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[INDOOR-GARDENING:478] traveling plants

Greetings all:

After a 4-month absence, I'm back on line and roaring to go. Upon joining this 
list, the moderator suggested I introduce myself.

My wife Pat, a traveling nurse, and I have been in Yuma, Arizona, where she 
was on assignment. It was our first winter away from Iowa's cold and snow; we 
loved it! She's now at Madison, Wisconsin, but I'm spending the summer at home 
in order to play in the perennial gardens and in my plant room.

I took more than 100 gesneriads, mostly African violets, with us to Yuma 
because I didn't trust them with our house sitter. It was a good decision, 
because she killed all the other plants except cacti (and they weren't happy 
when we returned).

While in Arizona we attended the Tucson AV Society's show and sale. Naturally, 
I just had to buy more AVs. We also visited a commercial cacti grower, where I 
bought more plants. After gesneriads, cacti are my favorite indoor plants.

Most of my plants grow under lights in a basement plant room. In the spring, 
the cacti and certain gesneriads go outdoors. I'm in the process of moving 
tons of plants outdoors. Some are repotted at this time. In autumn, I return 
the plants to the plant room. Some are repotted again; all are checked for 
bugs and diseases.

Regarding AVs, I particularly enjoy the miniatures and semi-miniatures and 
trailers. I do have a crop of standards, however. I also enjoy geraniums, 
particularly the fancy-leafed varieties and those with unusual blooms. My main 
loves are gesneriads and cacti/succulents.

I make topiaries, dish gardens and terrariums for sale and do landscape 
consultations. I'm also a freelance writer/editor and do desktop publishing. I 
was in the newspaper business until deciding to leave 11 years ago. I chose to 
become a horticulturist and took a 2-year course at a local community college. 
I worked several years for a nursery/greenhouse business until I was sidelined 
by arthritis (including surgeries replacing both hips). Forced to retire 
because of disability, I decided to combine my horticulture and publishing 
talents and am enjoying it. I am able to continue gardening, but it's 
sometimes painful and slow going. I also am a volunteer with the pastoral care 
department of a local hospital, specializing in working with people of 
disabilities. After all, why not put my arthritic experiences to good use!

But enough. This tale is getting too long. I'm looking forward to chatting 
with you and learning even more about growing indoors.

John G. Adney
Marion, Iowa
jgadney@classic.msn.com
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