Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

First Love
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2rxy6pt.jpg)
Wild Grape
(http://i53.tinypic.com/2u70gty.jpg)

A good start to December photos! That Wild Grape makes me hungry or thirsty or something  :)  Look at all that lovely pollen.....

Charlie

Very nice,

great photos also.

louis

My first December bloom, Melon Melangie, and its growing into a nice bush.

David, just based on the photos you have posted it seems that some of the varieties really like the tropical heat you have and thrive in it. Melon Melange looks like one of them. I look forward to seeing how all of your varieties do over time.

Charlie

Hot Pepper
(http://i56.tinypic.com/23mknbt.jpg)
A pic of the unique leaves on Wakanisha
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2exxylh.jpg)

Beautiful!

My Waknisha plug fell out of the pot as soon as I unwrapped it.  I dont think mine was very well rooted, I am hoping it makes it :(

I will have a CG pic to post later, when it opens all the way :)

Nice Blooms everyone!  I have been getting some newbie delights!! It is great being new at this for one reason, every bloom is a new experience to me.  I have never had hybrids before, so these are so extreme to me, and now, a bunch of my small babies are blooming for the first time and it is so much fun!  Today I have a beautiful Albo.  Let me just say that the delicate Albo is a sight to behold.  I way underestimated this one.  On a scrawny stick, I got what I show you today. 

Then.... Woah!  Space Oddity!!!  Speechless.  They made a nice couple... I pollinated Albo with Space Oddity.

Cindy's Heart Day 1 & 3 of the same 2 blooms.  I think I may have loaded day one in the November blooms because there was no December created yet, or maybe not...  Cant remember.  Anyway, here they are.

Nice pix Kristen!  Space Oddity and CH are especially eye-catching.  :)

Every time I see a new one open up for me... I think, now that one is my favorite... So because of the colors, Space Oddity and Voodoo Magic is now my favorite.  But then again....

What are yours?

Ah very nice CH, it is a slow grower for me, but the bush has filled in nicely after a big prune, so its looking like a good year next spring/summer!

Great pics, do you have any others you are waiting to see?

Cosmic Gold today, pretty interesting the difference putting the heater on at night makes :)

My favorites so far are:
High Voltage
Cindy's Heart
Cosmic Gold

I am waiting to see many.  And it is so exciting.  Although Space Oddity was one of the ones most anticipated, so it was nice of her to not keep me waiting.  BTW, she is still just a kid.  4" pot and only about a foot tall... I know I know, I shouldn't have let her bloom, but do you blame me??  

I am also waiting on My Blue Heaven, Gator Pride, Gabriel, Misbehavin, The Path, Moonstruck, Sleeping Beauty, City Slicker, Byron Metts, 5Th Dimension, Cherry Appaloosa, Black Dragon, & Acapulco Gold.  

Here is a second day photo of Space Oddity along with some first day photos of Simple Pleasures.  SP took a break for a couple months, but I think she is back!  I put some 2nd day old Space Oddity pollen on her...

Chris, I just saw this comment. Anytime something like that happens please write to office@hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com and let us know. It's always hard to discover whether it happened in packing, shipping, or unpacking but I can tell you that it had roots showing at the bottom of the pot when selected. Cuttings don't develop nice leaves or side growth without adequate roots so it's easy for us to tell when young ones are rooting well. Anyway, for sure we will get you a new one if needed. Next time we ship something to you let me or office know how the original one is doing and if it's not looking good we will put another one in with a future shipment. Right now Wakanishas are all shipped or too small so we're probably talking spring for a replacement. Sorry for the disappointment!

Charlie

Thanks Charlie,

Will do, I will send an e-mail explaining what happened :)

A bittersweet post as I am severely struggling to keep my baby Electric Orange alive and now I discovered my Melon Melange is also showing signs of complete wilt.  Yikes, winter brings a host of challenges and it's not even winter yet here in southern Cal.

On the other hand some crazy colors are showing up but boy the blooms take weeks to open and they are a lot smaller now.

Any advice on last ditch efforts for my babies - E.O. is looking real bad.

Enjoy the unbelievably black, black dream blooms!

Farmer D

Here's Chariots of Fire - quite interesting blooms as they are showing orange ruffled edges along with the bright red.  These are eye-catchers from across the yard.

One more set - this time I got Rise & Shine and Bon Temps showing stains of orange which really surprised me.  Also the pink blushes throughout BT are another new surprise.

hi kristen,

you have a nice selections of plants. how many do you have all toll?

also, we had our first show last night. 6 inches and its not only 13 degrees.

greenhouse is nice and warm though. i may go to the poor house in the spring, but i will go happy.:)

louis

Louis, I have 33... OMG... I just counted, I thought I was at only 20-22 or so...Yikes!  I also have cuttings going, and some of the 33 count are duplicates from cuttings made that already rooted.

Farmer D, I commented on your wilt problem in the other forum.  But here is a suggestion.  Go here  http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/care/wiltdisease.htm

And BTW, unbelievable Black Dream!  Is that how it always looks?  For some reason I thought it was more red.

WOW BLACK DREAM!

The current Black Dream blooms are much more darker than what I get during the warmer months.  Here's several shots for comparison...you can see it getting darker over the last 4 months.

Farmer D

Ahh,  the only photos I have seen of it were the summer colors.  But that winter bloom is spectacular! 

Farmer D, to get those colors your hibiscus must be outdoors, right? Low 40s a lot lately in southern CA.

Sorry to hear about the struggling plants. In winter we have a "hospital" spot in the house that is made up of a seed starting electric mat that warms the roots 2'x4' that we put any sick plants on as well as a window nearby that allows a lot of bright indirect light. We keep them there until they recover, or perish. Cleaning the roots and repotting in fresh soil sometimes helps.

Charlie

I'm still blessed with a daily show of gorgeous blooms, even getting some firsts. Crystal Magic bloomed the other day but I didn't catch it until the second or maybe even third day and it didn't look all that great because it had some aphid damage.

However, Night Magic blew me away the other day when it opened up two pretty blooms around noon on a cold and rainy day.

First Deep Purple bloom.
(http://i54.tinypic.com/dyawiv.jpg)

Wow Pachrian, those are lovely.  Crystal Magic has such a lovely color combo - very easy on the eyes.

Doll - that Deep Purple is very nice.  The swirling purple with the magenta throat and yellow pads - nice!

I just had a Valentines Day open this morning and it is completely red with a pretty orangy-yellow border and a few other blooms.

I didn't expect Chariots of Fire to be such a prolific bloomer.  Here we are in Dec and I counted 24 buds opened or getting ready to.

Wow - 24, not bad for a 4" I planted back in April.

Your Chariots of Fire is amazing.

Not meaning to repeat myself again, but all these great pics posted on this forum make it impossible to keep the size of my collection under control.  The wish list just keeps growing.  A huge good grief, and that Chariots of Fire is incredible.

Really looking forward to and also kind of dreading the store opening next month, if that makes any sense.

dave

Amazing!!!, whats your secret and what are you growing it in.

Doll is that P's Purple.

I wish all my hibiscus were this successful. 

Here's irony for you, next to Chariots of Fire I have a beautiful Flickering Flame that is the exact same age.  Since April one bloom and of course it was while I was away on vacation.  See my pics for comparison.

Other than that I do feed them at least once a week with the HVH special blend fertilizer.  As long as I see the new growth they're going to be fed very well.

Before planting I was real careful with soil conditioning since my soil here is a very dark, wet, heavy clay.  Drainage can be an issue so lots of work went into mixing the soil up.  Also the Safari Tree & Shrub since I have aphids and white flies here due to a wide variety of other things I grow.  It seems to be working so far.

Funny thing - Chariots of Fire is in a hot spot that gets mid day to sunset sun while my Black Dream is on the other side of the yard where a small brick fence never lets the soil dry out and partially blocks the sun yet it also has gone over the 20 bloom count a few times.  See picks for comparison.

Farmer D

Wow!!!
Those look real nice planted in the yard instead of in pots I was thinking of trying to plant some in my yard next spring, kind of wondering if they would be healthier in the ground than in pots.

(http://[IMG]http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture3copy.png)[/img]I'm trying to figure out how to get a picture from photo-bucket to the forum.

I am impressed with everyone's blooms, especially that chariots of fire!  What a nice set up you have!

Farmer D, you must do a ton of pruning to get your bushes so full.  Is that the case?  They all look great!

David, Deep Purple is a variety Charlie sent me as a substitute for a 6 inch Little Girl I had ordered. I think it will be available in 2011.

Use the direct link and put between the image tags. The image tags probably need to be in lower case.
(http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh176/angeliclucero/SimplePleasures12.jpg)

Here is the pic you were trying to post
(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture3copy.png)

Deep Purple twins.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/347cvad.jpg)

I have not done any pruning at all since I received any of my plants. 

I'm very selective with the bush type before ordering.  The HVH online store does a good job on most plants describing the size and shape it will become.  If I find one I like that is described as compact but upright then that would be a candidate to fill in a spot between two larger, bushier plants that will end up with a little room between them as they fill out.

My goal is to have a continuous flowering wall of hibiscus for three borders of my yard.

I do see some pruning down the road as I don't want 6 or 7 foot plants next to a 4 footer.  I think it will take 2 to 3 yrs minimum to get to that wall of flowers as I see some plants grow much faster than others.  Even some that are supposed to be faster like High Voltage has been taking it's time and is still only a foot tall while Acapulco Gold next to it is approaching 4 feet (both planted in April as 4" babies).

Now this is strange - the pads came out of the middle of the shaft instead of at the tip on my Hot Pepper.  I wonder if the cold is causing strange mutations to occur?

Also enjoy the Bon Temps with the worm in it when it opened...made a couple nice holes in the bloom.   No pink anywhere in this one, that is a first for BT as it has orange instead.  During the summer this is always a yellow and soft pink throat combo.

Farmer D

Farmer d, whatever you're doing, you seem be doing it perfectly. Your plants DO look fantastic!!! Whereabouts do you live? I cannot imagine the work I'd have to put into preparing the soil in my yard to keep my hibiscus plants happy. Great job  :) :) :)

Farmer D, those pads are so unique.  Thanks for sharing.

I just changed my profile to show where I live - Hollywood, CA.

The soil prep was a lot of really hard physical labor.  I'm a pretty healthy person approaching the big 4 0 but there were a few times I thought I was gonna pass out while conditioning the soil.  I filled my big green trash can three times with the heavy wet clay from my planters.  Seriously - every shovel full must have weighed nearly 20 pounds.  One time the trash man refused to take my can because it was too heavy so a late night covert distribution to my neighbors green trash cans ensued.

I particularly focused on the one planter that is shaded by a small brick wall that just never dries out.  I could foresee massive drainage issues if I didn't put in a lot of organic compost and even a little gypsum.  The clay was so thick that I couldn't even mix it much with the compost as it just clumped together like glue.  I dug down about a foot or two and removed most of the clay in that planter.

One positive was that my soil is very nutrient rich as it is a black clay so mostly a drainage issue for me.  I followed the HVH advice of making a $20 hole for each plant.  Dug really big holes and removed the clay and replaced it with the good stuff.

So a few days of really hard work has resulted in months of enjoyment now.  Just added a top layer of earthworm castings to hopefully help ward off the spring explosion of aphids.

Whew, that sounds exhausting!!! I'm in OC and have similar weather and soil conditions. Somehow I find it much easier to deal with pots, especially since I can move them around. My backyard gets practically no sun in the winter so I move everything to the side or front. Can't enjoy them much from inside the house tho :(

Your arrangement sounds like a dream!

Thanks Doll for helping me, that was my Erin Rachel it bloomed Dec 1 in the house the color was a little light probably because of low light.

I wonder if having no sun during winter is so bad?  If the plants turn off the growth mode do they still need that much light?

Does it get that cold at night - rarely does it get into the 30s here.

Although hibiscus need some of both, generally speaking they need heat for health and growth but light for blooming. Since they are tropical they are not really supposed to turn off or go dormant but in temperate climates we see that they do hunker down and don't do much growing or blooming when low temperatures are consistently in the upper 30's and low 40's. We've also observed that it is the cumulative effect of cold over a long winter that does the most harm, unless of course they get a hard freeze for several nights which will cause more obvious and rapid damage.

Charlie

Yesterday's shots...

Venetian Brick - first bloom ever.

More of the 24 buds of Chariots of Fire are opening.

My shadier planter: Rainbow Sherbet, Palm Springs, Black Dream & Bon Temps peaking out at the rear.

Farmer D

Hi Everyone, a belated happy thanksgiving to you all.

here are some blooms from today. twin wild grapes with a purple magic
a very nice black dream, which you will notice has been pollinated, by wild grape.

a very nice double, that is about 8 inches in diameter, called Flameball. the color is very accurate for all blooms. i used double HV booster on they all and the colors are noticeably darker. i do believe the heat in the greenhouse contributes to the muted colors.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2012-09/black%20dream-1.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2012-09/flameball.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2012-09/wild%20grape-purple%20magic.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hibiscus%2012-09/wild%20grape.jpg)

Here is my heavy metal, I think I'v got it now took my a little time to figure it out

Farmer D, I sure hope Cindy is working with you on a future web page for the Hibiscus Gardens Around the World. You're growing some beautiful bushes there in Hollywood! I think I'm going to send the photo of the Chariots of Fire to a commercial grower who does mass production - show them what to aim for with Chariots! It's hard to get Chariots that full - how old is that one and how many times have you pruned it?

Louis, I've never seen Flameball. I got some wood from the hybridizer a few years ago but it didn't take and I didn't ever try it again. If you think it's worthwhile perhaps you can shoot me a cutting next year. Looks like Wild Grape and Black Dream are still blooming away in snowy Connecticut. Since you are making seeds this winter I wouldn't mind seeing what comes from Wild Grape x Purple Magic - with some luck the bigger flowers of Purple Magic and the better bush of Wild Grape and some wild purplish flowers.

Quicksilver, what a pretty Heavy Metal, much lighter in color than you will see at other times of year but I love the yellow edging around the petals.

Charlie

Well geez Farmer D, those pics are inspiring,  part of me wants to plant some of my CVs in 5 gallon pots this spring, to get them up to that size :)  Really nice bushes!  I am now thinking that I might need to dig out the flowerbed at my parents and do what you did :)

Wow, thanks for the compliments.  I get so much enjoyment out of my hibiscus plants.  As I mentioned earlier, I have never pruned any of my plants since I received them back in late April of this year.  They were all 4" plants that I immediately put in the ground.  So what you see now is pure growth in the last 8 months and on it's own it has filled out nicely.  

I wonder if the cool summer we had this year here in So Cal caused the plants to grow differently maybe not bolting straight up so quickly?  Just thinking outside the box here.  Also weekly HVH blend fertilizer feedings.

Also Cindy is already waiting for some pics to set up a world gardens page.  I'm being picky and waiting till each planter (3 of them) has a more solid wall of greenery before setting up that page.  I'll send her some pics of where it is now and she can do a before and after which was her idea from the start.

Farmer D

I counted 66 buds on my Black Dream...this plant has been a super producer.  The flowers on it now are so dark it really lives up to the name.

On the close up you can see quite a few buds of all sizes.

Farmer D

66 Buds!!!! I am not sure thats  legal? ha ha, well done.

A few planter shots for anyone interested in ideas of how to configure in the ground.

Left to Right
North Planter: Bridal Path, Flickering Flame, Chariots of Fire, Bonnie Lass, Rainbow Sherbet, Scarlet Beauty

West Planter: Acapulco Gold, High Voltage, Venetian Brick, All That Jazz, Hot Pepper, Valentines Day, Vin Beaujolais, Rise & Shine, Crystal Pink

South Planter: Bon Temps, Black Dream, Palm Springs, Rainbow Sherbet, Valentines Day, Saffron hiding in corner (baby).

Farmer D

Gorgeous bushes, farmer D!  Wish mine were that full.  Looks like I might need to get myself a Black Dream, too, as my Black Dragon has yet to show that deep black color.

hello charlie,


yep lots of show here. its a plesure to just visit the greenhouse to get my batteries charged.
on flameball. i really do like the bloom and the bush is very nice. so much so, that i am going to take a ride to the grower that i got it from maybe next week. its a 2 hour drive, and get two more, if they have them. one will be for you. it will be blooming when i send it to you in the spring and this will give you a head start of growing some.

i will cross grape with magic, as soon as they cooperate.

louis

First Love - maybe not the most exciting bloom, but it blooms and blooms. Would be a nice landscape variety.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2s8qyl3.jpg)

Doll, I've never met a hibiscus bloom that I didn't like.  If I had the space and money for them I'd probably have hundreds.  First Love's bloom is nice and I bet it is awesome when there are several blooms open at the same time. 

dave

nice blooms everyone!...Farmer d wow! ::)....here are a few of my blooms...sunkissed blonde finally is blooming after a whole year...some like it hot ..almost all red...Lynette :D

and the rest...

Farmer D that's very interesting, did you plan the garden with a view to the Hibiscus that can handle more sun or was it just a random choose.

Also I find very interesting that you are getting such good results in natural earth[ clay etc]. I get good results with my Melon Melange and that has a mixture of clay and Perlite in the pot, my only one, all the rest are coco and Perlite.

We need Charlie or Cris to explain the advantages of using a soiless medium, there obviously must be one as millions of people would not do it, but I also think there must be some advantages in growing in soil, after all its very natural.

David, it's not so much growing in soil vs soilless as it is growing in the ground vs growing in pots. Lots of things are happening in the ground that are not happening in the pots. This is too big a topic for a post here but a good idea for an article for the newsletter next year. The obvious difference is that in the ground roots can grow as large as they want while in pots they are constrained and often start circling the bottom of the pot which can cause problems.

Darren, I'm interested in how you prepared your soil. What have you added to it and what was it like before you started improving it? Also, are you using any products like Supernova? Your setup has grown the type of bushes I thought would be common but over the years have found not to be so common at all. There's a fair number of people growing pretty hibiscus plants in pots - many of the participants of this forum among the best of them - but I've seen very few photos of good looking exotic hibiscus planted in the ground. Maybe some people reading this will feel challenged and will post their photos of in-the-ground hibiscus. In fairness, the weather is suitable for in-the-ground hibiscus only in south Florida and close to the Gulf coast and in southern California coastal areas but that's also where a majority of sales are shipped to so you would think we would see more ground planted hibiscus gardens. Anyway, great job this year!

Charlie

I've always preferred growing my hibiscus in the ground. Where I planted them this year didn't work out very well. There were too many tree roots from a live oak tree to compete with. Plus it is too much work for me to dig up 50 plus plants for the winter. Next year I will keep mine in pots but I have rooted 4 High Voltage,4 Belle du Jour and 2 Chariots of Fire. I plan on planting them in the ground along the side of my driveway where there are no tree roots to compete with. They will be in full sun all day. It will be interesting to see how they do. My garden variety hibiscus reached 8 -10 feet tall there before last winters 17 degree freeze.

Valentine's Day
(http://i54.tinypic.com/16h6x5e.jpg)
Valentine's Day alongside Crystal Pink
(http://i51.tinypic.com/2ch0004.jpg)

Here's a couple of ideas on ways to hopefully increase in-ground photos...I'll end with my soil efforts - sorry for the long post!

Maybe a majority of people aren't as embedded with the passion we have to take pictures and post them online.  When a plant is shipped or sold include some motivational info on posting pics on the forum.  Maybe even a contest(s) with specific categories like in-ground plant photos.  Maybe contests for best growth, etc...with simple rewards like a gift card or plant.  Obviously your call with how you want to structure the cost side of HVH.  Knowing people a built in motivator is important as you're competing with other priorities in their busy lives especially having the time to take pics and then take even more time to configure pics and upload to the forum.

I think another idea is the search results on Google.  That is how I found about HVH.  I believe you can pay to have certain search results come up higher when people Google certain key words.  Maybe some search result links can take potential customers to a new hybrid page or remade homepage that not only sells the first rate plants at HVH but also makes posting pics and pride of ownership a part of the plant buying process.  Again if it is quick and easy to navigate this might increase photos as you target certain types of hibiscus settings.

The way your plants sell out so quickly I agree that there has to be some great in-ground plants out there waiting for their pics to be taken.  The only detractor to this line of thinking is the mortality rate of in-ground plants for HVH customers.

As for the bushes in my planters here's my take.  Before the hibiscus there were dogwood hedges in these planters for over 20 yrs with lots of crabgrass weeds underneath them.  I believe the soil was rather well rested for an extremely long period of time.  This can be a much overlooked factor as the dogwood pulled the specific nutrients it needs which is probably much different than what hibiscus need leaving the soil robust.

Combined with a naturally nutrient rich clay (it is almost black and very moist) my challenge is to make sure the soil drains enough to avoid root rot - which I've lost apple, lemon and walnut trees to here in the past.  To offset this I actually dug out a lot of the clay at least a foot down on the shady south planter and replaced it with a lot of organic compost and a little gypsum.  I did my best to mix this in the clay soil but that only partially worked as the clay clumps together like glue.  The other planters I just made sure I made really nice "$20" holes for the plants to gain a strong foothold and make it through the transition. 

The weather this summer is very even too.  The plants got tons of sun but it never got over 85 until Sept when it jumped to over 100 for a week.  I never seen a summer like that and the plants just seemed to love it to no end. 

I am on the verge of losing two 4" plants that I planted Oct 30 so the timing of the season is important obviously and I wish I had more carefully read the info paper that came with my plants.

That's it, no Supernova yet just using the HVH Special Blend Fertilizer every week since planting these in April.

Farmer D

I really put a lot of thought into my hibiscus set up.  I first thought of plant spacing carefully reading HVH descriptions of plant size and growth habits.  I realized early on that my front yard gets a lot of sun from mid morning to sunset so I thought that would be perfect for hibiscus.  I also lowered my brick wall a couple of feet to give the plants more sun all day on the south side as well as let the soil dry more quickly.

As for the soil I think knowledge and awareness of what soil you have in ground is really important.  If it is not really geared toward what a hibiscus needs then you have to think about really putting in the right soil elements.  Soil is a medium to hold the nutrients and microbes a plant needs to extract.  I guess it is like creating a mini-environment just around each hibiscus to let it flourish.

I also think drainage is really important too.  Too much and nutrients get pulled down below the plant and the plant is deprived.  Too little and as I have experienced root rot and fungus issues.

Other than that just make sure to continually replenish the soil with needed nutrients and control the pests before they cause systemic injury.

Hope my thoughts are helpful...

Farmer D

Sorry - one more post today...

This Black Dream is incredible.  Such a dark, burgundy purple with the most amazing red veins and throat.  I couldn't have imagined such colors.

Farmer D

Louis, Where is it that you go to get the tropical hibiscus around here?  Logee's?

Ok, here we go again.  My plants seem to be really happy in this window!  Hopefully I can keep them blooming all winter!

Very nice, Kristen. I'm really impressed with the results you and Lou get up in Connecticut - his now in the winter greenhouse and yours indoors near good windows.

Doll, Lynette, everyone posting lately - these winter hibiscus flower colors are amazing. Some varieties show even better in winter, Black Dream for one, while others are more muted or have different but no less beautiful colors than in summer. So fascinating the way the flowers interact with conditions.

Charlie

Farmer D,

I really appreciate all the suggestions and the report on how you have approached growing hibiscus in your garden. Cindy and I are already talking about how we can encourage more interactions with people growing HVH hibiscus. You've got some good ideas - don't be surprised to see some of them coming to pass in the near future!

One of my frustrations over the years has been sending out thousands of plants, never to be heard from again. They disappear into gardens and we only occasionally would hear from people about them until we started this forum. About a decade ago we shipped close to 50,000 small grafted hibiscus to Tahiti and the Polynesian Islands over a 2 year period. People who live there told me you never see them driving around because people mostly plant them in their back yards where they cannot be seen from the street. Hard to  imagine there could be so many on one small island and yet none are to be seen growing! Similar in southern California where we have shipped so many over the last 12 years - I never see any driving around, just standard garden varieties. Anyway, photos and the forum may be the best way to discover what happens to all the plants later on.

Again, thanks for your outdoor planting suggestions. Good ones for those who live where hibiscus stand a chance when planted in the garden.

Doll, I look forward to seeing how your plantings next year compare to your potted hibiscus. Should be interesting.

Charlie

I visited the Cayman Islands about 12 years ago. We drove through a residential area and I expected to see hibiscus growing everywhere. But rarely saw any. Most people were growing crotons. I never understood why there were so few hibiscus.

I so agree with Charles, every picture this month has been amazing. 

Every day for me is a new surprise as the colors are constantly changing and are so unpredictable.  I have a lot of other beautiful plants aside from hibiscus including some stunning roses but they just don't even come close.

Enjoy today's....Venetian Brick going on 5th day
Bonnie Lass looks a little like Sunkissed Blonde
Chariots of Fire is on fire

Farmer D

More blooms...

Farmer D

Great example of the possibilities with daily variety.  I have two Valentines Day plants - just look at the difference in today's blooms!

Farmer D

Crystal Pink - in the cooler weather looks very similar to First Love, only bigger.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/skyp2w.jpg)

Lovely pictures farmer d, your High Voltage looks a light pink colour,is that right or just the camera.

Doll, your pink seems to bloom a lot,its very nice.

Greetings from the Great White North!

We got 5" of snow yesterday, and Liliiflorus had twins today... So, I finally have a Michigan "Snowbiscus" photo to add to Charlie's collection. Also, I took some photos from outside-looking in (couldn't figure out why people paused when walking by). It's a whopping 7ºF (-10ºF windchill) out there tonight... Brrrrr!!!

Deb  ;D

You're right David to see the pink.  When it first bloomed it was really pink and now it is fading into such a soft pink.

Here's a few pics to see the daily softening of color.  Just beautiful...

Farmer D

April Showers first bloom
(http://i51.tinypic.com/abgz00.jpg)
High Voltage showing winter color
(http://i56.tinypic.com/wiwku9.jpg)

First Angel's Wings bloom
(http://i51.tinypic.com/4gp895.jpg)
Simple Pleasures
(http://i54.tinypic.com/29b10ub.jpg)

It seems like today's theme is triplets...

On a cloudy, dreary day there's plenty of sunshine in the yard!!!

Farmer D

More cloudy day fun...

Farmer D

Now quite a few of my blooms have the pads emerging out of the side of the shaft.  Anyone seen this as well?

Wondering if it is the colder weather or what?

Please let me know if you have any idea, I'm quite curious as to why...or if I should be concerned about something more sinister concerning their health.

Farmer D

I have never seen pads come out the side like that farmer d, and in the 2 years I have been on this Forum I have never seen such fantastic results you are having with your cv's, even more amazing is that they are still only babies really, I wonder if the 2 things are linked, maybe just a coincidence.

Wow David,  thank you so much for the positive energy! 

When my plants first started to bloom I was going nuts trying to find anyone who would appreciate their beauty.  I think I annoyed just about everyone I knew with my constant emailed pics that would take about 10 minutes to download.

This forum is a great way to share this excitement with those who truly appreciate these great plants.

I hope my success continues with my babies.  I just discovered that my Bonnie Lass has spider mites.  I suspected it for a while but never could see any mites even with my 30x magnifying glass until today.

The HVH care section of the forum has a good area discussing a promising new solution for anyone struggling with mites (probably lots of us).

Here is a few pics of what my plant looks like to help others diagnose their's.

Farmer D

Farmer D – I think David’s explanation for the "misplaced pads" is the most logical (they're young, still sorting things out)... There's also a small possibility that something is bugging them (literally) and causing the anomaly. But, your hibiscus are gorgeous and healthy, so hopefully it will be someting that they grow out of.

So, I'll propose a more humorous (er, I hope) theory: Perhaps your hibiscus are taking their cue from where they live… Young, outgoing, and incredibly gorgeous-- they probably feel the need to do something just a little scandalous to stand out from all of the “ordinary beauty” in your garden-- Get the gossip started, be photographed, talked about, noticed… They are “Hollywood Hibiscus” after all.  8)

Here are my Michigan bloomers for today: Liliiflorus and Sunny Wind.

Deb  ;D

Farmer d, have you actually seen the Spider Mites, not sure if you have or you haven't but that burning at the end of the leaves is not Spider Mites, well at least i don't think it is, looks more like fert burn to me and you have to be carefull as to much fert and the sun will do that to your leaves.
A good way to check that is look at the leaves facing the wall and see if they are the same.

Ha ha,good story from Deb, mind you I had friends round the other night and let slip I had a friend in Hollywood, they where quite exited and asked who and what was he in, when I said i don't know but his name is farmer d, there excitement didn't last long.

Yash,  I just hacked my Sunny Wind down to nubs, it was a fantastic bush about 3 years old... It also was super infested with spider mites and I had no better solution then to cut it down and stick it in the crawl space we call a basement!  It also is below freezing outside (but not in the basement).  Hopefully it will make it till the spring. 

Very funny, Deb!

BTW, I suspect a few actor/celebrities are growing these around the area.

We are going to beat the mites sooner or later. Whether high tech and expensive like Kontos or organic and inexpensive like Wilt Pruf - there's going to be answers and hopefully more than one.

Charlie

That Chariots of Fire bush photo blows me away! I am sure Cindy will ask your permission to use that photo in the other part of the web site. Amazing!

Charlie

Doll, nice things are still happening in Houston, I see. Your first bloom of Angels Wing looks soft and pretty - not sure how big it was but watch for it to reach 10 inches at times, and with a little more color in other seasons. I'm not a fan of the bush but the flower is exceptional in the soft pastel range.

Charlie

Deb - that's hilarious.  Maybe there is something in the air here that the plants are feeding off of...I hope it's not too late before it gets to their heads!

Oh-oh, too late...

Farmer D

Love it!!!   :)

David,

Unfortunately I have seen the spider mites using my magnifying glass.  I've included some pics of them but they're so small it is really hard to focus in on them.  Maybe Charles can verify if what I'm describing is a spider mite.  Again, black little round guys with small legs that look like shiny round crabs.  Definitely not aphids as I have tons of experience with those guys.

Also some leaf pics to show the difference between fert burn & yellowing leaves.  You can also see what looks like webbing on the leaf.  The last two show the mite but it's hard to make out.  First one is the black spot right below the ridge reflecting light.  The second one is the larger black spot closer to my thumb.  If you look closely you can kind of make out the legs.

One good thing is my Bonnie Lass plant is producing a whole new crop of leaves to replace the yellowing ones.  This plant has a lot of strength and I am not too worried for her.

I have already purchased Wilt Pruf as regarded to in the Hibiscus Care Forum to see if this new approach can produce results.  Just waiting for it to ship.

Tell me what you think...

Farmer D

Re: Hollywood Hibiscus

OMG!!! Too funny!!! (Morpheus, Niobe, Neo and Trinity?)

I'm sitting here at work, reading the forum on the sly - window reduced. See Farmer D's reply, and then scroll down and see the "Hollywood Hibiscus" photos...  Choking on my coffee, trying not to laugh out loud, tears streaming down my face... If there was any doubt in my coworkers minds about my sanity, there certainly isn't now (I work in an office environment with a bunch of super-serious automotive engineer-types... And test reports usually don't provoke this kind of response).

Thanks Farmer D, you made my day!!!  :D

Deb  ;D

LOL fD, that is legit :)

Farmer D, hilarious. i don't know if you remember the old ads for eyeglasses.

"I wonder who that can be behind the Foster Grants"

louis

Farmed d Charlie says they are as well so that's a definite and a shame, and now you have added the other pics its very clear.
 I have just started using the Kontos [nearly 2 weeks] myself so I cant say, bit to early for me but others[ including Charlie]rave about it and I am sure its the answer.
Not so sure I would use the Wilt Proof yet unless I had to, and certainly till there has been a lot more testing, like Jo says it deforms the young leaves so you need to take care.

Farmer D

Your hibiscus are sporting better quality sunglasses than what I use. Something about that doesn't quite seem fair.  lol

dave

A profusion of Valentines Day flowers...

Lots more buds to bloom on this plant still.

Enjoy!

Farmer D

Wow, the whole Matrix angle, I didn't even think of that (one of my favorite movies).  That opens up a wide range of new possibilities...

Glad you all enjoyed a little hibiscus humor on a cold, wintry day.

More to come...
By the way, do these compare to our hibiscus?  I am always moved by beautiful colors and even though these are not hibiscus.

Charles is right on how the color pigmentation changes with the seasons.

Farmer D

First Pineapple Sundae for a while and a lovely dark Pochanontas behind.

Those Rose's are lovely.

Haven't had much time still for posting but farmer D your sunglass-hibs made my day!!!

PS... The Matrix is the best movie ever made.  LOVE Keanu Reeves... but I suppose that's for a different forum!!   :o

Magic Crystal and Night Magic

Cranberry Muffin, Magic Moments and Creole Lady

David - Your Pocahontas has an amazing color combination -  truly beautiful.  I wasn't a big fan of it due to how it browns as it fades, could you post a pic of it in a few days to see how it does?

Pachrian - Same with Cranberry Muffin, those are some lovely colors.  Again I wasn't the biggest fan with how it browns over time.  Could you also post a pic in a few days to see where it goes?

I snuck out in the rain before sunset for some last minute shots.  Apparently were going to get a boatload of rain from now till Thurs so lets see how the babies do...

Farmer D

More goodies from the yard...no need for sunglasses for the time being.

Farmer D

Natural anti-depression medication for those grey winter days...

Farmer D

Farmer d, I wish I could show you the bloom after a few days, cv,s last one day for me here except for Pineapple Sundae and Cranberry Muffin, which will occasionally last 2,when they do last 2 they are pretty much the same.
I had a new Pochanontas today and its next to yesterdays.

David,
I should have thought about the climate there in Veitnam.  During the hot months here my blooms were lucky to last more than 2 days as well.  Right now I've got blooms lasting over a week with the cool weather this time of year.  I'm pretty spoiled right now.

I love the diversity of color you have.  I have been afraid to get any cv's with brown shades for fear of them looking more like they're done before they get started.  The closest I have is Foxy Lady which is far from blooming still.

Sorry your friends were disappointed once they heard your Hollywood friend was Farmer D.  That's about the last thing people would expect when thinking about Hollywood - I'd be disappointed too!

Do you have any cv's planted in the ground?  I would think the climate there would be ideal.  I visit Hawaii frequently and see hibiscus everywhere (which is what got me interested in the first place) and I know their climate isn't too different from yours - I think.

Farmer D

Geez FD must be nice to go to hawaii frequently... :P

As for browns, I am pretty sure a shift towards enjoying browns stems from a growing interest in hibiscus.  I too was seduced first by the vibrant huge blooms of CVs like rainbow sherbet, belle du jour and saffron.  As I became interested in the more unusual blooms, my taste has definitely shifted towards enjoying the brown varieties.  If you want to try brow CVs with great bushes I would check out Creme de Cacao and Cinnamon Girl.  Both have great bushes that bloom alot, also the blooms keep their color and look great until they close.  If you planted these brown CVs next to either red, orange or yellow CVs, the color combo would pop! 

Flying to So Cal tomorrow and it looks like rain all week,  the last time I can remember a week of rain was back in 1997... No escape from the Seattle weather i guess :(

The truth is my cv's do ok, but when you concider the weather I have here they should be doing a lot better. Now I put that down to the rubbish I have been trying to grow them in so today I have re-potted all my cv's in a growing medium which the garden centre uses and gets great results, basically its the burnt leftovers from producing white rice.
When I re pot I can see why I am having problems, there are so few roots on my plants, and what roots there are have difficulty binding to the coco, in fact it amazed me that some cv's where growing at all, so hopefully over the next few months I will see a vast improvement.

Bit a filthy long job to do, but on the plus side I did buy some lovely pots which will display the flowers really well. All my cv's are in pots, my garden is on the roof.
There is a thing about me in the World gardens, which I like to point out at every opportunity.

Hi David
Talking about potting soil I'm trying something, can't tell the results yet it will take a wile but I'v been repotting my plants using bonsai soil because the roots stay very clean & you get real good drainage & they can breathe better. I'v only been working with Hibiscus for about one year but I'v spent a lot of time working with bonsai, & when you confine a plant in a small pot good quality soil is important. A couple of years back I had a little tree I brought in for the winter, and it started dropping leaves until it looked like it was going to die. So I got some calcined clay witch they use for bonsai soil and bare rooted it and planted it in that media I was kinda laughing to myself thinking this is a joke how can anything live in clay. And in about 2 months the plant grew all new leaves & it looked beautiful I wouldn't of believed it if I hadn't of seen it with my own eyes. So I'm repotting my plants using about 60 to 70 percent bonsai soil 30 to 40 percent potting soil, I planted some azaleas in that mix of soil and they do better than in dirt. for a media bonsai use akadama or calcined clay, And I'm not talking about putting them in a bonsai pot use the same pot you were using just use their type of soil.    

First Rain Drop bloom
(http://i56.tinypic.com/8x9ea1.jpg)

David, I love those pots you have your hibiscus growing in.

Boy have I been missing good stuff here!  Farmer D, those Hollywood hibiscus that grow sunglasses are something else!!!!! ROFL I've been listening to Charlie laugh at his computer every morning, and now I know why! We HAVE  to put those Hollywood hibs somewhere on our website!!!!  Maybe a new glamour article????

I'm supposed to be working on the new store pages..... better get back to it.... but I just had to see what all the excitement's about....

Charlie's really making me work this year, building pages, coding products, pages and pages of them! Too many new seedlings! Yikes! 

Back to work....

Very interesting and worth bearing in mind. They do grow a lot of Bonsai here, its to hot for flowers so Bonsai is inside most homes.
I am not sure what calcined clay is but I will find out, when I had my interpreter with me asking about there potting mixes the lady told me they bring there clay from the Mekong Delta.

Thanks Doll, at the moment some of the pots are inside as I have re potted and want to keep them out of the sun till they take, but when they are all spread out around the garden [had a sneak preview while it was dark] it looks very impressive. And as a bonus being glazed it will be  very easy to give them a midday cooling hose on the hotest days.

Just seen your Rain Drop, what a beuty!!

Helixturnhelix - that is experience talking.  Thank you for the advice.  I'd be happy expanding my borders for sure into the brown realm.  Just like everyone else I'll be in trouble trying to contain myself from buying way more than I have room for.

David - those pots are absolutely gorgeous.  Wow - that is a great set up you have there.  I really hope the new soil medium does the trick for the roots.  It will be a spectacular display if all goes according to plan.

Right now I just hope I can save a couple of babies that are on ultra life support.  

Enjoy the new blooms for today in the rain...

Farmer D

Farmer d, my first thought when I saw your garden was '' them borders aren't big enough and I don't think that lawn as much of a chance lasting'' ha ha. Not only are your cv's growing so well that they will need more room but you will soon become as nuts as the rest of us and will just have to buy one more weather you have the room or not, most of the people on this forum ran out of room a long time ago but still seem to buy more. Lovely Bon Temps.

Hello all,

Moonstruck and Tigerama.

Here is my first bloom of Tigerama. Really nice bush and the flower is outstanding. This bloom is about 8 inches as is the deep dark intense Moonstruck. Moonstruck will fade a little by afternoon and will hold that color for at least 4 days. The color on Tiger is very accurate.

I crossed Moonstruck with Tigerama and i noticed that Charlie has a bloom from the same match, called Zulu Warrior.

Let see what comes of this cross. I crossed them to each-other.

Louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-18/moon%20&%20tiger.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-18/tigerama.jpg)

Tigerama is so pretty!

Farmer D, I just saw your post...and now it's dark outside. I think tomorrow will be too late to take a pic, the flower was already near its end today. Colorwise there was absolutely no change though, MAYBE the colors were a little less intense when I saw it this afternoon.

Same for the other blooms, no color shift on any of them.

First Hot Wired bloom
(http://i51.tinypic.com/3167uv8.jpg)

Hi Doll
 Your Hot Wired looks Beautiful, I have one & it bloomed like crazy all summer long it was one of my best bloomers. 

Hi everyone,

a few blooms from today. first bloom on stolen kiss, great bloom, about 8 inches in diameter, and a backlit flameball.

 photos are labeled at the bottom.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-20/flameball.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-20/stolen%20kiss-1.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-20/stolen%20kiss.jpg)

No pictures, just lots and lots of rain.  So with the lack of any buds opening due to this here is a still of some really nasty stuff heading right over HVH.

Charlie - I hope the greenhouse didn't slide away tonight...that is some really intense rainfall.  That big ugly area of yellow and orange at the lower portion means business in your neck of the woods.

Farmer D

I don't know how much rain we have had the last few days but it's as much as I can remember seeing here in at least 10 years. It's been steady to heavy non-stop rain for days now. I'm driving to San Francisco this coming weekend and wouldn't want to be doing it in this mess but weather.com says the rain breaks tomorrow and the weekend should be fairly nice. Our greenhouses have dirt roads all around them and without my 4 wheel drive pickup it would be impossible to get in there now. I feel for the rest of the country as the jet stream moves all this moisture into colder temperatures......watch out for snow, everybody east of here!

Charlie

I wish you Californians could send some of that heavy rain down my way. The southeast corner of Arizona has been missing out, though this weather pattern has had one really great benefit for us, nice mild morning temperatures in the mid to upper 40s so my hibs have been able to stay in the unheated greenhouse for the last few weeks. Normally it's a daily shuffle back and forth to the laundry room every night.

dave

Charlie,

Camp Pendleton which I think is reasonably close to you is showing a 24 hour rainfall total of 4.04 inches as of 4am this morning.  I see you are still raining there.
I'm envious.

That kind of rain isn't all that unusual here. Twice in the last few years I have gotten stranded when 10 inches of rain fell in a 4-5 hour period in the middle of the night. Both times I had to sit in my car for 3 hours waiting on the water to go down so I could make it home.

Passion Play
(http://i51.tinypic.com/x3si7o.jpg)

That is so lovely, that is only the second Passion I have seen, cant remember Doll if you posted the one before but it seemed much darker.

As for the rains they have stopped here in Nha Trang now and this years where the worst for 5 years, a couple times I had to go out in it, mainly for eggs and the water was up to my shorts, I normaly have them delivered but the guys bike would have been under water.

David, That photo is totally awesome!

David, I did post one earlier. I think it was darker looking because I took the pic indoors.

Valentine's Day
(http://i55.tinypic.com/14ad2fm.jpg)

Doll - That is a lovely Valentines Day bloom.  Made my day!

David - great photo - how does the driver manage to keep his balance?  The eggs must be really fresh and tasty, good enough to venture out in knee deep water...

I have a couple of unusual hibiscus bud pics...instead of the usual flower how about new leaf buds on two babies that have been in ICU in critical condition.  My Xmas miracle has arrived!

Tis the season:

"Said the night wind to the little plant
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little plant
Do you see what I see
A bud, a bud
Dancing in the night
With a leaf as big as a kite
With leaves as big as a kite"

Happy Holidays All!!!

Farmer D

A Merry Christmas to you all from David in Vietnam.

This is my Melon Xmas Melangie Tree and the garden with the new pots.

Wonderful tree, David.

Farmer D, it's a miracle indeed that such a sad looking little plant seems to actually be growing again!

Cindy and I wish all of you a great holiday season. We are off in the wee hours to San Francisco for a very short break. When we return it will be non-stop work on the web site until January 1. Big doings ahead this coming year but more on that later.

Charlie

Happy Holidays to all!  Great looking Xmas tree and a Christmas miracle hibiscus.  Can't beat that :)

I look forward to HVH store opening more than Xmas these days, LOL :)

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Rain Drop with a second day Valentine's Day

Merry Christmas from Hollywood!

I got a nice Xmas surprise today with my first bloom in over a week with all the rain we had (10+ inches in 6 days).

A rare double Acapulco Gold bloom - really pretty!

Farmer D

Happy New Year everyone.

a terrible northeaster blizzard just passed by leaving us with 20+ inches of snow. how many more days till spring???  :o

as the song goes, the weather outside is frightful, but the greenhouse is so delightful, let it snow etc..

three blooms from today, first bloom of valentine's day, black dream and a darker wild grape.

i had a difficult time getting the reds on valentine, i have found that some digital camers do not like red, mine is one.
cheers,

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-27/black%20dream.jpg)


(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-27/valentine.jpg)


(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-27/wild%20grape.jpg)

Louis, watching the news this morning made me think about you up there in Connecticut. 20 inches of white stuff provides a classic background for tropical flowers!

I've never seen a double Acapulco Gold, Farmer D. i'm glad we have your photo of it for posterity!

Charlie

Happy New Year to Everyone!  :D

My hibiscus made sure I had lots of holiday cheer... Even my Veitchii Gardenia gifted me with a bloom! Here's Sunny Wind (two sets of twins), H. Arnottianus, Liliiflorus (aka, Snowbiscus), and a Veitchii Gardenia bloom (wish I could share the fragrance!).

Kristen - My Sunny Wind is sending yours it's very best wishes for a speedy recovery  :'(

Deb  ;D

I had 3 nice blooms today, as was written under another topic; the smaller blooms seem to get a stronger color. The P's Purple today has a pink and lilac sort of shade, the Pocahontas is a  nice deep color, and my camera does not do justice to how dark the Dragons Heart really is, my Dragons Heart is just under 4 inches but still looks nice.

My friend came round this afternoon and he showed me how to use the camera to reflect nearer the exact color of what you are photographing.
So I have added a much truer picture of Dragons Heart.

Had a Magnifique bloom and was shocked at its 7inch size, I have never had one above 5. The temperature is between 70 and 75f and has been since the heavy rains finished at the beginning of December. I am now getting the best blooms I have had.

hello david,

that is a magnificient bloom. i have one plant, however it has not bloomed for me yet.

louis

(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/SimplePleasure1.png)
My simple pleasure bloomed today for the first time

(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/SimplePleasure2.png)
Here is another picture, on November bloom of the day page 7 I had put a picture of another one I thought was SP because this one hadn't bloomed yet, & I thought this one was bon temp's well I came home from work today and to my surprise it was simple pleasure you guys were right on your guess the other one,it is Bienvenue neither of them is bon temp's, but this one is defiantly  SP.I had to weight for it to bloom before I could figure it out

2010 was a great year. Looking forward to 2011 and all the new varieties.
Just a few of my favorites from 2010.
(http://i54.tinypic.com/xpa89j.jpg)

Thats fantastic but you have left out your Passion. Top row middle was my Wallpaper up untill 3 days ago.

Hi Folks,

Doll thank you for the montage of beautiful blooms.  No way to pick a favorite from those.

MPH - your Simple Pleasures is a knockout.  What colors!

This will be my last pics for 2010, the rain and very windy conditions have not been nice to my blooms.  But there's always tomorrow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Farmer D

Happy New Year everyone, may it be a good one :)

I would like to finish up the year with two really nice plants. First day opening of Moonstruck and first day of Stolen Kiss. both are large blooms.

Look in the background of Moonstruck you will see our frozen lake. Notice the little black dot to the right of the bloom, its an ice fisherman. At times there are hundreds of them on the lake.

Enjoy,

Louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-31/moonstruck.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-12-31/stolen%20kiss.jpg)

So pretty, Lou!!!!!!  I miss the snow so badly at this time of year. It just hits the spot for me to see all these snowy pics. :-)

Just Beautiful!

Good Morning and Happy New Year, Cindy,

You have my permisssion to come and take as much snow as you want.

Louis

Don't tempt her, Lou, she might just try to take you up on it!

Charlie

LOL  YES!!!!!! I would love to come and take some snow!  I miss it so badly, I would even come shovel it.  ::) Pretty nutty, huh? But when you've lived in lots of snow all your life, the holidays just don't feel like holidays without piles of snow and ice. So I'm really loving all these snowy pics. I'm a northern girl at heart for sure!