quite easy to care for. Mine grow in black pots (said to be a no-no), in hot temperatures (said to be a no-no), in pretty much direct sun and sit in water at all times.

Perhaps yours didn't aclimatise well to the change in conditions from their previous home? or maybe they didn't like the potting media?

[FredG]

I find browsing the CP photo finder is a great way of spotting interesting plants to add to your list. Unfortunately, my list never seems to considerably reduce and just gets bigger and bigger! ;-)

I thought that was standard procedure

Mine grow in black pots (said to be a no-no), in hot temperatures (said to be a no-no), in pretty much direct sun and sit in water at all times.

Looks good to me

Edited November 19, 2012 by FredG