I visited our local "Home Depot" aka Bauhaus yesterday (needed some peat and perlite for my bog planter) and to my surprise they had two Neps in stock I've never seen before (and i've been a semi regular for almost 20 years - not a zealot, but I visit 2-3 times a year - 20 years ago I've seen a gorgeous one that resembled a 'Maxima' or somesuch, every other batch has been nothing but ventratas for the past two decades straight). But anyway, one was completely desiccated (don't ask me how or why) and the other one was in perfect health and had a bunch of beautiful small red pitchers. Problem - both simply had a "Monkey jars" label on them instead of a proper name tag. I don't know why EU nurseries went down that route. Is it really that hard (and/or expensive) to write down the name of the cultivar on the label? But not to get off topic.
Anyway, as I said they usually just order a batch of ventratas (that they call alatas - years and years ago it was the DeRoose alatas, nowadays it's "Monkey jars"), but these two were completely different and caught my eye immediately. I didn't pay much attention to the desiccated one as it looked on the brink of death, but the small red pitchered one caught my eye (all the while the 'no-id' thing was nagging me in the back of my mind or I would've scooped it up immediately without so much as a 2nd thought). At first I assumed the two were the same, but in hindsight the desiccated one had much darker leaves. Long story short, I walked past them to pick up a bag of peat and perlite just down the aisle - I was gone for less than 5 mins and on my way back the red pitchered one was gone. Someone snagged it right under my nose. It was really a "come on" moment lol.
I bought a ventrata/alata from them last year and remembered they had a facebook page where they listed the names of the cultivars. Facebook
Looking at the pictures now I'm 99% sure the red pitchered one was 'Bloody Mary' as it had lighter colored leaves than the desiccated one. But anyway, I cut my losses and went home,
Couldn't get the poor thing out of my head for the remainder of the evening, I visited their facebook page admiring all the beautiful and rare Neps they had in stock I'd probably never get to see.
Then I stumbled across this picture, and I was like yeah, the red pitchered one was 99% Bloody Mary and the desiccated one was probably 'Dark Secret'. And then I realized I just couldn't let such a rare specimen (from my perspective anyway) go to waste without at least trying to save it. Woke up at 3:30 am this morning, spinning around in my bed, watched some Borneo Exotics Youtube videos, completely enamored by the beautiful Neps they had bred.
So I anxiously waited for the clock to hit 7am (they open at 8), took a shower, grabbed a cup of coffee at the gas station and was on my way, praying they didn't throw it away (or that someone else was crazy enough to buy it). Got there 5 mins before opening time, finished my cup of coffee and went for a hail Mary
To my pleasant surprise, the poor thing was still hanging where I left it yesterday looking all shrivered up and sad I was even ready to pay the full price, but asked the lady working there if I could get a discount considering the shape it was it (was hoping for 50% off or something), but to my surprise she just stamped a 2€ sticker on the pot (it was going for just under 30€ normally).
Here it is, in all it's glory:
Googled 'Dark Secret' as I'm writing this post and I stumbled across this video. Can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure it's the one.
Anyway, I gave it a good soaking with distilled water as soon as I got home; it's only been three hours but I just took a sneak peek outside through the terrace doors and it *seems* to be pulling water (the one leaf I could see looks to be rehydrating - but maybe I'm just imagining things). I don't dare go near it, I'll leave it be until tomorrow morning and check up on it when I wake up. Fingers crossed it pulls through.
Apologies for the long winded post, but I just had to share my excitement with you all Can't remember the last time I was this excited (especially over a plant lol), but I'm at the edge of my seat xD.
Anyway, as I said they usually just order a batch of ventratas (that they call alatas - years and years ago it was the DeRoose alatas, nowadays it's "Monkey jars"), but these two were completely different and caught my eye immediately. I didn't pay much attention to the desiccated one as it looked on the brink of death, but the small red pitchered one caught my eye (all the while the 'no-id' thing was nagging me in the back of my mind or I would've scooped it up immediately without so much as a 2nd thought). At first I assumed the two were the same, but in hindsight the desiccated one had much darker leaves. Long story short, I walked past them to pick up a bag of peat and perlite just down the aisle - I was gone for less than 5 mins and on my way back the red pitchered one was gone. Someone snagged it right under my nose. It was really a "come on" moment lol.
I bought a ventrata/alata from them last year and remembered they had a facebook page where they listed the names of the cultivars. Facebook
Looking at the pictures now I'm 99% sure the red pitchered one was 'Bloody Mary' as it had lighter colored leaves than the desiccated one. But anyway, I cut my losses and went home,
Couldn't get the poor thing out of my head for the remainder of the evening, I visited their facebook page admiring all the beautiful and rare Neps they had in stock I'd probably never get to see.
Then I stumbled across this picture, and I was like yeah, the red pitchered one was 99% Bloody Mary and the desiccated one was probably 'Dark Secret'. And then I realized I just couldn't let such a rare specimen (from my perspective anyway) go to waste without at least trying to save it. Woke up at 3:30 am this morning, spinning around in my bed, watched some Borneo Exotics Youtube videos, completely enamored by the beautiful Neps they had bred.
So I anxiously waited for the clock to hit 7am (they open at 8), took a shower, grabbed a cup of coffee at the gas station and was on my way, praying they didn't throw it away (or that someone else was crazy enough to buy it). Got there 5 mins before opening time, finished my cup of coffee and went for a hail Mary
To my pleasant surprise, the poor thing was still hanging where I left it yesterday looking all shrivered up and sad
I was even ready to pay the full price, but asked the lady working there if I could get a discount considering the shape it was it (was hoping for 50% off or something), but to my surprise she just stamped a 2€ sticker on the pot (it was going for just under 30€ normally).Here it is, in all it's glory:
Googled 'Dark Secret' as I'm writing this post and I stumbled across this video. Can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure it's the one.
Anyway, I gave it a good soaking with distilled water as soon as I got home; it's only been three hours but I just took a sneak peek outside through the terrace doors and it *seems* to be pulling water (the one leaf I could see looks to be rehydrating - but maybe I'm just imagining things). I don't dare go near it, I'll leave it be until tomorrow morning and check up on it when I wake up. Fingers crossed it pulls through.
Apologies for the long winded post, but I just had to share my excitement with you all
Can't remember the last time I was this excited (especially over a plant lol), but I'm at the edge of my seat xD.