New thread on New babies for Newbie!

So, since I am going to have sooo many little ones that I would like to share with you I decided to start a thread showing their progress and mine. Hope you find this as entertaining as I found it to be fun.

First series. As I have already posted the babies Janet sent, I will start off with Lala's. However, I will also post updates of the babies Janet sent as they grow.

Backstory. Lala sent out cuttings on a Monday. The lovely post office decided I did not need them until a week Tues. Very nice of them. Needless to say, they arrived a little road weary, but I hope the hospital I set up for them was effective in the revival of the babies. Unfortunately the Cloraphyll Drip did not make it on time, so I had to operate without. Do not worry, all babies were given a sedative before operations commenced.

Enjoy the action.

P.S. Nurse DH was on hand to provide all medical equipment and assistance as necessary.

Sincerely,
Dr. Pupilcolii

First pic - waiting room for anxious family.

This message was edited Sep 12, 2007 1:18 AM

The babies are awaiting surgery, given a mild sedative to help them relax. Full anethesia was applied during surgery.

The surgery area. Due to graphic nature, I am unable to show you the procedure.

The recovery room. All babies have been clipped, dipped and slipped into their new beds.

After several tense hours, the procedures are complete. It was tough on Dr. Pupilcolii, but all in all, I believe they should be o.k. Several are on critical care, but with careful monitoring, I feel they will move to stable within the next couple of days. I am happy to report, after checking on them a few hours later, many have already woken up from the sedative and are alertly looking around.

P.S. Due to graphic photo, those with weak stomachs should not click thumbnail.

Ah Traci.... Great idea for a thread. I'm sure this will be invaluable for other newbies to coleus.

You're thread caused my coffee to go everywhere this morning. Each time I moved along to another post, my belly hurt more from laughing so hard.

I know with the special care you give them that all will not only survive, but they will thrive with your supervision. Can't wait to see updates on all of these new babies. You'll be an awesome "coleui" Mama.

Aunt Janet

edited: Or should that be Grandma Janet???



This message was edited Sep 12, 2007 6:45 AM

Definitely not Grandma. I think it will have to Aunt Janet. I will refer to you often when speaking to the little ones, so they will know who you are. I hope you didn't burn yourself with the coffee.

By the way, just took some updated pics of Aunt Janet's little nieces and nephews. They are coming along swimmingly. Not a single sick one in the bunch.

Overview of the crib.

Dr. Pupilcolii

This message was edited Sep 12, 2007 7:58 AM

The other crib that has not been seen yet. Snug as little bugs in the rug.

Georgous little nephew here. He was wide awake an eagarly looking around. I gave big hugs to him from his aunt. As I have yet to figure out his name, I currently call him Carl.

Definitely two of my favorite babies, BUT, all are loved equally in my heart. The one with the edging in green is Esmerelda and the gorgeous purple baby beside her is Amethyst, or Amy for short. Such beautiful little ladies.

An update of Aunt La's little ones. I have to say, they are troopers. I am so proud of them, as you should be Lala. You raised fine hardy babies. Unable to note in photos very well, but almost all have woken up and their little arms are reaching for the sky. I am having to keep a close watch on two as they need extra care.

Another of the darlings holding their hands up for a hug. (((recovery coleus))). I love you too.

Dr. Pupilcolii will be on the road today making house calls. Nurse DH will be in later to check on them and report their vitals to me.

This message was edited Sep 12, 2007 8:12 AM

OMGoodness Traci I don't know whether to laugh over your anctics or cry over those poor cuttings. I do think that in a very short time you have turned into one of "us". Most people would have euthanized those sorry little things, but your Emergency Care Unit and staff of skilled medical professionals have breathed fresh hope into their grief-stricken family in Ohio. As you know I had wanted to be there when the surgery was performed, but unfortunately I was not granted an emergency leave from work. The Human Resource Manager just stared blankly at me when I told him that my coleus were about to go under the knife and I needed to be there for them. They are a cold, unfeeling lot in the HR dept.

I'm sure they are in the best hands possible though and that you and nurse DH will do everything possible to bring them to full recovery.

In this post - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3965997 - Watermelon is on the right and the one on the left is either Festive Dance OR Pastel Wizard. Both are very similar.

Carl is actually Perilla (cousin to coleus). Can't remember which Perilla though. I've been thinking Perilla Magilla, but I can't find that one in the plat files. It's extremely hardy in my yard. It changes colors, (much like many of the coleus do) depending on how much sun it gets.

I've saved your photos above of the cribs and will see if I can put some names with them.

I'll be back!

Janet

OK, this is what I know (pretty much for sure). Hope this helps.

And the second planter

Lala,
You really would not believe how good they are doing. I have two with lopped off heads (sorry to be so graphic, forgot I was speaking with family). However one of them has baby leaves on them and I think she will pull out. The other...well....I am doing everything I can for him. I have prescribed partial sunshine for 6-8 hours and he received his dose of fertilizer last night. All I can say is pray for a miracle(gro) which is what I used.

I will not let the little ones know that their Auntie Lala used the word "euthanized". I am working on build moral and I don't want them to know how serious the situation was. I am so sorry your boss would not let you come to the surgery. If you need a doctor's excuse, I would be more than happy to provide one for you. I think all HR are clueless. Don't they understand the gravity of the situation!@! I would file a grievance with..oh..you do that with HR. If you decided to take further action for the pain and suffer you have gone through worrying about the little ones, I would gladly offer my time, pro bono of course, to come testify. Just let me know.

Also, I could not have done this without Nurse DH. When I began to falter and wail, "I CAN'T DO IT, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT", he kept a steady head and brought me back to the reality of the situation. I think we all owe him a big thanks.

I will keep you abreast of the situation.

Dr. Pupilcoulii

Janet, I did remember the Perilla from your photos. He is a fav of the bunch and a strong leader. His resiliance has given the other babies the will to go on and, wow, have they gone on.

The portulaca is amazing. I really had my doubts about it. But talk about popping back up. I need to take a pic so you can see. the leaves and blooms have TRIPLED. I love this stuff and everytime Teens walks out, she says, "Dat my flower, Mommy." Do they bloom now or are those seed pods gathering, sooo many of them? I was truly dumbstruck at how fast the popped up!

Alright, how are ya'll doing this picture label thing. Lala sent me a "football" screen and now Janet has done this. Pointers please.

Janet, I really can't decide which is my favorite. ~~Light bulb~~ that is why you must have them all. Each one has their own unique characteristics. One moment I love watermelon and the next it is Dipt in Wine. I understand. I really really understand. This is horrible, but I have gone out there and studied each leaf, trying to decide which baby I like best. I LOVE THEM ALL! Does that make me obsessed or just inquisitive?

The Portulaca should be blooming like gangbusters. I notice that every time I water, lots of stuff (leaves, deadheads) is under the plants. I just spray off the concrete or bricks and next day, more blooms open up. Wherever you plant it, once it dies back, it will come back in the spring, possibly in places you didn't have any of it. I don't know if it's the birds, the wind, or God Himself that causes it to spread. I'm just thankful that it does. I love seeing all of those blooms when the sun comes out. By the way, when it's watered, the blooms will close up. Not to fear, they will re-open.

Here is the Plant File on Portulaca. I don't know that mine is actually the Yubi Yellow, but this will give you growing info, just the same. Some folks (people and nurseries) call it Purslane also.
Purslane, Pigweed, Wild Portulaca, Little Hogweed, Pusley, Verdolaga
Portulaca oleracea 'Yubi Yellow'

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/68527/

The Portulaca in this photo is what was growing up through the bricks on it's own. Last year, closest plant was about 25 ft. away. I've since cleared it off and tossed them into my center island. I hope it takes off and covers the island next spring. Wouldn't THAT be pretty?!?!?!?!

HAHAHAHAHA Oh Traci!!! Why do you suppose I sent so many different coleus??? You only had ONE lonely plant. I couldn't decide and thought that this was the very best way to get someone else addicted... er.. hooked on Coleus. I love to share the enjoyment of this wonderful plant. Last year, I was much like you, with one kind of coleus and a bunch of other "normal" plants. Then came Dave's Garden. This place enables all of us to share and enjoy many different kinds of plants.

As for labeling the plants. I have a program that I downloaded free from photofiltre.com called Photofiltre. It does all of the things the "big boys" like Paint Shop, etc. do (with the exception of layering, which I miss terribly). I've used it as a photo editor for several years and have been very pleased with it. The fact that it's FREE is one of it's best features. Lordy I'm cheap! There are all kinds of things that you can download as plug-ins. I make a lot of collages, etc. so really needed something that was pretty much full featured.

There are 2 programs available on that site. Photofiltre and Photofiltre Suite. The Suite is a much "heftier program" with layering, etc.and other really cool features, but is only good for 30 days. It spoils you. I couldn't ever find where to get it and how much it was when the 30 days was up, so I just went back to the original.

I like to label things, especially container gardens and plantings where there is a multitude of different things. I know that my memory ain't what it used to be, so this helps me out tremendously when I want to refer to a plant later on.

Keep us posted on the babies. They are doing fabulous! It's wonderful that your DH is helping. Mine only makes the effort with plants when there's something else he wants. :-) I have to give him credit though. When he's working at a house ( he's a carpenter) and he sees something he's never seen before, he will ask for cuttings and bring them home. :-) It's funny because THOSE are the only plants that he shows any REAL interest in. And woe is me if I ever kill any of them! HAHAHAHA I had to go out and BUY a Cassia Candlestick plant when I inadvertantly killed a couple that he'd brought home. We had watched them bloom last year and he kept on asking about them. They are blooming now. The replacements, that is, which I found for $1.

Here's the full - open - bloom

That is STUNNING! I love it. I have it in a pot, because, honestly, I didn't think it would make it. now it is going crazy. When could I transfer it from the pot into the gound. According to PF, it grows in partial shade and I would love to have it in my shaded area where the sun peeks through a good bit, but there is no grass. Kinda use it is ground cover. Also it is listed as an annual but says it blooms all year. Isn't that a little conflicting? Oh, I put it in the area I am talking about, we only cut the grass about once a month back there. I would be able to see any new shoots and avoid them. This is welcome to cover my entire back yard.

It would be beautiful covering the island. I can't imagine that it doesn't mix well with other plants, as the stems are so soft. It will be hard to let Teensy take the flowers off it. I will, but it will be hard. lol.

Once it's rooted, you can take cuttings from it and plant it wherever you want. I have it both in full sun and in partial shade. The sunny ones open much earlier and last longer through the day. Those that I posted above came out on their own. Here is Texas, the Portulaca starts showing up in big box nurseries much later than other plants. Mid Summer, if I remember right.

It comes back year after year, fuller and prettier. It's one of my all time favorites for fillers.

I'd leave some in a pot and just move the pot now and then until they die back. Each place you have put the pot will have blooms. I think maybe that's how mine ended up on the bricks. I most likely set a pot there at one point or another to water since that's close to my back hose.

In my coleus bed in the front yard, I have 4-5 pots of portulaca spread throughout the coleus. Some of the pots are hideous, but the coleus leaves have grown enough now to cover up those pots. :-) I'll pull them when the coleus die back in the winter and put something else up there in a pot to grow for a while.

Thanks Unique. I have learned so much from you and the others. I figured out how to leave feedback and left you a nice little line. I really appreciate all ya'll are teaching me, even though you are wicked for feeding my addiction. Truly devils in disguise.

I have worked with photoshop one time, one of the advanced versions. Teensy had a glare on her glasses during school pics. I spent every waking hour for a week changing pixels until I finally got the eye drawn in. It was really amazing, but sooo painstaking. I read about layering and know it has something to do with moving the color layers around, but I never got to work with it. It was at my old job.

One finally question (for now. te he) At what night temps should I start to bring my babies inside. Right now, there are no worries, but I would like to know before I lose them. One operation was enough for a while.

Hope ya'll enjoyed my little show as much as I had fun doing it.

Traci

I have really enjoyed your show.

I hope others who are more experienced with them and are in your own zone will chime in here. Keeping in mind that I am no expert and haven't had to worry about it yet. This is just my own opinion. If you are going to bring them inside anyway, I wouldn't leave them out below 50. Most of the ones I just looked at in the PFs said they are hardy to 40 (in zone 11), lower temps in lower zones. As young as they are, I wouldn't take any chances with them though and I'd bring them inside at 50. You can always take them back out in the warmer days.

Oh Traci

I am so glad you put on this show. It shows I am not the only one to have lost my mind over Coleus! We could trace the stages of addiction uh..attraction thru this thread alone. I was really LOL! I so wanted to show this to my friend ..but who would understand except us! I remember the babying and "emergency surguries" all too well when I tried to save every little piece. Just wait till next year when the nurseries sell them again...you will be in hog heaven and have so many you'll be giving them away like we do now. I just carried a box load to my neighbor who gave some to her friends and on and on and now we are thinking of starting our own local Coleus Club. ( I think I'm a bad influence:-)). This was a treat, especially You, the good DR. after surgery! Classic!

I dont have an exact temp to bring your babies indoors. They thrive at 60, so I'd say 50 too or when they start looking chilly :-) I can just look at them and tell when something isnt right. Keep an eye on the temps and if lowered temps are predicted some nights, I'd start moving them. When I think its time or when I bring mine in I'll let you know, so you can decide for your area. Auntie Janet is right, because they are babies they are probably more susceptible to the cold. Good luck with them and keep us posted!

Wow Traci....you have been one busy crazed coleus lover! Keep up the great work!!! Isn't if fun???

Dr. Pupilcolii, You have a very nice Hospital,Thank you for the tour.

Enjoyed your hospital tour.

Your cassia candlestick bush is also the host plant for the caterpillars of the yellow sulphur butterfly. so if you see caterpillars and chewed leaves, dont spray them. You might want to put them in a small cage and watch the show.

chris

Thanks Chris. I've been seeing them flying around the yard. I check the plants for caterpillars all the time. I do have a butterfly cage, but need to replace the top of the screening. I don't use any pesticides at all in my yard.

That's the least of my worries at the moment. Hurricane Humberto struck here last night with 85 mph winds and tons of rain and most of my plants are laying over on their sides.

Janet

Please Dr. Pupilcoulii. I've been waiting all morning for news of the little ones.

Updates this evening, Dashing out on emergency Coleus call. Will followup. Janet, thank goodness everything is ok. Will write you longer letter latter. Using choppy sentances. Sign of insanity. Mama?

Dr.

Traci,
you are hilarious! Your hospital story is so funny! I love it!!!

I guess you know by now: a funnier and healthier hobby than coleus-collecting isn't possible to have..... But, it's combined with sad sorrows when they get sick and when they die, but you experience an incredible joy when getting new ones or making them survive an illness or bug attacks. You are extremely proud when they behave well and bushes nicely in your garden.

Even better, by having this hobby you get to know a lot of new and lovely DG-friends who share your madness.

I envy your start-up energy and thrill of nursing them, I've slowed down a little lately, but not much... I've been collecting coleus for 10 years now - but still loving every second of it. There have been many tears wept at their graves------ but absulutely more JOY than sorrows through these years!

Since you're new in this forum - here's a piece of selfmade fantasy artwork that I've shown before to the others - a BLUE coleus with dancing fairies under the full moon. Joyce knows all about its story :-)
Alice

Ha! You're a talented surgeon, Dr. Pupilcolii, and I will refer all my patients to you in the future... when I get some patients, that is. Thanks for taking the time to post those photos!

PS - Esmerelda/Watermelon is gorgeous, but don't tell her or she'll make fun of the other babies.

Alice, Oh I am sooo late, but that is amazing. I would love to have it hanging in Teensy's room. Is it truly this color? I HAVE got to go. More later!

DR. Pupilcolii

Oh, quickly, Alice, here's Teensy. Not her real name. lol. Many people ask that. She is Nathalie Adeline!

Awww, she's even cuter than the Coleus babies!

(And hooray for My Little Ponies! :D)

LOL! Cuter than coleus babies? - well, that must be out-of-this-world CUTE!!!!
And she is.

Dr Pupilcolii, I understand that you have Nurse DH, But shouldn't Young Teensy be the
Physician's assistant. You are never to young to start early training......Something to think about.She could very well be your replacement when you retire carrying on your Hospital,not to mention all the Gardening she can do for you when you retire.

The doctor is working late this evening (morning?). I had a looong day on the road and was very weary when I came home at 9:00, but was immediate perked up because...guess what....MORE BABIES! That's right, Aunt Jada sent me a beautiful display and all have been tended to and rest happily in their new home. The neonatal unit was not needed, so I have no play by play action. However, I am putting up pics of the tikes and will keep everyone updated. Also will be an update on Auntie Lala's and Aunt Janet's little ones (not so little anymore, Janet).

Aunt Jada, I attempted to show the thread to Mom, but she just looked at me like I had lost my mind. I would advise caution when showing it to the uneducated ones. This might be misunderstood and they send for another type of Dr to pick you up (their coming to take me away, HAHA).

Brinda, am I crazed. They do say an insane person doesn't realize their insanity!

Georgia, you are welcome to come tour the facilities any time. Please make sure to schedule with Nurse DH as parents are starting to worry with fall coming on and I am making many house calls.

As for the youngest member of our staff, LPN Teensy, I could not keep her from being involved if I wanted to. She is very helpful in picking up those leaves that didn't make the transplant. She is also learning as an avid watcher. She has her on little bench and says, "Mommy, I watch you?" Of course LPN Teensy, you are always welcome. She is currently taking care of another transplant provided by Aunt Linda, Portulaca, aka as Mine Flower. I plan to have a raised bed just for LPN, with safe patients she can begin operating on.

Chris, thank you for your concern of the babies. Please drop by often to get progress reports and additions.

Alice, I am in the beginning stage of Coleus madness and the energy is there, even if I don't feel like I have it. I must take care of all and will accept nothing less from myself. As I told one DGer in coleus, I don't know if the plant picked me or I picked the plant. i think the latter. Coleus are like dogs who match their owners. They are giving in nature, tender in heart, and each one has its own unique color. I could never imagine doing something this "out there" on any other posting. But here, I feel right at home with close friends that I can loosen up with and show my true nature. The coleus cuttings are great, but the witty conversations and fast formed friendships are what really matter. I have enjoyed D-mailing so many and hope to continue for a long time. (Lala, do they know about your Compost Diving?)

Herb, I am a novice DR. and if a coleus emergency is occuring I would recommend a specialist. however, for general checkups and a need to have your kids in a warm place for winter, I will be most accomodating. Thank you for your comments of LPN Teensy. I could put 1000 different types of coleus around her and she would still be the brightest plant in the pack. As for Esmerelda, you could not be more correct. She is showing off for the others by doubling in size. I do believe she is looking down on the others. I make a point to praise each one individually, so she doesn't go overboard (however, she must know something as I take so many pics of her).

OK, all responses have been taken care of. Here are the newest members of our family ala Aunt Jada. Please note, this is just when they arrived. I will photograph the darlings in their new home in the morning. Also, when posted, it has rained all night, so they may look a little droopy. Rest asured, they are not. IT'S RAINING!!! Time to go outside and dance in it!

Dr. Pupilcolii, Phd., MD., CoC.