Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

Welcome back Farmer D.   While your still getting caught up here is the June tab. 
This month I should have a few more different cultivars blooming but until then this is it.
My Pinot Noir houseplant is back outside for the next 3-4 months.
1st bloom Mother Nature houseplant.
Tsaritsa
Silver Lining not opening completely since I accidently watered it 2 days in a row last week.   
Tarzan day 2.   

Nice photos, Kyle - love the Tsaritsa close-up!

Anyone interested, please see the Stock Plant Sale Announcement in the 2015 Online Store Opening section of the forum. We will be offering big 2 gallon plants for the first time in several years starting this coming Saturday.

Charlie

Again sensational photos Kyle!   You have your hibiscus firing on all cylinders!

Venice Beach has really impressed me with it's petaloid heavy blooms.  It hasn't bloomed too much yet for me as I am finally getting it properly situated so I am very excited about it's future!

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1st bloom for Quasar

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1st bloom for Wow Factor

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Burnt Pepper has to be one of the most amazing new CVs.  The dark pink eye surrounded by the very dark burnt orange petals and the orange edging - are you serious?  I could not have imagined such color combos until seen in person.

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Just check out this bloom of Venice Beach!!!!  That is petaloid heaven....

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This is the best Island Queen bloom I have had to date.  About 9" with intense bright coloring and fantastic form.  What a marvelous creation Charlie!!!!

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1st Titian Venus bloom

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Nice Wow Factor Farmer D, I may have some blooms in a few months just in time for the cooler weather.    I agree Burnt Pepper cool. 
Tarzan today on this 90F overcast day. 

Kyle, that's the best photo of Tarzan I've seen to date!

And Darren, what an abundance of blooms you are getting now. How's the hibiscus garden looking now that you've been back from vacation for a couple of weeks?

Charlie

I just noticed that since this forum opened in 2009 almost 7 million pages have been opened and viewed by visitors. Last month, May, set a new page view record of 228,000 pages opened and viewed.

This is no doubt due to the great photos that have been posted here over the last several years - thanks to all who contributed, your photos and blooms just get better each year!

Charlie

Wow, that's amazing Charlie and a testament to your beautiful creations!

Darren - glad to see you are back and posting again in full force.  I always get excited when I log in and see a Farmer D blast as I know it will be epic!  I agree with Kyle about Wow Factor.  Charlie and Cindy sent me one pretty budded up already, so I should have some shots of that one to share soon.  While I of course love seeing shots of some of the newer varieties, I really enjoy seeing some of your "classic" bushes like Living Legend and Prosperity.  I have a Prosperity indoors at work that is growing really well, but she has yet to bud up.  I got her late last year, so hopefully soon.  Charlie - will Living Legend ever make a return?  I've been dying to get my hands on one the last couple of years along with Sea of Tranquility and Cindy's Heart whom everyone seems to covet.

Kyle - You're Pinot Noir and Mother Nature on the first page of the June blooms are absolutely picture perfect & your Tarzan has me scrambling to create more room once it returns to the online store.  Loved seeing your Silver Lining as well and now that I have my own we can compare how they grow indoors v. outdoors as I plan on keeping mine inside for the time being.

Ok, my turn.  Here's a few blooms from the last couple of days.

1. First bloom on Silver Lining.  I brought her to my office grow location and also brought along Blue Ballerina which was previously a houseplant under T5 lighting. Since they were sitting together I decided to try crossing them as well.  I'm new to crossing so let's see what happens!

2. First outdoor bloom of the year for me on Acapulco Gold.  This CV is by my parents and was recently brought back out after being overwintered.  I can't wait to watch this plant take off again this summer as it's another classic that we see here often.  

3. Tahitian Magenta Double Star - I post this CV often here, but there's a reason for that and that's because it blooms all the time.  In fact, it's the most floriferous CV I have and I have well over 35 CV's at this point.  It's kept indoors and I can't even imagine how crazy it would bloom outdoors.  The "double" in the CV's title is for it's color rings or stars, but it might as well apply to it's blooming habits as well as it always seems to bloom with more that one flower at a time. I very highly recommend this CV.

4. Marianne Charleton & TMDS - Just showing some of my indoor plants here along with some recent blooms by these CV's which are together.  You may also notice a seedling growing on the side in this picture as well - My very first one as I'm pretty new to crossing and seeds.  I tried crossing Marooned n Blue with a garden variety and managed to get seeds out of it.  The bud sticking out on the bottom of the shot is from Devil's Eye, a pretty neat CV as well that I believe has made an appearance on the forums once or twice.

5. Lastly, here's is a shot of myself along with my very first hibiscus, a typical red garden variety bloomer from Home Depot.  Perhaps someone here knows what this CV is actually called?   This plant is where it all started for me about 3 years ago and led me to research more about tropical hibiscus which then led me to here.  This plant has been pruned several times over the years but I decided to let it grow out over the winter and here it is growing over 6 ft. tall indoors at work and getting ready to begin putting out blooms again.  I'm about 6 ft. exactly so you can see the size comparison.

Lots of plants starting to bud up now in the various locations i have plants growing so stay tuned!

  

Hi Charlie!

After being gone for three weeks I came back to very happy plants.  The drip system is working it's magic now that I have added micro sprinklers to the drip lines.  The drippers are not enough to properly feed in ground plants.  The addition of micro sprinklers to make sure the ground is sprayed with ferts is the big key as the rootballs are so large they cover an area that the drippers only get a small part of.  The plants are so big they need way more juice than what one dripper can give them.

Now I am onto a much better soil too which is totally scary as that means that I have all my plants in soil that is too dense and with the addition of the micro sprinklers I run the risk of them getting root rot.  That or the very strong El Nino predicted for this upcoming fall/winter could cause major problems.

This is what things looked like the day after I got home

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David that is a great photo spread!  Your blooms are looking very good and your plants are so healthy.  A testament to your ability and level of care you provide them!  Good to see the man behind the plants too!!!!

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A gorgeous 9" Kilimanjaro and some amazing depth of color on CH!

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SOT is a definite two day bloomer and the second day the yellow comes out - first opens as a brown or orange with dark grey.

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1st bloom for Midnight Tryst - this one is a total stunner from photos I have seen this year on Facebook.  It is now starting to win awards at quite a few flower shows in Florida, Texas and Louisiana.

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Thanks for the compliments, Darren! Your yard looks insanely awesome! It's been great seeing how your plants have developed there over the years here on the forum.  Looks like you may need to start filling up your neighbors yards soon  :P

Beautiful first bloom on Midnight Tryst - the bush on this CV is really attractive too. Can't wait until mine starts taking off!

Farmer D impressive set up being able to leave for an extended period of time, your Kilimanjaro has changed in the last few months and is fascinating.   I hope the improvement to your drip system works out.   
David I'm looking forward to seeing your blooms including more of Silver Lining.   

Look what pulled out of the magician's hat on Sunday.   A few weeks ago I set my Time for Magic houseplant outside for the summer.  It is now 1 year old  and it has been a real challenge trying to shape the bush over the winter.      Heavy rains weighed it down over the last few days but the bloom opened and it was an 8" whopper.    Green is my favorite color in a hibiscus and I only have a few months window to be able to bring it out.  The 2nd photo was an afternoon shot. 

Thanks Kyle!  You are getting top rate results on your blooms as well.  Add in the fact the weather is a continuous challenge where you live and the results are all the more impressive.  I enjoy viewing your posts!

Here are some photos I have seen recently on Facebook.

Midnight Tryst & Sweet Persuasion are grown by Angela Blakely on the Big Island of Hawaii.  She lives on the slopes of a volcano at about 1500 ft elevation in a cloud forest.  So not a lot of sun, tons of rain and very humid but not too hot conditions.

Mountain Mist & Time For Love are grown by Gil Friedman near Miami Florida.  He probably has over 200 plants now and is feeding them all by drip system.  All were potted but now he is working on putting the first big batch in ground.

The last two photos are from Brad Daniels in Santa Barbara.  I really love Brad's approach to growing hibiscus as he utilizes compost tea as one of his main sources of nutrients to feed his hibiscus.  The results are amazing and these two blooms were during winter.
 
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Beautiful flowers All!

Farmer D I agree with David, beautiful Midnight Tryst...can't wait for mine to bloom either :)

First bloom on my Angelique and I think I've had this one close to a year now.  Thought I was going to lose it because of the frost we had here in Ventura County in early January but it has bounced back.

The other is one of my very favorites, Blue Opal ... in fact, I have 3 of them :D

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You're getting some awesome colors and form out of your blooms, Kyle - great work!  The green on that Time For Magic bloom is very unique along with the oranges and browns.  I think I need to add a nice green bloomer to my collection...

Darren - Sweet Persuasion is a CV that I have been waiting for blooms to develop on for quite some time. Its bush has been one of the more difficult ones for me as mine seems to like spreading out and the branches are a bit weak in the limbs. Spider mites also seem to be attracted to mine as well. I have to constantly keep my eye on her or she will begin to get lots of yellow leaves.  It's been a slow grower for me, but the blooms look to be worth the wait! I too have seen several of Gil's photos online and he has some amazing plants.  I'd actually like to talk with him as I believe that he has experimented with potting multiple CV's in single pots before and this is something I'd like to consider doing in the future.

Renee - I can see why you like Blue Opal so much - what a beauty! Hopefully your Angelique is ready to take off now that it's recovered.

Here's some blooms from the last couple of days:

1. First Bloom on Wow Factor - When browsing in the online store, I almost missed this one as it was at the end of the alphabet.  Now I'm glad I didn't...

2. First Bloom on Magic Crystal (day two, missed it open on the first day)  I need to get those Farmer D colors on this CV.  I'll be upping her potassium for sure as I love this CV when it really gets going.

3. Dixie Belle - Many people have slept on this CV as its always in the online store.  The pinks just get more and more vivid and the bloom form is immaculate.

4. Silver Lining - I love this CV and as of now I think this should be an early contender for HOY.  Jaw dropping bloom, exotic bush, fast growing and budding up like crazy, including indoors. A must have for collectors as far as I'm concerned.

5. Bright Hope - The indoor blooms on my BH tend to last 3 days and every bloom is beautiful.  Quite the photogenic one!

6. Office "Water cooler hibs" update shot.  From left to right - Marooned n Blue, Prosperity, Bright Hope, Dixie Belle, True Love & Tahitian Princess. These CV's are all in either 3 gallon or 2 gallon containers.

1. Devil's Eye - Neat colors on this one.  This bloom didn't open up all the way, so I'll show some more once it begins blooming some more as the eye on this CV is pretty neat.

2. Electric Plum - Love the veining on this CV.  I'm hoping to get more reds into the dark purple going forward.

3. Silver Lining's bush

4. Marooned n Blue bush - This bush is out of control at the moment.  I had her tucked away in the corner and didn't realize how much it had grown!  The two big stalks that are swaying to the left in this photo are tied together and if I cut the tie this CV would be close to 6.5 feet high, if not higher.  This is one of the first plants I've purchased from HVH about 2 years ago before I knew anything about pruning hibiscus and the sentimental value I have has kept me from putting the shears to her. As you can see, side branching has now begun on the bottom as well, so it is time.  Any recommendations on how I should shape this CV from experienced pruners would be greatly appreciated!  I may try taking some of the cuttings to create some new plants which would be a first for me as well.  This photo is also for any new growers who may be wondering how big their 6" plants may get after just two years!  :o

5. Marooned n Blue - If you look close in the picture of the bush, this is the bloom on the wayyy bottom.  This CV blooms great both indoors and out in my experience.

David I like that Devil's Eye and would like to see more when they open.    

Pinot Noir twins  Deja Vu

David, love your Water Cooler Hibs and really love the Electric Plum...I have never seen that one before.  You are right, Dixie Belle is beautiful...just not one I have picked, yet :)   Not trying to be nosy but where do you live?

Kyle, really awesome Pinot Noir...another one I don't have, it is amazing how some hibs look more beautiful than when you first look at them in the store!  Not to say those pics aren't great, it's just amazing when they go elsewhere if that makes sense.

Hibs blooming last 2 days...

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Renee if I was to recommend 1 hibiscus cultivar it would have to be Pinot Noir not only for the flowers but for the bush, and it does well as a houseplant.   I really like the color of your Spiced Rum.

Charlie I think this 8" Tarzan outdid the last one I posted.   This is what happens when you plug in Tarzan to an outlet.   Just kidding.   Really the veins were practically glowing with color today and it had some green in the body.   I missed the 1st hour after it opened but it held color well since it was cloudy and rainy.
So far the month of June has been a wash out where I live.     I can only recall 2 sunny days this month.

You can check out my Facebook page for the HD photos and a few others I didn't post. 

just thought i would share this one - i think this is the best flower yet for Crimson Kiss.

here is today's bloom of my Blues in the Night.

David I can't help but ask that picture with the seven or eight lined up against the window, How old were those when you got them?

Hi Renee - I live in New Jersey.  It's been humid here (which is normal in the summer) but we've had a nice mix of rain and sun so far since I've brought some plants out.  With that said, my outdoor plants have really just began budding up at this point and most of what I've been posting as of late have been indoor plants. I've come to find that many of these CV's will do just fine indoors with a few hours of direct sun (and a bit of houseplant formula  ;))  I keep a ton of plants at work where they receive a good amount of sun due to large windows.  Looking forward to my outdoor plants taking off hopefully soon! Since you like Electric Plum, here's another recent bloom. I look forward to seeing more of your CV's as well.

Kyle - off the strength of your recommendation (and beautiful photos) I was able to snag a Pinot Noir during the last restocking.  Can't wait to get my hands on her!  Did you pick up anything new this go round?  I've posted another Devil's Eye for you below, but I'm still having issues getting the blooms to open all the way.  I have this CV under the T5's so I may need to try something else.

Merkity - very nice Crimson Kiss and that is a unique Blues in the Night.  I picked up My Blue heaven in the store restocking as I'm trying to add more variety of colors to my collection and its blue really stood out to me.

Hi Brenden - Those CV's all came from HVH in either 4" or 6" pot sizes so they were all I'd say about year old or younger when purchased.  I've only been growing tropical hibiscus for a couple years myself, so you can see how big these babies can get in a relatively short amount of time.  Bright Hope and Dixie Belle were purchased this year in the 6" size and they are already over 5 ft. tall in their pots. Try getting your hands on Prosperity if you ever want a really vigorous CV.  I wish I could grow mine outdoors year round.

Blooms from the last week or so...

Creme de Cacao (Just opening, first outdoor bloom of the season)
Bright Hope doubles
Silver Lining doubles & petaloid
Electric Plum
Devil's Eye opening
Wow Factor showing more color

Magic Crystal - I've always been fascinated with the pinks and silver/grays in this CV, but I recently noticed the red mixed in with the white eye as well.  In the second picture, the eye reminds me a bit of Rocket's Red Glare.

Black Dragon - I typically don't like showing blooms are they are starting to shrivel away already, but Black Dragon shows some really cool colors as the flower begins to go. 

Tahitian Magenta Double Star - If I'm going to show the end of a flowering cycle, like BD I should also show the beginning of a new bloom as this is what keeps us all growing!  Here TMDS really lives up to it's name as you can see the perfect star shape from this bloom just starting out.

Marooned n Blue - Put out a nice bloom yesterday, so here it is.  Since this CV has begun blooming again, I've decided to hold off on pruning for now...

abracadabra twins.

Kyle sensational Tarzan!  You are working that one to perfection...

Renee I am enjoying your blooms - you are doing a splendid job!

David you are doing fantastic with your plants.  Best office building in America!

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1st bloom for Midnight Tryst.  This is one of the prettiest blooms around in my book.  Can't wait to get some darker and more dramatic blooms from her soon.

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2nd bloom on Wow Factor - it sure is living up to it's name!!!

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Sprinkles is really an impressive bloom!  I highly recommend it if you like a very dynamic bloom with lots going on!

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I find few that bloom as beautifully as Island Queen.  Just look at those colors and exquisite form!

Farmer D