hi Brad

my name is also Brad

I agree that finding hoyas thru online nurseries isn't easy, especially a particular one. I hate doing this but im going to recommend using Facebook. The reason I say I hate this is because I don't use social media at all. My wife created a profile for me about 10 years ago that I look at maybe once a year.

However, not to long ago I thought I would try locating a very rare hoya with Facebook. I still haven't been able to find the hoya, at least not in my price range but I did find a group called hoya lovers Facebook store. You can ask for particular hoyas. They also allow auctions and 1st to say sold gets the plant deals. Also there's no fees.

You may have luck finding your elusive hoya there. Even if you don't or it takes a long time im sure you will find something else interesting. Alot of rare and sought after hoyas being sold there.

And good luck with your job. keep your spirits high. Things will turn around eventually

Thank you, Brad! I do belong to the Hoya Lovers FB Store, but a lot of them sell using PayPal only, and I don't have that set up or trust it. So I'm really outta luck there.

On the work front, I saw that I will be going back to work next Friday!!! :D I'm a server at my local Pizza Hut. Our dining room opens then and I am in for a long shift, but ever so thankful to be working then.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

You sound down, Brad. This situation has really taken a toll on most people and it's so sad to hear stories like yours. I'm so sorry about your job. I hope things will improve for you soon.

As for hoyas, I completely understand. I only started collecting about two years ago but I already have a wish list of ones I am unable to find. If I do find them, then they are really expensive. I have like a mental limit I established on what I will spend on a single plant. I mean, it's a plant! I know I love them and want more, but it's a plant! If it does well for you, you could sell cuttings later and recoup some of the cost. But that all depends on how quickly it grows and if one is actually wiling to part with a piece!

As far as paypal is concerned, I (and this is just my opinion) feel it's a lot safer than Facebook. I've had paypal for many years because I like to buy things on ebay. I've never ever signed up for FB.

With all that being said, if I had the one you wanted, I'd send you a cutting. But sadly, I do not.

I watch ebay pretty closely but I don't think I've seen the one you want. I see that there have been some on Etsy but not at this time. Keep looking...it will happen!

I see one now on ebay. It is a foreign seller but the price isn't horrible.

I completely agree with ppopmama, and in my opinion believe that PayPal is a trustworthy way of doing business. It even has safeguards set in place for both customers and sellers. on the other hand please be cautious of people in Facebook! there's alot of trustworthy people but also many people looking to take advantage.

ill keep an eye out for your particular plant. But iv never come across it before.

Thank you both! Etsy has been a nice place to purchase from, but even a cv. Mathilde (also one I'm looking for) is going for over $50 for a cutting!!!! I'll keep checking there, too. I'm also looking for cv. Sunrise, Hoya celata (formerly pubicalyx "White Dragon"), the all-white flowered bella, lacunosa "Ruby Sue" and "Royal Flush", and cv. Chouke.

Secret Garden Rare Plants has some nice selections, but again, some are pricey. Even carnivorous plants are getting expensive. I wonder if it's because of the epidemic that's jacking the prices up. People getting into gardening since they can't do much other interests or jobs. I don't blame it, but for us on the hunt, it's hard work (and I feel bad for some of the sellers, too).

I haven't been in a good place, mentally, for a long, long time (it's been a struggle all of my life-mostly anxiety and now, I fear, it's becoming full-fledged depression-undiagnosed, but friends see signs). Work helped me feel better about myself and proved that I am capable of being independent. Thankfully, the stimulus check and my IRS income tax refunds (federal and state) came through not long ago, so I am good, financially. Moving might not be possible for a little bit yet, and I'll have to talk to my boss about being transferred to the town where I am thinking of moving to (there's a Pizza Hut there under the same regional management, and even some of the employees at our restaurant go help that particular store out sometimes). I am sorry if I am rambling on, but my mind goes a million miles an hour sometimes.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

last week I received a cutting of sunrise from a seller on Facebook. I paid $20 for 2 nodes plus shipping. iv found alot of good things there. but since you don't use PayPal it limits where you can buy. try another payment service. idk what they are called but there's others. I'll keep you in mind once I'm able to take cuttings of my plant. but thats gonna be awhile

keep yourself busy. try going to local nursuries. I have found hoya there also. iv even put in custom orders. they order plants from there suppliers for me and I pick them up when they're in. you can of course pay cash for that.

stores and restaurants in my area are starting to open up again so it won't be long before more are following.

Don't be sorry, Moonwolf. Everyone needs an outlet of some sort especially those who have anxiety and depression. I have a very close family member who is both. I have seen him through a lot. Outlet and connection are imperative. Please be kind to yourself and reach out for some support. Resources are out there. Don't hesitate to use them.

I bought a Mathilde and didn't pay anywhere near $50 for it and it was a whole plant not a cutting. Keep looking and don't get sucked into $50 for a cutting. That's just nuts if you ask me. It's a wonderful hoya and it grows fairly quickly for a hoya.

Chouke is also on my wishlist. If you want to start a "wishlist" thread, we can all say what we pine for! :-)

A lot of the local nurseries around here don't carry them. They're hit or miss, honestly. Like the big box stores. My local Wal-Mart doesn't have a lot of house plants right now, sadly. You'd think it'd be in full stock with everything going on. I don't drive (never learned) and mother's kinda the domineering type (and panics, and my father's a hypochondriac, but has COPD and sarcoidosis, and he's not doing so well lately-so yeah, home life is just peachy; I often feel like Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens-bunch of staunch characters; S-T-A-U-N-C-H). Anyway, online's been my best bet for Hoyas other than the standard carnosa variegated forms and Compactas/Hindu Ropes or EA/Costa Farms ones (which are nice, but again, hit or miss around here).

My wish list isn't too big, but I may post one. I keep hoping that someone will say, oh I have extra of this and I don't want anything in return, lol. People always want something it seems. It's become a jungle out there, pun intended. At least, working on the outdoor garden has been some relief. My new Mock Orange arrives tomorrow (VERY happy about that).

So, I have limited options. My anxiety has anxiety, as the saying goes. I hope there's some relief soon. I keep hoping for a miracle.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Hi Karen,

You sent me the String of Spades/Heartless String of Hearts and a Crown of Thorns cutting, both of which are doing marvelously!! Yes, my micrantha hasn't budged an inch yet this spring on new growth.

A separate wish list will be posted in a new thread, that way we all can compare notes and not clutter up this thread/get it off track.

I find meditation and my hobbies help. Deep breathing does amazing for helping stay in the moment and takes off the edginess.

I'll look through my e-mails to see if I still have your e-mail address, Karen. I'll e-mail you if I do. If not, I'll send a message.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Got it thanks, forgot what I sent, but makes sense, those 2 are what I still have to offer for other folks. Reminder, formal names are good too, Ceropegia woodii, COT = Euphorbia milii x marlotti.

Has the COT started blooming for you yet? If not, water it a lot & put it on a pebble tray. Also fertilize.

Has the CW bloomed for you yet? Don't recall if it prefers full or part sun, I'm thinking part shade maybe? Somehow the only bloom I got from that came in Oct.

Soooo glad to know you already do meditation & know deep breathing.

Now, I know I'm not your Mom or a spouse, but are you drinking enough water? Eating healthy(ish food)? Talk soon, stay well.

Yep, I'm staying on top of eating right (or just eating substantial meals/lighter options) and staying hydrated, especially. I've had kidney stones in the past, and things like stress and stress-eating can make them flare up (craving the stuff that tastes good, but is not the best thing for you). The Ceropegia woodii I have outdoors with my standard String of Hearts. Both do bloom, but the standard more than the String of Spades/Daggers/"Heartless" form. The one you sent me is in deeper shade, too. So maybe that's why. The Euphorbia is doing well, too. I spot a new leaf. I'll have to see if it needs a new pot and give it a drink.

My new Mock Orange (Philadelphus x lemonlei "Belle Etoile") arrives today, so I am super excited about that. In just a few days, I'll be a working man again. 10:30 A.M.-6 P.M. on Friday. Long day, but no better way to dive headfirst into waiting tables again. If anyone passes through Huntingdon, PA in their travels, stop in at the Pizza Hut there, and you may meet me ;).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Hi again Brad,

Got your email thx, hope to get back to you in a few days. If / when you can, pls share pix of what a "standard String of Hearts" is, so I can see the difference. Am curious, as I don't know what that is offhand.

Glad to know of your back to work plans, you sound perked up about it already, happy for ya.

Relieved to learn you already know abt better nutrition & hydration. Given the crappy standard American diet, so many folks in America don't know these things, worsening their own situations.

Happy Mock Orange, may it thrive in your capable hands!

This is my "standard" String of Hearts, Karen, the leaves are more "heart shaped", with the blooms. I LOVE the mottled leaves. This is my favorite house plant outside of Hoyas. This one set a seedpod for me and now I have another plant, too :). They're extremely easy to care for. Never had a problem with either kind.

And here's the Mock Orange, too. Silly me, I broke off a stem, but I stuck it back in the pot. I have it in bright shade, acclimating it for a few days before planting (it's soil is moist, so no worries about that). Isn't it gorgeous?

Brad AKA Moonwolf

The scent of Mock Orange is intoxicating. I can imagine that will cheer you up! It would cheer me up. In fact, you have me thinking. I just had to remove a dead Rose of Sharon which means I have some real estate and a Mock Orange might be just the thing!

I see you've got it bad, Popmama, so funny.

I just got back w/ that Hoya KP after all, funny story. Am going down to the beach for a quick swim. More later.

Thx Brad, for the pix, nice job. Of course, that's what the standard CW is; (duh, Karen; or as my Sister Jokes, Pandemic brain). I completely forgot it's MINE is the oddity!! More later.

Go for it, Popmama!!! I hope mine blooms this year. They say this variety is one of the most strongly scented Mock Orange varieties there is. I'd love to find a Hoya with the same scent. It's not hardy in my zone, sadly, but I would LOVE to plant an Osmanthus fragrans in my yard. That has my favorite plant scent ever. But anyway, I was reading about this variety of Mock Orange and one person said it smells like Juicy Fruit gum (yum)!!! This variety also is more compact than other MOs (6 feet high or so, and as wide). It has a longer blooming period than other Mock Oranges, too. If you would like, Popmama, I'll message you where I got this one. Unless you have some really awesome nurseries near you that carry them ;).

And you're welcome, Karen!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Probably not hardy in my zone either! But sure, message me the variety and where you got it. I'll take a look.