Title: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on February 29, 2012, 10:20:50 PM Well, Happy March everyone! Its almost Spring! I figured I'd start a new month since I just got out of work and put todays photos on the computer. Since its after midnight... rabbit rabbit!
Some pretty ones from today. Cindy's Heart Heavy Metal The Path Erin Rachel (my camera still hates this one) Night Runner (does everyone else's NR look like this??? My blooms immediately go to a full backbend and stay that way for days...) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Denise on February 29, 2012, 10:30:50 PM Gorgeous! Happy March!!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 01, 2012, 12:01:05 AM Wow Kristen! They are all exceedingly beautiful. Such depth of color!
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 01, 2012, 10:16:27 AM Thanks Denise & Darren! Im loving them. There is a pink theme going on over here. Even the seedling! It bloomed again, unfortunately I only had my iPhone to take the photo. Ill post it later. Looks very similar, more veining, deeper maroon coloring, lighter fade on edge.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 01, 2012, 11:02:25 AM Kristen, that was a great way to start off the month of March. Beautiful pics.
I had another Cindy's Heart today. And the one from yesterday is still looking great. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 01, 2012, 01:05:50 PM Doll, don't you just love CH? I get multiple blooms all the time. Even throughout my chilly winter! Been such a great cv for me. Some beauties you got! And mine always last 3-4 sometimes 5 days!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 01, 2012, 01:06:31 PM A second bloom opened on Hot Southern Nights today. I am really liking this cv--the blooms present upright and flat just like it's parent, Living Legend. If the number of buds are any indication this will be a prolific bloomer. One more large bud is visible and should open in a day or two. The first bloom is now day three and still looks good--only slight fading but retains its flat fully open shape. There are also three more small buds forming beneath the flowers.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 01, 2012, 01:10:50 PM Beautiful Erny! Love it. I ordered Slapstick this Jan, I thought the two looked fairly similar in Charlie's photos. Charlie, How similar are these two? Seems like Erny's is a bit more orange and Slapstick is more of the red family? If Slapstick blooms nearly as good as HSN I will be so excited! Either way, both are so pretty.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Denise on March 01, 2012, 01:19:30 PM Even if that flexed-back form on Night Runner is not desirable, I think it looks really cool and dramatic! And the colors are awesome.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 01, 2012, 01:28:27 PM Kristen, CH is m favorite variety by far. The blooms usually last 3 days for me during the spring and fall. But during the hot summers here, they only last 1 day.
Erny, your HSN is amazing. Can't wait till I get some buds on mine. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 01, 2012, 06:27:53 PM Loving the technicolor blooms (and the "acrobat"... LOL)!!!
My recent indoor bloomers... Another set of H. Arnottianus triplets A backlit Black Dragon A huge Rocket's Red Glare (over 8" with outer edge droop) And one of my miniflora roses "Flawless" (I brought in for the winter to rest, but it's blooming!) Deb :D Three more weeks until Spring... Whoo hoo!!! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 02, 2012, 07:58:54 AM Deb, that is an awesome Rockets Red Glare!
A couple of High Voltage blooms today. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 02, 2012, 07:46:43 PM Really nice blooms Deb & John! Over 8" on RRG - impressive!
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 03, 2012, 03:01:27 PM Below are some recent photos of some of my favorite blooms.
Simple Pleasures - well known, well behaved big flower. Carmel Dawn - almost unknown but high quality, large flower from Cranberry Muffin Bright Hope - fantastic large flower blooming indoors Cherokee Princess - nice brown flower Aztec Giant - this one can get up to 9-10 inches Golden Giant - another one that is heavy textured and quite large Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 03, 2012, 03:44:00 PM Very nice Charlie, stand out for me is the Golden Giant followed closely by Aztec Giant, I do love the Gold Colour. I have Cosmic Gold and its one of my favourites but that wont be Gold till next winter, now its just yellow.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 03, 2012, 04:02:18 PM Its a real struggle in the garden at the moment, hard to believe only a few weeks ago I was having multiple 7 and 8 inch blooms, haha now I am happy with a single 5 incher, but one cv that doesn't care one jot how hot and dry it is that's Pineapple Sundae.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 03, 2012, 09:46:06 PM Wow great blooms everyone!
David, I am really liking the two toned eye on pineapple sunday. I like the more golden look cosmic gold shows as well, I have the opposite problem of you in that they are usually orange for me since my weather is very cool. Charlie, those blooms are fantastic, I always like to see more pictures of the newer CVs, I especially like Carmel Dawn, you can tell from the picture that one is really special. Deb, always like to see blooms from a fellow northerner using artificial lights. I really love the amount of control you get using this method. I almost prefer it to growing outside since the conditions are consistent and you can really observe the outcome of changing one variable. I also managed to get my hands on Heart of my Heart, I'm really happy I was able to replace the one I lost. Darren, looks like the mild winter is paying off in more summery looking blooms earlier Kristen, I really like Heavy Metal, another that eludes me. I do like the more compact bush of that one... Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Nievesgirl on March 04, 2012, 10:30:51 AM Deb , That is why I love RRG !!!!! Its just so nice when it blooms.
Cindy's heart looks nice John ! Erny your southern Nights blooms look amazing. I love seeing really upright blooms that are flat. ( with all the cvs I have I do not think I have any that bloom like that). Everyone has some nice pictures for sure. Charlie Carmel dawn is my cup of tea. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 04, 2012, 02:26:35 PM Slowly the nice pictures from everyone seem to be coming, it must be really warming up over there.
All small blooms for me now but still lovely colours, and how Bridal Path can be as lush large and green as it is with this sun blazing on it amazes me, Rainbow Sherbert and Hot Southern Nights are the others. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 05, 2012, 05:17:10 AM David, I guess the rainy season is over in Vietnam? Your photos still look super.
Carmel Dawn is pretty special as you guys observed from the photo. All we've been able to do so far is propagate some plants for stock. Next round will provide some to offer if all goes well. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 05, 2012, 07:11:31 AM Nice ones Everyone!
Charlie, I agree, Carmel Dawn is a beauty! And the name couldn't be a better fit! I also love the big ones! Something about having a monster bloom. I don't have any that get over 9" on a good day, I may need one of those that are a constant 10" you offer. lol! When people come over they freak out when they see all the colors of these blooms, but they cant seem to wrap their minds around the size too! Like my summer garden is a freak show to all the commoners! Haha. David, I always love your Rainbow Sherbet! Yours seems too look so dramatic. Love it! Deb, oh my goodness! Yes! Your RRG is spectacular! I thought I didn't care for that cv much. Wow! I stand corrected! your bloom makes my mind spin!!!! Beautiful! Chris, Thanks. Heavy Metal is one of my favorites. The bush is TINY! it blooms nicely and quite regularly on a 1' bush that is branching on its own very nicely. Its strong and lush, and doesn't seem to need too much special care. Good one for my winters! I found some spider mites on my mothers house plants in her bedroom (where my biggest hib bushes are) so yesterday I had to take them all in her shower... what a task. I took the bloom off my CH seedling and took it home to shoot in a better light. This is the third day for this third bloom on this seedling. I also have a new seedling. REALLY deformed. But the leaves on the plant are also long and deformed towards the top. On the bottom the leaves look normal. Not sure what is going on. Here is the best shot I could get, looks like cool coloring, but horrible form! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 05, 2012, 09:56:21 AM Thats great that Carmel Dawn is in the will have more cuttings stuck phase. It is such a nice looking color and looks like it has heavier texture. I know you said one parent is Cranberry Muffin, any idea who the other is?
Kristen, looks like your seedlings blooms are maturing nicely, the form looks good same with the color. Next you need to share some cuttings of it to see how it does for others :) As far as the deformed seedling is concerned, I had the same thing happen to me with one of my plants. Are you by chance using Epsom salts? When I accidently spilled too much Epsom salts on my plant and observed this for the next few weeks deformed leaves and flowers. All you need to do if you are seeing this is to flush the pot and do not add anymore epsom salt as long as the leaves are looking deformed. Once you have a few normal ones again, you can lightly apply the epsom salts again. I think that this is due to an overdose of either magnesium or sulfur. Easier to do with these nutrients because you arent water as much because of the weather, so they are not being flushed out or used as quickly as they are in warmer weather. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 05, 2012, 10:52:20 AM Gorgeous Bridal Path David! And Kristen... interesting... the colors on the seedling look great though! If the deformation can be resolved you might have yourself a pretty nice flower!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 05, 2012, 11:09:23 AM David, your plants look like they are dealing with the heat quite well.
Kristen, I love your CH seedling. Temps are getting into the 70s most days now. A Daisy Mae today. You know it's spring when the little green anoles start showing up everywhere. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 05, 2012, 02:06:17 PM Dittoes on David's plants, Kristen's seedling, and Carmel Dawn.
John that's a really pretty Daisy Mae and I love the lizard shot--looks like he could do a Geico commercial. Got my third bloom this week on young Hot Southern Nights plant. On the left is Pinot Noir just about to show its first bloom. On the right is Sparkling Water just starting to bud. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 05, 2012, 03:13:50 PM Very nice Erny, HSN in that last photo doesn't half look like Confection Perfection.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 05, 2012, 03:28:45 PM David, your plants look like they are dealing with the heat quite well. Not to bad John and certainly better than last year, March April and May are the toughest months for my Hibs, virtually zero rain and no cloud cover in the afternoons, experience has taught me that watering twice a day makes a big difference, so I go out and give some a top up at 1pm, the Hibs appreciate it allot and I get a hell of a suntan ha ha.Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 05, 2012, 03:56:53 PM Erny, it's very impressive to see those bloom at such a small size.
David, the hottest months here are June, July and August. I usually have to water mine 3 times a day during those months. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 05, 2012, 05:29:51 PM David, I usually try to take one picture in the sunlight and one in the shadow for comparison. Some show up better in one or the other. The last one there is in the shadow and does look cosiderably more pink--much like Confection Perfection.
I almost missed this one today--Lady in Waiting hiding back under her own leaves. The last two are the first bloom ever on Magnifique and are not looking like any picture I have ever seen of that cv. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 05, 2012, 05:51:27 PM David, the hottest months here are June, July and August. I usually have to water mine 3 times a day during those months.
[/quote] John when you water are all 3 a full watering? or just a top up from the main one. For example I will give Electic Orange 4 pints in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, Bridal Path 8 and then 2, I wonder if its best to equal it out? or perhaps I should give even more water. June July and August are the hottest months here also but you get relief with cloud cover, rain and even higher humidity[often in the 90s], unlike now, very dry and about 75% humidity[ it really is like living in a sauna haha]. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 05, 2012, 06:37:41 PM Hi everyone,
Its difficult to keep up with all the great photos you are posting. May I give a blanket WOW to everyones blooms. I have a new hybrid cross open today. Its a cross between Moonstruck and June's Joy. Its a good size bloom at 7 inches. Bush is about 3 feet and quite full with huge glossy leaves. These photos show the color fairly accurate. The outer petals are a salmon/orange, and with a large red throat. I have one more cross due to open tomorrow. We'll see it its worth a photo. Coments welcome. Louis (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-05-12/new-1.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-05-12/new-2.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-05-12/new-3.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-05-12/new-4.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 05, 2012, 07:00:28 PM I'm gonna have to second Louis' blanket WOW! Great blooms and both seedlings from CT are very nice. Congratulations to Louis and Kristen!
Feb was a strange month here as the weather was more like winter but still pretty mild but my plants are really hitting a low point. Blooms still lasting almost a week and the colors have gone back to pale and winterized. Now I'm toying with adding iron and spraying some quelant-k for the first time so that has not made my plants any happier. Maybe March is the low point here in So Cal as I remember last winter my plants all perked up in April. We'll see.... Thank God for Prosperity...even though the plant is not at it's best the blooms are just amazing. Big and super colorful now. Easily some of the best blooms I ever had here. Also enjoy my thrips ravaged Acapulco Gold (I sprayed yesterday) and my first Cosmic Gold in ages which is really dark of course. (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity3-5.jpg) (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity3-52.jpg) Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 05, 2012, 09:51:28 PM Great seedling Louis.
Beautiful Prosperity Darren! Wow that one is spectacular!! Erny, thanks for sharing those today, some interesting ones. I don't have any doubles. Chris, as far as fertilizing, I have only used HVH houseplant formula all winter long on all the plants at my parents house. Nothing else. Everyone but this messed up seedling has big lush beautiful green leaves of regular shape and all are healthier and happier then ever. This one has always showed strange leaf shape towards the top of the plant... not like Charlie's Fascinating Foliage plants. Just not normal. And when I saw the funky bloom, I wasn't surprised. Do you think its just the seedling? Do you think it will shape up? Or a throw away? Thanks for the help. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 06, 2012, 05:08:32 AM Kristen, your CH seedling is still looking bright and pretty. The other one is a mystery. If it's not genetic or a virus then it should improve on its own. I've seen similar effects from pesticide overdoses or weed killer spray drift. If fertilizer minerals get out of balance that can cause strange effects, too. You just have to wait and see what happens with it. Colors suggest Space Oddity which can be wild itself.
Beautiful Prosperity flowers, Darren! I think you may be right that March is the low point of hibiscus growing outdoors in southern California. When we hit the equinox later in March the days are 12 hours and growing longer which has always seemed to me to mark the point where hibiscus take off again. Lou, I like the look of that seedling. The form is very good and the colors do not remind me of any other cultivar that we are growing. Unique is always good in a seedling! Erny, you are showing that Hot Southern Nights is a very flexible variety. Blooming young and cold for you and blooming in hot tropics for David. I think you will find that Pinot Noir is a good bloomer, too. You may want to let your Sparkling Waters grow naturally this summer and then prune it hard. When I did that last summer I got an excellent branching response that gave me a full bush instead of the 2-3 tall stems that Sparkling Water made before. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 06, 2012, 07:32:18 AM Hi Guys,
glad you like the new seedling, it looks like it will be at least a two day bloom. Kristen, i have had a couple of my new seedlings open like yours. one was a cross between purple magic and wild grape. after 4 blooms opening line that, I tossed it out. if you have the room, keep it until at least summer to see what it does. louis Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 06, 2012, 08:29:01 AM David, I water them thoroughly all 3 times. Most of my big plants are in 2 gallon pots. I think your pots are bigger which should help. I recently found some nice deep 3 gallon pots, so I will move my biggest plants into them soon. Your humidity is even higher than here. WOW! The humidity rises to 90% at night here and then slowly drops to 60% in the afternoon. The temps during the summer usually go from the mid 70s at night to the mid 90s in the afternoon. Last summer was brutal though. We had 45 days of temps over 100.
A more normal look for Frappuccino today. And a pair of Cindy's Heart. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 06, 2012, 12:27:28 PM David, I water them thoroughly all 3 times. Most of my big plants are in 2 gallon pots. I think your pots are bigger which should help. I recently found some nice deep 3 gallon pots, so I will move my biggest plants into them soon. Your humidity is even higher than here. WOW! The humidity rises to 90% at night here and then slowly drops to 60% in the afternoon. The temps during the summer usually go from the mid 70s at night to the mid 90s in the afternoon. Last summer was brutal though. We had 45 days of temps over 100. Nice John, Frappuccino is one of my favourites photo's to look at. I know it gets very hot for you, I may have mentioned before that I have a very close friend who lives in Allen Texas and she says it gets hotter there than Nha Trang. I have many pots sizes but I like best the deeper 3 gallon one, I have 10 of them, I find that's big enough to get a good size Hibiscus but not to big that they would take over the garden.A more normal look for Frappuccino today. And a pair of Cindy's Heart. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 06, 2012, 04:51:21 PM I have been very busy the last few days prepairing the garden and making room for all the seedlings I am going to grow, the first photo shows my cuttings at the very front, I am going to try and grow these without direct sun, they are under an overhang and get just an hour a day through a side pane of glass, the second photo shows my Adeniums now in the middle of the garden to create room round the side, I think they do make a nice centrepiece mind and no worry with the sun.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 06, 2012, 06:34:46 PM Beautiful Prosperity flowers, Darren! I think you may be right that March is the low point of hibiscus growing outdoors in southern California. When we hit the equinox later in March the days are 12 hours and growing longer which has always seemed to me to mark the point where hibiscus take off again. Charlie Thanks for your input regarding this. Seems to be right on with what I am seeing so far. Yesterday 82 F and beautiful, today 57 F cloudy, cold and windy. Poor plants! David I have an interesting observation that you of all people can relate to. On Sunday it was 87 F here so I decided to put a thermometer on the top of the soil for my one potted hib (Caribbean Beauty) and WOW it read 120 F at 3pm. I had no idea it got that hot on just a warm day. I'll be buying some drop down shades for the front porch for sure before summer. Got 9 blooms today on SLIH - this one really is becoming a super bloomer. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 06, 2012, 06:39:26 PM Black Dream has 12 open blooms today. Perfect for a cloudy day!
Cosmic Gold opened all the way - orange in winter seems to be it's look... Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 06, 2012, 07:20:43 PM David I have an interesting observation that you of all people can relate to. On Sunday it was 87 F here so I decided to put a thermometer on the top of the soil for my one potted hib (Caribbean Beauty) and WOW it read 120 F at 3pm. I had no idea it got that hot on just a warm day. I'll be buying some drop down shades for the front porch for sure before summer.
Farmer D [/quote] Darren I think a lot of people don't realise that the temperatures quoted on weather forecasts etc is for air temperature in the shade, out under the sun it can be ferocious heat, I did the same as you with Hot Pepper which is up against a wall and in full sun and it was 147f, still bloomed ok though. Funny thing is I could never understand why the main weather channels always show Nha Trang as between 84 and 87f, I know that's not right then I found out that they take the readings from a meter that's in the temperature controlled lounge at the airport, haha only in Vietnam. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 06, 2012, 07:49:07 PM Saffron looking nice just before the sun hits it.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 07, 2012, 10:05:07 AM Very pretty, all! Your blooms are keeping me going this winter while I wait for spring to hurry up and get here!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 07, 2012, 12:23:15 PM David, I wondered why weather.com always showed the temp for Nha Trang in the mid 80s.
Here is a pic of one of my FF bushes - Jungle Fire Love the foliage and should get my first bloom within a week. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 08, 2012, 05:13:02 AM Nice photo, John D! You can really see the different leaves of Jungle Fire. I'll be very interested to see how big it grows for you in Houston during the coming summer.
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 08, 2012, 06:43:27 AM Great photos everyone! David, I envy your skills! Your Addendum is spectacular! Any your garden would make any "landscape architect" giddy!
Darren, as always, millions of beautiful blooms. Your shot of BD's bush is a sight. Its so big! John, thanks for showing the Foliage shot to us. Really cool. Charlie, how different are all the foliage from one another in the FF series? A few from me today. Stolen Kiss with Bienvieu (and a crazy succulent in the background, the kind that when you touch it, it falls apart... notice the naked stem... lol) An awesome Sleeping Beauty, blooming in my 60º limited sun room. A beautiful Vin Electrique The Path in the afternoon sunshine. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 08, 2012, 07:28:53 AM Kristen, your Vin Electrique is gorgeous.
Sun Shower and Cindy's Heart today. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 08, 2012, 11:12:42 AM Kristen, great Sleeping Beauty and Vin Electrique. I'm now even more glad I have both coming.
John, really nice Sun Shower and the colors and form on Cindy's Heart are beautiful. Are both of those in the ground? Got my first bloom on Pinot Noir today. Also Mr. Ace and Living Legend--both second day. Finally huge buds on my King Protea getting ready to burst into 10-12" blooms. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 08, 2012, 11:20:35 AM Erny, I have Sun Shower planted in the ground. I just replanted it in the ground a few weeks ago. Have to dig all the ones growing in the ground up in late November. Cindy's Heart is growing in a 2 gallon pot which I have completely sunk in the ground.
Your Pinot Noir looks great. Here's a pic of the same CH bloom more fully opened. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 08, 2012, 12:37:43 PM Thanks! VE is definitely a strong cv! Gonna give lots of blooms in the summer for sure! That PN is a beauty! And John, I don't even need to say it... we are both huge fans of CH obviously. So pretty!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 08, 2012, 01:22:13 PM Thanks John. I was curious as to whether any cvs might be able to survive winter temps in the ground there. Sun Shower does seem to be one of the more cold tolerant cvs here. I used to get plumeria from The Plumeria People in Leander, Texas--not sure exactly where that is in relation to your locale in Houston area. The owner there told me that he dug up his plumeria in the fall, wrapped some newspaper around the roots and tossed it into his basement for the winter. Come spring he would stick it back in the ground and it would resume growing and blooming like nothing ever happened.
Here are a few more from today. Living Legend twins, Simple Pleasures, Lovely Lil, and Me Oh My Oh. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 08, 2012, 01:32:42 PM Leander is near Austin, Texas.
This winter I could have left everything in the ground. All my garden variety plants were left in the ground and survived just fine. I only have a few garden varieties - President, Brilliant, Cile Tinney, Sunny Wind and White Wings. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 08, 2012, 03:58:49 PM Erny your blooms seem to be getting better and better, that Me Oh My Oh is so nice, I bet it looks even better in real life, now you are feeding with all the right stuff I think your plants will go from strength to strength and you will be in for some right treats this Summer, looking forward to seeing them.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 08, 2012, 05:40:32 PM Hello again everyone,
I have another hybrid cross that opened today with the first bloom. Its a cross between wild grape and purple magic. seeds were sown on 1/14/11 and the first bloom 15 months later. gosh its a long wait. this is a biggie, its a tad under 8 inches, takes after its father, purple magic. the bush is nice, however its at 4 feet. most all the cross blooms came on 4 foot plants. i have a few keepers and those have been cut down to a manageable size. this plant has several buds. after they open. i will cut it down also. also there is a twin photo of the old dependable, cosmic gold. louis (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-08-12/grape-1.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-08-12/grape-2.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-08-12/cosmic.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 08, 2012, 05:47:39 PM Kristen, your Vin Electrique is gorgeous.
Louis Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 08, 2012, 09:57:43 PM Louis! That seedling is LOVELY! WOW!!! And I am sure glad I grabbed a Cosmic Gold! Thanks for posting.
Erny, Beautiful blooms! Wow! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 09, 2012, 08:59:49 AM If all these late winter blooms are any indication, we are in for a beautiful spring and summer. Great photos from all over!
Here's one of the newer named varieties - Dapple Dandy. Might be a good replacement for some similar colored ones with propagation or bush issues like Mango Tango and Sun Shower. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 09, 2012, 10:10:40 AM Congrats Lou on your seedling-- very pretty!
And Dapple Dandy-- WOW! How large is the bloom, Charlie? I had been thinking about adding a Sun Shower to my collection, but have heard about the bush. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 09, 2012, 08:15:48 PM WOW. So many huge, bright, amazing blooms... Such a beautiful sight!
Such a crazy week: Too much work (too many late nights) & psycho weather... Everything from freezing temps/snow (Sunday) to 67ºF high (at 11:00PM on Wed night!), then back to freezing again today. It's always so nice to come to the Forum and see what's blooming... Luckily, my 'biscus did their best to cheer me up, too: Fox Fire (the day it snowed, of course) Rockets Red Glare (RRG was so happy with everyone praise, s/he had to do an encore!) Rudolph (non-stop multiple bloomer, giving H. Arnottianus a good run) My Blue Heaven (had to have this one once I saw yours Kristen - it did NOT disappoint!) Chris - I totally agree about growing hibiscus indoors: I love the challenge of living in the North and being able to give them what they need to grow & bloom inside... But especially being able to watch over them while them do it, whenever I want, up close and personal. I'm desperately trying to find a house... Why? Because it's time to give up my gypsy ways? No... because the hibiscus need a more stable environment (and soon, some will be too big to move) - LOL! So glad to hear you'll have another Heart of My Heart soon (mine's trying to decide if it wants to be a tree or a bush)... Definitely a very special one to have. Kristen & Louis - Amazing seedling bloomers (Sooo beautiful!) Charlie - LOVE "Dapple Dandy"!!! And it's always great to see what blooming in the greenhouse there! Deb :D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 09, 2012, 09:50:02 PM Wow - I can't keep up with all the lovely blooms pics. Deb and John you both have some fabulous blooms there. And Kristen your colors are so dark and rich! Louis you are on fire with your new seedlings. At what point do you name them? Erny your blooms are really looking good too! You are raising the bar for me with the outdoor blooms. I love it!
Here are some from the last several days. Today Black Dream hit 28 open blooms although it was a mini show and many burned quickly as it was 80F today. I'm even throwing in a shot of Bridal Path, Flickering Flame, Chariots of Fire and my now denuded Bonnie Lass for those that want to see how some of my biggest are fairing as my plants near their low points for winter. A really nice Simple Pleasures... Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 09, 2012, 09:53:16 PM A few more....David W I'm still stuck on that Vin Beaujolais shot you posted. That is my dream bloom there! Didn't know it could look that incredible!!!
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 10, 2012, 05:42:40 AM Darren I think the photo below is the one you mean, strange thing is it wasn't till I saw your bush that I decided to try and do something different with it, up until then it was struggling out in the garden and I was close to getting rid of it. After I re-potted and pruned it I put it in a spot that gets about half an hour of direct sun and even that is late afternoon sun which is much weaker, I have not had any wonderfull blooms since but the bush is now developing nicely and I am sure I will.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 10, 2012, 04:28:01 PM Deb, those are some beautiful blooms. Happy house hunting. Don't forget to tell the realtor that you'll only look at houses with lots of south facing windows.
Darren, I'm afraid my outdoor plants can't hold a candle to yours. My best blooms are still on the few potted plants that I bring in each night. My outdoor plants don't seem to like the low 40s temps and the frequent Santa Ana winds we have had this winter. Lots of dropped buds and smaller blooms that are reluctant openers. Creole Lady and a second day Black Dream below are both in pots. I'm in 100% agreement with your assessment of David's Vin Beaujolais. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 10, 2012, 06:40:02 PM Darren, I'm afraid my outdoor plants can't hold a candle to yours. My best blooms are still on the few potted plants that I bring in each night. My outdoor plants don't seem to like the low 40s temps and the frequent Santa Ana winds we have had this winter. Lots of dropped buds and smaller blooms that are reluctant openers. Creole Lady and a second day Black Dream below are both in pots. I'm in 100% agreement with your assessment of David's Vin Beaujolais. Erny I guess I'm being too tough on my plants. Even though it's winter I have high expectations for them. What I've learned so far this winter is that if you have a lot of energy momentum built up in your plants from summer/fall it can really carry a long way thru winter. With the addition of frequent Supernova spraying it seems to be enough for all of my plants to not shut down at all. Even my naked Bonnie Lass has a lots of baby leaves popping out all over. My newest venture is changing out the soil on most of my 70+ plants to something with perlite (been using Fox Farms so far). I am trying to better align the watering of my non-hibiscus landscaping with with that of the hibs. Without proper drainage I can't water my hibs as much and then the rest of my landscaping starts to suffer. Plus seeing the results that David W has achieved once he switched over to a perlite mix really hints at the importance there. It's amazing though at how each planter is so different I can't depend on what works in one does in another... Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 11, 2012, 02:14:22 PM My newest venture is changing out the soil on most of my 70+ plants to something with perlite (been using Fox Farms so far). I am trying to better align the watering of my non-hibiscus landscaping with with that of the hibs. Without proper drainage I can't water my hibs as much and then the rest of my landscaping starts to suffer. Plus seeing the results that David W has achieved once he switched over to a perlite mix really hints at the importance there. It's amazing though at how each planter is so different I can't depend on what works in one does in another...
Farmer D [/quote] Darren I am a little shocked to read the above, surely you are not going to alter the soil mix in the ground, or have you got 70+ plants in pots? True I have had some good results in my pots but they don't hold a candle to yours in the ground, the likes of your Rainbow Sherbert Cof Fire and Black Dragon and especially Valentines Day are some sort of Botanical miracles, most of us use Booster HVH fert and Supernova but none of us come close to your size and bud count, so it has to be the fact they are in the ground and what's in the ground that's helping you to achieve these stunning results, I think messing with it could be a hell of a risk for you [and us who so enjoy seeing them haha]. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 11, 2012, 07:51:12 PM I have started cutting a few of my blooms as soon as they open, then I place them on the cv's at the front of the garden so I can view them better, that's one advantage I suppose of knowing your only going to get a 1 day bloom, mind you the blooms are about half the size they where 6 weeks ago.
Had a nice Bridal Path today, the bush just keeps getting bigger, I normaly prune about now but so far no need with BP. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 12, 2012, 05:24:24 AM Beautiful, David. I've always wanted to see Bridal Path growing naturally with minimal pruning.
Good points you raised with Darren. I look forward to hearing more details about what he is doing and how it's going. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 12, 2012, 02:44:27 PM First Jungle Fire bloom
and a 2nd day Sun Shower Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 12, 2012, 03:38:00 PM Very nice John, particularly that Jungle Fire, a beuty and very special.
PS. Thanks for your help and I sorted out my seedling problem, pretty dumb really, Al's it was that being so frightened to get the seeds to wet I had the mix to dry, and then it was not compact enough to support the stem. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 12, 2012, 03:43:31 PM David, I'm glad you solved the problem with your seedlings. The biggest problem I have is that the squirrels try to dig them up all the time. I finally resorted to cutting up some bamboo sticks and putting them around the edges of the pot. Works quite well.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 12, 2012, 05:34:12 PM Hi everyone,
a new hybrid opened today, its a cross between Moonstruck X June's Joy. This is the first bloom and its stunning. Its a biggie again with an 8 inch bloom. the color on the photos, in the shade are very accurate. the large throat is deep scarlet and the outer petals are orange - salmon. as you can see the bush is nice. i have not trimmed it yet, wanted to see the blooms first. charlie, what do you think of this one? sorry the photos are so large, wanted to show the details. Louis (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-12-12%20moon-joy/moon%20x%20june%20-2.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-12-12%20moon-joy/moon%20x%20june-3-12.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-12-12%20moon-joy/moonxjoy%20crop.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-12-12%20moon-joy/moon%20x%20joy.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 12, 2012, 07:08:21 PM Louis that is a stunner, the colors are just gorgeous! Thank you for sharing and congratulations. What a way to finish off winter!!
John I like that Jungle Fire bloom - it has a lot of personality. How was all the rain lately? Here is my latest installment of pics which are "outdoor winter specials". Rather poor quality blooms but hey this might be about the low point for my plants. Interestingly I've observed that quite a few of my plants are yellowing a lot of their leaves all of a sudden so I wonder if it is in preparation for spring growth or further winter challenges? I carefully observe many other plants and trees around here and see if I can find any correlation with them and the hibs. An example would be my citrus trees just started all of their spring growth and as a result are starting to shed last year's leaves? Could it be some of the hibs kind of do the same ? I know they're not supposed to lose their leaves much but in the semi-arid outdoors maybe unexpected things can occur... Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 12, 2012, 08:37:33 PM Darren I am a little shocked to read the above, surely you are not going to alter the soil mix in the ground, or have you got 70+ plants in pots? True I have had some good results in my pots but they don't hold a candle to yours in the ground, the likes of your Rainbow Sherbert Cof Fire and Black Dragon and especially Valentines Day are some sort of Botanical miracles, most of us use Booster HVH fert and Supernova but none of us come close to your size and bud count, so it has to be the fact they are in the ground and what's in the ground that's helping you to achieve these stunning results, I think messing with it could be a hell of a risk for you [and us who so enjoy seeing them haha]. David I hear your concerns. I have been contemplating this for well over a year. When I first decided to get exotic hibiscus I didn't know anything at all about them. At least I had the foresight to condition my super wet clay soil before hand. Unfortunately I didn't understand the need for something like perlite to promote drainage and I guess a little room in the soil so it can breathe and not be so packed. If I only had known back in the beginning but hey that is part of coming down the learning curve. This really hit home when I read your posts about adding perlite to your soil mix being the game changer for your plants. Now I'm always talking about how each planter here is like a totally different environment and man it is so true. My original organic planting mix with no perlite works well in my west facing planter. But for my south, north, and most of my backyard so far it is creating issues. The new growth on most of my cvs comes out very pale green or yellow and the blooms lack color. This also really retards their growth. Furthermore I recently dug up several plants to observe their root systems and it was really interesting. The root ball with the organic soil was super wet but directly around my dug out holes was bone dry (holes being dug back when I first planted them). When clay gets bone dry it is like cement and no roots will penetrate it. So I have severely limited root systems with overly wet root balls. This would for example explain why my Cosmic Gold has done nothing in over a year yet I hear what a quick grower it is. So I need a soil that will let the water drain letting me soak the entire planter and keep the clay wet and penetrable without the roots getting water logged. Also I am making the holes I dig for each plant much bigger now that I see how constraining the dry clay has been. So I pretty quickly figured out last year that my current soil retains water too much and really reduced the watering of my hibs even during the peak of summer and that worked really well. You'd be amazed at how little I was watering them. Basically just when I fed them a couple times a week. The flip side to this was the rest of my property started drying out a lot even with the mild summer we had last year. I have sprinkler systems installed everywhere and am committed to using them for the most part. I can't take them out and I did install a couple of drip lines but the connections for them were sprinkler heads so further drying out of all my landscaping plants ensued. I have done 20 plants so far with three having severe shock issues (Candy, Venetian Brick and Heavy Metal – HM had a broken pipe below it that flooded the daylights out of it so tough going there). The rest seemed to have handled it fine. I’m really curious to see what is going on with the root systems of my big ones like COF, FF, Bonnie Lass and RS. The soil around those gets the most sun and heat each day and seems rock hard yet they grew the most. I’m guessing that the roots found their way to the soil underneath my grass which is close to them. I don't know if I'll have another mild summer like the last and if not I could see some really serious problems (have over 10 fruit trees and lots of other stuff too). My plum tree shocked me with how horrible it did - even got a disease in it's weakened state. With a lot of tlc and attentive watering it has started to bounce back. So there you have it. This has been a long time coming but I’m open to any and all suggestions and input from you all. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 12, 2012, 10:43:11 PM Wow!! Darren, that is a mammoth task so the best of luck. I think what frightened me when I read it is the fact you will be disturbing the roots, whenever I have to do this and I don't mean just re-potting, more where the roots have had to be disturbed and come out the pot I have had problems,but if you have done 20 already and been successful well done.
I can certainly understand you wanting to change something if you are not happy, I think we are similar in that we want to give our plants the best possible chance and ''ok'' is not good enough, what percentage Perlite are using in your mix, I now use 25% but of course mine is in a pot and not in the ground, truth is I have never heard or read of anyone using Perlite directly in the ground but I see no reason why not. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 12, 2012, 10:49:23 PM Nice suprise for me today was my Acapulco Gold, very hot the last few days so never expected a show like this. In the second photo I have brought the pot in out of the sun, hopefully I will be able to enjoy the lovely blooms longer.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 12, 2012, 11:18:46 PM Wow David,
That is the most amazing acapulco gold I have ever seen! Your careful pruning and hard work has paid off, congratulations! Darren, Remember hibiscus are tropical plants, so they don't gear up to send out spring growth like deciduous species do. They simply tolerate less ideal conditions until they are conducive to growth. Your observing the effect of more normal weather patterns (cool and rainy) where your hibiscus are responding by slowing down. When conditions favor growth they will start again. This seems to be evidence that your high bloom count earlier in the year was due to atypical weather, seeing as that is the only variable that has changed for you. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 13, 2012, 07:27:12 AM Louis, all of your seedling blooms have been outstanding.
David, words can't even describe your Acapulco Gold. High Voltage and Cindy's Heart Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 13, 2012, 12:40:40 PM Darren, Remember hibiscus are tropical plants, so they don't gear up to send out spring growth like deciduous species do. They simply tolerate less ideal conditions until they are conducive to growth. Your observing the effect of more normal weather patterns (cool and rainy) where your hibiscus are responding by slowing down. When conditions favor growth they will start again. This seems to be evidence that your high bloom count earlier in the year was due to atypical weather, seeing as that is the only variable that has changed for you. Chris it is good to hear this simple and basic reminder - thanks for the input. I think what I am looking for is the signal for when my hibs start to really wake up back into high growth mode but that is not a one point in time moment where they just keep going. It is a frustrating stop and go with the weather bouncing up and down every month or two. Patience will be key for me as this could go on for several months more potentially. Last April was when most of mine started showing new leaves and growth finally and was pretty steady after that as the weather then was a constant mild with no real crazy swings. This year with the atypical weather I had that in late January which has subsequently stopped with the more typical weather. Interestingly last April there was no change in the weather or rise in temps so I'm surmising the longer days of sun must have been enough then. This year has been more of a roller coaster...cool and wet Nov & Dec, very warm Jan, more typical Feb & March so far. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 13, 2012, 12:49:38 PM Nice suprise for me today was my Acapulco Gold, very hot the last few days so never expected a show like this. In the second photo I have brought the pot in out of the sun, hopefully I will be able to enjoy the lovely blooms longer. David this is an amazing site to behold. Talk about density of blooms! That is the picture of the year in my book! Chris nailed it about all your hard work on AG paying off. WOW!! Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 13, 2012, 02:08:12 PM Chris it is good to hear this simple and basic reminder - thanks for the input. I think what I am looking for is the signal for when my hibs start to really wake up back into high growth mode but that is not a one point in time moment where they just keep going. It is a frustrating stop and go with the weather bouncing up and down every month or two. Patience will be key for me as this could go on for several months more potentially. Not sure if you and Cris will find this interesting or has much to do with what you are discussing [bit beyond me sometimes what you talk about haha], but here in the Tropics my Hibs also shut down, I think they must naturally want to do this and here its nothing to do with the weather, I know its not the weather as each Hib will do it at different times of the year. They all seem to have a cycle of growth bloom rest, but at least once a year that rest go's from maybe 2 or 3 weeks to about 2 months, a total shut down where they do nothing.Last April was when most of mine started showing new leaves and growth finally and was pretty steady after that as the weather then was a constant mild with no real crazy swings. This year with the atypical weather I had that in late January which has subsequently stopped with the more typical weather. Interestingly last April there was no change in the weather or rise in temps so I'm surmising the longer days of sun must have been enough then. This year has been more of a roller coaster...cool and wet Nov & Dec, very warm Jan, more typical Feb & March so far. Thanks for all the nice comments about AG, I truly never expected it, I am in the middle of what I call my bud drop season, its so hot here with little cloud so was a nice suprise. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 13, 2012, 03:09:57 PM Darren,
More than anything it seems like hibiscus just like consistency. In Colorado I had more trouble growing hibiscus outdoors than in Seattle, despite the warmer and sunnier temperatures Colorado had overall. There were massive weather swings even throughout the day, which did not make the plants very happy. Compare these conditions to do those of Seattle where it rarely got into the 70s this summer, but the difference between the high and low of the day was only 5 degrees. Even thought the weather was cooler than typical for hibiscus, they still grew and flowered and never showed any signs of stress. I think that by April you should see a significant improvement. Though it sounds like there is something out of balance in your soil if the new growth is looking weak and yellow. It would probably be a good idea to get your soil tested if you haven't already. It should provide you with more information about which nutrients aren't quite right. David, It is interesting how some CVs are more flush bloomers and others are almost always in bloom. One such CV that I noticed is a flush bloomer is Rosalind. She budded up and bloomed like crazy for a few months, then would stop and just grow. After the growth phase, there was then a burst of buds again. Contrast to this was Muffin man, which always produced buds and never really showed any slow down or switch to growth phase. Even in the tropics there are some species that can go dormant, but this is usually based on the amount of water available and not necessary the amount of sun or temperatures. There are several species of Orchids which go dormant during the dry season, and resume growth when water is available. In Hawaii it seems as though the native species (many of which make up the ancestry of our modern hybrids) live in wet and warm forests and usually do not have a dormant phase. I bet some of the other species which make up our hybrids may exhibit some sort of dormancy like phase. Interesting to say the least! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 13, 2012, 03:40:35 PM David and Chris you bring up an excellent point about consistent bloomers vs the non consistents. I'm adding flush bloomers to my vocabulary now as for me that is quite an important characteristic to identify when it comes to assessing hibiscus or any flowering plant really.
My most prolific cvs that I can say are not flush bloomers so far would be: Acapulco Gold Ay Caramba Black Dream Chariots of Fire Daisy Mae Living Legend Palm Springs Prosperity Some Like It Hot Valentines Day My Flickering Flame definitely is a flush bloomer even as large bush. This makes me think that I do notice however that as the plants grow and mature some have transitioned from flush blooming to being constant with Daisy Mae being a good example of this. So I am thinking my non-flush bloomer list will keep growing over time. I guess in the end the true genes show up when the plant is fully matured so you know which way it will behave. Some do let you know from the start like Prosperity and Chariots of Fire. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 13, 2012, 04:09:11 PM What percentage Perlite are using in your mix, I now use 25% but of course mine is in a pot and not in the ground, truth is I have never heard or read of anyone using Perlite directly in the ground but I see no reason why not. David I checked the bag but I didn't see a percentage breakdown for perlite. So I did the next best thing I snapped a picture of it so you can gauge for yourself what it looks like. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 13, 2012, 05:01:35 PM Lou, that's a splendid new seedling. I really like the colors of this one, size and form looks good, too. How did the colors hold up the next day?
David, my goodness, that Acapulco Gold is mind-boggling. Have to get you to send us that photo in full size! One of the prettiest hibiscus photos I've ever seen. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 13, 2012, 05:13:22 PM David I checked the bag but I didn't see a percentage breakdown for perlite. So I did the next best thing I snapped a picture of it so you can gauge for yourself what it looks like. Sometimes Darren I am not with it haha, I thought you would be chopping up your clay and just adding your own extra Perlite to it, your own mix so to speak, anyway there seems to be plenty in there, different sizes as well which I have read is supposed to be good.Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 13, 2012, 06:05:28 PM Lou, that's a splendid new seedling. I really like the colors of this one, size and form looks good, too. How did the colors hold up the next day? David, my goodness, that Acapulco Gold is mind-boggling. Have to get you to send us that photo in full size! One of the prettiest hibiscus photos I've ever seen. Charlie Hi Charlie, the color held up great the second day. i am excited about this one. louis Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 13, 2012, 06:47:35 PM Darren, do you use gypsum or anything like that to help improve the drainage of your soil? I suspect mine is similar to yours--kind of dense. So every time I dig a hole for planting I put a layer of pelletized gypsum (trade name Soil Busters) on the bottom and then put a layer of gravel over that before adding the potting mix. I use horticultural pumice instead of Perlite because that is what I was used to using when I had a lot of cacti. You can get it in large bags from a farm supply store and it's probably cheaper than Perlite that way.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 13, 2012, 07:11:28 PM Erny I use a cactus soil mix that is probably very similar to what you do when lining the bottom of most of the holes unless I feel it is a real hot spot and I want more moisture retention. Off the top of my head I know it has the pumice in it. Great information - thank you so much!
Last week I was taking ground temperature readings on various planters and even on a day in the mid 60s F the ground temp for my south facing planters was 96F. I was not expecting that at all - I am scared to see what that will read during a hot summer day. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 13, 2012, 07:49:38 PM Here is a first timer that bloomed today. Charlie, do you have any photos of Laguna Starlight blooming in the cooler temps? This one looks real different then your photos of it. It is very similar to Gabriel. Beautiful, Super intense!!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 13, 2012, 07:51:27 PM Darren, interesting observation on tthe ground temperature. I hadn't ever given that any thought but I'd like to learn more about it. It would be interesting to hear what Charlie and Chris have to say about it.
Louis, that's some impressive collection of seedlings that you are cultivating. Both Wild Grape and Moonstruck seem to produce really nice offspring. John, your Cindy's Heart seems to consistently produce some of the nicest blooms I've seen in that cv. Really nice High Voltage as well. David, nothing left to say about your fabulous AG. Your Adeniums are also looking great. I'm not used to seeing them so densely flowered. Heavy Metal put out a nice bloom today. Also Jazz, Love Story, and a red double I can't identify. Can anyone ID this for me? It has small serrated leaves. Finally, my Sun Shower bush that has been in the ground for 3-4 years. I've read that it has a bush of marginal quality but mine is upright and densely branched at a little over 6 feet tall. I haven't pruned it much or tried to shape it--mostly just removed some low growing branches near the base. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 13, 2012, 11:09:37 PM I wanted to chime in and say I agree with Chris on the consistency. I've found through my limited experimentation that even when a plant is in an undesirable environment, consistency is key in its health. Hibiscus seem to adapt well to less-than-desirable conditions if the change is made over a period of time. I've actually lost plants by taking them from a stressful environment to an ideal environment too quickly. Most notably this winter, I brought some struggling plants indoors from the cold-at-night greenhouse that I have and moved them into a warm, sunny window in one of my bedrooms. They promptly shed all their remaining leaves and some died. I only brought in my most unhealthy plants, so I'm sure their condition contributed to their reaction to the sudden change. Nonetheless, I wonder if they'd still be alive (unhappy, but alive) had I left them out in the gh.
Oh, and Kristen, beautiful Laguna Starlight! And David-- WOW on the Acapulco Gold! I hope mine will bloom like that as it gets larger! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 14, 2012, 03:11:41 AM Louis if any of my seedlings are half as good as your I will be overjoyed, at the moment they are just staring at me doing nothing, they haven't grown a millimeter this week, difficult to believe that a 4 inch weedy looking thing is getting so much of my attention and may bring me so much pleasure.
P's Purple coming into bloom, doesn't look much on its own but in that corner with everything filling out it looks quite nice. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 14, 2012, 04:48:24 AM Kristen, thanks for showing the darker version of Laguna Starlight. That seems to be a trait it inherited from parent Key Largo, which can also be lighter or darker. This darker version is a nice surprise for both of us!
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 14, 2012, 05:16:30 AM This seems to be evidence that your high bloom count earlier in the year was due to atypical weather, seeing as that is the only variable that has changed for you. I don't think that is the right way to interpret Darren's experience. Sure, there are winter conditions that will stop hibiscus from blooming or growing no matter what you do. There may also be a cumulative effect that will do the same thing. But, and its a significant but, Darren also showed that continued growth and enormous bud counts can be had in conditions that are wintry but not so severe if the plants are treated the way he treated them. Nobody else in southern California or TX or FL was having 20 flowers on 2 year old plants in January and Feb. That was no accident. It would be unfortunate to dismiss those documented results by concluding that the winter was so mild it was bound to happen. The weather was plenty cold enough in southern CA to slow down or stop hibiscus growth and blooming this winter. It may have been slightly warmer but the days were just as short and the negative effect on hibiscus not treated as Darren did was in evidence everywhere I looked in the southland. My point is that that we should not discount the possibilities to improve winter growing of hibiscus. This is the first, and rather dramatic, time I have seen anyone have such results in the continental US with growing hibiscus in Jan or Feb. It suggests that we can intervene with winter setbacks even if there are limits to how cold it can get and still obtain results. Darren, even if your hibiscus are not now blooming their heads off, they are still in much better condition than they were at the end of last winter, right? A winter in which you did not spray the Supernova the way you did this year. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 14, 2012, 08:20:40 AM As I have said, overuse of products and promotion of their use beyond their absorption rate is not going to help anyone understand the underlying reason for good or poor growth during specific weather conditions. IF the weather is not warm or conductive to growing, then application of any product, supernova or fertilizer, is going to have minimal or no effect if it is not being absorbed.
You can think of the analogy of a chemical inhibitor where a compound blocks the attachment of another, negating its effect. This same idea can be applied to application of supernova during cold weather, if the plant is not growing then it is not going to absorb to active ingredients that would stimulate growth. I enjoy discussing different aspects of growing hibiscus, but in this case it seems we will not see eye to eye. Agree to disagree ;) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 14, 2012, 11:16:55 AM OK, but I don't disagree with your major point - if there is no absorption there will be no effect. That is also why gibberellic acid (HVH Wake Up spray) does not do nearly as much to stimulate plants that have lost all their leaves as it does plants that still have leaves. Absorption is much better through the leaves than through the bark.
Whether Darren overused or found just the right amount of Super Nova for hibiscus in winter is an open question but not the most important question. The dosage can always be fine tuned, the real question is whether some amount still to be determined can help hibiscus overcome some degree of winter cold (amount of cold still to be determined). His results certainly suggest the answer is yes, some amount can help overcome some degree of cold. Another important unanswered question is exactly at what point are hibiscus able to absorb and use the nutrients/hormones that are sprayed on their leaves. William of Zoe's Tropicals in Florida (out of business since William died) was unapologetic about using growth stimulating and regulating products when growing his hibiscus. By many accounts, he produced some of the best looking hibiscus to hit the commercial market, all in 2 gallon pots. In an old email to me he wrote that he used a cocktail of gibberellic acid plus another product similar to Supernova (derived from the same algae) to, as he said, "break dormancy" of his plants at the end of winter. This implies they were not actively growing until after he applied the chemicals but obviously must have been able to absorb and use them. His place was in the far south tip of Florida and arguably was warm enough for the hibiscus to never really stop growing but he felt the need to "break dormancy" anyway and was fully convinced of the usefulness of spraying these substances. Anyway, there is not enough information yet to draw anything near to a final conclusion and I hope some others here and there will experiment with their plants and provide more feedback. In particular people with unheated or minimally heated greenhouses that prevent freezing but still have colder than desirable nights could provide some good input. I doubt any approach calling for almost daily applications of spray will become widespread because it is too labor and time intensive for most, but this is a whole new area that deserves to be fully explored just to see what can be learned. And, I have to add, it may not be necessary to spray daily - once or twice per week may be enough and that is not too much of a burden to try out. It's actually what we do in the HVH greenhouse on all the 4 and 6 inch pots we grow. We use the recommended label dose once per week. Darren, I'm not sure what you plan to do next winter but if you go forward with a similar program or some variation it will be interesting to see the results for a second winter. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 14, 2012, 12:13:40 PM First off let me start by stating I respect everyone's opinions and only want to relay what I am seeing here so that in hopes it might make others try new things that could help them achieve results they haven't had before.
I agree that I do spray a lot - at least 4 to 5 times a week weather permitting. The reason for this is that if you start on the other side of things and add little by little during fall-winter you might miss your chance to see an effect on your plants and then it is too late when not using enough and they shut down for the winter. Can't have that happen so you have to take your best guess on the stronger side using all the info available to you to make that call. Yes it is faith based on one side but it is also full of a lot of thought and logic again using all available info at my disposal. That is how I see someone finding the means to break out of the box which in this case is the mindset that you just have to wait from Dec - Mar before you can enjoy your hibiscus to bloom abundantly. OK, with that being said I am going to now show you what I am seeing. First are the few plants that have stopped growing and what it looks like. This is what I saw last year with all of my plants. Here is my Bon Temps which I got back in the beginning (4/2010). It was replanted recently and shut down all new growth. A perfect example of what I saw last year with all my plants. (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/BonTempsBranchTip3-14.jpg) Next is shots from two plants that are on the smaller side that stopped growing a long time ago due to being much smaller in size. Even with the spraying it wasn't enough to keep them awake. I only have a few like this currently. Legendary Pleasures - a small little one (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/LegendaryPleasuresBranchTip3-14.jpg) Tahitian Lion Queen (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/TahitianLionQueenBranchTips3-14.jpg) (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/TahitainLionQueenBranchTip3-14.jpg) This was what I saw everywhere last year with my plants. Branch tips that just browned and given up until some later day to reawaken. Now for the vast majority of my plants they are all still growing. The growth is not explosive which is what I was hoping for by this point but it is solid none the less. There is no way my hibiscus could be doing this now without my spraying Supernova. I have plants of all sizes still growing all the way down to my little Hot Southern Nights that I got as a 4" in late fall. HSN - doing well with it's first buds in mid winter (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/HotSouthernNightsNewGrowth3-14.jpg) Simple Pleasures - a dinky little plant that has been growing nicely all winter long (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/SimplePleasuresNewGrowth3-14.jpg) High Voltage - medium sized plant never stopped growing all winter long (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/HighVoltageNewGrowth3-14.jpg) Valentines Day - Has grown rather strongly all winter long (both of them) (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/ValentinesDayNewGrowth3-14.jpg) Vin Beaujolais - probably grew the most during winter - very impressive (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/VinBeaujolaisNewGrowth3-14.jpg) Rise and Shine - has grown a lot as well during winter (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/RiseandShineNewGrowth3-14.jpg) Acapulco Gold - there is no way I would have this ridiculous amount of buds up and down the branches at the end of winter without spraying. It is amazing and I want to know if anyone else out there has such results? (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/AcapulcoGoldBudMania3-14.jpg) Black Dream - same thing = buds all up and down the branches. I don't know if I mentioned this last week but I had 28 open buds (weren't the prettiest but it happened) at one time in the middle of this colder stretch for So Cal. Again how can that happen without the spraying??? (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/BlackDreamBudMania3-14.jpg) Chariots of Fire - still going strong with the most growth down low which is where I want it to fill out after last year's spider mite attack. (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/ChariotsofFirePlant3-14.jpg) Bonnie Lass - now this is an interesting case. It had leaves up until two weeks ago when I added chelated iron and watered a little. It hated it (always has been sensitive to watering - again soil issues here) and it dropped all it's leaves in a matter of days. What is good is that unlike last year it is still growing the whole time and immediately new leaves formed as well as the growth in the branch tips is still going on. (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/BonnieLassPlant3-14.jpg) (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/BonnieLassNewGrowth3-14.jpg) All these pics were taken just 1/2 hour ago. I might be partly to blame if I made it sound like my plants had stopped growing. They haven't - just that I am looking for that explosive spring growth which started in late Jan but slowed down to what I am showing you now. A steady and slower growth but enough to keep all the blooms coming even if they aren't always the prettiest blooms. So this is what I am seeing. Based upon these results I have to conclude that the plants are still able to absorb the Supernova even when the weather is cold or swinging back and forth a lot. My thinking for next winter is to spray the more mature ones a lot less if at all and spray the rest like I have this winter. The sprayer has been a life saver as I can do all my plants in about 1/2 hour. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 14, 2012, 12:43:22 PM I'm wondering if it may be possible that absorption rate can increase over time if the plant is constantly sprayed, much like a person's metabolism increases over time if they constantly load up on calories.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 14, 2012, 12:50:27 PM Good discussion. I have been spraying my plants in the ground once or twice each week with a combination of Supernova, HVH Special Blend, and Booster. They also get some Special Blend and Booster through a drip system on a daily basis. I have noted steady growth on most throughout the winter but the blooms have been disappointing--small, reluctant to open, and a fair amount of bud drop. The plants I have in pots awaiting planting in the ground this spring have received more frequent spraying with Supernova (x3-4/week) and exhibiting good growth but I have also been bringing them into the house each night. I don't know that this helps advance the discussion but I thought I might as well throw my two cents in.
On another topic, Darren, my 9 gallon sprayer stopped working after using it only 4 or 5 times. I thought it was a bad battery but spoke to a guy at the manufacturer and he said he thought it was the pump. He sent me a pump and now it works fine. Hopefully it was just a freak event and not something I was doing. Anyway, they were very helpful and replaced the pump promptly without question. Should you have any trouble call 800 864-1649 and ask for Adam; he's the guy who handles problems and this way you can reach him directly without going through a bunch of other people first. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 14, 2012, 04:42:47 PM Darren leaving the winter growth and the Supernova spraying aside a moment can I ask you a question, did you ever wonder why you where getting such phenomenal results with you hibs, I remember when you first came on here and was showing Chariots of Fire, it was amazing, I had never seen anything like it and you must have thought about it, like what am I doing different to everyone else,why are mine so much better and remember at this point you weren't massively spraying with Supernova, this came later when I wrote about the good affects it had when pruning.
Personally I think you do yourself an injustice by giving to much credit to Supernova, you where perhaps way ahead of us all before you started using it, no doubt it is a big help but the care and attention you give your Hibs and some green magic in the ground are playing a far bigger part. I am very confident in saying and I think most would agree that if you gave a thousand Hib growers a gallon of Supernova and a Valentines Day plant in 2 years time none would hold a candle to yours. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 14, 2012, 04:59:39 PM Another new bloomer for me - "Rodeo Drive"
RD probably wanted to bloom fast and experience the "winter-straight-to-summer" weather we're having here in S.E. Michigan today (it's 8:00 PM and 72ºF), so we had our photo shoot outside ;D As per the other discussion (growth enhancers)... My hibiscus have already let me know that they don't care what I do to perk them up or try to make them happy; they're going to give me grief until we all move to Maui (or atleast Malibu). ;) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 14, 2012, 05:06:17 PM As per the other discussion (growth enhancers)...
My hibiscus have already let me know that they don't care what I do to perk them up or try to make them happy; they're going to give me grief until we all move to Maui (or atleast Malibu).[/i] ;) [/quote] Haha, any excuse Deb, you just want to be by the beach, Rodeo Drive looks lovely. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 14, 2012, 05:12:52 PM Haha, any excuse Deb, you just want to be by the beach, Rodeo Drive looks lovely. Ummm... Yep (you got me there!) 8) Thanks David! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 14, 2012, 08:24:29 PM Deb, great RD!
David, I forgot to say how much I LOVE your explosion of blooms you show! It was a few pages back, but Im still thinking about it. GREAT JOB! And although Darren is a hibiscus god, you are quite the impressive green thumb as well. Here is day two photo of Laguna Starlight. It flattened out nicely, I think yesterday's photo may have been almost immediately after it opened. I took the photo outside today, one in the sun and one in the shade. It is INCREDIBLE! Charlie, Check it out!! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 14, 2012, 10:08:04 PM Wow Kristen... LS is a real beauty!!! :o The photo with your hand in it looks like a 10" bloom - LOL!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 15, 2012, 03:20:21 AM That's a really beautiful bloom Kristen. All my photos are from hot summer days when it has a softer look. I hope to see your colors in our house sometime in the future! Seems like a rather large flower, too.
Deb, thanks for showing that Rodeo Drive. That bloom always looks so nice when seen in person. You may have to whack it back at some point to get a fuller bush out of it. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 15, 2012, 03:42:44 AM Darren, thanks for the excellent presentation of what is happening with your hibiscus now in March. Photos really help us see what is going on.
Jordan, you may have a good point about building tolerance. Theres a guy in south America who is a chemical engineer and also an avid hibiscus grower. He has stated that he is able to provide his hibs with larger amounts of Booster (potassium nitrate) but starting with low doses and building up to higher doses. Apparently hibiscus have the ability to adapt to this type of treatment. David, your idea about people having a positive effect on the plants they take care of has some theoretical support. Try googling "morphic fields" and checking Sheldrake's ideas. Erny, I have a feeling your hibiscus situation is about to explode - in a good way! The old established plants are being rejuvenated and the young ones should do some serious blooming this coming summer and fall! Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 15, 2012, 05:02:21 AM Deb and Charlie, thanks! The bloom may look larger then it was in that photo. I think it was about 8" on day 2 when it flattened out. My hand was a bit further down the stem then it may seem, making my hand look smaller. I do love the bloom though!
Erny, I agree with Charlie, you are going to get a hibiscus extravaganza pretty soon! I cant wait to see! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 15, 2012, 08:36:41 AM Erny, I was surprised to see how upright your Sun Shower was. I guess the branches get stronger as they mature.
A Voodoo Queen today Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: topshelf12 on March 15, 2012, 08:48:08 AM very nice! I love the white rays with the soft purple background. Well done!
Norm Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 16, 2012, 10:26:40 AM Thanks Norm.
A Cindy's Heart today. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 16, 2012, 01:13:13 PM I thought these two photos were OK today.
The Path (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/Pathcopy.jpg) Topaz Glory (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/TopazGlory.jpg) Not such a hot photo here,....Believe Crimson Rays measured at just 10", so that was fun. (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/HIB1.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 16, 2012, 02:37:44 PM Jim - Those are some real beauties! :o
Well, we're having another summery winter day here in MI... My computer says 70ºF, but my thermometer says 80ºF (No complaints in either case, from the human or the hibiscus)! I've officially sent some of the bigger plants out to play (hope the weather holds). ;D Here's Rosalind, My Blue Heaven and friends outside enjoying the sun... Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 16, 2012, 03:30:59 PM Deb, they all look happy outside today! Love seeing My Blue Heaven shining her special light.
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 16, 2012, 04:07:25 PM Thanks Charlie... I'm really enjoying MBH (and the weather today, too)!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 16, 2012, 07:19:11 PM John that Voodoo Queen is the best one I've seen yet. I must say the colors and form of your blooms so far have been really beautiful. I can see a sizable improvement year over year. Every one has been striking to say the least.
Jim thank you for sharing those four gorgeous blooms. I am a big fan of The Path and that one is lovely as they all are!! Also I really like your greenhouse set up you posted in another topic. Can't wait to see a bunch more from you... Deb those are some happy hibs you got there. I think your weather is now way better than ours currently. Tomorrow in the 50s here with over 1 inch of rain predicted. Hey it's still winter...By the way it was great to see Rodeo Drive. It always gets my attention. Kristen that Laguna Starlight really surprised me. Reminded me of a darker version of Miss Congeniality. I never really considered that one before but like with many nice bloom shots we see here that can change in an instant. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 16, 2012, 07:22:57 PM Here is a Prosperity from this afternoon that opened really dark - a very nice look for this cv. Did I mention how much I LUV this one!!!
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity3-16.jpg) Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 16, 2012, 07:41:02 PM Erny thank you for the information regarding the sprayer. So far the only issue I've encountered is that it leaks a lot from the pump when it is on but I am not spraying. The instructions mentioned to tighten everything up before using which I didn't do so maybe there is something there that I can tighten. I briefly looked at it and didn't see anything I could tighten but I'll take a more in depth look next week.
Hopefully no problems going forward as it has really saved me an immense amount of time each week. Well worth the $230 and then some! Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 16, 2012, 07:54:49 PM Deb those are some happy hibs you got there. I think your weather is now way better than ours currently. Tomorrow in the 50s here with over 1 inch of rain predicted. Hey it's still winter...By the way it was great to see Rodeo Drive. It always gets my attention. Farmer D Thanks Farmer D! Those are some VERY tasty blooms that you have there... I'm LOVING Prosperity & Black Dream!!! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 17, 2012, 09:37:49 AM Thanks Farmer D and Deb.
I thought both of yours look SUPER! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 17, 2012, 11:17:40 AM Very nice way to start a soggy and grey day - only the third bloom in the last 14 months but I think my Bridal Path is finally starting to turn the corner on replanting it last January. Wow I never figured it would be such a long process.
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 17, 2012, 01:37:00 PM Farmer D - That's an awesome Bridal Path! :o
It's 75ºF and sunny here in MI today, and some of my brightest bloomers are having quite the St. Patrick's Day celebration: Arnottianus (the largest bloom at 7") Bienvenue (very colorful) Fox Fire (opps... "Snowbiscus" no more!) Rodeo Drive Rosalind (second day) Happy St. Patty's Day Everyone... Go easy on that green beer! :P Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 17, 2012, 02:03:32 PM Jim great blooms! Love the Path and your Topaz Glory is great!
Deb, that is a really cool MBH. I haven't seen any light blooms from mine yet. I just chopped the top to start the "standard" process. I think it is gonna make a great tree! Darren, I love your COF as always, and your Prosperity is really a beauty! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 17, 2012, 06:04:57 PM Hi everyone,
Awesome photos from everyone. Lots of green envy here for those who live in the semi tropical areas. I had another cross open today with the first bloom. Its a cross between Moonstruck and Tigerama. For me, Tigerama has been a disaster. Every bud will form and then drop. I hope this offspring does not have that trait. I waited a long time for this bloom. I was about ready to show the plant the mulch pile. This bloom is about 7 inches. there is hope it can get bigger with time. Charlie, this plant reminds me of Evelyn Howard, what do you think? Louis Edit - 3-18-12 Last photo is of the second day bloom. color is just as intense and the bloom has enlarged to 7 inches. (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-17-12/tiger%20x%20moon.jpg) (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-17-12/tiger%20x%20moon-1.jpg) SECOND DAY BLOOM (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-17-12/2%20day/moon%20x%20tiger%202%20day.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: topshelf12 on March 17, 2012, 06:15:53 PM Hi Louis,
Nice colors on this one. I really like the way the petals are arranged Norm Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 18, 2012, 06:49:47 AM Darn Farmer D, you give us to many to choose from. I just love that Prosperity too, what wonderful color. I purchased Acapulco Gold this season just based on your wonderful photos. Thanks,....
Deb, My Blue Heaven is sooooo nice!!! Thanks for sharing. I believe I have a blue coming today too. St Pats Day Party, looked like a great place to be. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 18, 2012, 08:13:51 AM Everyone's blooms are looking great!
A few from today Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 18, 2012, 11:31:32 AM Wow,..Doll all three of those are super nice. I can't figure out which one I like better!!!
This Tarrantella was about all for me today. (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/tall1stop.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 18, 2012, 03:02:47 PM Jim, I really like the ruffled bloom of Tarrantella. How does it do in the heat?
Thanks, John Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 18, 2012, 03:50:59 PM Louis your seedling bloom really has a lot of color to it. I look forward to seeing more blooms from that one as well. You have had quite a lot of success so far with all your seedlings' blooms. Congrats!
John I'm really enjoying your Voodoo Queen blooms. The grey is just wonderful! Jim that Tarrantella is a real beauty! I have always liked this one a lot but never pulled the trigger for it. How is the bush on it? Can't wait to see more. Glad to hear you got AG coming your way. You're going to really love that cv. It has been very easy to grow and vigorous doesn't describe it. Plus mine really responded well to spraying with Supernova. I think people will be surprised this growing season when they see how much more well branched and horizontal girth mine will gain. Deb those are all very nice blooms. I really like the color on your Bienvenue. That one is always a pleasure to see and it seems to like to vary a lot as mine so far have had more of an orangy-salmon hue so far. I also really enjoy your Rodeo Drive - I just love that cartwheel form on the blooms. Unfortunately mine died along with Surf City and Space Oddity as a result of being out of town during our one heatwave last fall. So I'm vicariously living through your RD pics... Today was Acapulco Gold's day with 13 open blooms and Bridal Path fully opened up on it's second day so very nice too. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 18, 2012, 06:21:03 PM Louis - LOVE your lastest seedling bloomer... It's really AWESOME! :o
New bloomers for me today: Hot Babe Rocket's Red Glare Deb 8) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 19, 2012, 05:45:07 AM Thanks John and Framer D
John I haven't had the cv that long (five months). It came from Miami and the gentlemen told me it has been one of his best bloomers for a LONG time. I know for a fact it gets very hot down. So I bet one might do well in your area. Farmer I wish I could tell you more, but this little fellow I have is quite small and I really couldn't comment about the bush because of that. When I took the photo I put a few other plants around it to fill in the gaps, in an attempt to get a better photo. :) So it appears larger than it is . It has preformed very well for me! I am sure if Charlie sees this he will straighten it all out. Farmer D, those last photos sure looking good!!!! Wow,... Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 19, 2012, 05:14:25 PM Deb - Your Hot Babe is a really nice bloom. First time I'm seeing a pic of it outside the online store. Thanks for sharing!
Two beauts today... Simple Pleasures (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/SimplePleasures3-19.jpg) Prosperity (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity3-19.jpg) Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 19, 2012, 06:13:46 PM Deb, its great to see Hot Babe making an appearance. Very nice colors!
Jim, I grew Tarantella for several years. It was one of the varieties I imported from Australia when we did a big swap of US cultivars for Australian cultivars a decade or so ago. This was the only legal exchange of varieties done between the US and Oz although a lot of smuggling was going on back then between the 2 countries. As best as I recall, Tarantella was a good all around variety that required grafting to propagate reliably. Farmer D, you're getting beautiful, rich colors on some varieties now. Thanks for showing these 2 blooms. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 20, 2012, 06:56:16 AM Wow, Farmer D, Simple Pleasures is so nice!!! I would love to get one of those. Prosperity has such great Oranges!!! You do such wonderful work.
Charlie, thank you for the reply, very interesting! Today was my first Blue. I just can't wait to get the 8-10 Blues that I ordered from Charlie and Cindy. Counting the days,...just like a 8 year old at Christmas,.....oh the pain of it. :) Tylene (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/Tylenecopy.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 20, 2012, 10:15:11 AM Tons of buds but few flowers. Nighttime temps still frequently in the low 40s and these outdoor plants don't like it much. Simple Pleasures day 2 and day 3 and its bush. Living Legend day 3 or 4 and its bush. Eye of Kali just opening at about 9 AM.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 20, 2012, 12:10:50 PM Erny, are those normal temps for this time of year?
A pic of my Cindy's Heart bush. I guess I am going to be forced to move it as the thieves keep stealing the blooms off of it. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 20, 2012, 12:30:04 PM Erny I hear you concerning the lower night temps. Feb & Mar temps were a little below avg yet our rainfall was way below avg. Last two nights in Hollywood was 40 & 41F which is about as cold as it gets before I start to get concerned.
Your SP bush is going to be a mindblower in a few months when those buds all start blooming. That is going to be a sight to behold - can't wait! How old are those two bushes you posted pics of today? My SP bush is so small - got it fall 2010 as the smallest 4" but it has been a real steady grower. John that is really a shame if someone is stealing your blooms. Does it happen consistently at a certain time of day/night. Just wondering if any critters around your neck of the woods there... Really pretty AG - Charlie you're right about the colors gaining in richness. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 20, 2012, 12:34:36 PM Darren, the colors on your blooms do seem to be getting more intense.
The blooms always disappear between 3 and 4pm. It's the kids walking home from school. They seem to have a fondness for CH. They usually leave the others alone. At least they have good taste. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 20, 2012, 01:18:51 PM John, I think the night temps are a little lower than usual but it has been quite variable. Last week we had a three or four day stretch when they only got down to a low of 53-55 at night.
Darren, I put Simple Pleasures and Living Legend in the ground at the same time which I'm guessing was about 5 years ago. LL has grown well and is an attractive bush but SP is off the charts in the bush department. At close to 6' tall and 4' wide it is twice as big as LL. It is so densely branched that it looks like a hedge. Apparently I lucked out and happened to put it in a spot it really likes. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 20, 2012, 04:17:51 PM Erny that hedge look is exactly what I'm shooting for with my bushes. Which direction do those plants face? I'm curious if they get morning or afternoon sun or something else. Have you thought about increasing the amount of spraying for SP to see what effects it might have to get a proportional bud count for the crazy amount of branches it has?
Also have you seen that Ross Estey bush near your home that you photographed a few months back? That has me very excited and interested to see what a really mature bush can do all winter long. My guess is it bloomed all the way thru winter till now and I bet the owner probably does nothing more than make sure it is watered along with the rest of their landscaping. A couple more blooms opened today...Prosperity is just so pretty. (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity3-20.jpg) Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 20, 2012, 07:35:55 PM Darren, your Prosperity sure is a beauty. I can't wait to get the one I ordered in January.
SP and LL are in a line of bushes at the front of our house facing due south. From spring through fall they are partially shaded by two fairly large plumeria. In winter the plumeria are just sticks so they get a lot of direct southern sun then. Here are some pictures I took in October and November when the plumeria were still full of leaves and flowers. I hope these will show the positioning although I didn't take the photos with that in mind. I haven't checked out the huge Ross Estey for a few weeks but the last time I did it looked like the owner had pruned it back some. It's such a fast grower that I'm sure it won't be long before it is filled out and covered with blooms again. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 21, 2012, 10:48:40 AM The rain here is keeping everything really wet. So far for this year we are already 9" ahead of our normal rainfall.
San Diego Sun Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 21, 2012, 03:05:59 PM Darren, here are two comparison pictures I took today to contrast with the earlier ones showing the plumeria in late fall.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 21, 2012, 03:17:17 PM Creole Lady today just after opening at about 9 AM in sun and in shade. Then the same flower at 3PM in sun and shade to show how it fades--but still pretty. Last, second day Eye of Kali.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 21, 2012, 03:31:11 PM Signs of spring in southern California:
First a sea of geraniums beneath a large red camelia on the left, a pretty climbing rose on the arbor with a large white azalea behind and a small Georgia's Pearl on the right. Next a view of the azalea from the other side. New leaves appearing on plumeria Hens have finished molting and resume putting out one egg each per day. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Steven on March 21, 2012, 05:10:36 PM (http://i39.tinypic.com/15odttl.jpg)
Open today. Believe it's either BienVenue or The Path. Was mislabeled and sent instead of what I actually ordered(not HVH), but I like this much better! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 21, 2012, 06:41:42 PM Erny you have Chickens?!! Awesome! What breed you keeping? I was thinking about getting a few, nothing beats fresh eggs :) That Creole Lady is quite nice, I also found that one to be pretty hardy, coming back from setbacks easily.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Mike on March 21, 2012, 06:46:09 PM Hi everybody
It's raining over here & kinda cool , I had a Belle De Jour bloom today with a real dark pink ! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 21, 2012, 09:04:04 PM Steven, that's a really nice bloom. I'm no expert but I'd say it is not The Path.
Mike, your Belle du Jour is showing its true colors. Are you growing it indoors or in a greenhouse? Mine is in the ground outdoors and has been giving me nothing but really red flowers all winter. Chris, we have four hens that were bred for their egg laying. I think the two whites are Leghorn hybrids and the two brownish reds are hybrids of Rhode Island Reds. You're right that nothing beats fresh eggs. The chickens are easy to keep and relatively cheap to feed. And I get a four egg omelet every day. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Nievesgirl on March 22, 2012, 01:34:44 AM OK FINALLY Little boy blue :) Its getting darker since I have been giving it more K.
This is the second Bloom the third one had a pink tint to it. The blooms are lasting 2 days for me inside. (http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/s9/v13/p510983556-4.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 22, 2012, 03:17:18 AM Steven, that looks like winter colors of a Bienvenue to me. Nice and bright!
Erny, thanks for showing more of your yard. - lots going on there! Those are definitely signs of spring a comin'. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 22, 2012, 08:28:46 AM Mike, your Belle du Jour is beautiful.
Cindy's Heart twins today and Compassion Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 22, 2012, 11:15:38 AM Beautiful photos, all!
Kerry, great to see Little Boy Blue. I regret not buying that one when it was available. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Mike on March 22, 2012, 02:30:49 PM Hi Erny
I'm growing them in pots & their outside now , The daytime temp. is in the 70s and nights are in the 50s . If it gets below 50 I bring them in at night . Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 22, 2012, 03:01:54 PM Mike, thanks for the info. I think bringing them in at night really makes a difference in the winter. I do the same with the ones that are still in pots when the night temp is in the 40s. The only one I have for direct comparison is Black Dream with one in a pot and two in the ground. The one in the pot that comes in on cold nights has larger and more colorful blooms than those in the ground.
Got my second bloom on Pinot Noir today. Pictures show it in sun and shade. Also a King Protea that is just starting to open. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 22, 2012, 05:15:13 PM Erny thank you for those great bush shots. Our bushes are looking much the same as far as the look of the leaves and the diminished size. Only difference I see is the bud count and your plumeria are way ahead of mine. I have a feeling you plumeria is also much older than mine too. Gorgeous PN bloom - love it!
Mike that is another great BDJ bloom. Beautiful! Steven I love your bloom and it sure looks like Bienvenue to me as well. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 23, 2012, 05:36:03 PM So many gorgeous blooms...
Steven - Love your Bienvenue (so bright!) Mike - That Belle du Jour bloom is just amazing (talk about hot pink!) Doll - I never get tired of seeing your beautiful Cindy's Heart and Compassion blooms! Erny, Darren - Just... Awesome! (as always) Kerry - Little Boy Blue is just lovely (very perky, yet so delicate looking) I have a couple of bloomers to share from this week: Nightfire and Bienvenue ...And so many buds! Considering what the temperature has been getting up to in the plant room (western exposure) on sunny afternoons, I'm surprised I don't a mutiny on my hands - LOL! Deb :D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 23, 2012, 06:56:54 PM Deb those are two lovely blooms! I believe that is the first Night Fire pic I remember seeing on the forum. Very nice - mine is a little dinker but growing. Reminds me a lot of Venus Rising. How big was the bloom and how would you describe the plant so far. I believe the NF bush has a weaker reputation.
Hey today you were 25F degrees warmer than we were today. Weird winter/spring... Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 23, 2012, 07:01:30 PM couple more...with Tahitian Lavender Rainbow I am going to really try my best to get this thing to show some color like the pics I've seen of it. Supposed to be lots of banded lavender and purple. I'll be feeding it chelated iron, extra potassium and I'll really be careful with the watering. Any other suggestions I'm all ears. So far it looks more like Grand Hyatt (one of the parents) almost like a sport or something. The bush is pretty amazing though, very vigorous and branches like crazy. Tends to get a little floppy with all the branching so some pruning will be needed but nothing too bad. Last resort I'll move it to a shady spot if all else fails. I'm finding that quite a few Tahitians don't like sun much.
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 23, 2012, 08:23:56 PM Very nice Deb, I think I will look out to buy a clock like that. Finlay had an overcast day so I can go out and take some pics, its been blazing hot and sunny here for a week.
I cut the Bridal Path blooms as they are now to high to see, Vin Beaujolais and Hot Southern Nights with a nice set of Acapulco Golds with 3 Saffrons next to them as well and a Samba Dancer peeping out. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 24, 2012, 08:03:36 AM That's a beautiful example of Pinot Noir, Erny.
Below are photos of some varieties blooming in the HVH greenhouse. Fire & Ice - 6 inch Smolder - 8 inch Sizzle - 8 inch ExpectMiracles - 7 inch Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 24, 2012, 01:12:45 PM David, congratulations on your photo of Acapulco Gold being in the March newsletter.
High Voltage Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 24, 2012, 01:19:01 PM Charlie those are some very nice blooms. Thank you for posting those.
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 24, 2012, 04:01:24 PM Snuck in a few pictures today on one of my favorite weekends in sports--the NCAA basketball Regional Finals. My first Saffron bloom--not nearly as vibrant as I'm sure it will be in the warmer weather to come. Donna Lynn--still one of my favorites. Living Legend and its bush. Finally, further opening of Protea Cynaroides (King Protea).
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 24, 2012, 04:08:43 PM Darren, don't be put off by the bad bush reputation of Night Fire. Here is a picture of a bloom and the bush that I took in November. Then a picture of the bush today. It is about 5' tall and 3' wide, upright and thickly branched. It has had very little pruning done--only removed a few small branches around the base. The only problem I've had with it recently is that the buds keep dropping but this has been true for most of my cvs all winter.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 24, 2012, 04:14:44 PM David, congratulations on your photo of Acapulco Gold being in the March newsletter. Not saying I am proud John but I have 56 first cousins in Ireland and each has received a copy this weekend ha ha.High Voltage The forum is good at the moment, more and more blooms are getting shown, I felt a bit on my own in January, Darren chipped in occasionally but I think come the summer we are in for a right treat, and come September when all the new varieties that where bought in the winter are blooming it will be wonderful. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 24, 2012, 04:56:13 PM David - Congrats on your photo in the newsletter! And if you do get a hygrometer, I'd be very interested in seeing what your high temp & humid level is on a "toasty" day (LOL!)
Darren - Glad you like Nightfire... The plant has been VERY well behaved for me indoors. It's currently at it's "bushiest", measuring 26"H and 23"W, and full of buds. It is looking rather like Venus Rising with it's purple hued blooms, but I'm sure VR is a more superior plant overall. Erny - Your Nightfire bush is amazing :o My indoor jungle is having a little "spring fling"... Too bad the weather has reverted back to typical Michigan fare (cloudy, rainy, cool). Today's bloomers: Bienvenue (second day) Heaven Scent (sticky double blooms - not opening fully, but still bright & pretty) Nightfire Rocket's Red Glare (another huge bloom - over 8") Rosalind twins Rudolph (looking a little anemic - needs more sun) Deb :D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 24, 2012, 05:24:25 PM Thanks Deb. The favorable weather in southern California that allows us to keep plants in the ground all year certainly helps overcome some of the problems with bad bushes but your NF bush looks great in the pot. I always enjoy the group shots that you post as well.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 24, 2012, 07:46:40 PM Wow!! Deb its all gone crazy at your place, I would love to own Rosaland, I have liked that for so long and I just know it would do so well here.
A nice City Slicker for me today, Cranberry Muffin and a High Voltage. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 24, 2012, 09:51:54 PM Wow Deb ! Looks fantastic, would love to see pics of your setup.
I wonder where the bad bush rap came from with night fire, I always thought it was a pretty solid CV. Based on the pics people posted of it here seem to be consistent with this. One interesting thing I have learned about nightfire is how cold tolerant it is and I think the main flaw with it is the short bloom life and slower growth habit. Venus rising looks like a more purple nightfire, I would love to see more pics of it. My blue heaven is another fantastic one, again we can trace its lineage to nightfire. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 25, 2012, 01:40:57 AM Wow Deb ! Looks fantastic, would love to see pics of your setup. Cris, Deb dosent have a setup she has a shrine haha. Can I ask you when should I think about fertiliser for my seedlings, they are growing[cant believe how slow] and are starting to get second leaves, so far they have had only a drop of Superthrive in the misting and am unsure as to when to start. Also I was thinking a very weak solution of 20-20-20, would that be right and ok.I wonder where the bad bush rap came from with night fire, I always thought it was a pretty solid CV. Based on the pics people posted of it here seem to be consistent with this. One interesting thing I have learned about nightfire is how cold tolerant it is and I think the main flaw with it is the short bloom life and slower growth habit. Venus rising looks like a more purple nightfire, I would love to see more pics of it. My blue heaven is another fantastic one, again we can trace its lineage to nightfire. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 25, 2012, 05:58:00 AM Nightfire has always had a nice looking bush. Perhaps it is Midnight Blue, a similar flower, that was meant when referring to a bad bush.
David, you can begin fertilizing anytime now and really shouldn't wait since your seedlings are quickly using up any stored nutrients and are not planted in real soil I assume. Light doses of 20-20-20 should be fine. That formula comes in versions that also have all the minor minerals and versions with only the NPK. You should check that yours has all the minors like iron, magnesium, etc. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 25, 2012, 09:28:20 AM My two favorite varieties together.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 25, 2012, 09:37:41 AM Beautiful John D!!
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 25, 2012, 11:24:52 AM I'm glad to hear from a lot of you that Night Fire has a decent bush. I had read a few facebook posts a while ago where some people were complaining about their NF plants/bushes. Mine is too small to draw any conclusions but I would agree that it is so far slow growing.
Some shots right before it starting raining... Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 25, 2012, 11:28:12 AM a few more...
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: motherof4 on March 25, 2012, 11:50:47 AM everyones blooms are so beautiful!!!1..Its been a while for me...just been busy...so glad spring is here!! ;D....here are a couple of my blooms....lynette
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 25, 2012, 03:06:29 PM Lynette - Pretty blooms! ;D
Darren - LOVE that Acapulco Gold (and Prosperity too, of course)! David - Beautiful High Voltage (oh and "Ha, Ha" about my shrine!) ;) A fully opened Heaven's Scent and Rosalind triplets for me on this sunny spring day... Deb :D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 25, 2012, 07:13:35 PM Last of my Bridal Path blooms for a while, I am going to have to give it a major prune, the blooms are that high I am forced to cut them to see them.
Nice Rainbow Sherbert today Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 26, 2012, 08:07:24 PM Erny I never got to mention that I totally love the fact you have live hens in your backyard. Talk about having a majorly healthy food source everyday. That is the way to do it. Best I can do is get pasture roaming 100% organic eggs. You can really taste and see the difference though I can only imagine how good your's taste!
Lynette great to hear from you - wow that was a lot of rain yesterday did you also get soaked? Deb great bloom as always! Rosalind is really looking super fab! How's your summer going? It looks as if the really strong spring growth for my plants has restarted again which is great because the weather has nothing to do with it this time. It has been colder than normal for this time of year so I hope this growth gets more explosive as the days go by. Also some plant shots so you can see what the ones leading the way are doing. I'd say they just passed their low points for the year. Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 26, 2012, 08:11:40 PM some more...
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 26, 2012, 08:13:45 PM VD to end it...
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 27, 2012, 09:35:31 PM A nice double samba Dancer amongs a few others today.
Thanks Charlie, I have started to feed my seedlings and I can see a big difference in just 2 days. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 28, 2012, 03:55:04 AM Beautiful bushes, Darren. I'm curious about whether you do much pruning just to shape your bushes or if you allow them to grow in whatever way is natural for them. I might not have guessed that was Valentine's Day - the colors are so different from summer colors. I'm still amazed by how many flowers you are getting in the very cool spring weather in southern CA.
David, I'm impressed by your Samba Dancer. Doubles usually have a lot of trouble with too much heat but yours manages to bloom pretty well, it seems. I need to propagate more of that one. That Bridal Path photo you posted the other day was super, too - starting to rival your Acapulco Gold though it will be awhile before we see as many flowers on the Bridal Path. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 28, 2012, 04:07:13 AM Here's a couple of big flowers that have bloomed recently in the HVH greenhouse.
Golden Giant - I like the different texture of the petals on this one, similar to those of Belle du Jour. This one can bloom at over 8 inches. Unnamed - this one is very interesting because the colors were unexpected - you have to go back more than one generation to find them. It's a Moonstruck x Saffron cross. Also big at 8 inches. Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 28, 2012, 06:44:23 AM David, I'm impressed by your Samba Dancer. Doubles usually have a lot of trouble with too much heat but yours manages to bloom pretty well, it seems. I need to propagate more of that one. That Bridal Path photo you posted the other day was super, too - starting to rival your Acapulco Gold though it will be awhile before we see as many flowers on the Bridal Path.
Charlie [/quote] Charlie I probably never explained clearly before but I now and haven't done for a while purposely shade any of my cv's, just there position in the garden will determin how much sun they get per day. Now odd as it seems Samba Dancer performs so much better with 6 hours full sun rather than 2 or 3 hours, with only a couple of hours the blooms sometimes didn't fully open, in fact there aren't to many of my cv's that could sit in the position it does and show no ill affects from the heat[burnt or droopy leaves and needing exess water etc] and actually perform better. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 28, 2012, 07:48:44 AM David, I am hoping to get Samba Dancer when it becomes available thanks to your wonderful pics.
Compassion - 2nd pic is once it fully opened White Wings Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 28, 2012, 08:45:13 AM Wow Doll, Compassion something else!
David, just great as always. Farmer D really love the Valentines Day, I have one of those coming soon. Mine from today,.... The Path (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/Path2copycopy.jpg) Silver Memories (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/SilverMemoriescopy.jpg) Topaz Glory (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff300/jimharv11/TG2copy.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Denise on March 28, 2012, 02:36:48 PM Nice colors, Jim!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 28, 2012, 02:47:36 PM David, I am hoping to get Samba Dancer when it becomes available thanks to your wonderful pics. Hope you get it John, should do well even with your heat, the bush takes a couple of prunes to get it really shaped but it needs a bit of time so it can fully support the blooms.Nice Compassion today and loved the picture of your 2 favourites the other day. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 28, 2012, 04:26:41 PM Really pretty, Jim. All oldies but goodies. I grew all 3 for years and sold a lot of the top 2.
By the way, attaching photos as a link to another web site means they will disappear from the forum anytime in the future that they are no longer on the same page of the web site you linked to. That's why most photos are sent to the forum using the "Additional Options" button that is below and to the left side of the posting window. Click it and then click on "Choose File" which will let you highlight the photo on your computer. Follow the steps as shown to finish attaching the photo to the message. If you do it this way the photos will always remain visible on the forum no matter what happens with the web site you originally posted them to. If this isn't clear write to Cindy personally at Office and she can explain it better. Thanks, Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 28, 2012, 04:48:26 PM Charlie
Beautiful bushes, Darren. I'm curious about whether you do much pruning just to shape your bushes or if you allow them to grow in whatever way is natural for them. I might not have guessed that was Valentine's Day - the colors are so different from summer colors. I'm still amazed by how many flowers you are getting in the very cool spring weather in southern CA. Charlie Since I'm new to growing hibiscus I want to first see what they can do on their own. I try to select ones that sound like they'll be strong and not need any selective pruning. The only pruning I've ever done was during winter 2010 when I had quite a bit of dieback disease and had to cut multiple branches back but I would have left them alone otherwise. It did pay off with more branching in the following spring/summer. Yeah lots of flowers this week with Black Dream at 14 and COF & AG at 11. Even All That Jazz is now up to 6 open blooms currently. I see strong spring growth everywhere now so I'll be curious to see which ones bloom and grow and which ones want to grow first. John I agree with David your Compassion is a beauty! Jim those are three perfect blooms. They really can't get any better for each cv. The colors on The Path are just mind blowing - WOW!! Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 28, 2012, 09:00:27 PM Jim, those are three beautiful blooms. I'm particularly impressed by the Topaz Glory. I have one that has been in the ground for about 9 years and it has never shown me a flower as nice as yours.
Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 28, 2012, 09:03:51 PM Its ok Jim, I am back from the doctors and he says my eyes are ok, but maybe a warning in the future if you are showing ''The Path'' ha ha, give me chance to slip on a pair of shades.
Darren interesting what you say about pruning, I would love to not have to prune so much but I have little choice, Cris explained it well a few weeks ago, my branches grow so quick they haven't the strength to support themselves, so with me its prune grow prune grow just to get strength in the branches. Nice Samba again today this one showing a little more red which I like, also cut and played about just to check the different yellows. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 28, 2012, 09:11:22 PM Bridal path just loves the heat and to bloom for you! Very nice. I am ready for some blooms!
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 29, 2012, 11:06:55 AM Jim, the colors are amazing on your blooms.
David, I liked the display of blooms with Samba Dancer. Voodoo Queen Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Jim on March 29, 2012, 01:20:36 PM David, if it wasn’t for your and Farmer D’s GREAT photos, I might not of bought the first darn plant. Those countless photos of Acapulco Gold and others will be forever burned into my mind. So, I am glad you liked them. The two of you have burned more eyes than us others will ever hope too. :)
Doll, that Voodoo Queen might be the coolest color combo I have ever seen. Charlie, thanks for the posting tips. As soon as my first load comes from you guys I promise I will post no more of those old ones. Only the GOOD new stuff! :) I am guessing that once you produce a plant that in your view, is superior to one of the oldies, you produce that item instead? Erny, I like the browns too. Might you have any others you like besides the Topaz Glory? I purchased 4-5 browns from Charlie this winter and I can’t wait to get them. They are a nice change of pace. Thanks guys and girls for noticing the color, the few new panels in my green house are responsible for the nice saturation of the colors. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 29, 2012, 03:17:07 PM John that is another lovely Voodoo Queen. Again the colors you're getting so far this season have been wonderful.
Jim it is a pleasure to hear your comments. One of the great things about this forum is that we not only can share the fantastic blooms but inspire each other to new ventures and heights of enjoyment. I'm so happy that some of those pics are burned in your mind. You put it well, as so often I see new pics that do the same for me as well. Keep 'em coming... Today I can say is the first group of spring-like blooms for my plants (excpet for Prosperity which seems to have only one season - summer). Bigger size and some stronger colors again but still a little ways to go. Also shooting a TV show down the street again, this time a pilot called Applebaum but we got the actor's trailer in front of the house so the 'biscus are ready for their big day! Just gorgeous & big! Prosperity (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity3-29.jpg) The Path (http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/March%202012%20Hibiscus/ThePathTwins3-29.jpg) Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 29, 2012, 03:21:47 PM more pics...
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: farmer d on March 29, 2012, 03:23:43 PM a few more...
Farmer D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on March 29, 2012, 06:51:04 PM Jim, you're certainly right about Darren and David. Some time ago I posted my opinion that Charlie should be paying both of them a commission since about 80% of my choices have been heavily influenced by the incredible photos they post.As to your question on browns, the only other one that is sort of brown that I have is Herm Geller--another oldie. But I have Arabian Princess and Old Spice on order and am looking forward to those two.
John, love that Voodoo Queen. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 29, 2012, 07:53:47 PM Erny and Jim its nice to hear you like to see mine and Darren's pictures, but you know I get just as much pleasure and I am sure Darren feels the same in seeing yours, we all face different situations and problems and its great to see the results and how others cope.
Anyway today I have a small problem of my own, we are in the middle of a tropical storm with a possible typhoon on the way, so I have cut a few blooms and placed on all the cuttings at the front,they are undercover here and out of the wind. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 30, 2012, 04:32:12 AM Jim, new varieties are a lot of fun to see and grow. As you mentioned, we are constantly trying to improve on many qualities of bush, growth habit, and so forth and I think we have seen significant improvements over the last 15 years. But, The Path and Silver Memories are 2 of the very best from the last 20 years and are well worth growing and a delight to see photos of. The Path was our best seller for several years in a row and Silver Memories was ground breaking when it first became available. Please don't hesitate to show us how they do for you.
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: blupit007 on March 30, 2012, 05:46:06 AM My first Tahitian Princess. I LOVE HER!!! Taken with my iPhone
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 30, 2012, 10:07:20 AM Kristen, what a beautiful Tahitian Princess.
San Diego Sun Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 30, 2012, 12:22:50 PM Typhoon Pakhar is forecast to strike Vietnam at about 18:00 GMT on 31 March.Data supplied by the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Centersuggest that the point of land fall will benear10.2 N,108.5 E.Pakhar is expected to bring 1-minute maximum sustained winds to the region of around120 km/h (74 mph).Wind gusts in the area may be considerably much higher.
This thing is heading straight for Nha Trang so I best bring the Hibs I can inside and tie the rest down, totally amazing that this is happening now, to get rain in March April is unusual but a typhoon, its unheard off, hopefully I may get some bigger blooms next week, the temperature had dropped by about 15f over the last couple of days, very strange. Still havent pruned my Bridal Path [wish I had now, 7 feet tall on the roof its bound to catch the wind] and avery nice bright Saffron. Lovely Tahitian Princess Kristen Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 30, 2012, 12:50:35 PM David, I hope you are able to get most of your plants inside. Hurricanes/typhoons are no fun. I've been through two hurricanes here in Houston. The last one blew down 6 trees in my yard. When is it normal for typhoons there? Hurricane season here is from June 1st - November 30th. Good luck and be safe.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 30, 2012, 01:12:44 PM I will be fine John, nearly always the typhoons when they get close to land fall alter course north and miss us, we still get the heavy rains mind and I see the streets below are already flooded, normally Typhoon season is November and December so why this is coming now is very strange.
Biggest problem for me is clearing all the debris [leaves and blooms etc] making sure they don't block the drainage holes here on the roof, with the amount of rain now falling it would be totally flooded within an hour. Of course my problems are minute compared to the poor beggars in the shanty town type houses and I just hope all the fishermen get back ok. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 30, 2012, 01:48:39 PM Hi David,
Just looked up your typhoon on NASA satelite images... Not sure of the time delay, but it was about to make landfall on the image I saw... Guess you're going to have hibiscus houseplants now, too (well, for a few nights anyway). I hope you and all your hibs (& other plants) stay very safe and as dry as possible. Deb Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 30, 2012, 08:25:39 PM David, you'll be in my thoughts. I hope you, your home, and collection make it through just fine.
Two rare beauties bloomed for me today-- Vin Extraordinaire and Creme De La Creme. Vin's colors are so dark and rich, and this pretty pale look of CDLC is one I haven't seen before. Both blooms were full of pollen, so of course I crossed them. If either sets seed, I see some graft-only babies in the future. Haha. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 30, 2012, 09:07:14 PM Thanks Jordan, that Vin is outrageous, it for sure will win the Vietnam flower of the month for March, truly stunning.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on March 31, 2012, 04:11:15 AM Beautiful blooms, Jordan. I have several seedlings with Vin Extraordinaire as the pod parent - Vin Electrique is the best known of them. I never had Creme de la Creme set seeds so far so probably your best bet is if the Vin Ex takes. I sure hope so - could be super!
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Doll on March 31, 2012, 08:25:44 AM Jordan, Vin Extraordinaire is beautiful.
White Wings - I left this outside all winter planted in the ground. Makes a great landscape plant. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: helixturnhelix on March 31, 2012, 12:02:25 PM I finally have a bloom to share!
This one is Delta Dawn, Renaissance Blue x Gabriel. The deep color in this one comes from both parents. It more vigorous like Gabriel, but I have a feeling it will be much more upright thanks to Renaissance blue. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on March 31, 2012, 01:37:34 PM Jordan - LOVE your classic blooms! Vin Extraordinaire is amazing... I can't wait until I get mine! :o
John - I have a great fondness for the "ancestors"... White Wings is lovely. Chris - Delta Dawn is a real beauty... Great color! My bloomers today... Heaven Scent Heaven's Glow Moonstruck Nightfire Rosalind Deb ;) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on March 31, 2012, 04:34:27 PM Hi Everyone,
Gosh I cannot keep up with all the posts. Impossible for me to comment on them. So, a blanket WOW WOW. This is the second bloom from a cross between moonstruck and tigerama. the bloom is 7 inches and the color is more intense than the first bloom. the bloom is starting to straighten itself out. see the first bloom, petals were not fully opened. this one has opened more and i hope it will continue to fill out. charlie, any better than the first one? Louis First bloom - 3-17-12 (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/3-17-12/tiger%20x%20moon.jpg) Second Bloom - 3-31-12 (http://www.imagesct.com/web/hib-misc/moonxtiger-3-31-12/moon%20x%20tiger.jpg) Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on March 31, 2012, 07:17:53 PM I finally have a bloom to share! That is also stunning Chris, some real beauties being shown at the moment.This one is Delta Dawn, Renaissance Blue x Gabriel. The deep color in this one comes from both parents. It more vigorous like Gabriel, but I have a feeling it will be much more upright thanks to Renaissance blue. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Darkhorse on March 31, 2012, 10:09:00 PM Awesome flowers everyone! Chris, I think you'll like Delta Dawn. Its growth rivals Acapulco Gold and the colors will be intense for you in Seattle. It fades some in the sun, but still pretty. I still need to get my hands on a Renaissance Blue *ahem* Charlie... hehe.
Deb your Nightfire is so pretty! I just lost mine to winter wilting... :( Louis your seedling looks great. How many more seedlings are you growing right now? Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on April 01, 2012, 01:45:49 AM David, It is interesting how some CVs are more flush bloomers and others are almost always in bloom. One such CV that I noticed is a flush bloomer is Rosalind. She budded up and bloomed like crazy for a few months, then would stop and just grow. After the growth phase, there was then a burst of buds again. Contrast to this was Muffin man, which always produced buds and never really showed any slow down or switch to growth phase. Even in the tropics there are some species that can go dormant, but this is usually based on the amount of water available and not necessary the amount of sun or temperatures. There are several species of Orchids which go dormant during the dry season, and resume growth when water is available. In Hawaii it seems as though the native species (many of which make up the ancestry of our modern hybrids) live in wet and warm forests and usually do not have a dormant phase. I bet some of the other species which make up our hybrids may exhibit some sort of dormancy like phase. Interesting to say the least! [/quote] Chris as I know you are interested I have finally got round to replying,sorry. To my mind all my Hibiscus go dormant at some time of the year, usually for about 2 months, they don't actually lose there leaves but all growth shuts down and for want of a better word they look and become lifeless. Now I would suppose that because I don't actually get a winter as such [very rare to go under 80f] is the reason the dormancy can happen at any time of the year but shut down they do. Now as I have about 20 different Hibs I would say this is normal behavior for Tropical Hibiscus anywhere , in the colder climate they chose to shut down when its cold, what triggers it here in the tropics I don't know but like I say, they all still go dormant. Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on April 01, 2012, 03:10:31 AM That's interesting, David. As the only person I know who is reporting on growing in the tropics this is helpful info. In most of the rest of the world you can often identify why hibiscus go semi-dormant - most common reason being winter but also spider mite attacks, lack of sufficient water during hot spells, or in my case our houseplants will go dormant after a flush of blooms are all pollinated and seedpods harvested.
According to Dupont, "Delta Dawn Glossy, dark-green leaves and 7” blooms highlight this fast- growing and semi-upright bush variety. It is great for standards. Requires heavy pruning." Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Charlie on April 01, 2012, 03:13:15 AM Lou, the form is looking better on the second bloom. Are your plants now in the house and how much sun are they getting? Have to watch this one as summer comes on. Are your earlier ones still blooming?
Charlie Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on April 01, 2012, 06:41:00 AM Lou, the form is looking better on the second bloom. Are your plants now in the house and how much sun are they getting? Have to watch this one as summer comes on. Are your earlier ones still blooming? Charlie hi charlie, i have the plants back in the greenhouse now under 60% shade cloth. they get sun from 10 am to sunset, which is now around 6:30. the plants that were blooming earlier have all been cut back to manage the bush. i did nothing to the bushes as they grew, did not want to prolong a bud showing up. they all managed to get to around 4 feet before they had the first bloom. Of all that bloomed for me, i kinda like this one the best. Louis Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Louis on April 01, 2012, 06:42:08 AM Awesome flowers everyone! Chris, I think you'll like Delta Dawn. Its growth rivals Acapulco Gold and the colors will be intense for you in Seattle. It fades some in the sun, but still pretty. I still need to get my hands on a Renaissance Blue *ahem* Charlie... hehe. Deb your Nightfire is so pretty! I just lost mine to winter wilting... :( Louis your seedling looks great. How many more seedlings are you growing right now? hi dark horse, i have now only 10 plants out of 30 that i started with. louis Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Yashodhara on April 01, 2012, 03:32:58 PM More indoor spring bloomers from MI...
Arnottianus Black Beauty (listed as a parent for both Black Jack and Topaz Glory) Heaven Scent (another bloom with 6 pads) Deb :D Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on April 01, 2012, 04:12:12 PM Deb, very pretty Heaven Scent--wonderful colors.
Chris, that Delta Dawn is a real gem--as good as the song that gave it its name. Haven't heard from David. Sure hope he didn't get the full force of the typhoon. Some outdoor shots today: Prima Ballerina triplets in a hedge; an unknown red double (can anyone ID it?) that I've had in the ground for about 9 years; Black Dream with 8 blooms open today (one can't be seen); Simple Pleasures twins amidst lots of buds; Night Fire showing hardly any blue today; Protea Cynaroides (King Protea) finally completely open. Erny Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: davidwood on April 01, 2012, 06:17:44 PM I am fine Erny thanks, everything totally flooded but no structural damage and no damage to my Hibs.
Title: Re: March flower photos of the day Post by: Ernest on April 01, 2012, 10:02:08 PM David, I am very relieved to hear you made it through with no serious damage.
Erny |