Carol -

my guess with everybody selling on ebay for pennies - there is no money left in this business to make a living.
So - doesn't look that anybody is going to do it a full time job, we need to use part-timers - means ebay. A lot of hybridizers sell there - David Thompson is there selling his hybrids as well as other streps, sinningias and violets. I would say out of old-timers Judy Becker - "Lauray of Salisbury" carries a wide selection of stuff - and Michael Kartuz has some interesting stuff too.

Regarding the species streps - probably there is not enough market for them - only die hard gesneriad lovers do grow them - and only several people in a country grow unifoliate streps. I grew one of the Parfuflora hybrids just for kicks - and this thing grows to the size of rhubarb and takes the shelf - it will be probably some time before i get another one.

The rosette species are used by hybridizers - latest efforts to produce a small size plant used S. liliputana - which is extremely hard to grow.

So - seeds is the best way to proceed.

Good Luck

Irina

Thanks, Irina,
I don't think ebay is pennies, especially for some of the more unusual gessies - competition is fierce.
I do love Dennis Miller's strep hybrids on ebay - reasonable price and a variety.
There are a lot of us die-hard gesneriad lovers, aren't there? I definitely want one of those unifoliates. Great fun to hybridize with, don't you think?
I agree, the latest thing is the small sized streps. Dale has done some great work on that, but she has also done a lot of hybridizing with the species. Maybe that's some time ago, though.
Did you go to the convention last year?
Carol

Yes - I will go to Seattle this year and I was in Philly last year. Best time of the year - Convention...

I think Dennis has several hybrids to die for, and the rest are not that unusual.

Ebay IMHO is not too much money - and unusual stuff people pay good money today - in several months is propagated and sold for 2.99. Plus you never know - my friend who sells under a nick "sally's garden" posted a blooming, standard crown variegated Russian AV trailer last week that hardly anybody grows in a country - and there were no bites. And if you want something large size and hundred of bloom - this is just it.

So far all my hybridization efforts ended in hundreds of babies to grow - and nothing to give a name. This is something for people with a great patience and unkillable optimism.

Irina

Thank, Irina. I am not familiar with IMHO but I will keep an eye out.
Carol

Carol -

In My Humble Opinion ;-))