Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

For the first time ever, I have blooms from all three of my flowering hibiscus!  How exciting.  I think that I may not turn out to be a great hybridizer after all because I was so quick to pollinate them all with whomever I chose and then went to get labels so I know who is who in a month, but by the time I got the labels to label each of them, I forgot half of who the father plants were!  Jeese!

Great photos to start the August Photos of the Day thread!  Talk about color!!!

Charlie

Love these pics! : )

Oops, its August huh?  Thanks for changing it for me.  I got Space Oddity, Gator Pride, and your new blue one!!!!!  Sooo excited!

Late afternoon Bridal Path and Belle du Jour. Fantasy Charm in the background.

I'm surprised at how similar Belle and Fallen Hero have looked for me this year colorwise.

Great pics Ulii!  Two perfect blooms :)

Lots of flower power there. Enough petal to feed a family of 4 (turtles).

Charlie

Lol, turtles? Where did that come from?  ;D

P's Purple is such a pleasure, great bush, always blooming:

When it's too hot for many of the exotics the ancestors rarely let you down.
El Capitolio
(http://i27.tinypic.com/2bqgjs.jpg)
(http://i32.tinypic.com/30kbrwj.jpg)

The nice thing about growing hibs in pots is that you can move them around for pics.
This morning: yesterday's Bridal Path and Fantasy Charm

Wow!!! Gorgeous blooms everyone! Today was a great day for my “species,” too…

·Fragilis (Pink? Guess he was just blending with the herd!)
·Liliiflorus triplets
·Kona

 ;D (Deb)

It's rare for me to see a P's Purple that has not been recently pruned and I'm very happy to see that it can bloom multiples per day.

I agree with Doll, too, the ancestors are great for color just about every day of summer.

It's an unusual photo that has Bridal Path smaller than another flower but with Fantasy Charm its to be expected. Probably a 10 inch flower next to a 9 inch flower with these 2!

Most interesting seeing H fragilis in pink tones. I have seen it described as pink through red in historical references but so far the blooms I've seen have been more red than pink.

After a slow start, summer 2010 is turning into a banner year for hibiscus photos!!

Charlie

I was really interested in Uli's P's Purple. Looks way more pink than mine. Both my P's Purple and Soft Spot look a grey color and very similar.


Ian

I'm a big fan of spots and splashes so I've been really enjoying my Some Like It Hot and my Heavy Metal. We're having a big problem with thrips and bud drop but getting lots of beautiful blooms on these 2 any way.

Ian

Here's a few more favorites from today.

Great pics Ian!  How do you overwinter your plants?  Green house or do you make your house into a jungle :P

Our house becomes a jungle! LOL

And we also have a large collection of cacti and the wife has started collecting Oleanders! It becomes a sort of tropical refuge indoors in contrast to the miserable winters we have outdoors.

We are considering a greenhouse but even if we had one it would just be a season extender, not year round, as it would be too expensive to heat in our coldest months.

Ian

LOL yes!   Do you have overcast winters Ian?  How much do your plants still bloom in the winter? In colorado this last year we had pretty sunny winters, so blooming was good.  I am curious as to how places with more overcast days fare. 

Ian, the pics you see above were shot right at opening. P's Purple changes its color to a more soft, silvery lavender soon after. Does it not open like this for you?

I took 2 pics of the same blooms this morning...is that more like what you get?

Pachrian I wanted to answer your Wild dream question PS Sorry I have been MIA

Charlie I need to send you some seeds so they wont go bad

anyways Pachrian if you do search in the forum of Wild dream you should be able to see pictures of my plant. I have gotten a range of colors and blooms. Some being not as speckled and almost all magentia color. I also gotten a bloom that was pale. That last pic was the best bloom I have seen IMO. I have another bloom coming out tomorrow. The 2 blooms I just had last for 3 days.

Kerry, these other pics just confirming it for me...another one for the wish list. Gorgeous shots! Thanks :)

BEAUTIFULL PHOTOS EVERYBODY...I REALLY LOVE MAGIC CARPET RIDE..HERE ARE SOME OF MY BLOOMS... :D..LYNETTE

AND A COUPLE MORE.. ::)

Yes, definitely overcast winters here! If I keep plants in a good sunny window blooming slows to a crawl around Christmas when the days are the shortest but picks up again in a month or two. Last year we ran out of windows for all the plants so there was very little blooming. This year we will experiment with artificial lighting.

Ian

I really like your Flash Dancer!. Can't wait for mine to bloom too!!!

Ian

Simple Pleasures
Erin Rachel

I LOVE YOUR ERIN RACHEL!....I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ONE , BUT I DONT THINK CHARLIE HAS HER ANYMORE...DO YOU CHARLIE???/ ::)...LYNETTE

Great pics by everyone.  I shouldn't look at this forum any more since I usually end up adding more to my wish list.  My first bloom on Cindy's Heart in June before the spider mites hit is the first pic.
Then a few from yesterday: High Voltage, Surf City, Erin Rachael, and Torch Song.
dave

A few more from earlier this summer. I never got around to posting these. Rockets Red Glare also now battling spider mites, Mystery mislabeled plant from last year, Fantasy Charm, Voodoo Magic, and the first bloom on a then new Strawberry Cream.

dave

Lynette, I do still grow Erin Rachel. Cindy loves the flower color but unfortunately the older bushes do not provide much wood for propagation. If I find good wood this summer I will grow more plants of it. Simple Pleasures is more my kind of plant - fast growing, lots of branches and buds on all, and very reliable. Thanks to DavidZ for photos of both. I love the photo of Confection Perfection - looks good enough to eat....

Dave, that's the most different Cindy's Heart bloom I've seen. It's showing far more white than usual, makes me wonder why. I suppose it's the high desert heat and dryness. How much shade is it in? It's still very pretty but I'm just used to seeing it with more bright pink. The Strawberry Cream looks big in this photo. Did you feel the texture of the flower? It's much like Byron Metts, very substantial. Larger plants of Strawberry Cream make absolutely huge flowers, should rival Fantasy Charm for biggest bloom in the house!

Ian, P's Purple is always more lavender around here. Local conditions affect hibiscus a lot as you know but I cannot account for the difference in color. Possibly it's a light thing in this case. I look forward to seeing how your experiments with indoor lights go this winter.

Charlie

Hi Charlie,

That Cindy's Heart bloom opened a couple of days after I received it so I'd guess it hadn't been here long enough for local conditions to affect it much. I've been a little concerned about the difference from your photos of it.  Some later blooms have had more pink than this one, but nothing close to your website photos.  It's been in a section of the greenhouse where it didn't get a good dose of the morning sun.  It was screened by several taller plants.   I recently moved it to a brighter spot so will see if that makes a difference in the amount of pink.  Our summer monsoon season has been in full swing the last couple of weeks so instead of being hot and dry it's been rather mild (mid 60s to mid 80s) and very humid with thunderstorms around nearly every day.  Anyway, it should have some more blooms by the end of the week so will see if the humid weather and location change affect its appearance.  The Strawberry Cream's bloom was about 8" on a fairly young plant purchased in 4" size pot. I definitely noticed a texture difference compared with Fantasy Charm. I had a couple of 11" blooms on the Fantasy Charm when it was still a small plant in a 6" pot.  Most of them this year have been around 9".

dave

The Cindy's Heart bloom I got was pretty similar. I think the heat must affect the amount of pink. Kristen's pic was very close to the photos on the website.
(http://i46.tinypic.com/s1lyxw.jpg)

It appears temperature and possibly humidity do make a difference in the amount of pink.  I had forgotten that I took this pic during last weeks mild and very humid weather (for us anyway).  I must be getting senile.  Compare it to the earlier June photo when high temperature was near 100, dewpoint in the 30s, and no clouds.  In late July the high temperatures were generally in the low 80s, dewpoints in the 60s and a lot of overcast days with thunderstorms.  That was a great week in late July, most of the collection only needed watering every other day instead of daily.

dave

I was waiting to reply about P's Purple until I could get a look at my next bloom just after it opened. Well I think the verdict is that yes it is more pink right after it opens but I've been usually looking at it later in the day when it changes to a more silver look. The pic shows the early opening form on my plant today.

Ian

Great pics of Cindy's Heart.  Mine has been through alot, so I am hoping that it blooms soon.

Bonnie Lass and Saffon blooms and bushes :)

All very interesting about Cindy's Heart. How about longevity? Here even in full all day sun we get several days out of each bloom. Kristen's photo back on page 1 of this thread is very typical of what we see with Cindy's Heart blooms. She lives in Connecticut but I'm not quite sure what that means for summer weather conditions. Dave, it will be interesting to see how the changes you have made will affect the next blooms.

Charlie

Chris, beautiful bushes on those 2!

Charlie

Hi all,

  Last week we had such beautiful weather.  Mid to low 80's with NO HUMIDITY!!!  What a change.  But this week, back to the usual with high 80's to mid 90's with 80-100% humidity.  Awful!  But that is a typical July / August in CT, hot and humid!  My photos were taken when we had the hot and humid conditions.  Some in the triple digits too!  I had a 3 week no bloom stretch from everyone because of the horticultural oil treatment I was doing for spider mites.  But now, back to normal and healthy plants with blooms! 

  Charlie, quick question.  I have a small Gabriel plant that is about a foot tall, it was just a cutting when I got it a couple months ago.  It is flourishing to say the least, but still skinny like a chopstick.  Question is, and I really hope I'm not overstepping my boundries, the poor thing keeps trying to put out buds.  I pinched 2 already and now I see another shooting out.  Should I let it do it's thing?  Or still pinch?  I was told somewhere that sometimes a small plant like that will die after the flower blooms because it put all its energy into producing it.  Thanks for listening.

ttyl,
Kristen

Charlie, my Cindy's Heart blooms have been lasting 2 days so far.  I had this really strange bloom on Rainbow Sherbet today.  First time I've had a bloom like this on any plants in my collection.  I've also posted a non hibiscus weather photo of a nice storm we had July 30th. Not the stereotypical image of Arizona summer that many people have.  Also you can see another plant addiction I have is roses. Too many plants, not enough space.
Chris, seeing those nice blooms of Saffron and Bonnie Lass makes me wish mine would get going.  Kristen's question I'll definitely leave for Charlie.


dave

here is porcelin doll.......charlie this is a picture of my belle...the last couple of blooms were very small...and pale...do you think I should give some extra booster??....I put some in with her last feeding on sunday...do you think I should give some more??...thanks lynette

Lynette, my blooms of Belle have been the same way.  About 6-7" and look the same color as yours.

Dave, your yard looks wonderful even in the rain...so many flowers :) RS sure looks weird though.

Lynette and Kristen, hope you get Belles to increase their size, 6-7" is really sad for this cv

I have a question for Charlie too: under what circumstances do you see Fallen Hero with a dusty pink like on its website? The photos you have there seem to have a bit of a colorcast but you saw them with your own eyes. Mine have just never looked that way. They are either the raspberry pink you describe or a regular light pink along the edge with the dark center like the one in this photo:
(http://UBSeng.zenfolio.com/img/s8/v9/p438465660-3.jpg)

my belle is not even 6-7 inches...its only about 3-4in :-[ :'( charlie help....Lynette

Uli, that flower is absolutely beautiful.  Lynette, we can get through this!  I know we can!

yes I know she will get bigger blooms....she is one of my new ones...patience i guess ;)

Here's Fireball, hasn't opened hope it opens tomorrow and CDC

Lots of pollen on that CDC, Patrick. Who did you pair her with? Very pretty bloom.

Hi, I pollenated her with Briar Patch (one of Barry Schlueter creations)

Fireball - very cool. I haven't seen a photo of Fireball in a long time. This is a sport of Sun Showers and a very pretty bloom imo.

Charlie

Hi charlie...maybe you missed my post of belle...she is blooming but blooms are very small only around 3-4 inces...and very pale....do you know why she could be this way???...thanks lynette

Wow! I've been trying to get Fireball for ages and still don't have it.  :(

As a consolation I had my first Cherry Appaloosa today and a dark Saffron. Wonder if the iron I gave it recently made it darker?

Ian

Oh, that could result in some beauties. I found your pics of BP, it looks very pretty.

Ian,   Ditto on Fireball.  I've also been looking for it for a long time.  Really nice blooms of Cherry Appaloosa and Saffron.
       
dave

Ahh, looks like I missed almost a page of posts.

Kristen, yes it helps to pinch out the small buds that show up sometimes on barely rooted plants. They can interfere with growth at that stage and they often do not open as big and pretty as they will on a more mature plant.

Dave, that is the most unusual Rainbow Sherbet bloom I have seen so far. You might want to mark that stem so that when it blooms again you can see if there has been a genetic mutation on that stem that continues to bloom so distinctly different from normal. Probably not, but it sometimes happens in which case it is called a sport and can be reproduced from a cutting of that stem and given a new name. Your bushes sure look nice and healthy.

Lynette, the Belle du Jour bloom is very pale as well as small. That suggests some sort of disruption to the development of the buds that have opened that way. Most likely it is a temporary situation (possible do to moving from greenhouse to your house) as long as the Belle plant is getting the basics covered - plenty of sunlight, water, and a balanced nutrient such as HVH Special blend. Booster is fine but don't neglect the Specialblend. Worst case scenario is that there is something wrong with the roots and the plant is not absorbing as it should be, another possibility is that there is a break or fungal attack lower down on that stem that is stopping the flow of nutrients and water. Let us know what the next blooms do and hopefully all will return to normal with no need to do anything special on your part.

Uli, I checked out the Fallen Hero page and saw what you are talking about. It's a more dusky or maroon version of the flower. I could not recall taking those photos but the digital record says they was taken on January 20, 2008 which makes it a winter bloom in the heated but somewhat cool greenhouse. That makes sense as we often see a color shift in those conditions away from the brighter summer colors. Look for something similar on your blooms from late fall through early spring.

Ian, beautiful Cherry Appaloosa. It can get more white but to me every bloom of that cv is a work of art. Almost always perfect form, too, as compared to the bush.

Charlie

Haute Couture  :)

Wow, Laura, it bloomed so nicely in the 4 inch pot! Haute Couture has to have one of the most interesting color combos around. Not sure what a top fashion designer would say about it, but I like it!

Charlie

I just love it when a plant carries multiple flowers at one time. My Chariots of Fire had 4 blooms on it today! Seems to have at least 1 most days.

My second pic is part of my driveway today where I keep most but not all of the hib collection. This will all have to overwinter in my house for about 6 months! Wish me luck!!!  ::)

Ian

AMAZING Collection!

Two today.

Cosmic Gold

Black Dragon :)

Looks like somebody was in a hurry to get those blooms to open! I'm curious how Cosmic Gold will do at high elevation - looks pretty good so far.

Charlie

So far its doing really well Charlie.  Really like the flowers alot.  The tinge of tangerine is really something, and I crossed it to BD. :)

I thought I would have a CDLC bloom, but it fell off today.  The microbuds did too :(  The plant itself is very healthy.  I think both CDLC and VE are extra sensitive to Changes in conditions.  Both dropped all developing buds having been moved indoors. 

Charlie and Cindy!!!  Got my new babies today and they look spectacular!  Thanks!  I also wanted to share some blooms from today and yesterday.  Sorry about repeat CV blooms, but they are the only ones big enough and they amaze me every day.  No one can get tired of looking at these!  And BTW, Cindy's Heart should go in your Tried and True category IMO.  It is a crazy nut.  Three blooms on it today, one measured just shy of 10"!!  Is that normal?  And it has been typical NE weather too, hot humid days in the 90's and cool nights in the mid to low 60's.

Taj thought she should be in some of the Cindy shots! 

I was having too much fun with the camera... here are some more...

There is a discoloration in this Saffron bloom.  Not much, but thought it was cool. 

your yellow bloom..sunny wind...how big is your bloom??...the reason I ask is because I purchased one very similar last year at Trader Joes...and it looks very similar...but it had no name...it looks almost identical...very vibrant yellow with a redish pink eye...very pretty...thanks lynette

Hi Lynette,

  It prolly is the same one.  It is a basic garden variety.  I got it at a simple garden supply store.  It is about 5-6 inches.  Great bloomer. 

you should have taken pics with your new purchases too! :D

I took some but my lighting is way off... and I got really lazy, some photographer I can be!  Here is a really bad lighting shot of my new babies. 

  They were packaged nicely, you have no idea how the post people treat these boxes.  My brother used to be one of the guys who loaded the big brown trucks.  The stories I heard.  That was long ago, so maybe times have changed.

 So like I was saying, they took an eight day trek across the country from far west coast to far east coast in AUGUST!  And I only got one slightly yellowed leaf!  These are great quality plants, thank you Cindy and Charlie!

How nice to see them after a safe arrival. In this heat is is a worry but so far no problems reported lately.

Charlie

They look great Kristen, ive grown all three of those and you will love them! SpaceOddity is probably one of the most interesting flowers I have grown.  I stuck a few cuttings of it, I hope some strike :)   

I had mine waiting in a box when I got back from a long weekend.  They were in the box for 6 days only a few yellow leaves.  Snowysky looks like lots new branches will be forming soon, so thank you! 

Unfortunately I now have a naked Black Cherry, I really hope I don't lose this one.  Losing my Burnished Gold and Rosalind this last winter was pretty bad, but Black Cherry would be a huge blow.  Come on SuperNova, do your thing! 

Yes, Im very excited about Space Oddity.  I was shocked I had the skilz to snag it while it was available!.  I hope your Super Nova does the trick.  It worked on my mothers hib.  Garden variety braided tree.  Whatever was wrong with it, it helped.  It looked like Wilt Disease. 

'Purple Hat Society' . Or is it? Its opened for the first time today and i have my doubts. Its a little more grey in color than the photo shows and there is no hint of any red or purple in it, and is 3 inches wide. Its a lovely little bush but it doesn't look like Purple Hat Society on the Website.. What do you think.

PS. Before anyone answers i have a little story,when i received this cv about 5 months ago it was part of an order of 6 cv's. Customs in Saigon kept 1 cv and let me have the other 5. I cannot remember the name of the cv they kept but i do remember it was a small blue mini.
Now i think they have for some reason removed the labels and when putting back have put the wrong label on. Maybe i am talking rubbish and the cv below is Purple Hat but i don't think so.

David, that's not Purple Hat Society. It looks like it could be an unnamed seedling. I'm thinking there has been some tag mix-ups but I doubt it happened at Customs. Contact Cindy for a remedy. Does look like a nice bush anyway and even grayish blue hibiscus flowers must be a rarity in Vietnam!

Charlie

Ha ha well i have wanted a unnamed seedling and now i have one. Its an extremely compact bush,if it can get more buds as it develops it will be quite nice. The bloom lasted one day but saying that all my cv's bloom for just the day even now when the weather is cooler.

If you are interested Charles i will say my garden is clawing its way back slowly after all the problems i had,i have gone back to relying on my own judgement and feel and the super Water and PH test meter is stuck up a Coconut tree in  next doors garden never to return.

Rosa Sinecis bloomed yesterday,i would think many people would dismiss this bush as old fashioned but i love it,its prolific and there are allready loads of buds. I took 3 cuttings of it yesterday so i hope i am lucky, i have a 99% failure rate with my cuttings but i think i may just get lucky here.

Here's some from today

Magic Crystal
Georgia Peal
Blue Ballerina

and

April Showers
Sleeping Beauty (small flower usually larger)

David, the H rosa-sinensis is one of the best to use while learning to stick cuttings. Very forgiving and will root if given half a chance. Great red color in the flower, particularly considering it was the first species named "hibiscus". I like it and Hibiscus storkii the most among the compatible hibiscus species. Both have nice bushes and attractive flowers.


Patrick, thanks for posting that Magic Crystal. Pretty flower, isn't it? Big ole G Pearl and cute little Blue Ballerina, too.

Charlie

I love the Blue Ballerina!  I need one!!

There is something elegant about Blue Ballerina, despite its' demure 5 inch size. Maybe it's the pure white halo and rays that separate the dark red eye from the blue petals. Whatever, lots of people like it and it sells out quickly. Denis in Croatia said it was his most blooming variety, constantly with one or more flowers. In any case, there are more of them coming before the year is out.

Charlie

A very special lady making an appearance today

Vin Extraordinaire! Biggest bloom yet 6 inches!

(Charlie, that is Black Dragon Pollen on those pads)

Chris!!!  How Exquisite!!  You are a lucky guy for having that CV.  I'm super jealous.  Would love to see it in person.  Thanks for sharing. 

She is really something in person, I wish that her blooms lasted longer. 

Check out how she fades late in the day, very pretty still

Chris, does VE only bloom for one day? The early bloom looks really fantastic in pics, I only hope I'll be lucky enough to own one one day.

Sadly it is only a one day bloomer :(  But what a awesome bloom it is.  I am looking at it now, and the flower is no more.

That's what I thought, Chris, when it first bloomed for me in mid-summer. The flowers folded up by the 2nd morning. But most blooms of Vin Extraordinaire I've seen outside of mid-summer since then have stayed open for 2 full days, closing on the 3rd morning. I've never seen it fade at sea level the way yours did at high altitude, and in our sunny living room I've had it bloom and not fade at all during 2 days. So, it's variable and it will be interesting to see how yours does when you move to the Seattle area.

Charlie

That is such great news, Charlie :)

I am looking forward to seeing how it does :)  I think that fading is pretty good for what the sun up here does, Bonnie Lass, Black Dragon, and Dragon's Heart all burned in the sun.  Crispy Brown, and awful looking.  So Vin, just fading shows how colorfast she really is. 

The Love Story I received on Thursday bloomed today.
(http://i36.tinypic.com/2qsxv9c.jpg)

I keep waiting on Fat Actress. The bud just keeps getting bigger.
(http://i36.tinypic.com/21jqi3t.jpg)

It is interesting how some doubles take forever to open while others just pop right open. Some doubles that take 2 days to completely open after unfurling the first petal will show first day colors on the last petals to open and 2nd day colors on the petals that opened first, giving the blooms a two tone appearance.

My speculation is that bud drop in double flowered varieties is related to the massiveness of the buds and the slowness with which they open. These features allow more heat to build up inside the bud than with most  buds of single flowers. In fact, some singles that make very large impressive buds before opening, like Dragon's Breath, are also known to have a bud drop/bud rotting problem in the hottest summer months. Others like Fantasy Charm that make small buds that open quickly do not have the same bud drop problem despite opening into huge flowers.

Some bud drop must also be related to production of hormones such as abscisic acid that accelerate when the plant is stressed, particularly water stress when pots dry out. The actions of such hormones are complicated but the end result for hibiscus is bud drop and decreased stem growth.

Charlie

I can't wait for my new babies to start blooming, hopefully you guys don't get sick of my same old same old Fantasy Charm and Belle. FC, btw, is much larger than Belle's blooms, it is just further back in the pic making it appear the same size. The tricks of photography ;)

Beautiful pic of the three flowers together. I can't wait to get a Fantasy Charm.

Thanks, Doll. Fantasy Charm is definitely worth having, huge and beautiful :)

A Creole Lady just opened. It's initial colors are quite something.
I'm still waiting for my second Magic Moments to open. Several buds dropped, so I decided to take a pic of this one now. Better than nothing ;)

Those beautiful pics of Vin Extraordinaire promote it to my must have list.
Here are a few from this past week: Heavy Metal, Belle du Jour, Rosalind, and Rainbow Sherbert.  My Belle showing less pink than Uli's.  Both my Fantasy Charm and Love Story have taken a break from blooming so it's great to see some photos by others on the forum.  Thanks Uli and Doll.

dave

Dave, your Rosalind bloom is the first double that made me go WOW. It is really pretty, both in color and form. Super photo too :)

Yes, your Belle seems lighter than mine (both of mine were 2nd day blooms). It is lovely either way :) 

Dave Vin is really exquisite, it is really one of those jaw dropping blooms.  With so many beauties around, that is a feat.  A huge thank you to Charlie for that one :)

I really love the pics everyone posted.  I wish my Belle would get started already! I think your pic of Heavy Metal might have done it for me...time to add it to the wishlist.

Here's some pictures from today,

Lady in Waiting
Dragon's Breath

WOW Uli, that's the best Creole Lady photo I've ever seen!  Aren't you glad you bought that cv?  :P

Dave good to see Heavy Metal too.  Mine hasn't bloomed since I first got it.  Thrips are really getting under my skin this year.  I finally gave up and pruned HM and will hopefully have the thrips eliminated by the time it's budding again.

Chris I highly recommend HM.  GREAT bush although slow growing with amazing flowers.  I will have to post a picture of mine now that it has filled in after its mite damage.

Ok Jordan,

You have convinced me, the street has to go both ways, now your CVs are tempting me!  I am looking forward to some more pics.  You should also check out Flickering flame.  It probably has one of the nicest bushes I am growing.  Six branches on a plant about a foot tall.  Very full and lush, I will take a picture soon :) AND its the baby of your fav, Heavy Metal :)

Yes please post pics too of FF.  I have been thinking about it but have only seen the one photo in the store.  I am working on learning how to use iPhoto.  Maybe I should do that now.  :D

OT

we had Chinese takeout for dinner tonight and my fortune cookie read:
"when the flowers bloom, so will great joy in your life"

I take that to mean "buy more cv's!"  ;D

Uli, I think that is exactly what it means :)

Here is another pic of FF from this last winter.  No blooms this year, but the plant is much, much nicer looking.  

Chris, you're not helping me stay strong. All 3 cv's in your pics look wish-list worthy. I'm glad that FF is bouncing back for you.

 

I agree, I love Uli's CL photo.  And Chris, your FF is beautiful.  I saw it in the store and it tempted me, but there are others that I really want.  Heavy Metal is one and so is Blue Ballerina.

Here are some photos I took while I was p.c.-less.  Apparently I take better photos than I thought, or maybe it's just the monitor.  I played with iPhoto so I hope they work!

First up, a Blue Ballerina from tonight for Kristen, then two Voodoo Magic blooms from a couple weeks ago with absolutely perfect form.  Creole Lady, and Chariots of Fire.

Purple Magic too!  One of the mysteries solved!!

P.S. I didn't do anything other than crop, sharpen, and correct for evening light.


Chris, yes, your FF makes me want one!  I love HM and all its kids.  :)

Great pics Jordan!  Im glad you got a new comp :)  Everyone's plants look really great.

I forgot to write the other CVs in the pic are Heaven's Scent and Sunkissed blonde :D

Whoa - where've I been? Sure an impressive display of blooms you all put up yesterday. You can tell it's hot where Jordan is with all the white markings that came out on the Purple Majesty. I haven't seen that since the height of last summer. And Uli, for what it's worth and with fingers crossed, the Magic Moments bud looks healthy like it might be one that opens. Impressive Lady In Waiting blooms from Ohio and I see Heavy Metal getting the spotted edge of summer in AZ. An abundance of blooms this year! My surprise favorite might be the soft looking Belle de Jour, demurely displaying her charms back in the shadows. And Chris you've renewed my interest in Sunkissed Blonde and Heaven Scent, can't forget the cheerful impact of the yellows!

Busy afternoon in the gh yesterday for me, but I did take the time to snap some photos, mostly seedlings. Here is one that has been showing off multiple blooms much of the time. It's a Black Dragon offspring.

Charlie

Wow Great new Seedling Charlie, Who was the mother?

Jordan, Your BB is BEAUTIFUL!  Thanks for showing.  I'm biting my nails to find one.

That's sort of interesting, Chris. The mother is one I used several times last year even though it will remain an unnamed seedling itself. Its designation is 08-0108 and it has a medium size red flower of no particular distinction. The bush, however, is vigorous, strong and upright. The cross is Saffron x Muffin Man and what I wondered was whether the brown color and gold spotting of Muffin Man would come through in any future crosses. I figured with the good bush and Saffron's genes 08-0108 would make a good parent but what I really wanted to see is if I got any browns or blues from using it. I wouldn't call this new seedling a brown per se, but I do think you can see the influence of Muffin Man in it although Black Dragon comes through stronger.

Charlie

Stolen Kiss bloomed today. Hasn't bloomed since spring. A little smaller due to the heat. It hit 100 yesterday!
(http://i37.tinypic.com/207rfvc.jpg)
Cindy 'Heart - Doesn't have as much pink in the heat.
(http://i38.tinypic.com/200skkz.jpg)
Cindy's Heart and Stolen Kiss together
(http://i36.tinypic.com/2ng9chu.jpg)

Great pics Doll

Charlie, I am looking forward to seeing what those other seedlings look like.  I like this one, but is it different enough and better than robin hood?  It seems to me like the colors are very similar, though this has a bit of white swirling that is cool.   

Some photos from today.

It's A Wonderful Life with more yellow and tufting than it had indoors.

A very thrip-damaged Silver Memories.

Night Runner bloom and bush, showing thrip damage too.

Voodoo Magic bloomed x5 today!  You can only see three blooms in the photo.

A tufted Creole Lady.

:)

Awesome Voodoo Magic Jordan :)

Thanks Chris!  For me Voodoo Magic started it all.......  I can't wait until this cv gets huge.  I have plans to put it in my living room as a tree lol.

That's a unique Stolen Kiss, Doll. I'm glad to see it can take the heat.

What a fancy 'Its A Wonderful Life' bloom! Big shoulders on that one. We didn't know what we were missing when J was out with no computer! Jordan, do you have spinosad? Gotta have it to get rid of thrips. They thrive on heat and their numbers build up fast when its hot. Hit the buds and tops of the plant every 2-3 days for a week or two with spinosad and they will be history.

The first couple of years I grew hibiscus I didn't know anything about thrips and thought those scratches on the blooms were markings brought out by summer heat. An Israeli horticulturist visited and showed me what they were - boy was I embarrassed...

Charlie

Nice blooms, everyone. I really enjoy seeing Voodoo Magic, it's one of my favorites and one of my first. Mine has been busy making a lot of new branches and leaves, no flowers since May...but soon :)

My Magic Moments did manage to open today...what a show. I admit I would have never bought it since I'm not into doubles, but now I'm so glad my friend mislabeled the cutting she gave me.

Sorry I couldn't pick just one, so here is early morning...mid morning...noon-ish:

Great sequence and superb colors on that Magic Moment. Someone should do a tripod shot of a bloom opening by setting the auto snap to take one photo every 3 minutes while it opens. Or, a web cam over a bunch of plants, people could visit the site and watch flowers open!

Charlie

Great Magic Moments flower Uli!  I love sequence shots.

I do spray Spinosad, for sure.  Lately I haven't as I ran out of my alternative product, and want to make sure to use the two in rotation so I don't create resistant thrips.  :P  I spray 2x with Spinosad then once with this, one spraying every three days:

http://www.epinions.com/review/Garden_Insect_and_Disease_Aerosol_14_Oz/content_330374811268

It's .25% acephate in an aerosol.  We've mentioned it before.  It works well but man is it stinky.  I just ordered two cans.  Plus, I have some Safari coming which should help control the thrip larvae in soil.


Will probably be going for Kontos in a month or so also... more mites on Acapulco Gold today.

Opening for the first time today. Dark of Night twins and Samba Dancer.

Great photos David!  Looks like your plants are doing well now.  :)

David, Samba Dancer is pretty. How big is it?

I measured Magic Moments this morning and it was a bit over 8" in diameter. Did I say 'I love it' yet?

Blooming today:  Blue Ballerina and Chariots of Fire

I did not actually measure it,but i would say about 6 inches. It took days to open and it only opened for 1 day,but what is nice is that it looks quite nice even closed today ,it looks like a big 4 inch yellow rose.
Your magic moments looks nice, Charlie and i think quite rightly advised me not to get that cv saying i would have a problems with Doubles because of the heat . I certainly have a problem with Magnifique, and La Crockett,i think i have had only 1 bud open on each so i am very surprised and happy with Samba Dancer.

P's Purple is showing off some white rays today. It never had that before, not so pronounced at least.

Could it be due to yesterday's heat or Seaweed Extract application?

Those are some nice looking bushes, Jordan. Cindy teased me that you have better not let me get near them if I've got pruners on me. That's because we are in the middle of cuttings season and I'm bringing home huge trash bags full of wood several nights a week. The Blue Ballerina bush of yours is particularly tempting!   :)

Charlie

David, nice to hear that Samba Dancer will open in the heat. That's just the kind of feedback that helps me advise others and know what to grow more or less of. Particularly with the new ones that I don't have that much experience with and none outside of greenhouse conditions.

Charlie

Gosh, Uli, that P's Purple is just plain lovely. It took awhile before deciding to offer P's Purple, since it is not the large colorful type hibiscus that we mostly grow. But, I'm glad I did because we sell a lot of them and it is a good solid variety that grows very well. One of P's Purples offspring, Sparkling Waters, just set a new record for a hibiscus hybrid. A bunch of them rooted in just under 4 weeks which is root stock speed but far quicker than the typical "fast" varieties that take about 6 weeks. 6 to 10 weeks is pretty much the norm for hybrids.

Charlie

Charlie, I'm glad you like it. Have you ever seen one with that much white? The other bloom P's Purple had today had it too. I looked through all my pics of it and the others weren't like this. At least my memory didn't fail me ;)

I'm also glad you decided to grow it. It is not just a pretty little flower, the bush is by far my best. I mentioned before that it grows fast, but the nice thing is that it grows very uniformly with lots of little branches on several main branches...all on its own. Yeah, the color of the bloom fades, but it has this lovely sheen to it which makes it appear almost silver (kinda like an old lady's 'blue' hair, if you like that sort of thing ;D).

Funny that you mention how long it takes your hybrids to root. I just planted one a few days ago that I put in water in January (?). I was determined to get roots, and I did (or IT did). Unfortunately its label didn't survive the months and now I have a mystery plant growing. It already has its second bud. Do I remember correctly that it is better to remove these early buds to encourage plant growth?

Here are some blooms from today

Cashmere Yellow
Valentines day
Rainbow Sherbet

Here are some more

Magic Crystal
Dragon's Heart
Vin Beaujolais  (the camera didn't capture the correct color, it looks great in person)

Blooming today:  Space Oddity, Illuminati, Creole Lady

Space Oddity and its bush, now just over three feet tall including the pot.  Hard to believe this was a tiny plant that almost died last year.

Illuminati, 7.5" across. 

Wow there are some amazing pics on the forum. I havent posted in a while but here is a small floral from today

Jon

Great blooms today!

Jon what CVs do you have in that great arrangement?

Looks to me like a Creme de la Creme, Illuminati, Saffron... beyond that I can't tell.  :)

Or is that a Moon Goddess?

I agree with the id's made so far. Also in Jon's display is Magician's Hat, the one with the tightly rolled petaloids, and then the dark blue could be Dark Angel or Denim Revolution. I know Jon got a Denim Rev but I don't recall shipping a Dark Angel. It could be something else altogether. The other one with the spots I don't know.

I love that Space Oddity bush, Jordan. Great job with it!

Charlie

Wonderful pics, Patrick. Question - how big is your Cashmere Yellow?

Charlie

Oh Den Rev!  When will it be available on the website :P

Most likely Denim Revolution will only be a custom graft variety. I am hoping 2 newer ones - Moonstruck x Denim R and CCacao x Tahitian XYZ will take its place in the regular offerings. Both appear larger and at least as blue but some side by side comparisons of the real flowers need to take place to confirm this impression.

Charlie

Charlie, Denim Revolution has been on the top of my wish list since I first saw it. How does this custom graft thing work?

The other two sound promising, keeping my fingers crossed :)

Same, I put sent that wishlist in the first time I saw it in the newsletter.  

I am hoping that some equally nice flowers that are easier to propagate come along with this next group of seedlings:)

Everyone was close on the ids. The center bloom is Eletric Orange. On the left side is Creme de le Creme. Top left is Moon gooddess almost a ten inch bloom today. Top right is Magicians Hat. The dark blue mini will never have a name as it was sent by mistake without a tag and the grower cannot id it for me. The cv below it with the spots has a tag but it was faded long ago.

Thanks!  Makes me wonder how tall Space Oddity will get in the long run!  In a few years I might have a bunch of hibiscus trees.  lol

Bonnie Lass today :)

The heat really takes a toll on these. Both of these were only about 5-6 inches.
And the heat really affects the colors also. I took these pics late afternoon.
It only reached 94 but the heat index was 106 all afternoon. And it only gets down
to 82 at night.
Confection Perfection
(http://i35.tinypic.com/21cz7ty.jpg)
Cind'y Heart
(http://i35.tinypic.com/30v0sn9.jpg)

Charlie, I wasn't sure if you are refering to the flower size or bush size of Cashmere Yellow so I took a picture of both.

Hi, Doll,

Beautiful forms of both blooms.
How long does Cindy's Heart last in your heat?

My first bloom of Safaron.

Nina, Cindy's Heart only last one day in this heat. But I expect when cooler weather finally arrives it will last longer.

Doll, I don't think I've seen Confection Perfection with those colors, even in our greenhouse which does get quite hot at times. I'm glad to see it blooms in the heat. I have seen some other photos of Cindy's Heart with more white than pink although once again here in our conditions it remains more pink than white. Cindy's Heart also lasts for several days in our outdoor garden, where it gets direct sun from dawn til dusk. It must be the heat rather than the direct sun that shortens the time it stays open. Even with full sun our temps are rarely over 90F.

Charlie

Thanks for the photos of Cashmere Yellow, Patrick. I've seen the bloom sometimes larger at around 9 inches this summer, and wondered if the warmer nights we are starting to get are the cause. Most flowers I've seen are about the same as what you show.

Charlie

Charlie, I'm also thinking the night time lows are a big factor as well. I don't really know if the plants are affected by the heat index or it is only the actual temperature that matters.

Hi David - congrats on the first Saffron! Looks pretty and has the yellower colors that it gets when grown in more shade. It's one that blooms its head off in full sun, but that is with moderately hot temps. I haven't been able to test it in full sun and very hot weather.

Charlie

Doll, hibiscus react so variably that I believe all factors matter - temperature, humidity, sunlight, and wind. The hotter, drier, sunnier, and windier it is the harder it is on the plant and the flowers. The factors are interrelated, too, so that if one goes up and another goes down there is a compensation effect. The most obvious is heat and light. If both go up or down the effect on hibiscus is very strong, but if one goes up and the other down hibiscus still perform quite well.

Charlie

I have both the Confection Perfection and that Cindy's Heart planted in filtered sun only. Just to give you an idea of the heat, at 10:00am the temp is only 88 but the heat index is 104.

Tahitian Princess bloomed for the first time for me today.  And what a nice bush she has, with no work at all!  No pruning or staking here.  :)

Also, Blue Ballerina.  Now that she's old enough to bloom, I imagine we will be seeing a lot of her!

Oh wow TP is very pretty, great job with that one Jordan.  Charlie are you currently propagating this one?

I agree - Tahitian Princess is very pretty. I have one large plant and several smaller plants that will serve as stock for propagation later this summer and fall. Although it sometimes roots, I think it will do better as a grafted plant and that's the way I plan to propagate them for now. Makes a good bush, and is a prolific bloomer. Best to come out of Tahiti that I have seen.

Charlie

I really like this one alot, I just put my name on the waitlist.  What other Tahitian varieties have you grown?  I saw that you have a few TP crosses that have started blooming, does it set seed?

 Yet another one Jordan grows that looks great.  Maybe she really does need to get some commission :)

Something I didn't notice when I took the first picture-- twins!  So I took a picture of the bush with both flowers open.


I owe all my nice bushes to HVH fertilizer and all the info I've learned from the forum and the website.  :)

Jordan, what is the recipe that you use? 

Kristen, with every watering I use:

1/2 tsp per gallon HVH acid blend
1/2 tsp per gallon Supernova
1/8 tsp per gallon iron chelate
1/3 tsp per gallon seaweed extract (potassium)

Once every two weeks I skip fertilizing and water with 2 tsp/gallon HVH booster

:)

First bloom on Burnt Saffron!

I took both shade and full sun pics, this is probably one of the prettiest hibiscus I have seen.  The bush looks a bit lop sided because it was growing next to a wall.     

Jordan, can't get enough pics of your TP :)

beautiful burnt saffron...jordon do you do this everyday.??.and how many plants do you water with that 1 gallon....I use about the same but not every watering ....I do it about twice a week...I think I might up it..thanks lynette

Nice one, Chris! I just knew you would like this flower and have been waiting for the ones shipped this year to start blooming. Thanks for sharing this first bloom.

Charlie

The pics really dont do this one justice.  The blooms almost have a velvety look to the blooms, and they are edged in a nice orange color.  Great one Charlie, I like this one better than its parent Black Dragon!  Any other dark bloomed seedlings in the works? :)

Very nice Burnt Saffron blooms.

The velvety look you mention doesn't surprise me. Did you ever look at pics of hibiscus blooms at full scale? There is definitely fuzz on them, some have more, others less. I bet BS is quite the ape where it's hair is concerned.

Chris your Burnt Saffron is amazing!  Mine has bloomed once so far but I was away all day so I didn't see the open flower at all.   :'(

Uli, you post the most amazing close-up photos. Is the fuzz you mention too small to capture?

I checked out macro lenses for my Nikon DSLR camera - could not believe the cost of a good one. That's still the best (only?) way to go for extreme close-ups, isn't it?

Charlie

Burnt Saffron is an attention getter,  I was surprised at how nice the form was because I remember Charlie writing that sometimes the form is a bit wild. 

Uli, that is really cool about the little hairs, I will have to look at mine very close when the next one blooms.   

Jordan, when you see that first bloom it will be love at first sight :) I am looking forward to seeing how yours looks. 

Uh-oh, I have some bad news: we're not growing hibiscuses, we're growing cacti :o

I went out and took some macro shots of some Voodoo Magic blooms and buds...I didn't even need the macro lens to see the hairs, they are very visible with the naked eye depending on the lighting. Most of the hairs are actually on the backside of the petals. Leaves and calyx have them too.

The quickie pics I'm attaching are taken with the 100mm lens plus 68mm of extension tubes (the tubes increase the magnification even more). Charlie, have you ever tried a reverse 50mm lens? It can work as a macro in a pinch.

Charlie, GET A MACRO LENS, splurge!  You will not be disappointed.  And also, invest in a tripod, because if you have too much coffee that morning, you will get a very soft shot...  I have an awesome macro that I haven't used in years because I sold all my Canon bodies & switched to Nikon, but I am now researching new Canon bodies to buy just so I can use my Macro lens again...  I first became really interested in photography because of the macro flower shots I was taking, then work got in the way...  Now that I started up the hibiscus hobby, I am breaking the macro back out. 

The photos attached are from when I was a baby,  just starting out with the macro, prolly 10 years ago...   They are crappy scans from film so you loose a lot of detail, but you get the idea.  (No where near as good as Uli"s, she is a genus with her floral shots).  It is a lot more fun photographing your flowers with a nice macro lens then a regular one.

I cant wait till I get my new camera, I will have lots to post for you all...

Space Oddity today  :)

sigh.........what a gorgeous flower and photo!

Charlie

Yesterday's Saffron in the rain, with Petaloids! (sp?)

Kristen, I love the 3rd shot :)

georgeous kristen  ;D!!Lynette

here are a few blooms from today ;D

and a few more ;)

Belle, Voodoo Magic and a bit of Bridal Path

I'm so excited, my Dragon's Heart is opening up its first bloom today, pics later :)

Yummy photos from everyone. A feast for the eyes!

Charlie

My first Dragon's Heart bloom with some Belle du Jour for color comparison. I have to admit it made my heart race...it's absolutely gorgeous and so dark (the cool summer was good for something) ;D ;D

One more, a bit more open now

I love that Dragon heart :)  Mine is taking a rest, no more buds :(  BUT I had a first Byron Metts bloom today along with a very dark black dragon. 

it's impossible to properly expose for those two :)

yeah the iphone has issues compensating for the dark color of Black Dragon and the bright white of Byron Metts :)   I need to get a real camera one of these days...

Even a 'real' camera would have trouble capturing the high dynamic range you have here. Black Dragon is living up to its name with its color but lets Byron Metts have all the glory...what a gentle dragon :)

A great duo, Chris. As you probably know, Byron Metts sets seeds....

Charlie

Beautiful Dragon's Heart, Uli. Looks like that one had very heavy texture, too.

Charlie

Sadly this byron metts flower was totally male, because it didn't make a stigma! 

Have you used B. Metts at all in hybridizing?

Yes, it is generally a lightener - makes lighter versions of whatever is put on it. But the potential remains for something big and in particular a big white with a better bush. I am watching a sort of garden variety light pink i got out of it that blooms like crazy as well as a cross of it with Renaissance Blue that is all white with the tiniest hint of a color in the eye.

Charlie

Such beautiful blooms everyone!  I received a wonderful late wedding gift from a friend and thought I would share one of the 4 blooms on the plant.  I took some close ups, been dreaming of getting my new camera, this one will have to do for now...  It bloomed in the box, so it may be a touch different, it is smaller then it should, but still beautiful.

Also my girl Belle finally came out to play.  The spider mites have been giving her a run for her money.  She is tough though, she bounces back with a vengeance!
Bloom is still really small, but I'll take it.  I mixed her with Simple Pleasures. 

A Stolen Kiss - slightly different than the previous bloom
(http://i33.tinypic.com/206hn49.jpg)

Kristen, as a German living in SoCal I'm immediately drawn to the background in the Belle on the deck shot...it's sooo green. Sigh!

I also noticed the pots, they look pretty. What material are they?

Beautiful August blooms, everyone :)

Doll, your Stolen Kiss is interesting. Looks like the summer conditions knock the pink out of the blooms, leaving it almost all cream colored. Pretty that way, too. I've been most attracted to this cv's good blooming ability (I had 5 fresh blooms open one day last week on the plant in the office) and the size of the flowers which is often over 8 inches. I'll soon be posting my first seedling using Stolen Kiss on the seedling board - another big, pastel colored flower.

Charlie

The heat does knock the pink out. Cindy's Heart and Confection Perfection were the same. Much less pink than normal. The new seedling sounds intriguing. I like the pastel colored flowers.

Finally Cindy's Heart bloomed, the bugs got to it, but the flower color is what is expected.  Bright and bold!

Thanks Uli,  That is half my problem as to why this hobby is so expensive...  I get really pretty clay pots to put them all in.  All my pots are clay.

Nice CH Chris!

Finally, I'm at home for a Burnt Saffron bloom!  The reds are so rich in this flower.

Wonderful photos everyone!

Beautiful Cindy's Heart showing more and deeper pink that mine here in Arizona.  The Burnt Saffron photos are really beautiful too. What  gorgeous colors.   Makes me wish I'd jumped on one when it was in the store.  Good grief!  There's another one going on the email notification list.


dave

Jordan, I'm so glad you're home to enjoy this bloom, it is yummy!

Btw, what's the name of the cv in your profile pic?

Jordan great burnt saffron! Aren't the colors something else on that one? 

Uli,  Jordan's pic is Heavy Metal, dont you agree that she should post a pic of her HM bush? :P

Ok you guys have twisted my arm...  :P lol

Here's HM today, no blooms as she has recently been pruned.  She's coming back from having mites really well (see before photo of bush on page 5 in June flowers of the day).  In fact, she still has a few but I ordered Kontos on Ebay... so they ALL WILL DIEEEEEEEE

Hi, Darkhorse,

Your Saffron photo is not Saffron. Saffron has a white eye. But, your red is extremely beautiful.

ciao, Nina

Its Burnt saffron not saffron...very beautiful..I too am getting on the waiting list for that one...lynette ;D

I had a very interesting Samba Dancer bloom yesterday, I rotate most of my cv's each day so they are half a day shade and half a day full sun,but i forgot Samba for a couple of days and left it in full sun and it was a lovely Gold color.

Thanks Chris :) Nice to see the bush of HM, it really doesn't look too bad considering. Still...go get the mites and enjoy it, Jordan!

Whew, everybody's getting on the list for BS. Looks like I beat the crowd when I got on the list a few days ago. Something's wrong here, usually I'm at the end of a long line (like in the supermarket).

I'm glad everyone is liking Burnt Saffron. Its one that photos don't quite capture the color of, but in real life its very striking. A bunch of cuttings were stuck not long ago, but if they don't work the rest of the wood will be grafted. Last year both rooted and grafted were equally successful so we shall see what happens this year.

Here are 2 more photos of it - one just opening and the other on the second day in our office.

Charlie

Chris, please post how long that pretty Cindy's Heart lasts. I'm trying to get a feel for what conditions causes it to last longer or shorter. Thanks,

CB

Aaa, Burnt Saffron! Thanks!

Received my Hot Pepper yesterday and today a bloom.
(http://i38.tinypic.com/2la6a0i.jpg)

Free of thrip damage, I'm glad to see. Hot Pepper, an Australian variety, should be a good bloomer even in your heat. We shall see.

Charlie

Cosmic Gold is one of many varieties that will be available at the HVH Open House tomorrow, Saturday. This variety is an excellent bloomer in our conditions, and the flowers are usually 8 inch, heavy textured, and ruffled and tufted. After we take inventory on Sunday the web site will be updated again and hopefully there will be a lot of good varieties in several sizes available.

See some of you manana!

Charlie

Great looking HM plant, what size pot did you get in the spring?

Charlie,

A bit of disappointing news Cindy's Heart is already closed, so the flower only lasted one day.  My conditions are really harsh, because of the high UV exposure here, the flowers burn after being outside, in full sun, for just a few hours.  The only plant that I have had multiiple day flowers on outside was Saffron.  Burnt Saffron did just that, burnt, just like its papa Black Dragon.  I also had a bonnie lass that bloomed a few days, but it was overcast those days.  Sigh...

Creole Lady, front and back, and P's Purple

The same CL bloom, about 3 hours later

I have creole lady also...she is so pretty ..even when she fades...no blooms on mine right now...just trying to get them all through this heatwave...yesterday it was 107 :P...today cooler though 96..tomorrow even cooler.thank goodness :D...and creole lady does not like the heat...lynette

A Cosmic Gold I just received on Thursday bloomed today.
I had to pic the bloom and set it on top of another plant
to take the pic because it was pointing down.
(http://i33.tinypic.com/28lzwoo.jpg)

That Creole Lady can sure make some luminescent colors!

Doll, it's always been considered "fair game" to pick hibiscus flowers and place them on bushes where it is easier to photograph them. You won't see many Cosmic Gold blooms facing downward, it almost always holds them up so they can be easily seen.

There's been some blooms in the greenhouse this week that I have not taken photos of in awhile. Nice to have the warm weather back in our area. The varieties in these photos are:

Antique Lilac - a double with unusual colors that some are crazy about (like my wife)
Navajo Mountain - a nice brown with warm orange tones
Party Girl - a very good bloomer, often multiples per day
Blushing Maiden - very pretty in a softer palette
Snowstorm - excellent, well formed "blue" flower shot through with white flakes

Charlie

A nice Georgia's Thunder
(http://i35.tinypic.com/16atl04.jpg)

Charlie, That Navajo Mountain is spectacular!

Nice tease with the photos, Charlie  ;D . Snowstorm has been one of my top wish-list cv's for a while and I loooved the bloom at open house. So sad that you didn't have any plants of it available :(

I was talking to my friend (and Lynette and I talked about it briefly too) yesterday how deceptive photos on the website can be. For example, I never really cared for yellow blooms with a white eye and yet that was the one, among all these other blooms, that stopped me dead in my tracks. I think it was Cashmere Yellow.

Charlie, I finally got another bloom on that branch of Rainbow Sherbert that had the strange looking flower that I posted on August 4th. This one is a normal flower so I guess that was a one time thing.

dave

A recent Cindy's Heart.  Blooms continue to be about 6" but are showing more pink and consistently lasting 2 days.  High temperatures generally in the mid to upper 80s and very humid. Plant is in the greenhouse.  I'm wondering if stress from spider mite and white fly attack may be limiting the bloom time to only 2 days.

Uli, beautiful Creole Lady photos, both bloom forms look great.  They seem to age very nicely.  I hope Charlie will offer it in a smaller size that I can afford. lol

Doll's photo of Cosmic Gold makes me wish mine would start blooming and Charlie, Navajo Mountain is another one that needs to be put on the wish list.  I need to stop looking at everyones great photos, the wish list just keeps growing.

dave

Uli, I agree about Snowstorm. It's one of my favorite blooms and a big disappointment that it won't root reliably or grow well on its own roots. On the positive side that means I don't cut the wood so the plants of it get to bloom all summer. It will be grafted this year when the root stock is ready.

You make a good point about the impact the blooms make when seen in person. Some are more photogenic than others and some of the best are not the best in photos. White eyes in hibiscus have always been very rare and I only had a small number until Saffron turned out to be such a good parent and one that passes on the white eye fairly often.

This coming year we will be evaluating several yellow flowers with white eyes. They vary in the shade of yellow and the size of the eye and in the "fanciness", a term for the ruffles and tufts along the outer edges of each hibiscus petal. They will also vary in how well they propagate and in growth habit, number of flowers, and size of both plant and flower. I'm not sure which one you saw at the Open House, possibly Cashmere Yellow but more likely it was one of the other new ones that is yellow with a white eye. Below are photos of some of these but of course they won't show the other qualities or the intangibles that seeing the blooms in person reveals.

Charlie

2 more yellows with white eye - this includes one with just a touch of color in the white to give it distinction.

CB

Dave, thanks for the update on Rainbow Sherbet. Odd things happen with hibiscus blooms sometimes, often related to Roundup spray drift but others things can cause it, too.

I'm glad Cindy's Heart is lasting 2 days, and am still curious as to why it has such variability.

Creole Lady will be available in smaller size next year. I like growing them in 2 gallons first so that I can learn more about a variety that I did not hybridize before offering it. The consensus seems to be that most everyone likes the colors of the flower and the bushes do grow nice and full, although some pruning is probably needed to keep them from getting leggy.

Thanks for the response about Navajo Mountain. I never know if people like some of the unusual flowers unless they let us know - it's appreciated. Thanks to Kristen, too, for the same response.

Charlie

Charlie,

The Cosmic Gold x CDLC is the stick out of the bunch for me.  It looks exquisite and is probably exponentially better in person.   Its pedigree is also sound, if that one isn't commercial then you could always send it me :)   

I like the Cosmic Gold x CDLC the best also.

Add another 2 thumbs up for CG x CDLC  :D

I'm so glad to hear that Snowstorm will be coming...not anytime soon, but that's ok. I'll wait and try to enjoy the anticipation. As  soon as it comes out I want one though!

In the meantime I have 13 cv's that I bought at 4" plants in the last few months that haven't bloomed yet. Some are close while others will have a bit more growing to do before they should even think about producing flowers. There's always *something* to be excited about.

Dave, you mention the heat where you live and Creole Lady together in one post. CL does not seem to like the heat at all. For a few days last week temps here rose into the 90s and she let her leaves hang even though she's in the shade. Still bloomed though :)

(http://UBSeng.zenfolio.com/img/s9/v14/p433902232-3.jpg)

CL in its 3rd color scheme, on day 2.

Edited to add Voodoo Magic:

(http://UBSeng.zenfolio.com/img/s8/v9/p82701129-3.jpg)

I like all seven of those Charlie but my top vote based on bloom alone also goes to CG X CDLC.  A close 2nd is SP X Enlighten. 

I really like Cashmere Yellow and keep missing it when it's become available in the store.

dave

Love Story - Kept in filtered sun location.
(http://i38.tinypic.com/2drbghe.jpg)

Uli great pics of CL and VM.

Is your CL a recent purchase that may still be adjusting to being outside?  If it is indeed a heat sensitive cultivar that's definitely something for me to consider though we do get a lot of cooler cloudy and stormy days during our rainy season from July thru much of September. We can also hit 100 when the monsoon flow takes a few days off.

dave

I bought it about 6 weeks ago, could be more. It's a pretty mature looking 2 gallon plant from Armstrongs, the only one I ever bought there. I honestly don't know how long they had it sitting outside. However, we were struggling to get into the 70s all summer and were suddenly hit with the heat, so I can't blame her for having droopy leaves by early afternoon.

If I remember correctly other people here have mentioned too that it is heat sensitive.

My CL has adapted to the heat, although at first it was really unhappy here.  I have it on the north side of the house that gets shade during the hottest part of the day, so that probably helps.






@%$@#, I missed Blushing Maiden again yesterday!! 

I really is fascinating that each CV likes different conditions. 

For example My Blue Heaven seems to really dislike more than three or four hours of sun because it will start to wilt.  Dragon's Breath also hates heat, anything over 90 degrees it gets mad and starts to lose leaves.  Its amazing how much better Dragon's Breath does indoors than outdoors.  It is one that likes consistent light, moisture and temperature which is why it is deemed one of the more difficult varieties.  For me it has responded very well to pruning, just look at how full the bush is becoming! I am really looking forward to the show it is going to put on as soon as it starts to bud up.  This one is worth the extra work :)

I love the Dragon's Breath flower but still haven't gotten the courage to give it a try based on it's reputation of being finicky and difficult to grow.  Yours is looking great.

dave

Nice bush, Chris! Here's hoping for a good bloom season for Dragon's Breath!

Thanks for all the yellow flower comments. The one several people liked - Cosmic Gold x CremeDLC, has already rooted at a fairly high rate. Not much wood was available but something like 6 out of 8  cuttings rooted which means stock plants are growing now and more wood will be available by years end.

Charlie

My vote is for the first CG X CDLC bloom!  When I saw it my jaw dropped!  Then when I saw that everyone else's response was the same, I got all excited because that means that you may start sticking some wood in dirt and I may be able to have one of my very own someday!!  EEeee!!!

Uli, great photos!  I cant wait until my Voodoo Magic starts blooming.  What a looker!!  It is filling out nicely since I pinched it.  Is that typical for that cv?  To produce a really nice bush?

I am hoping for a good bloom season too, hopefully it blooms well getting overcast western exposure light. 

Dave after seeing how beautiful your Cherry Appaloosa bush was, there is no doubt in my mind that you can grow DB and have a bush that blows our minds :P

Charlie,  I am really really happy that you stuck that one.  Does it have a name yet?  Cuz I have a few in mind :P

Kristin, Voodoo Magic is one of the best for branching out with lots of side branches and, since each stem can bloom it also makes a lot of flowers!

Chris, CG x CDLC is just a number so far. Name suggestions are welcome. When we think of a potential name the first thing we do is check the 2 databases of existing names. Sadly, many thousands of names have been used in the past and although many varieties are extinct the names are not supposed to be used again. Something will have to be done about that at some point but for now we try to follow the standard naming practices. The American list of names can be searched at http://www2.lsuagcenter.com/hibiscus/search.aspx and the Australian list of names can be searched at http://www.internationalhibiscussociety.org/SEArchive/SEindex1.php
In theory they should be the same but in practice they only share names every 5-10 years so to be thorough we check out both databases.

Charlie

Doll, nice to know that Love Story can bloom in the heat of summer. Good color for being in the shade.

Charlie

Charlie, have you had much feedback on Longhorn Pride? I was just wondering how the color might hold up in the heat.

I haven't heard from anyone about Longhorn Pride but the blooms in the greenhouse (pretty hot in there) fade little or not at all. When Longhorn Pride plants get happy they grow into quite large bushes and make plenty of blooms.

Charlie

Thanks. I might have to get Longhorn Pride. My son goes to the University of Texas and it looks like it would go well next to Hot Pepper.

Georgia's Thunder
(http://a.imageshack.us/img225/1965/sthundertwins3.jpg)
Cosmic Gold
(http://a.imageshack.us/img529/9264/cosmicgold11.jpg)

Doll great pics, its looks like my CG is making some buds again :)

Charlie,

I am really glad I checked the data base because I really liked Midas touch since its such a pure gold and white, but alas the name is taken. 

The other ones I like that are not taken are:

Cosmic rays (since its parent is cosmic gold and because of the pure white rays coming from the center)

Photon (which is the basic unit of light, again because of the white center and rays that radiate into that deep pure yellow.  This might be a bit too nerdy though :P)

I think a celestial origin is needed to name this CV :)

I like Midas Touch, too. Cosmic Rays may be the one for it, though. I like names that give an idea of the parent or parents to help people relate to the new cv better. Thanks for the good suggestions.

Charlie

I really like Cosmic Rays alot too Charlie.  What a bright beautiful bloom that seedling is :)

I know it's late but if anyone has this post tagged for notification here are some of my August blooms.

Better late than never....now that I've figured a way to reduce my 3 mb pics to under 300 kb.  Enjoy

Farmer D

Darren, I'm liking it that you posted these in the months they were taken. Looking back at some of these topics I realize how good many of the photos and posts are and that it is easy to forget about them. I'm encouraged to go back over all the months since we started!

Charlie