Laura,

If you're willing to collect and ship for a nominal fee, give me an e-jingle! I'd sure like to see the list of beauties to choose from, and I'm sure there are plenty of others thinking the same thing!

Green with envy... Denise in Omaha

Hi Laura,
That makes (at least) two of us...

Laura, have you tried Oldsmar Flea Market in Tampa/Clearwater? They sometimes have hoyas, dischidias along with mini orchids. Its a must stop for me when I am in Tampa.

Sylvia

The lady at USF Botanical gardens told me that the man that supplied their hoyas lives out in that area. I am wondering if there might be a connection. Is that the flea market on Race Track and Hillsborough? I went to the plant shop there(recently), nice plants, little in the way of hoyas. Or is that the flea market on Gunn Hwy? I have not been there in years so I don't know anything about what they have.

Laura,

Do you know when the next sale is? Did you ever find out who the grower is? It just might be worth a trip if they still have hoyas... :)

WRF-I'm not sure when the next sale is, the one with all the vendors, but the botanical garden shop is opened M-S and that is where the hoyas are. They've gone up to six dollars. I did talk to the guy who grows them for USF. I didn't get his name but I think he lives in Odessa.
They usually have a nice selection.

I have bought a lot of hoyas from USF. I try to go to at least one of their plant festivals every season. I missed the Tropical Plant Fair they had July 12/13 but they have the Bromeliad Bonanza in August and the Fall Plats Sale in October.

Thanks Laura, that still sounds like a bargin, lol!

Bihai, August sounds like it just might be too good to miss --- Hoyas & Bromeliads!

Do they happen to have a website too?

I think they do but its not much. I am a member of the gardens, which is $25/year (not much compared to how much it costs to be a member at Selby or Fairchild, and you get the same benefits...newsletters, 10% off any plants you buy at their gift shop, early member's entry to sales, free door prize at sales (usually an herb or butterfly plant) and the list of gardens nationwide that will honor your membership and let you in free or reduced price. Its not a large place, I would even venture to say in all honesty that Kanapaha here in Gainesville is larger and much better planted, but then its been here longer and is not on campus like this garden is. Everything there runs on volunteers. Its very nice. The sales are in no way as huge as some of the other sales but they are very quality.

The Tropical plant fair and the Spring sale usually have Gardinos, the Croton Society, 1-2 bromeliad sellers, a dedicated Palm seller, the guy from Going Bananas was there the last 2 sales I went to, an orchid vendor or 2, Bob Smoley was there once, there has been a guy there with a fabulous collection of gingers and heliconias (he had stuff like the White etlingeras and White Alpinia purpuratas and all like that, but his prices were pretty steep) and several other vendors who had more of a varied "not all one thing" selection fo plants.

I have bought palms there, I got my variegated Erythina indica there, I have gotten some nice bulbophyllum and cirrhopetalum orchids, philodendrons, hoyas, anthuriums, cool species of Staghorns, bananas (got my 1000 fingers there), broms, variegated monstera, just a ton of cool stuff.