snowy sky

[helixturnhelix]

Have you tried setting seed using Snowy Sky?

The silver rays and speckling in a purple flower is something unique and new.  You also mention that it is a slow grower, does this mean that it is going to be less widely available (ie should i just order it now )

[Charlie]

I haven't tried crossing with it yet. Next fall/winter I will move a whole new bunch of varieties into the hybridizing area which will include most of the new lavender/blues introduced this year. I have high hopes that mixing them all up in interesting ways will give some gene combinations that are unique.

Charlie

[Charlie]

You asked about the supply of Snowy Sky. My guess is that it will sell out before spring shipping begins and may or may not be back later in the summer. I did keep sufficient stock plants of it but they are small and won't give a lot of wood the first year. If it continues to please people we will have plenty in future years.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Good to know Charlie!  I keep going back and fourth between Snowy Sky and Snowstorm.  Which do you prefer?

[Charlie]

Let's revisit this at the end of the coming summer, not enough experience with Snowy Sky yet.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Sounds good

[Nievesgirl]

Good to know Charlie!  I keep going back and fourth between Snowy Sky and Snowstorm.  Which do you prefer?

. Chris I should be getting snowstorm so I will make sure I give you a report on how it does for me

[helixturnhelix]

Well I see buds on my Snowy sky, on a small plant none the less!  There hasn't really been much sun here, mostly cloudy days and bright indirect light.  I think i sense another good houseplant variety

[Charlie]

That's good to know about Snowy Sky, Chris. Must be encouraging for you to see buds without a lot of direct sun.

I oversold Snowy Sky this year so am left only with the original seedling plant. It has a lot of wood on it that is almost ready to stick as cuttings so I'll try again to build up some stock. This didn't allow me to compare it to Snowstorm much this summer but I have watched Snowstorm bloom and bloom all summer. It's a very attractive flower on a bush that grows straight up and resists branching. I seem to be able to add only 2 new stems per year per plant of Snowstorm and since it does not root well I now have several yards of wood waiting to be grafted if time permits. It's a pretty unique flower and well worth growing despite the lack of branching response to pruning.

Photo of Snowstorm below.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Yes it is very exciting to see buds!  I am really glad that this one looks to be a early bloomer.  I already know its going to be a while for Burnt Saffron to bloom again, as it didnt bloom until it had some size on it. 

Snowstorm is a beauty, I really like the blooms.  What is funny is before I moved I had mostly yellow, red and orange CVs, those were the most popular when I was giving away some plants, and now im left with mostly brown and blue varieties.  One yellow and red that I thought was a goner, that seems to be bouncing back, is Shockwave.  I am seeing several shoots and baby leaves, and I am very glad I didnt loose that one, the flower pics of that one is amazing.   Hopefully I will see that one bloom sooner rather than later.  I am already looking forward to next year, but maybe there will be some surprises in store this winter. 

[Charlie]

Good news about Shockwave. It does seem to be a tough one, not dying at the first bit of trouble as some seem to do.

If you want to add back reds, oranges, and yellows 2011 is likely to be a good year for new ones in those colors.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Charlie,

The problem is I like too many of them!  I am trying to get some of the more unusual and newer flowers, so I can hopefully cross and send you seeds of those.  I can only imagine what is going to be released next year... every year they seem to get better and better.  It makes sense though because in only crossing the best parents with one another you are creating an artificial bottle-neck where hopefully the bad genes will eventually be breed out of the population  

[Charlie]

That is the hope, Chris. I think I see it starting to pay off in the coming years new varieties, but we need more time to get to know them. BTW, I stuck a bunch of cuttings of Snowy Sky yesterday.

Charlie