Moving down.

I think your Episcias look great. I have a Faded Jade also, it has done well for me although some of the leaf edges turned brown. I tend to remove most of the stolons, just to keep them in check.
Andy

Goodness girl, don't move down so fast! I didn't come here for just one day, and already you're moving it down, after just one day?! We want to see your pics, just give us a little time. Now, your plants look great. Mine looked terrible, I sprayed them for mites, they looked worse, I went away on vacation and left them in a very hot, dry, dark space, they look even worse. So big congrats on your care. The Alice's Aussie looks very well grown, and the Kristina K is really pretty. What caused your Tropica Topaz to become like that in just one day?

I moved the wrong one down :-) Fingers flying faster than the brain once again!

I don't know what happened to Tropical Topaz. Was hoping someone could tell me. It's isolated now in a part of the house with no plants. I removed all of the stolons and crowns which looked as if they might have damage. Keeping my fingers crossed.

On the others: Pebble trays are hard to find for 7" wide window shelves. So, I bought some of those oblong clear plastic saucers called "PlantPak Saucers" at Lowe's. They come up to 18" long.

Linda

I don't know what went wrong with your 'Tropical Topaz' but it is known to be more difficult than the others. I suspect it got the winter-time blues (ha!)--which episcias are subject too. I think it is brought on by low temperatures at night or dry air or something. This happens to me too. I had some episcias on a low shelf near the door to the greenhouse, but in the kitchen; and, then, as it got cooler, they all started to decline. My guess is that they suffered from a cool draft coming from the cooler greenhouse. I lost some but took the others upstairs to the warmer light stand and put them under domes to recover. Some are showing signs of new growth. That is my universal recomendation for ailing episcias--warm room and enclosed in a baggie or dome or terrarium.

Episcia lovers and especially newer episcia lovers must remember that winter is the time of their discontent and we often just try to get our plants through this time of year so that they can quickly recover when their come into their season. They will do that, you know. But, only if they are still alive. I have relearned that lesson many times, which is how come I know it now. It only took about 15 years to get it down. Having a few episcias thrive at this time of year is a real bonus.

I like the pattern on the 'Kristina K' too. I love netted patterns on episcias or on strep flowers. But, I really like that silvery white one. Its been a few days since I looked at your pictures and I forget its name. It is one that is new to me.

Jon

Hi, Jon:
I'm going to put Tropical Topaz in a bag and hope for the best. In a bag it is also isolated, I guess, so if it has something contagious maybe it won't spread.

The silvery-leaved variety is Silver Emblem. I like it because it's more compact. Not like Alice's Aussie which is fast becoming "The Plant That Ate Chicago!"

Linda

Linda, loved your pics! I had a Tropical Topaz and couldn't get it to live either. Apparently it's a tough one to grow.

Since we don't live too terribly far apart maybe some day we can get together and exchange some episcias. I'm nearly on the TN line.

As I understand it, 'Alice's Aussie, is a hybrid made by Alice McKee, who lives in Tennessee. The Aussie part refers to her dog. Most people assume this is an Australian creation. I think she is a member of the group in Nashville--The Tennessee Gesneriad Society. Her other episcias are also quite popular.

Hi, Jon:

Here's something I've been meaning to ask forever:

Even though Alice's Aussie (and all of her other hybrids) are listed as by "McKee," Alice's last name is "McGhee."

How do we go about getting that corrected?

Also, I saw "Alice's Aussie' on the Gesnariad Reference Web (one of my favorite sites!) as 'Alyce's Aussie'. Tried to send an email but it was bounced back. Does anyone have a way to contact the web master?

As an aside, Alice has Australian Terriers. Unfortunately, she has had life upheavals and lost most of her Episcias; including the ones she hybridized. She has also dropped out of our AV club. Don't know if she's still in the Gesnariad club. She is a fantastic source of knowlege. Hope she returns to plants soon.

Do you have the names of Alice's other hybrids? I know one is Alice's Outback and is sold at The Violet Barn but they're out.

Linda