Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

This winter is getting better by the week as the weather has just been perfect for the hibs since xmas eve.

Simple Pleasures and Some Like It Hot had some big blooms today so things are perking up more and more...even a pretty bloom from Best of Times which has been quite a while for that one.

All That Jazz has now joined the profusion club with 13 open blooms at once - I have greatly underestimated this CV and it will no longer be under the radar going forward.

Farmer D

more for today...this is the closest to black for Black Dream yet.  The camera doesn't come close to how truly black it is.  For some reason it catches the reflection of the sky on it making it have a blue hue to it.  Anyone want to come by with a professional camera and see how dark these blooms really are let me know...

Farmer D

lovely HV...and Prosperity is just amazing with the parade of blooms...

Farmer D

and more....VD has so many buds I don't even try to count them anymore.  Been this way all winter so far.

Farmer D

Darren, January was extremely warm here with lots of days in the 70s. But more normal temps are returning Sunday and will last for at least the next 10  days. I really like your Scarlet Beauty.

A nice 8" High Voltage today

John that is huge for Feb!  Nice bloom!!!  My HV are minis currently - still pretty!

Another real dark Raging Bull and a funky Saffron which I haven't had in months.

Can you find the hummingbird?

Farmer D

few more...

Farmer D

Just a little right of center, near the upper left VB bloom and the top of the wall.

 ;)

Its a shame someone couldn't invent a camera that showed how bright the blooms where, my 3 today are so bright and beautiful,the outer yellow on Rainbow Sherbert and the Electric Orange really glow.

Gorgeous blooms David!  My goal this growing season is to get more color in my blooms something closer to what you're seeing in yours.  What again are you feeding yours?

Farmer D

Thanks Darren, I use  a half teaspoon booster and a half  teaspoon fert [its not Charlies but same same really] and a half teaspoon Epsom salts to every gallon of water, except on the browns [Pocahontos Thanksgiving etc] with them its half that amount, and 1 teaspoon Supernova weekly.
I also spray weekly with a product called Amino Quelant-K, which is Potassium and Amino acids and is supposed to help the cv absorb more Potassium, it all seems to be working and am very pleased with the results.

Just noticed I had a nice Melon Melange and Cranberry Muffin, they where facing the street so I cut them.

Darren, I think the trick is to strike the right balance of potassium and magnesium. Still working on that myself.

I had to stand on a chair to get these pics of Bridal Path, it looks stunning today.

David,

Wow!

Wow!!

Wow!!! Those are the prettiest blooms I've seen in a very long time.  BP is still my favorite bloom of them all...When are you going to start charging for tours of your garden?

Farmer D

Wish I could Darren haha, here it is again with Cosmic Gold just opening,its 10am now so the sun is about to blaze on it so I cant wait for CG to fully open as I wont get a good picture, maybe I will get lucky with a cloudy afternoon then I will be in for a treat.

Right on John!  This is going to be a tricky one as each planter has it's own variables so lots and lots of observation and testing this coming growing season.

Cool COF bloom that is at the bottom of the plant at the trunk.  Very good sign as I am looking to get a lot of bottom growth in this area to overcome last spring's spider mite damage.

Farmer D

Well after the really cold start to autumn here I would never have believed that by the first week of Feb I would start to see spring growth in all my hibiscus.  This week that is what has happened and I am so glad to say that the 2012 growing season here has started way early.  Check out the pics...little bundles of joy all over all my hibs.  This could mean a killer year of growth.  And also the aphids are here to in good numbers so another sign of the start.

Hopefully no late winter stretches coming up...I doubt it as we are in La Nina this year.

Farmer D

It did cloud over in the afternoon and I got a better picture of my Bridal Path, don't mind showing it again anyway. Checking my other cv's that looks to be the last of the big multiple blooms for a while, as the temperature rises it will be back to double and single blooms I expect.

Holy Bridal Path!!! That is an amazing bunch of flowers.

Farmer D, sure hope we don't get a late arctic blast to spoil this great fun!

We don't usually see flowers smaller than about 4 inches in the heated greenhouse, but this past week a seedling bloomed with the tiniest flower we've seen in a long time. It's a P's Purple x Vin Extraordinaire that came in at 3 inches! Probably won't do anything with this cutey but I did cut a little wood to verify that it roots.

Charlie

 here are some for your viewing pleasure
Norm

Norm love seeing those blooms.  Space Oddity has some really nice colors to it.

Here in the yard Acapulco Gold is still going strong with 7 open blooms and some more orange getting into the mix.  And of course perfect Prosperity...rain tomorrow.  Have a good one!

Farmer D

A few today,Hot Southern Nights, Dragons Heart Samba Dancer and Bridal Path which have nice colours.

David, how does Hot Southern Nights do for you in Vietnam? In our heated greenhouse it is one of the best performers, cranking out perfect bloom after perfect bloom. I've had pretty good luck with that cross of Living Legend x Saffron, including one named Heart Fire that is another large, perfectly shaped flower that is solid red including the eye zone.

Charlie

Dave great Bridal Path!  WOW!!  Charlie, that is a cutie.  its so tiny makes you feel sympathy for it... I dont know why... I just want to pinch its cheeks! Darren, nice start! I cant believe you have new growth already!

Snuck a few shots in right before the rain...

Farmer D

Farmer D

Ay Caramba 2nd bloom today & pretty V Day

Farmer D

Its great Charlie, first of its a cracking strong bush, about medium for me at 4 feet and I have yet to prune, but what I like most is the way the sun improves the bloom during the day, the outer gold stands out more making it quite an eye catcher, and as an added bonus it is one of the few that I will get second day blooms so a real winner for me and I would think an absolute cert to become a Tried and True.
Second day bloom photo below, like I say to me its better than the first day.

Charlie, I will echo David's remarks about Hot Southern Nights. I got it in a 4"" pot from you less than two months ago. Its growth has been great and it is forming a symmetrical bush now about 13" tall. Best of all, it has 5 buds on the main shoot. Hope to have some blooms in a week or two.

Erny

That's great to hear about Hot Southern Nights. I bought two 4" ones in the fall. They haven't done much over the winter but look very healthy. Can't wait for spring so they can take off. I'm thinking of getting Slapstick also. It looks similar to Hot Southern Nights with more intense color.

Doll, I had the same thought about Slapstick and went ahead and ordered it about a week ago.

A few winter blooms from the garden today: Rum Runner, Bessie, City Slicker, Sun Shower, Me Oh My Oh , and Love Story.

Erny

Slapstick will shock everyone with the color. It's not as vigorous as Hot Southern Nights but the flower color will fill up a space quite energetically!

Thanks for the feedback and Hot Southern Nights everyone.

Charlie

Happy almost Valentine Day to you all.

Not many blooms here, had to shut down the greenhouse because of the cost of heating. Last winter I had no big problem, however our utility company raised the rates for an all electric house almost twofold.

All plants are happy in two bay windows that get at lease 5 hours of sun a day and we have had many sun days lately. This has been a no snow winter. We have had only storm and that was in october of last year.

I was happy when I got home from work today and found this nice bloom from a cross of wild grape x purple magic.

It started to open when i was going to work this morning and when i got home it was dark. this photo was taken with a special light fixture that gives the color temp of the sun. the color of the bloom is very accurate.  If you can notice, all veins are of a darker contrasting pink. the bloom has several large pure white blotches.


I kinda like this one. The bush is nice and compact and leaves are dark and glossy. Bloom is almost 8 inches wide and and is the first bloom. there are several more buds and bush is branching nicely.
I had to delete the background because I took the photo on the kitchen counter, and I don’t think you want to see the counter and cabinets.
Louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-08-11-new%20hybrid/magic%20x%20grape-1.jpg)

Edit: 2-09-12

I have attached a new photo of the cross, taken in bright sunlight.
Colors have not faded on this second day bloom. Bloom has stretched another half inch to 8.5 inches.

And a nice bloom of The Path.

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-08-11-new%20hybrid/grape%20x%20magic%20-2.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-08-11-new%20hybrid/petals.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-08-11-new%20hybrid/the%20path.jpg)

Louis you have yourself another awesome bloom - thanks for sharing it's a beauty!!!  Glad your plants are ok and that really sucks about them raising your rates so much.  I would hope enough people make a stink about it to get them to reduce it.  Your local politicians should be in hot water over such things?!

Today's blooms...

Farmer D

some more...

Farmer D

Louis, you are certainly getting some beautiful blooms from your crosses with Wild Grape.

80 degrees here today--feels like summer and the hibiscus seem to like it. Some blooms and lots of buds coming: 1&2 Simple Pleasures in sun and in shade.
                             3&4 Living Legend in sun and shade
                             5. The Path
                             6. Mr Ace

Erny

A few more: 1-3 Voodoo Magic
                  4. Lovely Lil
                  5. Cherry Ice as a single minus the white seen in sprong and summer
                  6. Belle du Jour

Erny

Last but not least, Sun Shower and its bush--front and side views. About 6 1/2 feet tall and quite bushy.

Louis thats another nice seedlings Congrats!

Erny love seeing your mature CVs, very nice!

Erny those are some fantastic blooms and shots of your bushes.  Your BDJ is so dark, didn't think it would look so dramatically different.  Too bad this week is going to cool down but who are we to complain?  Are you seeing spring growth nodes budding yet on your bushes?

10 blooms on Rainbow Sherbet so far...  Enjoy!

Farmer D

Palm Springs had several beauties today...

Farmer D

These are some fun Ay Caramba Triplets as each one has a different shade of orange

Farmer D

Darren, your plants look great. Bushes on COF, Rainbow Sherbert, AG, etc all look so full and healthy. That Black Dream is off the charts. My bushes look good and are showing all kinds of new growth but I'm not getting anywhere near the number of blooms you have and the ones I am getting are on the small side. That BDJ of mine has been showing that same deep red color all winter--nothing like the ruffled pink I was seeing before.

Erny

A bloom of my cutting of High Voltage, behind it is its mum which has had a very hard prune, the 2 white Adenium cuttings are flowering well and should all look good when it all comes together.

Some stunning Acapulco Golds today.  Quite the symmetrical presentation.

Farmer D

It's on days like today where one bloom can immediately remind you of how exciting growing exotic hibiscus can be.  I have been working really hard to get this plant back up and running...

Sea of Tranquility
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Feb%202012%20Hibiscus/SeaofTranquility2-112.jpg)

A few other big pics too - them colors, them colors...
Acapulco Gold
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Feb%202012%20Hibiscus/AcapulcoGold2-11.jpg)

Prosperity
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Feb%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity2-11.jpg)

Farmer D

a couple more...T Lavender Rainbow is starting to get some lavender again.

Farmer D

Farmer D - Loving those blooms, especially the colors of Prosperity and Sea of Tranquility.

Fresh snow last night, new "snowbiscus" blooms for me today:

Fox Fire (love the colors and texture of this bloom)
Rudolph (amazing "eye" on this one)

Also, since my chances are slim to none of ever getting a phoho of a hummingbird sipping nectar from my indoor hibiscus, I found the next best thing.

Deb  :D

Deb, that night light is sure cute. I used to collect what I called hibiscus memorabilia from eBay auctions. I got all sorts of stuff from lamps to old books. I stopped doing it a few years ago but am tempted to start up again.

"Snowbiscus" are always special treats to see. Thanks for sharing.

Darren, that Sea of Tranquility bloom photo is a stunner. Great colors you captured.

Charlie

Deb your blooms have such great form and solid colors.  Such a beautiful combination when snowbiscus.  Great job under some tough circumstances!!!  Love the nightlight too...

Acapulco Gold just continues to impress - these are some of the prettiest blooms in many months.  Getting really close to 6 ft tall now.

I see Ay Caramba is in the store again.  Great CV!

Farmer D

As for the fastest growing CV out there my vote is for Some Like It Hot.  I got it late last spring as one little stick that was a little under a foot tall with maybe half a dozen leaves.  In 9 months it has grown to almost my height at 5'8" (1.75m).  That is just incredible growth and now it is starting to bud up like crazy.  Does anyone else know of a CV that can grow like that in 9 months?

Farmer D

One last shot of AG and the front planters all in full bloom.  The African Daisies pretty much bloom all year long and the snails hate them so no effort there.
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/FrontPlanters2-11.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/DaisyPlanter2-12.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/AcapulcoGoldAfricanDaisies2-122.jpg)

Farmer D

I see Ay Caramba is in the store again.  Great CV!

Farmer D


I swiped that one up last weekend :) Yet another Darren-inspired purchase!

Denise, I completely agree. Darren's posts are probably responsible for most of my selections (with a considerable assist from David in Viet Nam). I can partially placate my wife by shifting some of the blame to them.

Erny

Darren I really like them African Daises, I know they are not but they give the appearance that they are a little wild, being new to gardening I love looking at what other plants people have.
Now as for big cv's, well my Bridal Path is over 6 feet tall and over 3 feet wide in 9 months and showing no sighns of slowing down [it drinks 1 gallon of water with food per day at the moment], Transcendent was tall [7 feet in 7 months] but I pruned it in half, another tall one was Sherlocks Mystery [7feet] but I was not happy with the growth on it and cut it back to 1 foot and will grow it again.

Yeah they are really hardy and grow into nice big balls of a bush until they get so big the whole thing kind of flops over and I prune it way down to repeat the process.

Wow quite a few more blooms today and a few that have gotten pretty too.

Farmer D

Enjoy!

Farmer D

Happy Monday!

Farmer D

some more...

Farmer D

that's all folks...

Farmer D

Farmer D, that's a good shot of the bush of Prosperity. It sure is thick with stems! It couldn't be much more than a year old. Did it grow that full without much pruning?

Charlie

Darren, that is some interesting Cindy's Heart.  Mine has been very consistent throughout the seasons with look. 

Here is a new one for me. See if you can guess what it is.  :)

'Vin Beaujolais' or 'Vin Extraordinaire'?

Charlie there was no pruning except for one lonely branch.  This CV has grown like this on it's own...very impressive!


Kristen my Cindy's Heart has not had it easy but it is a very strong and resilient CV.  I think once it gets some solid spring growth going it will get back to what we would expect.

And I agree with Deb I think that might be Vin Extraordinaire.

Farmer D

Happy Valentines Day from Valentines Day!
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Feb%202012%20Hibiscus/ValentinesDaySextuplets2-14.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Feb%202012%20Hibiscus/ValentinesDayQuads2-14.jpg)

Farmer D

Quote from David (Vietnam): "I also spray weekly with a product called Amino Quelant-K, which is Potassium and Amino acids and is supposed to help the cv absorb more Potassium, it all seems to be working and am very pleased with the results."

David I was curious what ratio of water to product do you spray with or does it come ready to go?  I'm working on trying out this on my plants as well.

Farmer D

David I was curious what ratio of water to product do you spray with or does it come ready to go?  I'm working on trying out this on my plants as well.

Farmer D
[/quote].
1 Tablespoon per gallon as a spray and 2 as a drench, but I have never used it as a drench, just as a foliar spray and you have to mix it yourself.

Rainbow Sherbert in very strong sun and  Dragons Heart in the shade.

Seems like all the plants are in grow mode currently and getting new buds going. 
I did have one bloom today but boy if I was to have one this will do fine...

Farmer D

The weather here has gone from severe drought to rain every other day. Anyway, I had a nice Daisy Mae bloom today.

(http://s17.postimage.org/xhqwupge3/IMAG0005.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/xhqwupge3/)
Black Dragon on a muggy day, believe it was one day last week.

John always good to see Daisy Mae - nice form too!!

Steven that's a pretty Black Dragon!!  If you don't mind me asking where do you hail from to have it muggy this time of year?

A couple of colorful ones today...

Farmer D

P's Purple and Pineapple Sundae appeared today, they have been resting for a while. Nice Cosmic Gold and Hot Pepper as welll.

A couple winter beauties from me, too.  Can't wait for spring!  Heartbreak Hotel and Creme de la Creme.

David it is great to see Pineapple Sundae.  Your blooms are as pretty as always!

Jordan that is a beautiful HH!  That CV is really unique and I'm always on the lookout for any new crosses that involve it as it seems to make some fabulous creations as a parent.  How is the greenhouse coming along?

I say "Welcome great destroyer of aphids!  Please eat away and bring along all of your siblings lovely ladybug larvae"

Farmer D

@farmer D I live in maryland, about 30 mins outside of DC. Its muggy off and on like that through april around here, though last week was actually pretty nice. Had another black dragon today, larger than that one, and another will be open tomorrow.

Steven nice to meet you!  We are almost neighbors!
David, your CG is insane!!!! OMG!
Jordan, WOW!  Some beauties there!  Thanks!
Darren, as always, great show! Another Thanks!!

I have a ton of newbies for me to show.  By newbies, I mean first blooms for me to experience.  What fun.

Oh, and that dark blackish reddish bloom I posted before was Vin Electrique.  Hard to believe.  It was a first for me, but bloomed three, and they all looked the same.  DARK!

5th Dimension, Acapulco Gold, Chris, that one is dedicated to you ;) , Swamp Music, The Path twins

Looks like that cutting I sent you is doing great!  Thanks for showing it Kristen.

You weren't kidding when you said this one becomes a big plant!  It has doubled in size since fall!  But I am so excited now that I got my first bloom, even better then I thought it would be!  Beauty!!  Thanks!

Wow, Kristen... Lots of beautiful (colorful!) baby bloomers!!!

Nothing "new" for me, but my weekend winter bloomers were sure a cheery sight:

Black Dragon
Rudolph

Deb  :D

My Acapulco Golds look a bit ordinary compared to Kristens today, what a stunner, I take it Kristen you have grown that indoors which is even more amazing, well you must have grown them inside, I just checked the weather for Connecticut and its colder than my fridge.

David, nothing ordinary about your blooms... Ever!  Spectacular sight!  Love them!!  You make me laugh when you say colder then your fridge.  All of us in CT are practically in shorts and T-shirts lol.  It has been an extremely mild winter for us.  February temps are usually the coldest of the year, and its been between 30-50ºF all winter.  Party! 

But yes, they are outdoors from mid May to mid September, then inside for the rest of the time.  I have some great sunny windows thankfully.  And thanks for the compliment.

Deb, some beauties there!  Thanks for sharing.  Hows the weather there? As mild as ours has been?

Aha, Vin Electrique! Very nice, Kristen. I like that smokier color of winter. Your other cvs are looking great, too.

Charlie

thanks Charlie.  It was quite a surprise to see such a dark bloom.  Its cool because I have nothing dark like it.  Im curious to see what summer will bring!

Great pics everyone.

Jordan I am in love with HBH I am happy I have one, Each bloom is unique.

Kristen Wow at how big AG has grown congrats. I got AG as well I need to pot it up, it is doing really well.

But wait, there's more!  Doubles today on HBH.  Yesterday's bloom is on the right.


The greenhouse is hanging in there--  another winter learning experience for sure!  Cindy gave me some ideas for next year in my GH thread.  It has become my conclusion that winter is just going to be a pain.  It's too bad there's not much competitive riding in Hawaii, or we would just move there...

Hi Kristen!  We want to complain about the weather here in Michigan, but in reality it's been very mild (mostly in the 40º's during the day)... I keep joking that "we're only having winter every other weekend" (when it snows 3" to 4" and gets down in the 20º's) - LOL!  I had a good laugh when I read David's comment about your weather in CT being colder than his fridge (Ha, ha David!).  Unfortunately, I think Europe is getting our nasty weather this winter.

I have a "newbie" bloomer today (and doubles at that) - Sea of Tranquility, and a another bloom from Rudolph.

Deb  :D

  

Kristen that is quite the line up of blooms there.  All are pretty and so glad to see your doing so well now this winter.  Loving The Path!

Deb those are 3 gorgeous blooms!  Your Rudolph is looking fabulous!  Is that an orange tone to it?  If so that is really cool and I wouldn't have expected that.

Farmer D

Hi Darren!  Yes and no on the orange color... Rudy's bloom today is a little paler than the bright red bloom I had this weekend (I think because I took it out of the lights when it's last bloom had a "close encounter" with H. Arnottianus, who is "marking" all the new blooms - VERY friendly pollinator).  Today's bloom is also picking up the tint of the plant light overhead and fluorescing with the flash (it looks like it's glowing).

Your blooms are looking absolutely glamorous, as always! (Getting ready to outshine the "stars" on Oscar night?)  8)

Its grey overcast drizzling for a change, this weather certainly brings out the best in my Acapulco Gold.

OMG David!  So I showed the photo of your AG to my AG... hoping it will get some great ideas from it.  LOL!  Thank you for sharing that btw!  Such a pleasure as always.

Deb, great newbies!  Love them.  I know, I went out to start my car tonight after my shift at the bar, and came in shivering, its in the low 20's! burr, but tomorrow should be 55º  go figure, love New England...

Darren, that is one cute COF bloom representing the shorties!  Love it!

And Jordan, I don't think I even need to say it, but I will anyway... Holy crap!  HBH is AWESOME!

Some beauties today!

Cindy's Heart
Heavy Metal
Moonstruck (at my mom's and brilliant!)
Blue Ballerina (from before, don't know if I posted it)
Simple Pleasures (also at my mom's house)

And a sneak peak at my first Cindy's Heart seedling... It should open tomorrow.

Yes agree about the Heartbreak Hotel, what a beauty.
 A few from yesterday as I wont be going outside today, its pouring down, very strange weather here in South Vietnam, its now the hot and dry season and we are having rain, great for my Hibs but causing big problems for the rice crops.
City Slicker Samba Dancer and a really lovely Dragons Heart, also a Rainbow Sherbert, the camera can never show just how bright and beautiful RS is.

Whoa, Kristen, that Moonstruck is something else!!

Looks like a bright pink for the first Cindy's Heart cross. What do you think the other parent is?

Charlie

WOW Kristen,  those are just gorgeous blooms.  I miss seeing Heavy Metal and that one is a killer bloom - they all are!

David's and your blooms made my day today.  How dare I put my ragged and weathered blooms up today?  We have been in a more typical winter pattern for the last three weeks so my plants are showing the effects somewhat.

Farmer D

Very exiting, hope its a beauty. How long since the seed germinated till now? Looks a nice bush as well.
The Adenium is looking ok as well, don't forget to turn it occasionally so it gets pretty equal light and remember they just love to be pruned.

Wowie, Kristen :o  Those are some amazing neon-colorful blooms!  I can't help thinking how cool it would be to see them under a black light... Congrats on your seedling!

David and Darren - I've almost run out of adjectives for your awesome hibiscus, so I'll just sit here and drool admire their lusciousness.

Charlie - I think H. Arnottianus is on-board for self-seed creation... I got three new flowers today instead of my usual one *fingers crossed*

Some more of the usual suspects for me today (gotta love those three day blooms), so I went for some "artsy" shots featuring each of the new Arnottianus blooms.

Deb  ;)

David, I have never pruned one.  How do you do it?  I just love your Rainbow Sherbet!  What beauties you show every day!

Darren, Not bad for outdoor winter blooms I must say!  You have some happy plants!

Deb, Love your artsy shots!  What beauties.  And yes, Im enjoying finally getting some blooms here!  I think it may be the day getting longer that is triggering them.

Charlie, This is from the original pod that I got off of CH August of 2010, and I planted them on September 20, 2010.  As far as pollen parent, I only had a few plants at that time that would bloom.  Saffron, Belle du Jour, or Sunny Wind.  I know that I did not pollinate this one, so I always thought that it was pollinated by it's own pollen.  I was good about labeling them.  I talk about this pod in the Cindy's Heart topic in the cultivar section.  I start on page 2.

Kristen, at the risk of sounding redundant: WOW, what beautiful blooms. Is there anything more exciting than waiting to see what the first bloom on a seedling will show? Does your mother also live on the east coast?

Erny

Thanks Erny.  That Moonstruck blew my mind, I had to share.  I brought along my camera because my mom told me she thought the seedling was going to bloom.  My parents live about 2 miles away from me.  Very convenient, we are very close.  My mom and I have a special relationship.  We usually hang out on my day off (tuesday).  But I see them several times a week.   I should bring my camera regularly because every time I go over, I see some great blooms.   

Deb I love your combination of artsy flower arrangements.  Really great - especially when it is the middle of winter.  Quite extraordinary!  I have to say I'm a little bit disappointed with my hibs as the Oscars are only a few days away and they're acting like it's just another average week in winter...no hint of anything special yet!

Farmer D

great photos everyone.

kristen, i am anxious to see your bloom from the ch seedling.

looks like i will be a good size bloom

louis

Thanks Darren!  As for your "late bloomers" (ha, ha): If the East Coast and Northern hibs can make a red white carpet appearance in their technicolor best, I am quite certain that Hollywood Hibiscus will show them all a thing or two when the time comes (remember, timing is everything)  ;)

Speaking of technicolor, Bienvenue joins the garden party today...

Hi Everybody
Your pictures look great !  Here is a Belle de Jour for today
I put two pictures because I'm trying to figure out how to put a bigger Jpg so I don't have to use photo bucket , it worked !!!
I'm going to add another Picture from today also.

Whoa! That's a beautiful Belle du Jour Mike!  What is the other one that you have pictured (white, pink rays, lavender ring - huge seed pod) - Grand Hyatt?

the other one is, Eye of The storm , and the seed pod I crossed with Brassy blond ,I hope I get some seeds off that one .

Dont normaly post end of the day pictures of blooms but these arent to bad, of course they will have closed by the morning, its been blazing sun all afternoon.
Cranberry Muffin Bridal Path and a very faded Rainbow Sherbert.

David, still beauties at the end of the day.  I love your bridal path... actually, I love them all!
Mike, Don't you just love CH?!  Beautiful blooms, thanks for sharing.
Lou, I'm heading over to my parents in a little bit with my camera.  My mom called and said it may be open by this afternoon.  yay!

Some for today.  We have a Rum Runner and Vin Electrique.  VE just got to the blooming size last week and it gave me its first bloom.  Since then it has given 4 and there are more on the way.  This one seems like once its outside for the summer, it is going to be a blooming genius! Charlie, your thoughts?

Kristen, Vin Electrique is so new we're still learning about it. Sometimes you guys get to see more flowers than we do because we cut the plants for every bit of wood when they are new. This year we will get to see it in 6 inch pots which are very revealing about the traits other people will see when they get a new variety.

Charlie

Kristen, I can't wait to see that first bloom on your CH seedling. So exciting.
David, your beautiful pics of Bridal Path have convinced me to get one as soon as it is available again.

Had a nice 8" High Voltage today.

Thanks John!  I did go to my parents today and took some photos.  I just uploaded them to my computer just now.  I will put them on tonight... Right now I need to get ready for work. Gotta be there by 3:30 and its 3 now and Im on here! lol.  So stay tuned.  Its pretty!

And I was gonna say the same thing about Bridal Path.  What a beauty!  Charlie, any more in the pipeline?

Hi Everyone,

Have'nt had much to post. The plants are not happy in the house, they miss the greenhouse.

I have a very nice Cosmic Gold and twin Paths.  I have more seedlings ready to bloom in a couple of weeks.

Louis

Wow Louis... You say that the plants aren't happy indoors, but those beautiful blooms seem to say otherwise!  Can't wait to see your seedling blooms  :o

I came home to a huge, tasty Fox Fire bloom... Since Fox Fire has been a fairly consistant "snowbiscus," I'm afraid they may be right about that snow storm they're predicting for Michigan tonight (eventhough it's warm and "spring-like" outside right now).  "Snow Day" tomorrow!  ;D

(Kristen - That means I'll be up waiting for you to post those seedling bloom photos!)

Hi Everyone,

  Just got done resizing the photos.  I took a bunch because the hot pink was hard to capture.  Really intense, and a good size.  The shape is really cool too.  The photos with the white background is earlier, the photos with the dark background is a few hours afterward.

Lou, your blooms are beautiful!  Makes me want to get the Cosmic Gold!  I have been wanting that one for a while... what do you think???  Should I?

Deb, FF is so pretty!  Love it!

Here is that beautiful Moonstruck from yesterday, I took it again today.  HUGE!  And some group shots at my parents house.  This is their bedroom. And second day Simple Pleasures.

The two rooms of my seedlings at my parents.  The bunch in the reeding nook (I feel bad that they grew so large, they were not that big in the fall... honest) And the small group of older seedlings in the spare bathroom.  Note the height... omg!

Holy cow, Kristen!!!  :o

First of all: The seedling bloomer is amazing... I cannot believe how intense that hot pink color is!  Beautiful ruffling on the petals... And is that a hint of an orange edge I see?

And second: Did your parents know that you were going to turn their home into a greenhouse/jungle? (LOL!!!)  Those babies are HUGE!  They all look VERY happy... My sister is the only other person I know (in a northern climate) who has hibiscus TREES growing in her house... Wow.  Just... WOW!

Oh, and Moonstruck and Simple Pleasures... VERY HOT!  Very glad I stayed up (it was
sooo worth the wait!)  ;)

P.S., Cosmic Gold - Beautiful blooms, awesome bush, HOT pollen... It's definitely worth adding to your collection.

Fox Fire (a.k.a. "snowbiscus") called it again... All of THIS (snow) in less than half an hour! Here's another photo of her, stretched flat out and looking very proud of herself (Whoo hoo - Snow Day!)  :D

Hi Kristen,

I love your new plant, congrats. real intense color and my fave is the rough textured petals.

as far as cosmic gold. its one of my favorites. the bush stays managable. the plant is no bigger than it was when i go it, about 18 inches, with tons of buds. get it whey you can.

Your new plants is so nice it deserves a name, lets have a contest.

louis

Very intense and pretty color, Kristen! It looks like it has potential for a nice bush, too.

Charlie

Thank you Deb and Louis!  Glad you like it!  The pink is very similar to CH pink color with the same eye.  No veining like CH though.  And yes Deb, the photos I took later in the day have a fine yellow / orange lacing around the rim.  The ruffling is what attracts me the most.  Like a girl twirling her skirt.
I would love a contest! :)

Thanks Charlie.  It does.  I never touched it and the branching is great.  Lots of upright.  There are about 5 buds on it right now.  What should I do, let them bloom?  Or chop the bush and let it grow into a manageable bush?

It's up to you but I would let it bloom some more just for the enjoyment of it. Might be better anyway to get closer to spring before pruning.

Charlie

Yeah, ok.  It would have been real hard to take the pruners to it with all those buds so close to bloom.

Kristen, your CH seedling bloom is spectacular.

Frappuccino showing more orange than during summer.

Beautiful bloom, Kristen. With that intense color I would suspect that Saffron may have snuck over and pollinated her when you weren't looking.

Erny

Nice Frappuccino!

Speaking of Saffron.  This is the first time I believe that I have had 6 multiple blooms on one plant at once! And on a snow day.  Deb, this one's for you!  The ultimate snowbiscus!

PS, Taj stands at 2' tall while sitting down... for size gauge.  By far my biggest bush yet.

Whoa, Kristen... That's an awesome Saffron...  And I agree: the ultimate "snowbiscus"!  :o

Kristen, maybe Saffron is celebrating his new fatherhood---showing off his "machismo" and setting an early example for his offspring.

Erny

WOW the floodgates have opened up this past week for a lot of you!  Just great blooms and pics all around.  I'm enjoying them all and congrats Kristen on your seedling's first bloom.  A very rich and elegant looking bloom - that's a keeper!

Surprised today by two gorgeous Prosperity blooms that belong on it in summer.  For those of you getting this CV you have a LOT to look forward to.
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Feb%202012%20Hibiscus/ProsperityTwins2-24.jpg)

Farmer D

TGIHF!

Farmer D

I think Electric Orange is a wonderful cv, you never know what shade you will get from one day to the next, somedays its the most bright red and then somedays like today a very bright red orange and somedays orange, loves the sun and is the easiest cv to take cuttings from, just perfect really.

Hi Everybody
Here is a picture for today , It's real nice outside today I moved my plants out but I have to move them in at night . Daytime temp. is around 65 nights are in the high 30 or low 40s
David is that Electric Orange that you have pictured , Because it has Yellow spots on the flowers that looks real nice I didn't know that it gets yellow spots ! I have a E O and it is one of the prettiest bushes that I have , It is amazing ,its not flowering at this moment as spring gets here it should start needs more sun than in the house . 

Yes its definitely EO, the higher the temperature and stronger the sun brings out the yellow spots, it was 115f yesterday afternoon and I was throwing water on the ceramic tiles to create humidity ha ha, seem to work mind and the first time I have tried that.

I have always struggled a little with Vin Beaujolais, trying to find the right place with the right amount of sun, but I am very happy with its first bloom this year.

I agree with Mike's comment about EO, I didn't know that it gets yellow spots either.  I have planted mine in a sunny and hot spot so that has me really excited.  It's first bud dropped right before opening last month which I see a lot when a CV first tries to bloom - after a few tries usually they make it.

David that VB is just awesome!  How big is it?  Mine have been more on the smaller side 5-6" mostly.  I am working hard to get a lot more color in my blooms this coming growing season, VB included.  So if it looks anywheres like yours David that would be very exciting.

Speaking of more color I had a really nice Best of Times bloom today.  It is still on the mini sized side of things but the color really jumps out at you.  There is something I have yet to figure out with this particular plant as it is not happy about something.  I'm thinking a combination of in front of metal air conditioning unit so hot in summer and the soil might need to be upgraded as it seems very sticky.  I even pinched the top recently to encourage some branch growth (has two big branches only since I got it last spring as a 6").

Farmer D

Darren I hope I am right is saying the sun causes the yellow [its actualy gold] markings on my EO, its been pretty much like that since I had it. You say your first bud dropped, well I had bud after bud drop for about 2 months then one day one opened and it hardly happens at all now.

As for VB, its 5'', which is the best I have had, the thing is I remember seeing your bush last year and mine in comparison was rubbish, so I pruned it back to nothing and started again, its actually the only cv that gets a near every day spraying of SN, seems to be working and so far I am very pleased, quite a tricky cv to grow I think.

Interesting about Electric Orange - ours first bloomed in winter and did not show spots until the greenhouse got hot the following summer. Personally I like that extra feature and look forward to seeing it again this spring. I think it is more temperature related than sun related although of course temp and sun are themselves related.

David, another question if you don't mind. I know you deal with temperatures that rival those of Death Valley here in California and I'm amazed at how good your results are. We have customers who struggle with growing hibiscus in Arizona and rarely seem to get such good results as you do. What I am wondering is how you manage sun/shade. Are you able to keep most of the hibiscus in a lot of shade? If so, how heavy is the shade - filtered light or solid shade from a solid object like a wall?

I'm pretty sure that the humidity you have helps and that is something the desert growers don't get much of but they can control shade to some extent so I'm wondering how much shade you provide. Thanks.

Charlie

Boy I have a real nice Belle De Jour today , And here is a picture of my Electric Orange bush its about 2 feet tall .

Charlie there is no one more surprised than me when I look at some of my cv’s and wonder how on earth do they manage to look like that in this heat and with that sun blazing on them day after day, I think a few things are key, first and I think has to be the most important is the humidity, it averages about 80% which has to be making a big difference, Charlie none of my cv’s are in the shade as such, just some because of there position in the garden receive more sun than others [Cosmic Gold 4 hours Dragons Heart 1hour for example], and secondly I believe nearly every cv can adapt, I have spent hours every day slowly introducing the plant to more and more sun, Electric Orange used to wilt after 30 minuets, it now has no problem at 4 hours in the position it is in, and that's the trick, spending a lot of time to acclimatize them and then finding the right position for it to perform, for example Hot Pepper is against a wall getting 6 hours of sun where the temperature can get to 140f, nothing else I have will give me blooms there so that's where it lives, I am sure it would prefer to be in another part of the garden where it gets less sun and is cooler but that place for example is taken by Thanksgiving which gets 3 hours and a max of 120f.
I think every cv would like 2 hours of sun a day at about 80f, but in my case where it is a lot higher they will adapt and I think my situation is a lot easier than say Deb's who has to struggle through the winter.

I know if I lived in Arizona I would be concentrating more on acclimatizing them than providing shade, I have tried in the past to provide and rely on dapple shade etc and it doesn't work that well, you end up with sunburn and odd looking cv’s, you have said in the past that Hibs are a bit like humans and its true, they may not like very strong sun but they will get used to it if they have to.

Also very important is water, I have your DVD and its my bible, but the one thing I differ from you is where you tend to keep your potting mix on the dry side I tent to keep mine on the wet, I cant afford 1 day without water, I will get yellow leaves and it sets them back weeks, I know I run the risk of fungus problems but I have no choice, and I know this may seem odd but when its finished raining I will go out and water the cv's, I realised that no matter how much it rains its never enough to replace what I would normally put in the pot.

Wow!! thats pretty fantastic Mike, stunning colour. I am pretty pleased with my EO bush but its not a patch on yours, have you had bloooms yet?

I had a few last year before I brought it in for winter but they were small then , The bush has grown a lot over the winter so I'm hoping to see a lot of flowers this year .

hey mike,

your belle is outstanding.

louis

A few blooms today with their respective bushes: Bessie, Georgia's Pearl, and Black Dream. The Black Dream measures a full 8"".

Erny

Mike that is one stunning BDJ!  It says a lot when you can get solid growth over winter.  Congrats!

Erny that is a stunning Black Dream.  Really nice to see such size too.  Also great bush shots, I can't wait for spring weather to arrive here in So Cal and see your blooms start taking off even more.

Sorry Deb but nothing too exciting today from the Hollywood hibs although another three stunning Prosperity blooms today.  Wow! 


Farmer D

I am so glad I got my hands on a Prosperity. It is simply amazing! I predict that one becoming a bestseller soon!!!

Denise, Prosperity has already become a best seller this year. I don't know if that's due to the talk about it on the forum or if people just like the look of the bloom in the store photo and description. Whichever, I'm glad it has done well for people who already have it and hope it does well in all the many climate zones we ship to!

Charlie

David, that's all very interesting. I'm sure you are right that managing the water the plants get when it is hot is the most important part of growing hibiscus successfully in hotter than normal places. Thanks for taking the time to explain how you do it.

Charlie

Barely in the 50s today which is really cold for us but more worried about tonight's lows.

Best of Times continues to impress.  The pink eye zone is proportionately quite large and very deep in color.  If the summer blooms can hold that color with normal size it will be extremely pretty.

Also a splendid Acapulco Gold.

Farmer D

Got my first bloom on Hot Southern Nights today. Some of the photos show two other large buds that should open soon. I am pleasantly surprised to see mature blooms this soon as I only got the plant in a 4" pot about three months ago. The last shot shows it next to a Pinot Noir that I got around the same time. It has one bud ready to open and a few smaller ones that are hard to see in the photo. It also came in a 4" pot.

Charlie and Cindy, this is a testament to the fine quality of the plants you raise and sell.

Erny

Erny thanks for sharing HSN.  Mine just got it's first baby buds recently so more to come...

Farmer D

Erny, Congratulations on your impending Pinot Noir blooms! I am a little jealous. :) Here is a picture of my 4" Pinot Noir I received in November. No buds yet, but it is just growing and growing and looking so healthy! I love the plant and can't wait to see some buds soon! :)

Well, for me personally it grabbed my attention about a year ago in the store. I had it on my own personal wishlist (before I knew about the official wishlist or forum!). But when I finally decided to make a purchase, it was gone. I got Confection Perfection instead at that time. (Glad I did!) Then after I joined the forum, I saw all of Darren's Prosperity pics and it again became a must have!!! So that's my Prosperity story. LOL.

Thanks Darren and Denise.

Darren, I think you are going to really like HSN. I've had it outdoors during the day and indoors at night. I think this helped me get a full 7" bloom much like it did with my potted Black Dream. The bloom is beautifully presented and the colors are pretty good for winter. I expect the spring and summer colors will be more intense.

Denise, I'm impressed with the quality of your Pinot Noir plant. The leaves are a rich deep green while mine are more pale and appear to be thinner. After all the recent discussion about iron I am going to start using it on a regular basis in hopes that my plant will get as rich and green as yours.

Erny

Mine has lived indoors its entire time with me, on a heat mat. (Very spoiled! LOL) I have been feeding it HVH special blend fertilizer once a week and spray it with Super Nova every couple days! I hope it doesn't go into shock come Spring when I send it outdoors!

Denise, it's just a guess on my part but I wonder if giving your plant some daily outdoor sun might promote some bud development. I've been putting mine out in the morning and bringing them indoors in the late afternoon. I spray them with SuperNova 3-4 times per week and feed them with HVH Special Blend and some epsom salts once or twice a week.

Erny

Denise, thanks for telling me your Prosperity story. I often wonder about these things and rarely get to hear about them.

Erny, great job with the Hot Southern Nights and Pinot Noir. Some varieties of hibiscus naturally have darker green leaves and some lighter green, but for greening them up even more chelated iron and magnesium are the 2 minerals that will almost always do the job.

Charlie

Erny, your Hot Southern Nights looks fantastic.

Had a nice Cindy's Heart to end the month.

Very nice John, a little unusual as well, CH is one CV I really wish I had,

Yeah John your Cindy's Heart is very beautiful.  I love it when the magenta is most of the color with just a white rim.  Looks a lot like your avatar.  For me that is my Leap Day Mascot for 2012!.

Here are a couple of pics of my Hot Southern Nights bush.  I got it last fall as a 4" to replace my Sizzle which could not handle being in front of my air conditioning unit.  Even though this spot gets sunshine only till 1pm each day I guess the metal framing behind it was too much?  HSN has done very well in this spot and has grown non stop all winter long.  Now showing baby buds on the two main branches as well as some new branches starting to show.  Easy to tell this one has a ton of vigor and easy to grow.

Farmer D