Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

For me a much lighter Chariots of Fire [never seen that much white in the bloom]. Maybe due to much cooler temperatures and non stop rain,whatever the reason i quite like it and prefer it to its normal darker red.

Its now 4pm and my C of F has got an orange tint to it,very strange.

How interesting and unusual! The opposite usually happens with hibiscus flowers - they lose color as the anthocyanin or caratenoid pigments break down. I guess this bloom continued to make pigment after opening. Thanks for posting this bloom.

Charlie

Charlie I recieved my shipment of his today....beautiful plants thankyou,,,,there was one loose opened bud...I dont know which one it is...I had "raindrop.".."solar eclipse" and "Its a wonderful life"....Its georgeous whichever it is...thanks Lynette :'(

Ya I think it is Solar Eclipse......so pretty..lynette ;D

Yep, that's solar eclipse, in full color due to being in the box where the sunlight could not affect the colors. Beautiful!

Charlie

Beautiful Solar Eclipse bloom.  I missed it again.  I need to get on the email notification list for that one.  Anymore coming next year Charlie?

dave

Hi Dave, yes, I think so, but probably not til mid-summer. It's a pretty flower and blooms well, but has to be grafted.

Charlie

Beautiful!

here are a couple  of blooms  from today.. :D lynette

I like the pinker Chariots of Fire too :o...and a couple more

All very pretty, Lynette. Something about yellow flowers that is cheerful and upbeat. Looks like the 'Some Like It Hot' won't get back the "hot" in it (bright yellow/gold markings) until next summer.

Charlie

Ya...its really red now...But still blooming ;D

Melon Mélange last night,this is the first time I have had a 8 inch Hibiscus bloom and it nearly glows in the dark.

hi David,

your plants always look so healthy. they really like your environment.

louis

hi everyone,

this is the first bloom on moonstruck since the deer had it for lunch in may of this  year.
i thought it was a goner, but it came back stronger than ever. nice big plant now with many buds bursting at the seams. this bloom measures 8 inches.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2011-09-10/moonstruck.jpg)

Your Moonstruck looks huge and more like Chariots of Fire than my actual Chariots of Fire ha ha, I have another strange one today,no idea why it has the orange tint and why its all of a sudden changed.
.

Wow, NICE bloom Louis!  Is that Moonstruck's opening colors?

Lou, is that Moonstruck in your greenhouse? Excellent color on that bloom - very realistic, too. Is that water in the background? Looks like a pretty setting.

Charlie

David, I'm glad to hear that you are getting full size blooms now. Since your Chariots of Fire has changed colors at the same time larger blooms are showing up I have to think that the climate has changed. Is this the wet season or a relatively cool season?

Charlie

good morning, et al..

dark horse, yes that is moonstruck's opening color in the first image.
the second image is a second day color in the am.

charlie, yes this plant and all the rest of my "too many" plants are in my greenhouse which is a 4-seasons sunroom (brand name).

the body of water in the background is the largest natural lake in connecticut. i am blessed to live here. the water's edge is 50 feet from the front of my home. spring, summer and fall are wonderful, winter is terrible, with winds coming across the lake in excess of 70 MPH.

moonstruck is my kind of a plant, huge bold in your face colors. second day bloom measures almost 9 inch.

louis

second day for moonstruck


(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2011-09-10/moonstruck%202.jpg)

Louis that is so wonderful. I have just spent the last few hours looking at pictures of Connecticut and I cant believe my eyes, I never new places like that existed in the USA.

Louis, Is that Candlewood lake?  Your moonstruck is beautiful!  I can't wait till mine blooms!  I find it is a great hardy plant.  I broke a branch off and decided to stick it in my cloner, I got roots in 3 weeks!!

hello david,
yes connecticut is a beautiful and historic state. i have lived here all my life and i would never change.
towards the end of winter, the warmer climes look inviting, however, when i get discouraged, spring comes along and all is well again.

hi kristin, the lake is bantam lake in morris/litchfield. 5 miles long and 3 miles wide.

its nice to be in the woods.

louis

My first Hot Pepper next to a Cranberry Muffin. I have brought them indoors due to the very wet weather we are having. And Charlie its as cool as it gets here at about 73f and has been for days.

David, That hot pepper looks like a lady twirling her skirt!  sooooo beautiful!

I found this picture of Connecticut, put a couple of containers on that grassy bank with Hot Pepper and Pineapple Sunday and it truly would be heaven.

Beautiful shot of Autumn David.  Looks like a dream huh?!  Well it is short lived, that is what I saw last week!!  This is what I woke up to this morning!

good morning david,
that scene looks to be from a large lake west of me called candlewood lake. its a man made lake that is 13 miles long. it was made to supply hydro power for western connecticut and new york state.

kriste, you have more snow that i do, winds are over 60 mph with driving rain

such is life in new england.

moonstruck is still open wide on the third day with no change in color.

louis

Creole Lady
(http://i52.tinypic.com/sytesm.jpg)
First Crystal Pink bloom
(http://i52.tinypic.com/e5mrdt.jpg)

You have no idea how much my friend Kim An will enjoy looking at that photo, she comes 3 times a week to clean my apartment and I allways leave a nice photo of a Hibiscus on my computer screen, but every square inch of your picture will be studied and I will then have a barage of questions.
I remember last year someone had a cracking picture of Acapulco Gold and through the window was a backdrop of snow, Kim looked at it for a few minuets in complete wonder and then asked '' is that really real''.

These are such enjoyable photos! Something special seeing blooms in their settings.

Doll, looks like its too cold for Crystal Pink to show the white contrasting color and multiple shades of pink but next spring it surely will. The cooler temps do wonders for Creole Lady.

Charlie

Voodoo Magic basking in the morning sun
(http://i51.tinypic.com/fp1b90.jpg)
2nd day Crystal Pink - still not much white, but what a pretty pink color.
(http://i55.tinypic.com/e3nh1.jpg)

Hi, a few from today.

first photo is my sunroom-greenhouse. blooming is Rocket's red glare (5 blooms), a new and very intense Moonstruck, not quite opened fully and to the left is a very pretty plant called Rumrunner.

not seen in the photo is a dark black dream. i crossed black dream with moonstruck to see if i can get some seeds. can you imagine the size of moonstruck in a dark red.

here's hoping.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%20-%2011-10-10/greenhouse.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%20-%2011-10-10/moonstruck.jpg)


(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%20-%2011-10-10/rumrunner.jpg)

Beautiful!  I am glad you decided to spend extra money this year to keep your green house open.  We all enjoy it.  Is it made of glass?  How big?  Is it attached to your house?

There's a Moonstruck to remember!

I don't know if Black Dream will set seed but Moonstruck is an excellent seed setter. Intriguing cross - there's so many good possibilities with hibiscus that it seems impossible to explore all of them. We can give a try though!

Charlie

Still showing the same blooms, but I still love them.  CH came out today, VM last week.

Louis, that Rockets Red Glare is amazing with 5 blooms.
Kristen, your CH is always gorgeous. I still have a seed pod developing on my CH, but it's only been 4 weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it matures and has seeds.

That moonstruck is beautiful....I have it too and my last bloom showed more yellow..but still very nice and lasted for almost 5 days...kristen very nice I love cindys heart,,hopefully I can get one in the future...lynette :D

Kristen,
My sunroom is 10 feet square, 8 feet high. its an addition to my bedroom with french door access. when the sun is out, and i leave the doors open, the sunroom will heat the house. the temp in the greenhouse now is over 100 degrees, the plants are well watered and love it. for me,. a little too hot to work out there.

it has my house up to 75 and i love every degree of free heat.

and yes, the sunroom is made of glass with metal trim.

Charlie,

on the cross that i tried, moonstuck is the pod parent and black dream the pollen donor.

louis

Good chance that cross will work, Lou.

Have to love that free heat from the sunroom.

Charlie

Great photos, Kristen. I see the Voodoo Magic pads are covered in pollen. I hope it works. It looks like there was pollen available from them, too. That does not happen often and it dries out fast but if you can get fresh pollen on something it should work.


Charlie

Thanks everyone.  I took pollen off of Cajun Blue.  It wont be the first time I have tried this cross.  Nothing happened with VM, but CB has one growing from before.  Now I have 3 VM X CB.  I will probably be sending you those.  Do you ever carry CB? 

Louis, what is the bloom in your profile photo??  So pretty.  And Doll, I harvested 4 seeds off of CH this summer.  I have 3 of them growing now in my house.  It took so long for it to mature so stay away from it!  I hope you get some seeds!

Kristen, I'd love to have seeds from Voodoo Magic but it rarely sets seeds. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I've grown Cajun Blue but we don't offer it because the flower is too much like P's Purple and Soft Spot while the bush is not as good as those two so it really does not have a spot in the lineup. Now we've added Ice Fairy which is a lighter blue version with another good bush.

Even so, crosses with Cajun Blue are likely to root which is a big plus and of course it has the blue/brown/silver genes.

Charlie

Beautiful Hibiscus Louis!  I am sure it will get more full next year :P

I just now got a good look at your Rockets Red Glare bush, Lou. That's a particularly fine specimen. Did you do anything special to get it to grow so upright?

Charlie

Rosalind
(http://i54.tinypic.com/20itnvd.jpg)
Black Dream
(http://i51.tinypic.com/119xil3.jpg)

Black Dream seems to be a good seed setter. I have 2 seed pods on it.

Kristen,

the bloom in my avatar is oh-me-oh-my-oh, cool weather colors.

charlie,

on the rocket bush. i always stake my plants to keep them compact. i have found that if you stake with some resistance from the branches, they take a "set". hidden in the middle of the bush is one of your bamboo stakes, i have many of them that are sent with the plants.  i can take the stake out and the branches will stay in the upright position. the trick is to leave the pressure on the branches for a couple of months.


and a question, on my moonstruck, the blooms usually last 4 days, however i mentioned that i introduced pollen from black dream on the first day opening of both blooms. the bloom that i pollinated has closed premature. i have found with other plants that when their mission is accomplished, they close. what do you think?

louis

I can agree with Loise that staking can train the branches, Charlie made a comment about my Pineapple Sunday being staked as it is known as a bit floppy, but I have since removed the stakes and it is now growing much more compact.
Another trick I have learnt for a nice bush is to prune very quickly any branch that cant be trained to stay straight.

Hi Everyone!

Finally settling in after my recent move, and wanted to share a few of my November-in-Michigan blooms:

H. Storckii
Sunny Wind
Mandarin Wind
H. Arnottianus Twins

Deb  ;D

Very nice, Deb! Do you grow them all inside your house during winter in Michigan?

These are the first Hibiscus arnottianus blooms I can recall being posted on this forum. Any fragrance in these?

Charlie

Hi Charlie!

Yes, believe it or not, hibiscus can thrive indoors in Michigan (You just have to make them think that they're in the tropics). It isn’t pretty, but I built an arbor and created a light table using clamp lights and special florescent bulbs (6000K for growth and 2700K for blooms), and an oscillating fan and humidifier (the challenge is keeping the humidity above 60% in the winter with the heat on). Last winter, “the pack” was only 25 tropical plants total. This winter, it’s closer to sixty (hibiscus account for about half of that total).

The H. arnottianus are new to the herd this year: The first one arrived in June and was 8” tall; under plant lights alone, it grew to 33” by early August (!!!). The two H. arnottianus (punaluuensis), H. brackenridgei and two H. kokio (one red, one orange) I have came from Hawaii, and the rest of my species hibiscus (H. liliiflorus, H. fragilis, H. rosa-sinensis and H. storckii) came from HVH. And I’m happy to say that they’re all thriving indoors under florescent lights with lots of afternoon sun (unusual for autumn in Michigan)… But then, they are benefiting from the very best nutrition and potting media available – from HVH, of course (They all say to tell you and Cindy, “Thank-you very much!”).

The H. arnottianus I have DO have fragrance (the scent reminds me of Plumeria, but better somehow), just not all the time… However, it’s not as strong as the fragrance of H. waimeae (hoping to add one or two of those next year!).

Pictures of “The Herd” (below), in what would be the dining room, after all of the plants (and the spider mites!) came in for the winter in early October. Everyone’s bigger now - Just waiting for the HVH exotics to bloom… hopefully this winter (Heart of My Heart, Pocahontas, Porcelain Doll, Maui Masterpiece, Belle du Jour - I think they’re intimidated by the “Hawaiians”). And another picture of of H. fragilis (I don't know where it's getting it's color cues from - Pink with a red eye this time).

Deb  ;D

Hi Deb,

Thanks for the explanation and photos. We send quite a lot of plants to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and I've always wondered how people cope with them during the frigid winters. No chance at all of overwintering them outside or even in an unheated garage the way people in the far south of the US can. Your setup looks like you have considered all the needs the hibiscus have and provided relatively inexpensive solutions for light, temperature, etc. Nice job!

I'm going to try to provide more H. arnottianus (waimea) next year because the one we grow is very much more fragrant than H arnottianus. Unfortunately, it is also the worst rooter among all the species hibiscus that we have. It's neat that you have collected and are growing almost all of the cross-compatible hibiscus species that are the ancestors to our modern hybrids.

Charlie

Very neat!

I am looking at getting supplemental lighting this winter, I already feel the days getting shorter and shorter... Its starting to get dark around 4pm now, so if I can find some reasonably priced lighting I think the whole garden will appreciate it :)

Finally a perfect bloom from Robin Hood.  The blooms before this have been very reflexed, not flattening out until 2 days after opening (they have been staying open four) 

Your photos of Robin Hood really make me wish I had ordered that one too. Really nice.

Deb, great setup. I wish I had your space.

dave

Made a little display with Magnifique, which is starting to bloom much more now.

beautiful david.....and congrats on your world garden display!!!!! ;D ,,,,Lynette

Thanks Lynett, I am very proud of it, I think I have linked the page to every email I have sent since Cindy put it on, even my bank manager smiled and said ''nice garden David'' yesterday, and he is the most miserable sod to have had the good grace to ever walk the planet.

Lovely pictures Krustyart, I think you can expect a few questions about that seedling.
 I have a a set of Melon Melangie twins my self today.

It's nice to see Magnifique blooming in the tropics!

BTW, I moved Crustart's photos of his seedling to the 2010 Seedlings topic.

Charlie

First bloom on Velvet Illusion measuring about 8 inches.  The bud's early color was white and gradually deepened for over a week as it grew larger before finally opening yesterday (14th). The second pic is the bud on November 5th which I emailed to Cindy asking her if I might have a mislabeled plant.  Strange.

Charlie is this normal for VI or maybe more a function of much cooler temperatures and/or other factors?

Great looking MM twins David and what are the other varieties pictured with Magnifique in the other picture?  My MM is still recovering from some mite issues.

dave

Dave, that bud does sure look light colored. My best guess is that the current lower light, shorter day, and cooler temperature are the causes. The bloom is nice but does not have the intensity of color that I think you will see next summer. 8 inches is good size though it could add another inch in spring/summer.

Charlie

Here's one of our seedlings, we hoped it bloomed during the summer but no it waited until winter and bloomed inside by a window.

Patrick

Great looking MM twins David and what are the other varieties pictured with Magnifique in the other picture?  My MM is still recovering from some mite issues.

dave
[/quote]
Thanks,the smaller red is the local garden Hibiscus and the wine is a Moscheutos Hibiscus. I have just started to grow the Mosch Hibiscus, my sister sent me some seeds, they are not bad but the problem for me is they only open for about 6 hours.

P's Purple has had an upgrade. I had it tucked away a bit and was fed up cutting blooms each day to place somewhere they can be seen. As the bush is getting handsome and stronger with age its been moved to the middle of the garden, I just hope it can now handle the extra sun.
 That's a second day Cranberry Muffin behind.

Congrats, Patrick! It's always fun to have a seedling bloom. At this time of year I don't entirely trust the colors of new seedlings, due to the color changes that the conditions of fall bring. This one could become brighter or larger next summer. What were the parents?

Charlie

Nice job with that P's Purple, David. She's a vigorous upright grower but it can be a challenge to get enough branches to create the full appearance of yours. With all those stems you should get lots of blooms! I'm always glad to see Cranberry Muffin blooming. I think its a very nice variety that is just making its way out into the world. Thanks for sharing your photos!

Charlie

Hi Folks,

How exciting, my first post ever on the forum so why not share some pretty pics to start.  I lost my camera so I'm hoping the iPhone serves these justice.

Those Chariots of Fire pics that are almost white are amazing...I've noticed some changes in all my blooms now that they weather is cooling down, especially the nights.  Blooms aren't as big but the colors are still eye popping.

Just planted my hibiscus garden in April and I am loving it to no end.  24 plants and counting...

Farmer D

Oops, I forgot to attach this one of Bon Temps...such nice colors.

Farmer D
(Darren)

Hello Darren

Welcome to the forum. You will find friendly folk here who love to talk hibiscus. Your photos are excellent and your plants look very healthy. Kudos to you on your menagerie.

Where are you located?

Louis

Had a nice collection of blooms today which the heavy rain [22 days now] does not seem to be affecting.
Pocahontas has been brought in and given pride and place on the table today,was not expecting a bloom with the amount of pinching I have done. The bloom is a little small still but I think its a lovely shape plant.

Very nice pictures Darren, the Black Dream is a beuty ,where are you from.

hello david, is the red bloom in back of the first hib, a desert rose?

if so, what kind?

very nice.

louis

Hello Louis,

Wow, thanks for the positive welcome.  It's nice to get a response back so quickly, I will activate that notify function.  I'm located in Hollywood, CA of all places!

I look forward to chatting and exchanging any interesting tips or ideas here.  Since I have quite a few plants I will hopefully be posting a world garden page on the HVH website as soon as my plants are all sizeable and blooming continuously.

I must say they have grown much more quickly than I anticipated - most were 4 inchers when planted.

This is kinda funny but I just figured out I can take pictures of my pictures off my mac monitor that are all over 3 mb each and won't reduce down to the proper file size.

Boy I have a lot of nice pics I'll post now.  I'll have to go back into the Aug - Oct pic forums to post as well.

Here are a few more pics from Nov...the one of Hot Pepper is not altered in any way, I took it during an unbelievably fiery sunset one evening...enjoy!

Farmer D

hello david, is the red bloom in back of the first hib, a desert rose?

if so, what kind?

very nice.

louis
[/quote]
Louis they are as you say Desert Rose, I have quite a few as they grow well here and really love the HVH Special fert, I even have some growing from seed which I got in Thailand, but other than being Adeniums I have no idea what type.

Here are some more of my favorites so far this month.

Darren, I really like seeing that pretty Bridal Path. It's one that we haven't seen many or maybe no photos of on the forum. Big, pretty flower, still pretty rare. Valentines Day with multiples is another great one.

David, that Pocahontas is picture perfect. Placed in the vase and on the table it looks like an exquisite piece of art.

Charlie

I've been very busy lately studying for my exam, but I couldn't pass up showing you my Buttercup blooms from the other day.  She's finally big enough to bloom regularly for me.  What an outstanding color combo!  I love the purple eye.  :)

buttercup is a handsome plant. how big is the bloom?

louis

It usually blooms at about 6" or 7".  Not the biggest flower but it's still well worth having.  I personally prefer nice colors over huge bloom size  :)

Very nice Jordan!  What are you studying for?

Pretty gaggle (group of 3) of Buttercups. Winter color emphasizes the eye while summer brings out the "butter" - yellow splotches on the flowers.

I think Jordan said real estate, Chris. I bet there's a ton of houses to sell these days. Good luck with everything.

Charlie

Thanks, Charlie.  You're right... I'm taking the CA real estate salesperson exam in a little less than two weeks.

Good Luck!

Thanks!  The cramming has begun................

Really nice color combination and great looking plant.  How did I manage to miss this one?

Dave, probably because not many have made it into the store in the last couple of years. Waiting list and international sales got the available ones. It's a grafted variety most of the time.

Charlie

Jordan,  That bloom was just a great shot!  Are you using a different camera?  It looks so beautiful.  I love it!  good luck too!

Here are some colorful blooms after last night's rain...

Enjoy!

Farmer D

More pretty colors and some interesting close ups.

The colors are so extraordinary - eye candy for me!

Farmer D

hello farmerd,

great blooms and super imagers.

louis

Beautiful Pics everyone!

I think Cosmic Gold loves the Pacific Northwest.  Saturated tangerine color that commands attention from across the room.  The last picture's color is off, but the it does highlight the beautiful tufting and form of this CV.

(yes that is robin hood pollen on those pads) :D

D, great blooms!  Thanks for sharing.  BTW, where are the pads on the High Voltage bloom?

Hi all,

a few from today. first bloom on purple magic and a nice plant called June's Joy. magic bloom is about 7 inches as is june's joy, and the old standby - rockets red glare that shows a lot of gray today.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib%2011-20-10/magic.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib%2011-20-10/June's%20Joy.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib%2011-20-10/rocket.jpg)

Wow, Louis and Helix - those are some beautiful blooms!  Those flowers are so pretty they have to be put on film.  I got a baby Cosmic Gold I hope one day blooms as pretty as yours.

Thanks for sharing.

Here are some more from today including the elusive All That Jazz.

Happy Saturday!

Farmer D

Thanks for the pads reminder...turned out to be a great color contrast shot.

Farmer D

Nope Kristen, same camera.  It's an older Sony digital camera... Cybershot I think.

Sunshower - I think I will grow this in a hanging basket next year. Sprawls everywhere.
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2rx8j61.jpg)

More great photos. The blooms at this time of year can be some of the best of the year.

Lou, I haven't seen Junes Joy in several years. It was one of the varieties we imported in the big exchange of varieties with the 2 commercial hibiscus nurseries in Australia about 10 years ago. Good color but I seem to remember a problem with the growth habit - maybe too floppy when grown in greenhouse conditions? Anyway, attached below is a photo I borrowed from the Australian Hibiscus Society of Junes Joy being used in a prize winning "Floral Art" photo - too, too pretty.

Charlie

Hello charlie,


yes it is pretty. the plant i have is about 2 foot, not counting the pot and so far its fairly sturdy.

if it wants to get floppy, i have tons of bamboo sticks that you sent with all my plants.

have a nice thanksgiving

louis

Charlie, no doubt this time of year has some of the best colors.  The deep colors this past several weeks has been just wonderful.  All my plants still are growing new buds like crazy even with the night temps dipping into the 40s now.

Yesterday & today Bonnie Lass was the star of the garden.  I couldn't decide which photos were best so I'll just post them all.

Enjoy!

Farmer D

Some more colorful blooms from today.

Farmer D

Love the Acapulco Gold. I keep missing it when it is in the store.

Hot Pepper pair
(http://i56.tinypic.com/zn42a.jpg)
First Valentine's Day bloom
(http://i56.tinypic.com/vzfr54.jpg)
(http://i52.tinypic.com/30m4qrt.jpg)

Farmer D, you sure are getting some good blooms now. I love seeing all those buds on Bonnie Lass!

Lou, how do you like Valentine's Day? That bloom can be an attention getter from across the yard!

Charlie

Charlie, Valentine's Day is a big showy flower. I like it a lot.
Here are a couple more shots with it fully open. It did fade a bit but it is very warm here today.
(http://i54.tinypic.com/2m4ve50.jpg)
(http://i54.tinypic.com/29m37fn.jpg)

I haven't been around here as much as I would like, planning major kitchen remodeling and it's completely stressing me out (and this is only the planning phase!)

But I wanted to share a first bloom that I'm very excited about: Cranberry Muffin, which I received as a 4" plant in late spring this year. It, as all my cv's, is braving the cold and doing well so far. I hope I can get away with protecting the plants from rain and keeping it in the unheated pop-up greenhouse throughout the winter, but the forecast for tonight scares me a bit. Keeping my fingers crossed the temps won't go down too much.

(http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6247/img2955q.jpg)
(http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6392/img2954d.jpg)
(http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/4392/img2953p.jpg)
This is my simple pleasure what do you think of it? It blooms like this year around. 

Thats a very nice Cranberry Muffin Pachrian and much different than mine. I hope it survives its first winter for you as it its a much better cv in its second year when it blooms a lot more.

 mphquicksilver - your Simple Pleasure is beautiful. Great pics. Welcome to the forum.

Doll - your Hot Peppers are just lovely.  I've never seen them that color before.  Mine have consistently been dark orange and now that they weather has cooled they're almost completely red.  Judging by those colors it must be pretty hot still down there.

mphquicksilver - your Simple Pleasure is just beautiful.  I've got a baby one that I hope one day blooms as nicely as yours.  Thanks for sharing.

Yes, the weather has beem very warm this week. But that is all changing on Friday. It is supposed to get down to 30 Friday night.
Cosmic Gold today.
(http://i51.tinypic.com/jl71hu.jpg)
And another Valentine's Day today
(http://i53.tinypic.com/nygpw1.jpg)

30 in Houston! Doll, I forget what you may have said about overwintering. Do they fend for themselves outside or ?

Charlie

I'll let the garden varieties fend for themselves. I've been busy all week digging up all the others and potting them up. Then I'll move them into my sunroom.

Cosmic Gold with Valentine's Day in the background.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/9tz894.jpg)

I'm new to the forum still trying to figure out how to work everything, I talk to Kristen a lot and she said that her simple pleasure doesn't  look anything like mine. And I looked at it on face book and she is right, not even close, does my flower look the way that simple pleasure should.     

It looked a lot like Bon Temps. Here is the Simple Pleasure page http://www.hiddenvalleynaturearts.com/acatalog/simplepleasuresinfo.html
and the Bon Temps page http://www.hiddenvalleynaturearts.com/acatalog/bontempsinfo.html

Charlie should be able to tell. The leaves on the two bushes are different also.

It looks like 'Bienvenue' to me http://www.hibiscusmania.com/static_files/bienvenue.jpg

Doesn't quite look like Bon Temps or Bienvenue to me and my initial guess was Confection Perfection, but that isn't right.  The blooms are more ruffled and the rays are not as pronounced as those on Bon Temps. The red eyes also appear different.  Bienvenue doesn't have as much ruffling as these.  With all the variations in color and form so many of these cultivars are capable of it very well could be Simple Pleasures.   What is the size of the blooms?  If it isn't Simple Pleasures I'd love to know what it is because it's absolutely stunning.  If it is Simple Pleasures I'd love to know how to get mine to have blooms like those.  Looks like a good candidate for the mystery game page if it isn't Simple Pleasures.  Charlie you are up to bat next.  lol

dave

Not too confuse matters but the second I saw it I immediately thought it was Simple Pleasures.  I even went to the HVH gallery to confirm it.  Looks right to me.  If that was my plant I would be extremely content for it as a Simple Pleasures.

I just wanted to see if anyone would mention what I first thought it looked like, and that is Benvenue.  But who knows.  I could be wrong.

I'm happy with it, Kristin suggested that I post it because she thought I might of got something els by mistake. But you know what I did get a bon temp also and I didn't have them marked when they were small so I didn't know witch one was witch. And the other one hasn't bloomed yet so I can't compare the flowers. the other one the bush is gorgeous it's one of the prettiest  bushes I have of all the hibiscus. this on the leaves kind of curl under on both sides.        

I looked at the two pages on bon temp & simple pleasure & the leaves on the bon temp look like the one that hasn't bloomed yet their nicer looking .

I have a question about lighting, if I get a 600 watt metal halide light, they say the bulb temperature  is about 4 hundred degrease how much would that heat up a room about 12 x 16 if you run it for about 10 hours a day.   

ups my picture didn't work

Here is a pic of my Bon Temps - I'd be shocked if the pic you posted is this.  I just checked the leaves on my Bon Temps and they do curl under a little at the tips.  My baby Simple Pleasures has leaves the don't curl at the edges and slope inwards towards the center of each leaf.

yea I didn't think it was bon temp

Crystal Pink
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2n7ea8.jpg)
Passion Play
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2nb7vwx.jpg)
2nd day Cosmic Gold
(http://i56.tinypic.com/2rh07sl.jpg)

I think it's Simple Pleasures in cool weather colors and lighted by direct winter sun. The colors of these blooms are more like the typical Bienvenue but Simple Pleasures is a much larger bloom than Bienvenue which can also be a clue. Funny thing, as with most blooms I know these on sight but in photos a lot of the tell tale details are obscured so it can be confusing. You'll know for sure next summer when the colors will be more normal and you can compare the blooms then with photos of the various possibilities. Simple Pleasures and Bon Temp both have beautiful bushes, Bienvenue not so much. Curled leaves can indicate some sort of problem.

A powerful HID light can definitely add heat to a room. That's why many fixtures for them are designed so that ducts can be attached to them and fans pull the hot air out of the room through the ducts. That is for situations where many lights are present or the room is too small but for your room it would add heat that will be beneficial during winter. How hot it will get is hard to predict since it depends on the specific room. Hibiscus do not care when the light is on so I would recommend running it at night to take the most advantage of the free heat.

Charlie

Charlie the effect of the sunlight on those blooms of Simple Pleasures crossed my mind and you've mentioned previously the effect that cooler temperatures can have on blooms. It reminded me of these two pics of Belle du Jour from late October that were taken 8 minutes apart and I think they illustrate the effect that different light can have on photos. The first was taken with very late afternoon sun still striking the bloom and the second a few minutes later with the direct sun now above the bloom on the greenhouse wall.  It made quite a difference in the shade of pink.

dave

Belle is a beauty, I miss mine :(

Here is a new one, Raindrop

Dave, that's a great example of sunlight and photos. Thanks for posting it.

Chris has blooms again! After cutting them all back for the journey no doubt you are impatient to see the older ones bud up again.

Charlie

You are welcome Charlie. This is the deepest pink I've ever had on Belle, must be the 40 degree mornings.

Chris that Raindrop is a beauty.  I missed out on it, but am having major space issues this winter anyway as the collection has grown too large so it's probably a good thing I didn't see it in the store til after it sold out.  If I'm wrong on your name please forgive me as I'm still having some trouble keeping everyone's names straight.

dave

Dave, No problem, you have it right :)

Raindrop is really pretty, a nice grey purple and poised to start blooming in multiples, I am hoping that it blooms well in the low light of winter since it has P's purple in its background. 

Charlie: it probably doesn't help that I only kept the smaller plants I had, with my big saffron and Acapulco gold (and others) being sent to California.  I haven't seen most of these 4 inch plants bloom yet, so its going to be a nice surprise when they decide it is time :)  Geronimo, Vin Extrodinaire and Pinot Noir have just started kicking into growth mode, with others hopefully deciding to follow.  This will be a test to decide if bright light and no sun is enough to bloom :)

Island girl is struggling again... it was the only plant to get attacked by spider mites (Ive had the heater on for the last week strait, really cold ice and snow) I am trying to keep it from defoliating, but its not looking good :( I am hoping that I dont lose this one. 

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a new one, Raindrop
[/quote]
Chris is the Raindrop more of a mini, the reason I ask is I have a unknown cv from Charles and looking at your picture I see the same. I know my photo seems to capture mine looking lighter but in reality its a copy color of yours, in fact I named it Grey Dawn.

Doll that Cosmic Gold is lovely,does it ever get the look of real gold,your shows it as more of a buttery color, have you noticed how the pads pollen and petal are all the same color. Would you believe I have had 2 and they have both died,the first destroyed by some clown in customs Saigon and the second caught a fungus disease here and was gone in days.
Wont stop me getting a third next year though.

Rain drop is in the 4-6 inch range and it is much more purple in person than in photos.  I remember seeing another picture of ice fairy and it looks just like that mystery CV.  That is my guess as to what it is, but it looks like whatever you have there is more blue and has a very nice bush :)   

David, this was my most intensely colored bloom when the temperature was dipping into the 40's at night.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/outoqf.jpg)

Doll I remember admiring that before,you must have had a bit of a shock when you saw it.

Chris i also think Ice Fairy, you are right about the bush it is developing nicely and as an added bonus it loves the sun.

I am loving seeing all your blooms... Mine are all touch and go.  They are slowed, but are keeping on keeping on...  I have slow growing buds that are making me crazy.  I think I should have some new ones to look at for the first time in a couple days.  One being the 4" Space Oddity!!!  Sooo Excited!!  Another being Tahitian Taui, & Albo, another Voodoo Magic & Cindy's Heart...  So I thought I would tell you so you all can bite your nails like I am.  AND because they all look like they should open at the same time, tomorrow or the next day, I am going to cross them.  Any suggestions?  
~Kristen

I just got back from the nightly check of the greenhouse to be sure all heaters are working and everything is shut up for the night. While there, I spotted 2 flowers that show the winter color effect - Dark of Night and Sparkling Water so brought them home to photograph. The blooms sure are pretty at this time of year - see below!

Charlie

The weather sure plays a big part in the blooms,this overcast weather here has given me a lighter Magnifique and a P's Purple with a red tint,  a darker Cranberry Muffin also today.

That Sparkling Water is some sweet thing!

Kristen, that's a perfectly formed Magnifique, although shifted more toward the pink than I am used to seeing. Ps Purple with that red in the petals is very unusual, an attractive extra touch! Very nice Cranberry Muffin, too - I bet it was large since it tends to show its full 8 inch size a lot. I am surprised to see what appears to be thrips markings on the C Muffin. At this time of year they are mostly dormant but could have done the damage weeks ago when it was still warmer and the bud was small. If you continue to see thrips damage you may want to lightly spray the tops and buds with spinosad. As pesticides go it is one of the safest and even approved for organic food growers.

Charlie

Charlie the Magnifique  P's and Cranberry Muffin above are mine . I will as you say spray for Thrips, but is there any possibility that its not Thrips and could be Supernova which was accidentally sprayed over it the night before opening.
I had pruned and when I prune I always water with and then spray with Supernova. Like you say c Muffin was large, for me its the largest I have at about 7 inches, mind you Think Pink seems to be getting bigger with each bloom.

hello charlie,
i really like valentine's day, i would like to get one, are they available?

louis

David, sorry, I got them mixed up. You will find the blooms getting larger during cooler or overcast days. Cranberry Muffin and Think Pink have the potential to be 2 inches larger than the 7 inches you have seen during the hotter times.

It's possible that something else marred the surface of the Cranberry Muffin bloom. I've not seen the effect Supernova could have on a just opening flower but it is pretty strong and perhaps could account for the thrips like markings.

Charlie

Louis, I do have an 8 inch pot of Valentine's Day that has budded up on the largest stem lately. I was debating whether to put it in the store but decided to wait for more buds. If interested let me know by email. Thanks.

Charlie

Simple Pleasures
(http://i54.tinypic.com/ddyfir.jpg)
First Wild Grape starting to open. The cold nights really slow things down.
(http://i55.tinypic.com/sv5pqv.jpg)

Awesome Wild Grape!  I know what you mean about slowing buds down.  I thought all my buds were going to open days ago!  Still closed!

Same here. I have a 5 gallon pot of Hot Pepper in the living room window that finally opened 4 flowers today after looking like it would open at least a couple several days ago.

That Wild Grape looks good enough to eat.

Charlie

Twin Wild Grape.

so far this plant has opened 4 blooms, but i was not here last week to see them open. she obliged today with twins.  i notice my colors are a little lighter than the other photos of this plant. i assume its the heat in the greenhouse. it gets up to 100 F on a sunny day.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2011-29/wild%20grape-2.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2011-29/wild%20grape.jpg)

That's lovely Doll. Loise how do you write your name on the photo, it looks so professional.

Nice quality of light you captured on those Wild Grape blooms, Lou. I'm sure you are right about the color being affected by temperature. Lower winter light also plays a roll. Try an extra measure of potassium nitrate (HVH Booster) to see if that will make a difference in color intensity. Often it does.

Charlie

hello david,

i process all my images in photoshop cs5 and its very easy to add text to the image.

i have had numerous waterlily images stolen from me in the past. this signature usually prevents theft.

thanks for asking

louis

Hot Pepper has been putting on a show ever since I brought it inside and placed it in a big living room window. It's a 3 year old plant in a 5 gallon pot and it sure can bloom! Below are 2 perspectives of it this morning.

Charlie

Wow Great Hot Pepper!  How did that Cosmic Gold x Creme da Cacao hot pepper look-a-like do in rooting trials?  I really like that one :)

Today: Raindrop and Cosmic Gold :)

I have some December blooms!  Tahitian Taui for the first time... Looks like Gabriel, but really pretty with 6 petals.  Another Voodoo, really dark, and twin Cindy's Heart

Very dark Voodoo and very nice.

Kristen, gorgeous!  I love the dark Voodoo and the Gabriel.