Blooms From Ft Lauderdale From The Last Week

Here are a few hibbie blooms from the past week down here in humid, soggy South Florida starting with Hibiscus "Funny Voodoo".

Hibiscus "Voodoo Magic"

Hibiscus "Silver Charm"

Hibiscus "High Voltage"

Hibiscus "Space Oddity"

And lastly....nothing to do with hibiscus are my first blooms on Rudbeckia "Prairie Sun". These were started from seed last winter.
Jon

Your Funny Voodoo is a stunner.

Thanks much. It "freaked me out" when I saw these first blooms. It's definitely unique.

Wow, wow, wow! Isn't nature wonderful! and I guess I should give you some credit too, Jon :-)

OMGoodness Funny Voodoo is incredible, looks like a neon, jazzed up hybrid four (er...5) leaf clover! Voodoo Magic is way cool & Space Oddity too, gee, I wouldn't mind having all 5 of them.

Very nice Prairie Sun, even better knowing your grew it from seed. I need to come & take one of those gardening courses from you. Great plants & super photos. I'll send you a dmail about the dates of your course! Thanks Jon, you never cease to amaze.
debbie

Thanks Dee & Debbie. LOL. I don't think I have enough knowledge to teach a gardening course, but thanks. In my 26 months of gardening "trial and error" I just do lots of online reading about various things and try to assemble a consensus of what works and what doesn't work.
Jon

Nice Jon...... They are all spectacular. I'm wondering what the next "Voodoo" will look like. I reallly like silver charm as well.

Enjoyed the pictures Jon!!!

Nice pictures Jon, my wife love "Funny Voodoo"
Me I enjoy them all, makes my wish list longer.

Thanks Jon, Patty and Patrick. The brown colored blooms with contrasting colors get to me every time. I never dreamed I'd be into brown colored flowers but I'm sure glad I gave them a try a couple of years ago. They are just so unique and so much better looking when you see them in person.

Good family the Voodoos. Dupont does a good job with those easy-to-root cultivars.
Strange High Voltage looking at the ground, normally is always upright.

Regards

Carlos

Jon I just noticed all the pots in the background of silver Charm (she is quite fetching BTW) are most of those your collection of hibs? If you wouldn't mind, would you try to take a wide shot of them, I'd love to see what that'd look like. (Heaven, that's what it's gonna look like, hib heaven!)

Hi Debbie

Yes, most of those in the background are hybrid Hibiscus plants. I believe there are 29 total inside the pool screening. I use this area also to grow things from seed. I like this area as it is filtered sun and not likely to have any pest problems. My pet geckos named "Pete" and "Repeat" also patrol the area for uninvited visitors when "Jaws" is slacking off. The other plants currently growing in this area are gerbera daisies, canterbury bells, morning glory, bearded iris, echinacea (coneflowers), gaillardia (blanket flower), carnations, rudbeckia (black eyed susans), zinnias and a couple of daylilies. There are also about 10 "Pride Of Hankins" hibiscus plants back there that can be used as rootstock for grafting hybrid plants. I really like this area because I can pretty much see everything while sitting down inside. It sure beats having to go outside in the heat to look at things.
Jon

I am so happy that I discovered the Botany Bay Series of hibs. They have been an unending source of beauty and joy for us. I have only 5 but they bloom faithfully and are loving this 100+ temps we are having. I never would have thought that I would fall in love w/pink & white hibs as I didn't know such athing existed. Love my Goin' Steady!!

Ann

I love canterbury bells, but haven't had any luck growing them here. Are you growing the purple or pink ones????

I'm glad you found them also Ann. You're not alone in that you didn't know these varieties even existed. I think the majority of people don't know they exist as they are not easy to find.
I love Canterbury Bells also Patty so I decided to give them a try even though I'm growing them out of their zone. The only drawback is that they are biennials, so they most likely will not bloom until next year. The variety I'm trying is Canterbury Bells "Cup & Saucers Mix" and comes in pink, blue and white. I have 8 of them growing and I'm babying them in only morning sun so they might have to chance to survive here in the summer. Here's a photo from this afternoon showing what a few of them are looking like right now.
Jon

Just have to say one word Jon, AMAZING HIBS, sorry that's two words, you sure have some outstanding hibs in your collection, their all gorgeous.

Wilfred

Thanks much Wilfred. Appreciate it.

The plants look good & healthy. I hope they bloom for you. I would love to see em when they do.

These photos of Jon's are enough to make me start over with hibiscus next summer. I know you are already hooked, Patty!

C'mon gessiegail. Just go for it! Patty did and I think she's happy she did. Yes, the Canterbury Bells are looking good so far. I thought they would whither in the summer heat and humidity, but so far...so good.
Have a "Happy 4th of July" everyone!!!

Jon

Patty and I just live 10 miles apart. I need to stop by, Patty, and see your yard so I can get really fired up about these hibiscus. I had 12 real pretty ones but I kept fighting whitefly so I gave them away. Won't do that again for sure!
You all have a great 4th too!!

Come on by Gail. Things have finally slowed down for me and no plans on the horizon except a few dr. appointments. You've got to get you some hibbies Gail. Grow em in pots; that's where I've got most of mine. Get em online instead of at Bloomers. The one I bought at Johnson's (Rum Runner) is doing really well also. I will order early next spring so I can get me some pretties that sell out quickly.

Jon I love that sunflower. I think of all the cultivars you mentioned that I looked up, that is my favorite.

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Patty

I need to first find a way for wind protection. Those gorgeous hibiscus won't take my wind.......
Patty, you can tell me later where you ordered yours.
Happy 4th back to everyone!
gail

Thanks Patty. Here's a new Sunflower variety that opened for the first time today named "Mahogany Bicolor"

Ooh, I like the sunflower Jon. I have one named "Chocolate" thats getting ready to open it's second flower. Beautiful.

Hi Debbie. Yes Sunflower "Chocolate" is pretty new. I think it's only been out one or two years. I first saw it at www.chocolateflowerfarm.com. It is very similar to Sunflower "Moulin Rouge".

Funny Voodoo must be fake! All silk....:)

I didn't know colors like that existed in Hib. Beautiful. ....just beautiful.

I know what you mean. It's wild how bizarre and different it looks. What also makes it more unusual is the foliage is this real light green...almost a lime green. I spent a lot of time photo shopping/altering that picture. I think it came out pretty good. LOL

Jon

I am assuming that these hibs are all tropical?

You are correct marie kap. They are all hybrid tropical hibiscus created by cross pollinating two existing hybrids. The experts created the crosses. I was just lucky enough to acquire them.
Jon

Well all I have to say is that they are absolutely gorgeous.
Makes me want to move to FL...lol

LOL. That would be a first if I heard someone say they decided to move to Florida because of the hibiscus down here!! One of the drawbacks (or positives) of living here is that gardening is a year round commitment. You really don't get a chance to take some time off from it.

amorecuore

Whether you created, raised, or tweeked them....still beautiful.

Thanks much