Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

Im out of hiding!  Here is a collaboration of photos that I have been busy with since I got my new camera!  Hope you like them.

Gorgeous Kristen!  What fantastic colors and sharpness in the photos.  What kind of camera did you get?

Thanks Jordan!  I got the Canon 7D.  Some of the shots I took with my new 24-70mm but for the most part, I used my 100mm macro!  Yay!

some more... i have a bunch.

a few more, but this is it for now, promise!!   ;D  Jordan, the last one is of the Gabriel bush.  I think you asked about the bush a while back.  I took this photo when you asked, just needed to get new software (and familiarize myself with it before I could put it up on here)

Sorry about all the duplicates... my brain is fried.  been playin with the photos all afternoon...

Amazing photos Kristen!!! I can't believe the color and the detail... Saffron looks like it's made of silk, and Gabrielle seems to be on stage taking a bow (best performance?)... And I love all those fuzzy orange pads!!! Thanks for sharing-- These photos are works of art, made of works of art!

PS - You ready for another snow day? We're getting hit now.  :P

Deb

Kristen, you and the new Canon came up with some winners! Great colors right down to the fluffy yellow pollen on Moonstruck and Saffron. Cindy's Heart color is otherworldly!

Thanks for sharing these!

Charlie

Kristen Beautiful!

Great pictures, and just look at all that pollen!   :o  Thanks for showing Gabriel's bush, too.  Looks nice and healthy.  :)

Another "snowbiscus" photo - First time bloomer H. Schizopetalus makes her debut on Big Bad Blizzard/Groundhog Day (she did not see her shadow)  :D

Yash, That is a great Schizo!  I love that bloom!  And yes... another snow day.  Today it is raining though, but tonight it is gonna drop in temps and then oh boy!  Ice skating anyone?

Awesome Schizo! Thanks for showing this, Ive been curious if it could even bloom in a small sized pot.  Really love that snowy backdrop.

While the rest of the country is getting slammed, we are having beautiful sunny cool weather here in Western Washington.  I fell asleep on a bench yesterday and ended up getting sunburned...  I guess thats what happens when you metamorphose into a mole person, not having experienced sun in weeks. 

Kristen, you need to take more macro pics, I cant get enough of them!

{{{{{{{Kristen}}}}}}}

great shots. the new camera is serving you well. i am liking gabriel more each time i see it.

louis

Here is one from today. its a dark and gloomy day with rain and snow.

High Voltage, a nice bloom, about 8 inches, could not get any pollen off of it.

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/high%20voltage.jpg)

Kristen ,

I am waiting to get my 7D also ! So hopefully when I get my tax refund lol Nice pictures btw !

Thanks everyone for the compliments.  I took some really cool water shots... I have to re size them.  I will, and post.

I became passionate with photography when I got my first macro lens.  So it is only logical that I get back into it.  Make it fun again.  I see these water drop photos and love them.  So the other day, I tried it.  Not the best, a bit out of focus, but for my first time, I had fun...

Kerry, you are going to love the 7D.  I do.  It is quite a bit smaller then what I came from, and I was afraid that I was making a step down, but I am happy I did.  I was using a Nikon D2Xs.  I like having a smaller camera, however I got the 24-70 2.8 L USM, and that thing is a tank!  SWEET lens, but HEAVY!  With that lens on the 7D, it is as heavy as the D2Xs with a lens.

I am not familiar with Nikon I am a Canon girl for life LOL , I have a 20D now and I have a macro lens also its a sigma 105mm 2.8, tamron 17-50mm 2.8, sigma 70-200mm 2.8, I think I will buy a canon 85mm 1.8 next. So I just can't wait to get the 7D those water drop pictures look nice !

Greetings from bright and sunny and of course cold Connecticut.
Here is a nice Bon Temps bloom. How could you not smile when you see this beauty. :)

louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/bon%20temps.jpg)

Nice one Lou!

Kerry, those macro shots were taken with my Canon 100mm macro 2.8  I got it like 10 years ago when I was a Canon girl.  Working at the newspaper switched me over to Nikon.  They handed me a whole set up.  But now I own the 7D, 24-70 f/2.8 L USM, 70-200 f/4 L IS USM, and for a flash I went with the 580 EX II.  That flash is serious!  I am looking for a wide angle right now.  I shoot weddings and my sports with it.  Cant wait for that one!!!!

Amazing photography all over the forum this week!  The hibiscus in the snow, and the cool water drops! You guys are really great photographers, all of you!

Hats off to you, and thanks for the treat!

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Simple Pleasure bloomed today here are two pictures under different light, flower has slightly different color.   

mike, that a very nice bloom.

louis

Simple Pleasures - one of the best! Thanks for posting.

Charlie

Kristen, those water drops are fantastic. If anyone has not clicked the photos to see the enlargement I highly recommend trying it - the details are worth the short time it takes to view the full size.

Charlie

Here is a bloom for today it is The Path, if you look close you can see the pollen , I pollenated it with Simple Pleasure, hope it takes !!

great plant mike, the path is one of the best. your plant leaves are very rich.

louis

How many more days till spring??

Here are a few from today. it was a bright and sunny day, but cold.

Here is only the second bloom for me on June's Joy. it had tons of pollen so i crossed it with high voltage, black dragon and a very nice red, called howard hine.

I feel like the matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof :)

Louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-06/black%20dragon.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-06/high%20voltage-1.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-06/howard-1.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/2-06/junes%20joy.jpg)

Charlie, thanks for the compliments!  This was my first attempt at water drop photography, they were way out of focus.  I will try and try again.  And show you my progress!

Louis that Junes Joy ROCKS!

Mike, I'm so glad you posted The Path.  I love that one.  I got that plant back in July from another vendor.  It was a poor graft, and since, has not grown or given me any blooms.  I think it may turn around soon though as I am starting to see some buds form.  It has never looked happy.  Yellow veining, sappy leaves.....  Great bloom though, thanks!

Louis - those are some top notch blooms.  True beauty, thanks for sharing.

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Here are some small ones that all bloomed today . Top is Heavy Metal , Bottom is Simple Pleasure , Left is Mrs J Spangler .

I like seeing The Path come back from time to time. It was our best seller for about 5 years when we first started the online store. It's been a good parent, too, but I think we have improved the overall qualities of what I call the multicolored yellow group so do not grow The Path much these days. Over time the growth habit and flower output of those like Simple Pleasures and Rainbow Sherbet and many others multi-yellows make them more desirable for me to grow. Still, The Path has a very pretty flower that has wide appeal - men, women, and orangoutangs all seem to like it.

Charlie

I love the Howard Hine...such a nice magenta color...charlie are there any of your magentas that look similar?  Would love to have one ;D..Lynette

I had a nice relief from my winter doldrums today.  I haven't really been getting blooms but my Pocahontas did have a bud that opened today.  :)  She and Haute Couture weren't doing so well, so they've been spending the winter in the sunniest window possible.  On a clear day this window gets an hour or two of direct sunlight.  Pocahontas, HC, and of course Creme de la Creme got the best seats in the house this year.

Here's the bloom from today.  I love this flower!

Wow, that Pocahontas will clear out the Tule Fog with those warm, distinctive colors!

This was a long stretch without any blossoms.  Many of my plants lost a majority of their leaves but it looks as if all of them have turned the corner and new growth is appearing all over.  It didn't help that I moved several of them to make room for the 2011 order.

These aren't the most spectacular but it is my first ever Scarlet Beauty bloom.  This one bud has been slooooowwwwly growing for several months now and finally today...

Farmer D

Jordan! glad you got blooms!  That Pocahontas is awesome!

Thanks Kristen and Farmer D.  I can't wait for this one to get bigger.  David has had some great Pocahontas photos, which actually prompted my purchase of this cv.

Yeah, this is one I hesitated on several times... Ill never learn!  This one is nice because it is supposed to stay fairly small,  am I right?

I am looking to get the 580 EXII also .... I have to many things on my to buy list haha

Me too!  I dropped some mad cheese lately.  I got that whole setup I told you about above for my camera and lenses in January.  And on Monday, I bought a new Macbook Pro...  Now I need to get more photo gigs I guess.

Get the 580, its worth every penny, and not that much more expensive then the smaller one.  It is serious!

Kristen, my experience with Pocahontas has been pretty limited.  I think the bush is supposed to grow to a lush, medium size.  Mine is tiny still as she hit hard times... I got Pocahontas in mid-summer last year as a 4" pot right before I ran out of fertilizer.  I was out of extra cash at the time and she had to go three weeks without and became chlorotic.  With winter and everything she's only recently recovered, and definitely needs a bigger pot.  I'l really see how she does this year.  The bloom I posted was around 4".  The plant itself is only around 10" tall right now not including the pot.

Well good luck with her!  I have to pot up most of mine as well, but I don't think I am supposed to do that in the winter.... so I am making them wait with their toes crossed. :-)

Pocahontas branches well as could be seen in some of the photos David posted from Vietnam. It does not grow very tall, at least for me. Sometimes I get surprised by what they can do when you do not take wood from them twice a year but I sort of doubt Pocahontas is one of those. I love growing 6 inch pots of it because of how well it will branch in response to a pinch here and there. Then it buds up all over and the pots we send out at that point are usually very pretty.

Charlie

Since your pots are indoors, Kristen, you could probably transplant them safely but best results are had when spring has arrived, the weather is warming up fast, and there is more sunlight during the longer days. That is working with Nature rather than around Nature and it usually works out better.

Charlie

Wow, nice surprise today with Bon Temps.  This one blossom has transformed into a gem.  Very impressed with this plant, never affected by winter and a great bloomer.  BT is a lush plant, with beautiful leaves that are very dark green and have more of an edge to them.

8" bloom for Feb outdoors...impressive!

Farmer D

Also got my second ever Flickering Flame bloom today.  Awesome colors, can't wait for the bigger blooms of summer for this one.

Third day for Scarlet Beauty - still looks great.  Nice white blush to go with the soft, velvety red.  This one is an eye catcher.

Farmer D

darren, nice bon temps, i really like that plant.

louis

Flowers in February! Our garden is bare today, but the plants look OK.

Just curious - what size was Bon Temp did you start with? It does grow very well in the greenhouse and I'm glad to see it's doing fine in your garden. Flickering Flame will change a lot come summer. Normally the striking black eye is the first thing you notice about it. I also want to see Scarlet Beauty in your summer garden. Should be an eye catcher!

Charlie

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Here is my first bloom on my Living Legend it is in the house for winter so bloom is a little small .

Ahh, but Living Legend is still so very nice to see!

Charlie

Mike, that is a great plant, I am way wanting to get one of those since day one.

I really really hope it becomes available some day, haven't seen it in a loooonnngggg time in the store.

Love to see how it does outdoors 365 for a few years here in Hollywood! 

I've got a pair of glasses already picked out for it!

Farmer D

I'm pretty sure it started as a 4" plant as all but 2 of my first order last year were 4" plants.

Here is a good head on shot to give you a good idea of what it's doing now.  28" tall with lots of buds now.  It is in a partially shady spot behind my Strawberry Guava tree.  Very little maintenance ever on this cv.

Charlie, when you move to your new house what are you going to do with your outdoor garden?  That is a lot of plants...

Louis - If you get a chance to get this plant I highly recommend it.  I have really done almost nothing to it since I planted it in April.  Super easy to grow.

Farmer D

Wouldn't it figure I would get this bloom at this time of year...

Happy Valentines Day to all!!

Farmer D

OK, Farmer D, you've thrown down the gauntlet! I WILL come up with some Living Legend plants asap. It is one of that group I mentioned the other day - it roots but not real well so I don't end up with many of them and haven't switched it over to the "better grafted" group that would allow me to have more if I do the grafts. The one in our garden is very old - at least a decade, and wonderfully strong.

What to do with our outdoor garden is one of the drawbacks of moving. My current plan is to dig up a few of the special plants and then pot them and leave them in the greenhouse to recover. Most of the others will stay for the next tenant. The landlord says he plans to water them and do whatever to maintain them as they add a lot to the property. We don't mind leaving behind a spot of beauty for others to enjoy but some of these plants have been with me a lot of years and those are coming with. The Saffron I've shown photos of before, a big old High Voltage, an old Rosalind that is still quite vigorous, a big Heaven Scent. The huge Albo we grew here in just 4 years will stay although many cuttings have been taken recently.

The move is this week. Gonna be a whirlwind of activity here, rain or shine!

Charlie

AH Living Legend, I sadly lost that one to spider mites two years ago.  I'm sure once you get one, it will look spectacular!

I LOVE LIVING LEGEND!

Good luck with the move Charlie.  Hope all goes well!

Charlie, what town are you moving to?  My best friend moved to Santa Maria.  Are you close to that? I know you said that where you live now, you are about 5 hours away from there... are you closer now?  I am planning on visiting her this summer, and would love to do it on a weekend that you have an open house...  Hopefully the move will be smooth and you will be able to have them this year!

Thanks for the moral support for the move!

Kristen, we are moving up closer to Los Angeles which is closer to Santa Maria but still not what most would call close. Google maps shows it as 245 miles but get this - they say it will take 4 hours and 25 minutes to drive but adds that "in traffic" it will take 7 hours and 30 minutes. That is what it means to go through Los Angeles much of the time! When we drive to San Francisco to visit family we always leave the house about 4AM so that we go through Los Angeles before we are "in traffic" as Google says. Anyway, put the town of Hemet into Google maps or Mapquest and you can see where we will be.

Charlie

Thanks Charlie!  If I'm gonna be out there, I don't care how long it takes, I am still closer then I am now... do you have trains?  That would be fun!

What you really need is Lou to take you in his helicopter. Fly right over that nasty LA traffic.

Amtrak does run up and down the California coast, and goes to a few more inland cities. I think you would have to catch it in Santa Barbara and take it to Riverside. There are supposed to be good  bus connections from Santa Maria and to Hemet. The train part says 5 hours and 48 minutes but the bus on each end would add at least another hour. Good price for the train at $36 each way. It would be a relatively painless way to get through LA. If you were driving to an Open House on a Saturday, LA traffic is not as bad on weekends but the earlier you pass through it the better.

Once we settle on 2011 Open House date(s) you can see if it fits your schedule and if so we will help make it possible. That would make you the American visitor with the longest trip so far! Last year a doctor from The Philippines came and a nursery owner from Italy also so they hold the record up til now.

Charlie

I can say the driving should be much better now.

Since the open house will be in Hemet this changes things as to which freeways you can take.  When I went in Oct from Hollywood it was horrible coming back at mid-day Saturday.  Extra 2 hours of driving due to horrible traffic from Orange County line all the way through downtown (that is a long distance!!).

Now you can take the 210 freeway and fringe LA on the north side until you hit the 15 freeway which will lead directly to Hemet.  If you like driving and want to see scenery I think this is now a much better drive than going towards San Diego and getting stuck going through the heart of LA to get to and from Vista.

Still, Santa Maria is about 2 hours north of LA, then add on another hour to go from LA to Hemet area.  So one day is at least 6 hours of driving.  Hey, spend a night in Hollywood, it would be a Saturday so lots to see and do...

Farmer D

Well, the girlfriend I am going to be visiting could use a night out Im sure... two young kids... So maybe she would want to come, drive me, and then we can all go out dancing after ;) PARTY!!  Hey Jordan, where do you live in relation to all of this?  Close to Santa Maria?

Just looked on Google maps and I'm a little over 4.5 hrs from Santa Maria.  From Hemet more like 6.5.  I live a little bit east of Tracy.  I do want to get down for an open house one of these days...

Actually, the helicopter sounds like a great idea. (Lou, you should get on that), Jordan, Ill holla at ya when we will be by to pick you up.  Make sure your ready, cause I don't know if there is much room to park in your hood.

That would be a great trip. we could stop at every diner, hot dog stand and flea markets along the way.

Back so many years ago when times were less stressfull, every sumer I would fly a helicopter from conn to the mid west to help in pollinating hybrid corn crops. this was a summer long deal.
i would stay at the howard johnsons, parking the helo in the back yard. they loved it, try it now and you will be in deep doo doo.

louis

Enjoy!

Farmer D

Hey Darren,

That Acapulco Gold is showing some good strong color again. Not summer colors but still nice. We have nada in our outdoor garden, not even a garden variety bloom today. Too cold for flowers but well above freezing all winter which should help when spring rolls around. Storms  for the next 10 days but none of them very cold which might take us out of danger for a freeze this year.

Lou, how does that work with the corn? The helicopter blows the pollen around or??? Remember when there was speculation that many of us would be commuting by air, landing some type of plane or helicopter in parking lots? Not going to happen any time soon but at least you got a taste of it landing next to the HoJo.

Charlie

LOL parking a heli at HoJo.  Kristen, just send a rope down when you guys are here with the chopper and I'll grab on.  :)

Charlie,

I hope the move went productively today and thank you for excitement over AG.  

You made my month, maybe year if there would be some Living Legend avail eventually.  Thank you for sharing in the enthusiasm even with all you have going on currently.

Here are today's blooms, too bad the weather has finally reverted back to winter as the plants really were soaking up the sunshine and warmth since New Years.  

Again Bon Temps is just blowing me away, large blooms and exquisite colors in Feb!!!  AG is looking pretty nice too.

Farmer D

Rounding out the bunch...

Farmer D

Nice pics Darren, very interesting that Charlie says that's  A Golds winter colors, I spent a bit of time yesterday looking at it and then looking at the gallery and had convinced myself that it wasn't AG, I even went back on the Forum and looked at my own and your old pictures, hehe so what do I know, will be interesting to see if it has the traditional look come the warmer weather.
I also have a new [my old one died] AG growing, it is growing much slower than my old one did and seems a bit more compact, so maybe this cv can show many different characteristics, we will see.

Hi Charlie,

Using a helo to pollinate corn is a very effective method to make sure the pollen is evenly distributed.

What they did was to plant two rows of what they called "Pilot Corn", and along side of the two rows of pollen corn they would plant 6 rows of corn on either side of the pilot corn that they wanted to cross pollinate with.

At exactly 9 AM, when the pollen sacks would open,  I would start on one side of the huge fields and hover down the rows of pilot corn very slowly and the    pollen would be blown off the tassels and would do it job of pollinating.

Here is a video of a helo pollinating a seed corn field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioSybMDNBSQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioSybMDNBSQ)

Here is an advertisement for the company that I flew for. This was many years ago and they are still in business.

Louis


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David, I also wondered whether Darren's Acapulco Gold was the real deal but he found some summer photos of it that showed the colors we're used to. Amazing how much they can change!

Lou, thanks for the explanation about corn pollination. The video gave me a "lift", probably brought a lot of memories back for you. I wish hibiscus pollen sacs would open predictably at 9 AM but there's nothing simple about hibiscus.

Back to the move, day 1 went well, but there' more.........

Charlie

Hang in there Charlie and Cindy.....I heard moving is a real pill...but it will all be worth it!! ;DLynette

Being this is my first winter with hibiscus I am learning a lot.  Interesting that the blooms can change so dramatically during the seasons to the point that we have non-believers that these are still the same plants.  Pretty amazing the transformations...

I'm really enjoying the different looks each bloom presents and even though having the plants outdoors 365 is a lot of work it is really worth it.

These are going on days 2 to 4.

Farmer D

darren,

your plants are outstanding. and your grass does not have a weed. would you like some crabgrass seeds?

nice to see the other flowers in bloom.

louis

A few from today.  its warming up outside, up to  50 degrees and was getting too hot in the greenhouse. have to think about putting up the shade cloth.

the high voltage has been open for three days with no change in color.

a very nice tsunami opened today, love the color and the frilly edges. and the every faithful moonstruck.
could not get any pollen from any of the three.

Louis

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/4%20blooms.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/creole%20lady.jpg)

(http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/tsunami.jpg)

Louis,

Your blooms are beautiful as always.  I love how we can see various hibiscus blooms against both your snowy backdrop and my green landscape.

I cannot convey to you the countless hours I've spent deweeding my lawns.  I thought crabgrass was bad, it's easy compared to the thin version of bermuda grass.  A true labor of love as the bermuda grass builds those underground root systems that snake throughout your lawn.  And the roots go down almost a foot at certain intervals.  I'd say my lawn is 75% bermuda free, just wait till the first really hot weather hits and it comes roaring back.

Soon your temps will be warmer than ours, we're in the 50s now too with lots more rain coming...good for our snowpack though!!

Farmer D

Lou, what is that last photo?  Is it Voodoo Magic?  You say tsunami, is it that similar?  Beautiful blooms BTW.  I am outside on the deck this morning with my new laptop enjoying the heat wave myself!  Feels great!

Hi K,

nice day today, was in the upper 60's. lot of snow melting.

the plant that you asked about is, i believe,  a cajun plant called Tsunami. looks a lot like voodoo magic.

its about 7 inches in diameter. its a one day bloom.

pretty flower.

louis

Louis I think you might have a mislabeled bloom...  I know both Voodoo Magic and Tsunami pretty well and would bet my big toe that's Voodoo Magic you have in that picture.

Hi horse,

you may be right. you get to keep your toe, it is difficult to walk without ones big toe :)

 i have had so many mislabeled plants from the supplier i bought this plant from
. THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN HERE AT HVH, :)

i have another plant that i know is tsunami and it will  bloom in a few days for the first time.

i have done some more research and it appears that is indeed voodoo magic. actually i am pleased with that.

many thanks

louis

Wonderful news, Jordan would have had a bit of a job explaining the limp.

Louis... glad you have another one. Voodoo Magic is great though!  That cv got me into growing hibiscus, actually  :)

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(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Beavinue2.png)
Beavinue bloomed today it was in the house I took it out side for the picture so the color is kinda light compared to usual .

hi mike,

pretty flower.

i have a Beavinue that will bloom for the first time in a week or so.

looking forward to it.

louis

Another blizzard :P, another H. Schizopetalus bloom (as it opens) :D
And a snow picture for Cindy...

Mike, what a pretty bloom!

Lou, I didn't think that was Tsunami.... Glad you have another one.  Voodoo Magic is awesome!  One of my favorite.

My first Samba Dancer of the summer.

hello david,

thats a neat flower. love your pots and marigolds in the background.

louis

Wait... when did it become summer??

Haha, Kristen summer started here about 2 weeks ago, not sure if that's official but once it gets past 95f that's good enough for me. Loise Samba is neat, and surprisingly very tolerant of the sun and heat, in fact much better than Saffron which is claimed to be very sun tolerant. Annother suprise for me has been Dark of Night, it is also very tolerant of the conditions here, my least tolerant cv is Cranberry Muffin, it only has to have the sun wink at it and the leaves crisp up, doesent stop it blooming mind.

Deb, its nice to see H schizopetalus again. Such a strange hibiscus flower to be part of the family that is genetically compatible. It's from Madagascar, another island near Mauritius off the east coast of Africa. H. schizo has been a challenge to grow but I think I've finally got it this year - we've some very full H schizo in 6 inch pots this year that look quite nice.

Charlie

David, your comments about Samba Dancer are one of the big reasons we started the forum. I would not have guessed it could hold up to the heat and sun of Vietnam and never would have found that out without comments from someone growing it in those conditions.

It's a surprise that Saffron is not doing better for you. We'll see how the mature plants do. In our outdoor garden it thrives in sunrise to sunset full sun with no shade BUT the temperatures rarely go over 90F which may be the difference. I also water heavily in summer which can make a difference, too.

This discussion reminds me of the people growing their hibiscus in apartments in Moscow, Germany, and Canada. We think they are "challenged" by growing conditions, and indeed they are, but they also have the advantage of less intense summers that allow for almost all varieties to bloom without bud drop or related heat problems and experience less fading of flower colors. Quite fascinating to see how these fancy exotic hibiscus do around the world!

Charlie

Ahh great blooms!  I really like H shiz, fascinating bloom and bush shape. 

Mild summers, and very long day length could make for a very good bloom season up North :)

Charlie I don't want to give the wrong impression about Saffron, it is performing, it just has the odd fried leaf with the intensity of the sun, where as Samba Dancer I can leave in the hotest part of the garden now knowing the sun will have zero affect. Another cv which has surprised me and appears to thrive here is Dark of Night, no great blooms to post of that yet but the sun has no affect on its leaves. Of course the daddy is High Voltage, its sat in the hottest part of the garden and loving it, here it is below in its new large 14 inch pot, just opened and is facing me as I look out in the garden.

Very nice, David. High Voltage is a champ!

Charlie

Hi all,

The sun is getting much stronger and the plants are lovin' it.

Day time temps in the greenhouse are in the 90's and night, 75 ish.

Here you have Over the Rainbow, June's Joy (see pollen, crossed with jolanda gommer)
Black Dragon and a very nice flamboyant Black Dream.

Please enjoy as much as I do.

Louis

Amazing blooms (and photos) Louis!  Black Dragon and Black Dream are breathtaking, both in form and color!!!  :o

wow georgeous ;D :D ::)

That Black Dragon photo is one of the best I've seen, Louis.  Very pretty!  All of the others too.  :)

That Black Dragon has won my photo of the month by a street and will be my Wallpaper for March,wonderful.

Great blooms and photos, Lou! Just curious if you have been using Booster (potassium nitrate). I've noticed in the past that a good dose of Booster can bring out petaloids as with this bloom of Black Dream that is normally completely single.

Thanks for showing us these!

Charlie

I agree Lou, these photos are beautiful!  What a nice thing to look at this cold cold morning.  Although the shoreline is supposed to hit maybe 40º today....  Where having a heat wave!  A tropical heat wave!!  ;)

Charlie..will any black dream be available any time soon...6 in or larger preferably....after that photo I really need one!!...Lynette

Thank you everyone for your nice words. Its my job to make you all smile. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Charlie, this black dream is the is the second bloom that i have with the petaloids since I started to use your household plant formula. I have not used the booster in a couple of months. I did not post the first one's bloom because it bloomed while i was away for a couple of days and it was too ratty to photograph when i got back.

I am impressed with your new fertilizer, i see a difference in the plants, to the good side since i started to use it.

I use 3 teaspoons of HVH household formula per gallon of water, 2 ml of kontos and one teaspoon of mag sulfide, for each watering.

louis

OH - OH !!!!!

THEY'RE BAAAACCCKKKK.....
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ValentinesDayAphids2-23.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ValentinesDayAphids2-233.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ValentinesDayAphids2-232.jpg)
Time for Safari Tree & Shrub pellets.
This must mean spring is right around the corner...

Louis & David - your blooms are perfect.  This is what makes us hibiscus lovers.

Farmer D

On the other side of the hibiscus spectrum here is a few shots of Pink Versicolor (a commercialized variety) I purchased last summer out of curiosity and also it looked very strong and has beautiful dark green leaves.

I must say it has been a constant bloomer with no ill effects at all from winter.  The color has been a consistent very dark pink bordering on red minis.

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/PinkVeriscolor.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/PinkVeriscolor2-233.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/PinkVersicolor2-232.jpg)

Farmer D

Beautiful blooms from everyone!

Rain Drop is pumping out blooms again, but it looks like it is entering growth phase after this next group of buds :)

Such a beauty!

hi mike, it is a beauty. what is the size of the bloom,

lou

Love the intensity of your winter time Raindrop, Chris!

Charlie

Lou, there is lots of Booster in the HVH Houseplant formula. Plenty of magnesium sulfate in it, too. I'm glad its working for you, the colors you are getting are fabulous.

Darren, aphids already! The Safari should take care of them but the cold rain storm we're about to have will slow down its absorption by the plants. Slow down aphid reproduction, too, so maybe its a wash.

Charlie

Great Raindrop Chris!  Whose pollen might that be on her pads?   :)

I hope the aphids signal an early spring for us in California.  Right after this storm I hope!  While those of you in southern CA are looking for rain, my weather people here in northern CA are saying it might snow!!!!!  That would be very unusual for this area.

Thanks everyone!

Lou: It is about 5 inches across, beautiful purple color. 

Jordan, the weather has been weird on the west coast, it is snowing here in Seattle, which is weird in itself!

I also have rain drop....has been doing well ...budding up and one bud may open soon..but the weather turned sour again so we will see...but the photos are beautiful...and I am going to to use the indoor fertilizer formula for my future indoor hibs ::) ;Dlynette

Great stuff everyone!  I have a 5th Dimension with 3 buds on it and The Path with one monster that are all ready to open for the first time (actually I thought it would have opened by now) but probably open while I am away :( Totally a bummer.  I was really excited for those... And having it be their first blooms on those plants makes it even worse. 

Do you think it would be too much to ask my brother to take photos of them when they do open with his phone and text it to me??  I mean after all, he is only taking care of my 2 bunnies, kitty, and dog, while watering all 30 of my plants.....  Pray for me please!!

Yeah!, free natural and organic aphid removal system installed.

Just a little proactive manual transport from one end of the garden to the other.
I hope you're really hungry...
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ValentinesDay2-24.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ValentinesDay2-242.jpg)

Farmer D

LOL Darren, I think you have the happiest ladybug in the world right there.


I'm waiting in anticipation with my camera, as I have a Creme de la Creme bud that should open within a week...

Awesome! Bon appétit, Ladybug!  :D

Darren, that is so funny!  Lucky her!  Jordan, Im looking forward to your CDLC photos.  I have my name on the wait list for that one.  LOVE IT!

BTW, 5th opened twins for me today!!  Yay!  I took some photos, will work on them on the plane probably to show you all.  They were beautiful!  I also had a Voodoo magic open so I crossed them.  Hoping for The Path tomorrow, and will cross that too!

Aaawwwhhh, the morning after....
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/DSC00572.jpg)

Wait a second, what da...I see what happened.  Someone booted out our aphid removal system from it's cozy spot and replaced it with a natural organic hibiscus flower bloom removal system.  Not in my yard!
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/DSC00573.jpg)
Farmer D

Here are a few from today. I am so pleased with the HVH household fertilizer. I have never had so many plants in bloom at the same time. There were 9 plants blooming today, unfortunately I could not photograph all because I had to go to work and when i got home, too dark.

For the first time Bienuenve bloomed for me., its a stunning plant.

Sorry for all the photos, i was like a kid in a candy store this morning.

Louis

Wow Louis, those are all very beautiful.  The Bienvenue is a jaw dropper.  I hope mine one day has results similar to that...

Thank you for sharing!

Farmer D

(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture3.png)
(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture1-4.png)
Here is my photo for today a nice Simple Pleasure

After all the mislabeled plants, I am almost sure this is Tsunami. If you are familiar with the plant, let me know your thoughts.

Louis

hi mike,

i really like that plant. great color.

louis

Bright and beautiful Simple Pleasures, Mike!

Lou, you know the Jolander is actually Voodoo Magic, right? A commercial grower near me had about 200 Tsunami plants a couple of years ago. They all flopped badly as they matured and the colors faded quickly during the brightness and heat of a southern summer. Not my cuppa but it may do better if tended to carefully and in less intense conditions.

Charlie

Love those "nature" shots, Darren. You know what they call insects on hibiscus flowers at hibiscus shows? Livestock!

Charlie

hi charlie,

i am confused, as usual. did you mean that jolanda gommer is voodoo magic in disguise or are you talking about
tsunami.

lou

Hey Lou,

I meant to say that the photo labeled Jolanda Gommer is a photo of Voodoo Magic.

Charlie

good morning charlie, hope the move is going ok.

yes you are right, i miss-labeled VM as JG. My Bad.  ;D ;D

lou

Good Morning all,

a few from this morning. sun is getting stronger, can spring be far behind.

A very nice high voltage, its 9 inches in diameter, a most unusual Wild Grape

and a nice Illuminati, this is the first bloom since last fall. strange thing on this plant. it has 5 tall branches and i attempted to air layer them last october. i took off an inch of bark on each stem and placed rooting compound and wrapped in moss. they never did root, instead a callus grew to attach both ends of the bark and bypasses the cutting i did.

never have seen this.  its now blooming with the "bridges" connecting both ends of the cut branches.

BTW, i had a successful cross with wild grape with purple magic resulting in a dozen seeds. i planted half of them and they are now getting their first true leaves, should be interesting.

louis

Very beautiful blooms, Louis... Wild Grape looks cute with freckles! :D

Super blooms and photos, Lou! I like that High Voltage against the snowy background. Wild Grape getting all it's fancy coloration now for you. It's definitely one of the best of the 2010 seedlings. Crossing with Purple Magic might get bigger size in the flower, but at the risk of messing up what is now a very well behaved bush. OTOH, if all the best qualities of both combine, look out!

Interesting attempt with Illuminati. For those who are not familiar with air layering, it is a way to clone new plants from an existing plant. Sometimes it works better than standard rooting of cuttings but as Lou found out some of the hibiscus varieties can confound even the best strategies! Nice try, anyway.

Charlie