The Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia stole the contents of Marina’s two greenhouses, meaning all her plants, as well as those in the home, and disposed of them secretly, without accounting, without declaring them to the court as part of her estate and my property as her named sole heir. Which is aside from the fact that they stole control of the Will and had no business being in court.
I’ve combed through the Wayback Machine, and now I’ve combed through Marina’s PDF journals donated by CSSA’s Chuck Staples and William Wilk, and I have launched this little gallery, Plantae Furtivae, Latin for “Stolen Plants”, to identify this irreplaceable property.
Remember what Nerissa Poon, estate administrator for the PGT, told me by email when I demanded to know what happened to Marina’s plants: they were “… not in good or expensive pots to draw special attention“. As if the plants themselves were not the focal point of attention.
In her opening sentence, Poon let slip that she was in possession of photos taken inside the greenhouses.1 The PGT did not believe that I would ever have pictures of what they really contained. It took years to come up with Marina’s digital newsletter that do have photos inside the greenhouses of some of her amazing plants. So, arrogantly, Poon felt confident that she could lie to me and dismiss the vanished property as of no value. Here’s Poon’s classic zinger (also quoted here):
“From the photos of the greenhouse, it seems your mother kept the plants in ordinary pots, not in good or expensive pots to draw special attention, not labelling and naming the plants with Latin name. Your mother treated the plants and website as her hobby, and her aim is to share her knowledge with the parties who are interested in exotic plants through the Amateurs Digest. Your mother had to rely on other people’s contribution to keep the website running. It’s the sharing spirit that counts, not the monetary value of the plants. The plants have been left to the new owners of the house, so that the plants can flourish in the greenhouse, a suitable place for them to grow.”
Clearly, the PGT broke into my property, found a treasure trove of rare and valuable plants in Marina’s greenhouses and made off with them.
Let’s begin with a set of four photos of Marina’s plants taken inside a greenhouse, with many other plants in the background. Marina’s arm, in the sleeve of a denim work jacket, appears in the first large photo. Keep in mind, the original ohotos are very small, and had to be “enlarged”. Which I have done using Anymp4, an AI-powered image upscaler that will even repair and restore many images.
Rhipsalis
Marina wrote: “Rhipsalis baccifera (earlier known as R. quellenbambensis). Flowers are about the size of a large pea! These are followed near end of summer by small white berries.” This description refers to the first two photos.
Source for all four photos above: Volume 21, Issue #2, November 2008, TAD, page 6. Pop up the issue to read Marina’s article on Rhipsalis.
Marina’s Agave americana Medio-pica alba
Here’s a nice photo of Marina’s agave in the greenhouse You can see all the colors and variety, as well as the size of the other plants.
Source: Marina’s Agave (p. 28) and her Tillandsia (p. 23) are both from Volume 22, Issue #1, September 2009, TAD.
A Rare Unnamed Species
Hohenbergia “Wally Berg” 35
Marina wrote: “This is a rare and as yet unnamed species. The name “Wally Berg” 35 was adopted for the plant by Robert Streul, Florida. High light. Sunshine preferred. Plant & Photo: Marina Welham.
Source: Read up on “Wally” the Bromeliad in Marina’s column, “The Bromeliad Corner“, Volume 22, Issue #2, November 2009, page 19.
Neoregelia Hannibal Lechter
Love the name. One of Marina’s bromeliads. This brom needs water kept in the center cup. Source: Volume 22, Issue #2, November 2009, page 20.
CONTINUED …
1. (In fact, someone claiming to be an old friend and colleague of Marina’s recently emailed me to say he has photos of Marina, and of the inside of Marina’s greenhouse, to share with me … and didn’t respond when contacted, but certainly received my email, though I won’t elaborate. I suspect this is yet another stalker sent by the PGT to mock me).