Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

High Voltage twins and Wild Grape

John, your photos of Wild Grape inspired me to get that cv. Mine has only bloomed a couple of times so far but has a number of new buds now. I'm hoping my flowers start looking as nice as yours as my plant matures.

Erny

Rainbow Sherbert bloomed for the first time in quite a while today. Also Burnt Saffron, Winter Lights, Valentine's Day, Flickering Flame, and Magic Crystal.

Erny

Simple pleasures, Sun Shower, African Princess, Zelma, and Romoe seeming to grow out of the climbing rose planted next to it.

John I really enjoy your Wild Grape too - kind of in the same league as Miss Congeniality to me.  Both are just great!

Erny your blooms are really starting to get some awesome color now!  Your Burnt Saffron is off the charts along with many others...

Farmer D

A super dark Miss Congeniality and 5 SOT blooms today - amazing!!!

Farmer D

Rodeo Drive and I will be back in a few weeks but I'll be viewing all the posts from afar!

Farmer D

Erny, I had noticed that your Wild Grape looked different than mine. I guess it's just due to different climates.

John, my Wild Grape is still a very young plant that is putting out its first blooms so I'm still hopeful that they will start to look more like yours as the plant matures.

No new blooms today as winter returned once again.

A second day Cosmic Gold. I think Cosmic Gold looks best on the second day.

Yard looks great Darren and Erny!

Today's Thunder Egg, Looking pretty fantastic, maybe this bloom will have better form than the previous ones?

Warming back up a little today.

Chris, Thunder Egg never ceases to amaze. It will be interesting to see how it looks outdoors down here. Lots of blooms here the past two days. Silver Dragon, Saffron, Luck Be a Lady and Simple Pleasures.

Erny

Magic Crystal continues to put out multiple blooms each day. Also Vin Beaujolais and Bright Hope.

Flickering Flame, Wild Grape, Acapulco Gold, Winter Lights, Prosperity, and Jazz.

Those people who aren't great fans of doubles should give Love Story a try. Also High Voltage, African Princess, Palm Springs, and Sun Shower profusion.

Very nice, Erny. Love Story has been a popular variety all over the world for over a decade - its a good, solid variety with nice clear red and white colors.

I'm not sure you've got Wild Grape there. Looks more like Vin Electrique or something else. All my photos of Wild Grape show dark orange or red pads at the end of the staminal column. When consistent warm weather arrives, Wild Grape will have lots of white spots and if it doesn't it's not Wild Grape. We'll see....

Charlie

Erny, I always liked your pics of Velvet Illusion, so I ordered one when it became available yesterday.

Charlie, I think you're right about Wild Grape. Earlier I thought it was just winter colors but it isn't changing at all and looks nothing like John's which motivated me to get it.
John, you're going to like Velvet Illusion. It really does look like red velvet and is better in person than in the photos. When mine blooms, it really stands out and can be seen from a block away.

Erny

Hi Everyone
I haven't had many flowers lately , the weather has been crazy 4 or 5 days in the 80s then it drops down into the low 40s or high 30s . I keep having to put all my plants in the garage . Here is a Brassy Blond for today also  :o just want to show you the size of Ruby Tuesday thats a 24" pot & a six foot fence behind it . I had to put it in a bigger pot because every time the wind blows about 10 miles a hour or so it falls over .

Mike, the weather here has been the same.

Today's blooms

Today's blooms

Magic Moments has made the journey to FL.  New in the ground, and survived a ewk in the truck to get here. I am so pleased with the transition
Enjoy, John

Mike, that Brassy Blonde is terrific. Can't wait for mine to arrive and start blooming.
John, your plants and flowers are looking great. You must be getting some favorable weather in Houston.
Flickering Flame is a wonderful cv with lots of consistently nice flowers on a very good bush. Also Pepper Spray, Silver Dragon, and Acapulco Gold.

Erny

Saffron, California Beauty, Rocket's Red Glare, Simple Pleasures.

Erny, the weather is perfect right now.

Secret Heart popped a bloom today after taking the last several weeks off. Also Magic Crystal, Silver Dragon, Flickering Flame.

Erny

Great blooms everyone!

After a long cold winter, I'm happy to finally get to post my first blooms of 2013. It feels like forever since my last post. Anyways, it feels good to be back!

Heavy rains coming today.

Cracking bush Mike, whats needed is a heavier and bigger pot and then place that pot in it, chances are with that growth you will be repotting it next year anyway, my garden is on a rooftop and this is something I have to do all the time.

Hi Charlie,

Just wanted to have your opinion on which of your double hibiscus do you recommend the most.


Thanks, Patrick

Good question, Patrick. Doubles have always been more problematic due to the tendency of the big buds to fall before the flowers open. In hot weather I think they absorb more heat than single buds and are more likely to drop mostly for that reason.

The original hibiscus that Linnaeus named Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a nice red double that we still grow. It does quite well, perhaps because the flowers are smaller than today's hybrids and the buds open sooner. Pretty bush, too. Kona is an older variety with smaller flowers that is also a good performer.

Rosalind is another double that does much better than most. It is a graft only variety so does not appear for sale very often these days. Samba Dancer is one that we offer now that I like and does well for us in our conditions. Love Story, an offspring of Rosalind, does well, as does its offspring Red Flair.

Charlie

First Magic Crystal bloom
And a Cindy's Heart after being beat up with 3.24 inches of rain yesterday. A pretty tough bloom!

John, that's a really nice first bloom on Magic Crystal. You will be quite pleased if it does as well for you in Texas as it does here. Once mine started blooming it hasn't stopped and I usually get two or three flowers per day on what is still a young plant.

Erny

New bloom on Sea of Tranquility today--unfortunately somewhat scratched as the thrips are wreaking their usual havoc with dropped buds and marked up flowers. Also Heavy Metal, Magic Crystal, Rainbow Christie, and Love Story.

Erny

Got a shot of Renaissance Blue before its opening colors faded this morning. Also Simple Pleasures, and Funny Voodoo that is, unfortunately, scratched up by thrips.

Erny, I would be ecstatic if my Magic Crystal performed as well as yours.

First bloom on one of my seedlings. Wild Grape x President

John, it's always exciting to see the first bloom on a new seedling. That one appears to have great form and shows a lot of promise.

Erny

Doll, what a surprise that that cross would yield a white offspring. That's hibiscus - delightfully mixed up bunch of genes!

Nice photos, Erny. Earlier this year I grafted some Renaissance Blue plants (thanks for the wood!) and some Funny Voodoo plants along with Cindy's Heart, Creme de la Creme, Ruby Tuesday, and a few others. They are doing fine in 4 inch pots now and will make it into the store or to Wish List orders later this summer.

Charlie

Charlie, I was quite surprised myself to get a white bloom from that cross.

Wow John, your blooms are looking fantastic!  Those CH twins are off the charts - pull up a chair and enjoy...

Farmer D

Paul, what a crazy spring we've had this year!

The hibiscus are liking the temps in the 90s the past few days.
Vin Beaujolais, Titian Venus, Flickering Flame, Silver Dragon, and Rainbow Christie.

Hot Pepper, Living Legend, Velvet Illusion, and Topaz Glory.

Acapulco Gold, Daisy Mae, Black Dream, and Double Date.

 Luck Be a Lady, Me Oh My Oh, Fiesta, and a pretty orchid cactus.

Erny, looks like your hibiscus are loving the the hot weather. How big is that Velvet Illusion bloom?

John, very nice A. Gold and High Voltage. That Velvet Illusion is 7 1/2 inches.

Erny

It won't be long before it will be in the 90s everyday here.

John, it looks like Cindy's Heart and Hot Pepper are liking those higher temps. Cooler here today in the low 80s and Voodoo Magic popped about eight new blooms that are nicer than any I've seen on it for quite some time. Magic Crystal continues to put out multiple flowers on a daily basis. Also Hollywood Starlet and Sleeping Beauty.

Erny

Old Spice, Valentine's Day, Rainbow Sherbert, Hot Pepper, and Electric Orange.

Rainbow Christie, Tahitian Lovely, Silver Dragon, Solar Soul, and California Beauty.

Acapulco Gold, Black Dream, Flickering Flame.

Erny, here's a nice Wild Grape bloom.

John, I love it. The one I got labeled as Wild Grape is definitely not it. So it's going back on my wish list.

Erny

Nice Wild Grape John, I have one coming.

David, I'm glad to hear that Wild Grape will be finding a home in Shangri-la.
Secret Heart is starting its blooming cycle again and looking better than ever.
Also Illuminati, Flickering Flame, Silver Dragon, and Sizzle.

Erny

California Beauty, Winter Lights, Hot Pepper.

Rocket's Red Glare, Simple Pleasures, Black Dream.

David, I look forward to seeing how Wild Grape does for you.

Illuminati is impressive. Its subtle coloration fades attractively and the flower holds its form as this three day bloom shows. Sizzle lives up to its name. Also Rose Quartz, Electric Orange, and Bon Temps with a shot of its nice full bush.

Erny

California Beauty, Rocket's Red Glare, Acapulco Gold, a a few bush photos: Grand Fiesta, Rum Runner, and part of my ten year old hedge showing a mixture of Gil Whitton and Wheel of Fortune in various degrees of fading.

Serenity

Aleksandr, that Serenity bloom is beautiful.

Aleksandr, I agree with John on your Serenity. I put it on my Wish List a few months ago.
Today's blooms include Vin Beaujolais, Silver Dragon, Scarlet Beauty, Hot Pepper, and Funny Voodoo--the latter looking less scratched than the one I had a few days ago. Hopefully a sign that I am making progress in the battle with the thrips.

Erny

Two different looks of Haute Coutere. Also Voodoo Magic and Flickering Flame.

Erny, those thrips are a real nuisance especially in the spring.

John, your Cindy's Heart bushes are putting on a good show.
New blooms today from Silver Dragon, Valentine's Day, Rainbow Christie, Acapulco Gold, Rose Quartz, and Luck Be a Lady.

Summer Shore, Rocket's Red Glare, Electric Orange, Daisy Mae, and Renaissance Blue.

 Simple Pleasures and Donna Lynn.

Some fantastic blooms there John and Erny, something must be happening over there, the improvement in quality and colour over the last few days is very noticeable,very nice to see.

Thanks David. We're definitely seeing the transition to spring/summer colors.
I'm also seeing a significant increase in the size of the blooms over the last two weeks or so.

Erny

First Upbeat bloom

Magic Moments, Two photos, Tons of Buds! and only transplanted 6 weeks ago!

A very nice bloom on Bright Hope today. Also Palm Springs, Acapulco Gold, and Rainbow Christie.

Erny

Sun Shower is finally beginning to develop yellow spots. Also Rocket's Red Glare, Hot Pepper, and Love Story.

Part of a hedge showing a mixture of Topaz Glory and Jazz. Also Really Red, Renaissance Blue, and a very pretty orchid cactus.

John, Erny thanks!

John, your CH always looks great! It is in my wishlist.

Aleksandr, you will love CH.

For consistent form and perfect presentation of blooms, it is hard to top Living Legend. Gator Pride had its first fully open bloom today after weeks of dropping buds and partial openings. Also Vin Beaujolais and Chariots of Fire.

Erny

Cindy's Heart, Acapulco Gold, Prosperity, Eye of Kali.

Blue Ballerina, Black Dream, Creole Lady, Rosalind.

Simple Pleasures and Nightfire bushes growing together.

I already love it, just can't get  ;D


again...  ::)

There will be more grafted Cindy's Heart plants available in a couple of months.

Charlie

Thank you for info, Charlie!

Today's blooms

A very nice large bloom on Bridal Path today. Also Magic Crystal, Flickering Flame, Rum Runner, Palm Springs, and a profusion of Gil Whitton on the hedge.

Erny

Daisy Mae, Prosperity, Scarlet Beauty, California Beauty, and Electric Orange.

Really Red is one that certainly lives up to its name. Also Rocket's Red Glare, Eye of Kali, Saffron.

Ernest great blooms my rockets red glare finally bloomed a second time an garden pleasures bloomed ,cL and spin the bottle,an some pink an white hibiscus anyone have clue what it is

Very nice Rebbecca, lovely deep colours. Erny this is the second time on seeing your Magic Crystal I have gone to buy it, no luck at the moment so I am hoping it is in the June update, sort of last chance saloon for me, my order is being shipped to Cambodia end of June, my second choise was Prosperity but looking at that Really Red as got me thinking, maybe I can squeeze another cv in haha, the suitcase I bought is huge so should be ok.

David, Magic Crystal is worth pursuing. It is one of my most prolific bloomers and the quality of the flowers is very consistent. My bush is still young but shows nice symmetrical upright growth.
You won't be disappointed with Really Red or Prosperity either. Really Red is one of the deepest reds I have seen. Both have good upright growth but Prosperity is fuller and more densely branched. Here are a few bush photos of the three. All three were planted last summer and are thus less than a year old.

Erny, your Daisy Mae looks awesome.

John, Daisy Mae just never stops blooming. It's one of the tallest of all the ones I planted last summer along with Bridal Path, Inner Compass, and Palm Springs.
Some of today's blooms: Illuminati, Old Spice, Magic Crystal, and Prosperity.

Erny

Pepper Spray, Blue Ballerina, High Voltage, and Herm Geller.

Inner Compass, Chariots of Fire, Summer Shore, Electric Orange, and Angel's Wings.

Hot Pepper, Living Legend, Velvet Illusion, and Me Oh My Oh.

Erny, if you like yellow blooms you might also like Canary Song.

I've been enjoying viewing all the bloom pics while out of town.  Came back to mixed results for my hibs including one that bit it.  Now I just want to see how quickly they will get back to peak form as a lack of water might have been an issue even with my newly installed drip system as my plants definitely looked thinned out.  Yesterday was a grueling day of 12 straight hours cleaning up the yards but when I come back to blooms like Bridal Path it is so worth the hard work!

David I really hope you get Magic Crystal, it is just as Erny stated.  My advice is just to get all three if available.  You'll figure out how to fit them...

Farmer D

 David I thought you would enjoy another cute over the wall shot.

Farmer D

First bloom in about a year on my Prosperity plant.  Glad she is finally looking getting back into prime form after the prolonged fight with wood rot.

Farmer D

Glad to see you back Darren.

Darren, welcome back from paradise.
John, thanks for the tip on Canary Song. I hadn't seen or heard of it before. Your Frappuccino sure is looking good.
I had my first bloom on My Blue Heaven in quite a while--reminding me why it's my favorite blue. Also a new bloom on Bright Hope, Rainbow Christie, Burnt Saffron, Acapulco Gold, and African Princess.

Erny

Winter Lights with a petaloid, High Voltage, Flickering Flame, and Climax.

Old Spice, California Beauty, Funny Voodoo, Inner Compass, Haute Coutere with a Nightfire behind it, and Rum Runner profusion.

Luck Be a Lady, Living Legend, Velvet Illusion, and Nightfire bush with Simple Pleasures invading from the side.

Erny, here's a bloom I had on Canary Song last Friday.
http://www.hiddenvalleynaturearts.com/acatalog/canarysong.htm

Thanks John. That does look like a nice rich yellow color.

John & Erny thank you for the welcome back.  That was one weird trip, probably the worst one to the islands we've had but I can't complain when fortunate enough to go...

Your blooms all look great, as David said last week there has been a significant jump in colors lately.  Erny your My Blue Heaven reminds of my Venus Rising and John the colors on your Rainbow Sherbet are outstanding!

Farmer D

I had my first bloom on a seedling today and WOW!  This is why I love growing hibiscus!!!

Farmer D

Farmer D

Darren, what a pretty seedling you have there. Can't wait to see more.

Ditto that, its a real beauty.

Great looking seedling bloom Darren.

Thank you John, David and Erny for the nice compliments.  I am very excited to see more seedling blooms soon as some more are budding up currently.

Farmer D

Farmer D

John, I love the colors you get on your Rainbow Sherbert and Acapulco Gold. That Merci Beaucoup is also an intriguing bloom.
Darren, your AG bush is a sight to behold. T. Lavender Mist looks even better than I remember.
First decent bloom I've had on Ay Caramba today. It is loaded with buds. Silver Dragon also putting on a show today with 5 new blooms. Also Prosperity and Rainbow Sherbert.

Erny

Sea of Tranquility showing a new bloom today and a third day bloom that has faded to a nice color and maintained its shape. Also Magic Crystal, Valentine's day, Rocket's red Glare, Bridal Path, and True Love.

Great looking blooms everyone, I just wanted to know if I missed the April and May newsletter or was there not one for those months.

Thanks, Patrick

Well winter decided to return again for a one night encore here in WV. :( It was 33 degrees F when I woke up at 6 this morning. So I luckily I had moved my "rain forrest" indoors last night after work (which took a little over an hour.

It looks like Tahitian Taui and Black Dragon again were very thankful for the move indoors. (TT bloomed for me 2 weeks ago when I moved it indoors b/c of freezing temps.....I sense a pattern!)

Today's blooms

Patrick,

I've just emailed you the April Newsletter to the address we have for you in the forum. There's not a May issue yet and we may not have time this month to do one. Back in June for sure.

Beautiful photos from everyone lately!

Charlie

First bloom on Ruby Tuesday in the past few months. Also Palm Springs, Bon Temps, Sizzle, California Beauty, and Rose Quartz.

Erny

Creme de la Creme finally opened a flower today after dropping all its buds for the past several weeks. Also High Voltage, Prosperity, Flickering Flame, Rainbow Christie, and Rainbow Sherbert.

Velvet Illusion is a real standout. Its vivid color just leaps out at you from half a block away. I tried to capture that with this photo but it is more impressive in person. Also Living Legend, Bridal Path, and Hollywood Starlet.

Here are some bush photos: Daisy Mae and then Silver Dragon, Acapulco Gold, and Flickering Flame that are planted near each other. All were received in 6" pots late last summer so they already had some height to them. But they have grown well and are filling out nicely now.

Love that Velvet Illusion bloom. Can't wait to get mine in a couple of weeks.

Another beautiful Canary Song.

Really nice blooms, John D.

Erny, thanks for showing those bushes - I'm particularly impressed by that young Prosperity.

Charlie

John, that's a beautiful display of blooms.
Charlie, that Prosperity is a really fine bush at less than a year old. But Sizzle, Hollywood Starlet, and Cherry Glow are just as good at the same age. All are about 5' tall and extremely well branched.
Velvet Illusion put out nice triplets today. Also Electric Orange (another great bush), Cindy's Heart, and Tahitian Sophistication.

Erny

Palm Springs, Valentine's Day, Hollywood Starlet, Burnt Saffron, Haute Coutere, and Voodoo Magic.

Old Spice, Creme de la Creme, Cherry Blue, Tahitian Lovely, and Herm Geller.

Erny, your Cindy's Heart is looking great.

John,as always, loving that Wild Grape. I don't recall anyone showing Jungle Fire before; yours looks great.
Haute Coutere put out a number of new blooms yesterday and today. Also Love Story, Living legend, Sun Shower, Black Dream, and Fifth Dimension.

Erny

Erny, Jungle Fire is very easy to grow and is a great bloomer.

John whats Wild Grape like in full sun, I have one coming and am not sure where to place in the garden.

David, my Wild Grape only gets 2-3 hours of sun, but it is hot afternoon sun. So I think it would do just fine in full sun.

Funny Voodoo put on a nice show today with triplets. Also Inner Compass, Luck Be a Lady, Living Legend, and Prima Ballerina.

Erny

Hi Everybody
Here is a Key Lime Pie for today  ::)

Here is an update on Vin Extraordinaire , I bought this plant last September it was really small,  here's what it looked like then . It had 4 leaves & one was yellow & fell off shortly after I received it . So I had to watch it close because if it got attacked buy mites it would not survive .

Well moving on now , I find that Vin likes it hot & full sun , It doesn't wilt at all & I'v repotted it 3 times in 8 month's . It's growing like crazy I can water it every day & buy the next day it's light when I pick it up . so I'm repotting it again .

So it went from that twig to 38" tall from the soil line in 8 months , no flowers yet but it is real healthy , It must like it here in the south  . Im in Arkansas  :o

Mike, that bush and its root system are really impressive. I bet you'll be rewarded with some blooms before too much longer.

Erny

Fabulous blooms everyone!

John your Winter Lights bloom is jaw dropping pretty. Light grey and hot pink - WOW!!

Mike your progress on Vin Extraordinaire is very impressive.  Especially with the challenging bush it has been said to have.

I am slowly getting up and running again after my computer crashed Saturday.  Funny how these things always happen on a holiday weekend after everything is closed...

Some pretty nice blooms to share from the last several days.

Farmer D

This seedling bloomed last fall but this time around it is really looking impressive.  Thanks again Mike for thinking of the name.

Farmer D

Farmer D

Farmer D

Darren, glad to see you are back up and running. I'm really liking Murphy's Law.

We had a strange look from Heartbreak Hotel today.



Patrick

Patrick that is one different looking HH!

Some more blooms from the past several days...

True Love is looking strong so far this spring!

Farmer D

Farmer D

Darren, glad you got your computer back up and running.

Erny, I like the colors on Funny Voodoo. Is that a Dupont variety?

John, Funny Voodoo is a Dupont cv.
Darren, I hope my True Love looks as good as yours some day. So far the two blooms I've had don't even come close.
Today I had the nicest bloom yet on Rose Quartz. Also Acapulco Gold, Inner Compass, Rosalind, and Heartbreak Hotel.

Erny

Eye of Kali, Old Spice, Secret Heart, and Fifth Dimension.

John thank you for the well wishes on my computer.  It is six years old so I have a lot of updating of software to do now...

Erny I'm sure your blooms of True Love will be looking just like mine if not better before you know it.  Boy it is really an impressive cv, I got it as a six inch last spring and it is now at 4 feet tall and growing very nicely.  Legendary Pleasures is underneath my Lane Orange Tree on the left.

Farmer D

More blooms from the last several days...

Farmer D

Darren, those bushes in the back yard planter are looking great--all tall and full. You're probably right about True Love. I planted mine late last summer out of a 4" pot so it is still only about 8" tall.

Erny

I forgot how big Daisy Mae gets, this the first really decent one this season for me and it is easily 9"

Farmer D

A nice Cherokee Princess bloom today.

Great blooms are now taken for granted with you Darren, in fact some are exceptional, but as Erny says those bush shots look great, there seems to be more of a fullness about them than usual and they look so nice, will be interesting to see if the bloom profusion suffers with such lush growth.