Good days in the greenhouse!  Everything is growing like crazy - well, almost everything.  There are some stubborn Hoyas that are taking their time, but most are growing.  And H. latifolia is budding up!...

Latifolia is the one they refer to as the "dinner plate Hoya", because some leaves can reach the size of a plate.  However, I have yet to get one THAT big, though in general, they are quite large.  I've gotten a few plate-sized leaves on my macrophylla.  These leaves are so big, I could hide my hand, fingers extended, behind them!...

They are massive.  I would say the average mac leaf is about 1/3 to 1/2 this size.  Last year, I was taking it down to clean the leaves (which I try to do once a year on these big ones that don't get moved at every watering...) and I broke it, had to re-root the part with the biggest leaves.  I was SO nervous that I'd lose it!  But it rooted and now it's growing...

You can see the biggest leaves, lower left corner and upper right.  I'll be anxious to see if the newest leaves are ultra big or more normal sized.

Another one that gets big leaves is vitellinoides.  I got this as a cutting from Kathy in 2012.  I noticed about a month ago a new leaf nubbin, and it grew into a tiny leaf, then sat for about 2 weeks.  Then in the last week or so, it exploded into a grand leaf!...

 

Strange that it has one big silver splotch over there on the upper left.  It's a beautiful leaf.  What's interesting about this species is the leaves start out very thin feeling then eventually become very succulent.  I hope it puts on more leaves this year! It's a beauty!  I know a lot of people grow Hoyas for the flowers, but those that have beautiful leaves, I don't even really care if I get flowers.  As far as I'm concerned, flowers are just a big fat bonus!

So I'm at work right now, finishing up this post.  It's a small group, and I would usually bartend it by myself.  But my hip has been hurting me BAD, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand that long, so I got Liane to work tonight, so I'm trying to take it easy.  I'm glad I did 'cuz BOY, is it SORE!!  I could have muddled through, I'm sure, but it would have been pure hell trying to clear the tables at the end by myself, and oh my, I would pay dearly tomorrow.  Tomorrow will probably be bad enough as it is!!  I'm thinking I may need to have it xrayed if it doesn't get better soon...

We (me, Merry & Mom) went to the farm on Wednesday, Wes's birthday.  It was bittersweet...  I really wish it had been a nicer day.  It was rainy, so we pulled up in front of where the house we grew up in used to sit, and we just sat in the truck (Wes's truck) and reminisced. I love it when it's a nice day and you can stand there, at the edge of the field, and let the country silence embrace you.  It's so wonderful - just the sound of the wind, maybe some birds, nothing else.  I think I'll try to drive down there again this summer, on a nice day, and experience that.  

We stopped in to talk about getting a memorial plaque put on grandma & grandpa's headstone.  We didn't commit to check to see if it would be any cheaper to have it done up here, but it looks like it's almost exactly the same, so I think we'll just have the Red Oak folks do it.  They did Dad's and did a fine job...

I'm thinking of starting a new blog... well, let's say a separate blog... with my book.  I'm trying to think if there's a way to do this that wouldn't let someone come along and claim it as their own.  I figure if it's published in a blog, no one could later claim it because it would be dated online, right?  IDK...  but I figure it could get some people reading it and wanting more, maybe.  Which could motivate me to finish it.  That would be good!!

Well, I'd better go check on Liane and see how she's doing.  More soon!