Introducing HIS Lordship

[Management expresses sincere relief that at last - Claire is CURRENT with this blog. Amen. Pass the plate.]

Have to show this off - my office plant buddy, my Gloxinia. This plant is somewhere's around 5 years old now. I bought it at the farmer's market and am astounded with the thing's success in blooming annually, like clockwork; HUMONGOUS red bells with white ruffles.

His lordship, Emperor Fredrick Von Gloxinia

Purdy, huh? I recently ordered seeds of the colors/varieties below. They're easier to raise from tubers but no one has them this time of year and I'm too antsy to wait for next spring.

My future gloxinias - Mother Nature willing...

I used to have the variety Emperor William (above, top left flowers) which also bloomed like crazy. It died during an unfortunate pot transplant. I didn't even know it was possible to kill a Gloxinia, they're so amenable. Oh well, nice to know I have a talent at something.

Interesting side note. My office desk is on the 10th floor. All my office gloxinia and two geraniums have pink or red flowers and I can not have red flowers on the windowsill. Why not? Because hummingbirds fly up ten stories to hoover just outside my window and give longing looks at the flowers, and dirty looks at the human that dares to taunt them with unobtainable goodies. To save the little guys the energy loss I have nothing red in my window - the glox up top was moved shortly after its photo session.

Being an office building there are NO windows I can open, otherwise believe me, I'd be feeding the feathered little helicopters.