Once a year love affair....

19 years ago

It is about this time each year, when I buy a whole bunch of Sans, just before my birthday:) Truth be told, it's usually Sans AND Philos, but this year it's just Sans. It's almost like fish on a feeding frenzy! LOL So, this year, ordered from Grigsby again. I also bought several from Smoley when I visited his GH in Florida last year. I drove from Orlando to Dunnellon in the midst of a hurricane(it wasn't that bad! LOL). Anyway, here is what I've ordered this year:

---S. Bantel's Sensation(I killed the one I got last year- overwatered it. I understand this one is finicky anyway.)

---S. Canaliculata- the tall form

---S. Scabrafolia(love the white edges)

---S. Sp. Lav. 23154- I don't have a good visual for this one, but it sounds handsome!

I wanted to mailorder from Mr. Smoley again too, but he has not responded to my email inquiry:((((

Anyone else going through the same thing I am?

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Comments (6)

melissa_thefarm
19 years ago
My September birthday is also my excuse to buy Sansevierias, though I buy them, excuseless, in April as well. This has been going on for a couple of years. I just sent an inquiry to Alan Butler of Brookside Nursery. I don't have a specific list: in the past I've let Alan propose the plants, giving him some general guidelines as to what I'm interested in. They have an online catalog, but sometimes there are varieties available that aren't listed as such in the catalog. Most of my plants seemed to benefit from our hot summer. I have 'Bantel's Sensation'; it has been slow for me--I still don't have a good grasp of how to cultivate Sanserierias--but I think it got better established this summer, and has started some new leaves. The other varieties on your proposed list I'm not familiar with. Most of my parva and trifasciata varieties throve this year, and even S. kirkii var. pulchra 'Coppertone' had a pup! The only variety I've killed so far is S. ballyi--overwatering in a cool spell in spring, I think--and so naturally it's on my purchase list.

Enjoy your new plants!

Melissa
User
19 years ago
Well I've killed some Bantel's S at least twice. I did a swap least year & tried to get more, but the swapper sent me what looks like the most orgdinary S. trifasciata laurentii & tried to tell me it was Bantel's. I was soooo mad; I love Bantel's & would like to find some more of it.

Anyway, while I'm saddened that you lost yours, it does validate me a bit that Bantel's is a bit finicky for other folks too.

Better luck next time & shall I say, lock up those credit cards!
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GrowHappy
Original Author
19 years ago
Yes, Karen and guess who else has killed a Bantel's in their lifetime? Ooojen!!! LOL Feel MUCH better now?

It was the most awful thing to come home to. Seeing the leaves all flopped over and this gross brown mush in the middle. I just had to smell it, too. Wrong thing to do. I almost barfed from the odor. Whew!!!!!!!! It was such a horrible day.......

GH
User
19 years ago
GH,

Tooo funny, don't know which is funnier, you're reassuring me that even Ooojen's killed one (& yes, that IS saying something) or that you almost died from the smell of yr. Sans. Bantel's Mush. (BTW, has Ooojen dropped out of GW, or is she just superbusy, if you happen to know?)

My S Bantel's died from drying out (I think both times), as I was being so careful not to overwater them.

I always have my eyes peeled for more of this, (also for S. Lillian True, which I understand is a similarly vertically striped w/ white variegate, also said to reproduce true to its variegation).

I ADORE green & white variegates, even in Sans!
GrowHappy
Original Author
19 years ago
Jen has been spotted recently at thegardenforums.org I don't think she even comes here anymore. Miss her!

It's really bizarre that my Sans died this summer. I mean, here I got the watering thing down pat all WINTER long and Spring. Then it decides to die on me in the summer. It was indoors too. Dang it! I will make sure that I do not water it in the crown this time. I'm certain that must have contributed to it's awful death.

I don't think I have any green and white variegates. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever seen any. Seen plenty of yellow and green, though. This Bantel's will be my only variegate, aside from Laurentii, that is. I just can't afford to bid on those variegates from Mr. Chahinian on eBay. A variegated Masoniana just went for $130. Not long ago, a variegated Pinguicula went for $2,000. What the??? Oh well, I'm glad someone can afford that kind of money! LOL

I miss all my Hahnii varieties. I killed them all with neglect this past winter. I also chilled them a bit too much for their liking and every one of them rotted. It was like a bad dream. Sans after Sans just keeling over and dying. DRats! Well, I will now be growing all my sans under lights, and especially Hahnii, this coming winter. I cannot afford to lose any more Sans to cold rooms! I wonder why the Hahnii varieties are so much more cold sensitive than, say, the Trifasciata varieties. Do you know?
dufflebag2002
18 years ago
Karen I don' believe yours is a 'Lilian True' she has a dark green center and golden borders. Hermine Stover found and named the plant. Hermines book can be downloaded at Endangered Species free. This book is 30 years old but is still useful. It is not in color. Norma