A few years ago, my mom and I were driving on a highway near Half Moon Bay and we saw a gigantic sign with blood-red letters that said CARNIVOROUS PLANTS:
I said "Wow, look at that!" and my mom asked, "Should we check it out?" It's funny how such a seemingly minor question has led to such a great adventure.
That was the first time I had ever seen any carnivorous plants, and I was hooked. They had a ton of displays, and we left the store with my very first custom-potted plants (of any kind). My bowl included venus flytraps, sundews, and Sarracenia, a great collection of beginner plants.
Needless to say, I wanted to go back to the shop as often as possible. We visited a handful of times before the winter (dormancy) season, and I had gotten to know the wonderful co-owners of the store (Phil, Jan, Mary, and Richard). Jan helped me to pot my second set of plants, a larger "Wonder Bubble." I had managed to keep my first set of plants alive, meticulously following the instructions they shared with me, watering only with distilled water and also occasionally misting with a spray bottle. For my second collection, I added a butterwort (my mom thought it was "cute") and cobra lilies (Jan showed me her awesome collection in the back nursery, and even though they weren't marked for sale, she was kind of enough to let me buy some).
I remember the winter season feeling particularly long that year, because I was so excited for the dormancy period to end, and to this day, I still feel the same excitement each spring. Sadly, this shop closed down in 2018, and the co-owners retired. Phil, Jan, Mary, and Richard were really generous with their time, teaching me all about how to take care of carnivorous plants. Richard also showed me how to pollinate with a paintbrush. I learned recently that he passed away in Thailand, which is such sad news. He was a really unique and knowledgeable person, and I learned so much from him.
I have such great memories of the time I spent at World's Rare Plants, and I wish others could have met these wonderful people who helped me to start my hobby. I will always be grateful that we stopped by their store that day.
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