April Flower Photos of the Day

[helixturnhelix]

Wow looking good Erny and Darren, really love Ren. Blue!

LOL Deb, SOT is really good a planking, at least there is no tebowing happening in you plants

[Doll]

Darren, T. Lavender Mist is awesome.

Deb, I like Heaven's Glow. I will have to keep an eye out for it in the store.

[Ernest]

John, I'm with you on T. Lavender Mist and Heaven's Glow. I hope they become available in the near future. Cindy's Heart and Rainbow Sherbert should be arriving soon; if they put out blooms as nice as yours I will be ecstatic. Your pictures of Voodoo Queen have also started me on a quest for that beauty.

Erny

[helixturnhelix]

Another Heartbreak Hotel looking amazing and my first white diamonds, crap bush, but pretty flower. 

[Yashodhara]

Ooh, Chris - Very nice! They're like extreme opposite examples of beautiful bloom colors: WD soft, delicate and surreal and HH loud, wild and bright (looking a little like cinnamon French toast... ummm!)  I see they're both loaded with pollen - Did you arrange a "get together"? Are these plants that are living under the new lights?

Deb  

[helixturnhelix]

Yup these are all basement blooms!  I am using two 4 ft 4 tube T5s with 6400K light bulbs.  I give them low nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer and apply potassium murate once a week to get prolific blooming and good coloration.  The low nitrogen is key, the plants grow slower, but bloom alot on compact plants as long as their is adequate potassium and magnesium. I found special blend to have too much nitrogen for my growing situation so I mix my own using components of readily available fertilizers.  Gotta play mad scientist when I can    

I did dust both with pollen, but I did not cross them to each other.  White Diamonds is one that you have to be careful with who you cross to.  Other hybridizers who have used White Diamonds observed her poor growth habit in the seedlings produced from her.  Heartbreak hotel is a slower grower, so I didn't want to cross to another slow grower, although I am sure the flowers would have been fantastic.  

When I get Arabian Princess, I plan on crossing her to White Diamonds as well.  I think this should do alot to improve the bush in the seedlings.    

[Ernest]

Chris, that Heartbreak Hotel is outstanding. If I were to plant that in the ground would you recommend full sun or a somewhat shaded spot?

A few more oldies from today:
                                          Fifth Dimension--this is day four and I'm pleasantly surprised
                                          at how well the bloom has held up given its rather thin petals.
                                          Renaissance Blue--still not as blue as it was in summer
                                          Rivero 2 profusion. This one is a great bloomer and develops a
                                          lot of white spots in the warmer weather.
                                          Special FX
                                          Georgia's Pearl
                                          Black Dream

Erny

 

[helixturnhelix]

Hey Erny,

I think for bloom life and enjoyment, a spot that is partially shaded during the afternoon works well.  I think HBH is one that can take full sun if that is the only place available.  I really really love this one, as I am sure you will too

[farmer d]

I thought I loved Apple before but this puts it over the top...just around the corner from my house.  How'd they know?

Apple forum people guessed it was a cv called Cayman Wind - I didn't find it anywhere on the net.

Farmer D

[farmer d]

Erny your blooms are looking just gorgeous! Fiesta is on fire with those colors and I'm really impressed with your R Blue.  Very nice....

Chris nice combo of blooms there - Deb was right it really has both sides of the color spectrum and we can all dream of what a combo of those two cvs might produce on a bloom.

John that CH has such strong color!  Wow mine need to follow suit...

OK I messed up today and took all my shots on the highest memory setting my camera has so even when I reduce my shots all the way down to the lowest saved memory they're some still over 300kb.  So a few dazzlers I wanted to show will just have to be on the big side.  I know what a drag huh?

Acapulco Gold


Flickering Flame


Prosperity


Vin Beaujolais




Farmer D

[farmer d]

Can't forget T Lavender Mist...

Farmer D

[Doll]

Darren, it looks like Acapulco Gold and Prosperity are your best bloomers right now.

Really warming up here now. Could hit 90 by the end of the week.

[Jim]

Wow, Darren and Doll hard to compete with you fellows.... "I got one today",...

I think Darren and David should be crowned "The Acapulco Gold Kings"!

Doll, Hot Pepper really cool.

My big load came in last week and this was my first worthy bloom.

Simple Pleasures

[Doll]

Jim, that is a gorgeous Simple Pleasures. Hot Pepper would do great for you in Florida. It thrives in the heat.

[farmer d]

Jim I never get tired of looking at Simple Pleasures.  The blooms are always big and well presented and those colors are just so bright.  What else did you get in your shipment?

John I love that CH & HV shot - those are two beauties.  I hear you about the thrips.  Looks like I'm on to a second spraying as soon as the rain is done tomorrow.  Today was weird, forecast high before the storm of 69F and instead it was 83F and really humid.  The hibs loved every second of it...

Farmer D