Why?

I'm a very curious person. I used to get scolded for asking so many questions. I have to hold back a lot of the questions I have when I counsel and save them for my own time. I go out and search and find out for myself (heh, not about my members but more so in general).

I've been thinking about why I like plants so much. Moreover, why I like certain types of plants.

Mr. S has a post *somewhere* about generalists vs. specialists. I said that I was a generalist. That's not necessarily true at this point in my journey in gardening. There are many types of plants that I can admire, but would never want to grow myself. There are plenty of plants that elicit no excitement from me. There are plants that are so prone to certain pests that I would not dare bring them in my home.

I look around at my collection and I notice some patterns. Almost all of my plants something interesting about their foliage. If they don't, then they have interesting textures. If not either, then they have spectalular blooms/are everblooming. I also gravitate towards Hoyas and succulents.

Why succulents?

Hm. That's a good question. Maybe it's something about the thick, green leaves. Maybe it's something about how they store water in their leaves in case of drought. They grow happily in hot weather and most can take full sun no problem. The number of plants that can be considered succulent besides the ones in Crassulaceae (Jades, Echeveria, etc) and Asphodelaceae (Haworthia, Gasteria, etc). That's the neat part - there's hundreds of different plants considered drought-tolerant. Some are even cold hardy, depending on your zone (I'm thinking about Semps here)!

I started my foray into succulents with Diva, my Kalanchoe calandiva. She had beautiful, dark pink double blooms and big green, thick leaves. She is currently hacked down and I'm attempting to re-root her as she had difficulties after she stopped blooming. Anyhow, I followed that up with a Crassula ovata and Portulacaria afra and I've been hooked ever since. I tend to like the plants that can do well inside (Haworthia, some Aloes, Jades, and Portulacaria afra in a bright window). I have had mixed results with Echeveria, though all three cuttings I got from a generous gardener have rebounded perfectly in my greenhouse outside.

Why Hoyas? 

Now this is slightly more complicated.

H. macrophylla variegata. HOMG. I've been coveting this for a while now.

It took me quite a few months into my plant obsession to stumble upon Hoyas. Which is surprising because once I entered the world, I found it to be quite huge and somewhat competitive. More on that later. I saw a H. carnosa in HD a few months ago and thought it was cute. I fought off all of my omg, this looks like it would be delicious to a mealybug thoughts and bought a nice, large, clean-to-me specimen. Miss Hoya has since grown a huge vine, is in the process of another one, and wrapped around some stools in her day. I think that Miss Hoya (or H. carnosa 'Krimson Queen') is the perfect beginner plant for someone who wants to try a Hoya out. It grows so easily and without incident that it leads you to think about what others like it you can grow. I know I certainly thought about it.

Almost 5 months later and almost a dozen Hoyas later, I can easily see why someone can dedicate a whole life to these plants. The genus Hoya is vast. The genus Hoya is not yet closed to inclusions. There are always new plants being included. People search these plants out in Thailand, in China, in Papua New Guinea. Hoya collectors are for the most part extremely friendly. They love to share. They love to encourage. This is not to say that no other collector of any other type of plant isn't this way...but the whole atmosphere is pretty supportive and everyone loves these plants to death.

That's where my competitive comment comes in. Some Hoyas are very much in demand and the process of obtaining them is competitive. Forget Ebay - Hoyas on Ebay can get exorbitant very quickly. The more common Hoyas are just a click away. You want a H. praetorii? Good luck getting it within the US without importing from Thailand.

I digress. Hoyas are beautiful vines with beautiful leaves.

See?

They're also fairly easy to grow. Some like warmer conditions, and that's where things get a little complex. Some are just fine being inside of your house with bright light. I will admit that my Hoyas outside are beasting the inside ones, but the ones inside still thrive. (Though, for the record - most plants would prefer being outside with the moving air and humidity).

I also like big leaves on plants. Some Hoyas really fit that bill and I am always so impressed with the rigidity of the leaves and the healthy color of their leaves. They have veins that just make me wonder about who could have created such a beautiful plant. They don't mind occasional neglect (read: the more common ones don't...some species will not tolerate this) and they have GORGEOUS flowers. I do not have a personal photo of flowers as none of my Hoyas are mature enough to bloom...but they're gorgeous. Look them up.

This is from Joni's Hoya website, SRQ Hoyas. This came up on a google search for H. fitchii flowers. All rights for this picture stay with her, of course.

Anticipating the flowers is half the fun of collecting Hoyas. The above picture is of one of my current favorite Hoyas, H. Fitchii f/n/a CMF-8. It's growing like crazy! Sometimes, it takes years for the plant to bloom. I don't mind the wait, as I stick with Hoyas that have very attractive foliage. Even if they don't bloom, I still have a nice plant. Win-win.

That's enough for now. I'll leave you with a cute pic of one of my plant clips at work. I can't get over how adorable they are.

H. nicholsoniae.