New Hibiscus NUT looking for some advise.

Hello All,

My name is Kristen and I am hooked! I have always loved and owned hibiscus, until one day while surfing the web for a photo to show someone what one looks like so she could paint it, I came across my first Exotic Hibiscus Hybrid! I was blown away. Now 2 weeks later I have 6 coming in the mail!!! I want to get into the this world so badly.

My home is small and in CT, so I need to be choosy since I must bring them in during the winter, which could be long in CT. I want to try to make my own babies! I am very creative. So far I have a 2 year old basic "box store" red hibiscus, along with a yellow hibiscus with red center. I also have a small Cajun Blue which has not bloomed yet. In the mail I have Bonnie Lass, Sleeping Beauty, Gabriel, Voodoo Magic, & City Slicker. I desperately need, cant live without, Cindy's Heart, Saffron, & Bella du Jour. (these I found on Hidden Valley Hibiscus site).

I can't seem to find these available for sale anywhere. Can anyone help? Also, I was going to purchase some more from someone in FL, Geaux Tigers (aka Gator Pride), Tigers Eye, Whirlygig, & Nightfire. Does anyone know any of these? Suggestions? Are they good to have when I don't have much room? Or would it be more worth my while to purchase tried and true CV's like Fifth Dimention, The Path, Rainbow Christy, & High Voltage? I don't like their colors as much, but have read that they make for great parents, so to speak. Can anyone help this new Hibiscus NUT??!

Anxiously waiting some your awesome advice! Here is a photo I took a week ago of my unknown yellow. I think its something breeze?? I dunno...

Thanks,
~Kristen

Looks like 'Sunny Wind'. :-)

Glad you made it to the forum and introduced yourself...Welcome.

If I may...you might want to over winter your new plants this year before you decide to take the plunge and invest in too many CVs. Unfortunately I lost many plants this past winter and I'm in a much more mild climate than yours. I suggest you see what it's like to care for them during all the seasons because it's hard to see your babies succumb. Although you've had your garden varieties for awhile, they seem to be much hardier than the hybrids so it takes a little more care to insure success. Of course if you can't resist, buy the biggest plants you can afford so that they are more mature and have a greater chance of survival.

As far as plant availability, HVH updates the plants on their website throughout the year so check in often. You can also request to be put on a waiting list for the CVs you can't live without. Some, like 'Cindy's Heart', are not normally listed on the site so the waiting list might be your best bet. This year vendors seem to have sold out of a lot of CVs quite fast...I'm not sure if its due to less plants being grown, adverse weather effects or the demand is higher but there aren't as many choices now compared to what I've seen previously.

I have some of the CVs you mention above but I'll let someone else weigh in on their merits as parent plants and such since I don't hybridize.

Happy Gardening,

d

Thanks d,
I appreciate any advise. Overwinter? Does that mean to just take them in during the winter? I have a nice sunny sliding glass window that I put them all in. As for temperature? Not too warm in my house. We keep it around 60º in inside. We don't turn the heat up too high here, expensive... But I am seriously considering buying a nice grow light.
Thanks,
Kristen

A couple other places you might try are www.hibiscusplace.com and www.atouchofthetropics.net They've both got a nice selection too and tend to have a different selection of cultivars, although they're probably out of stock on quite a few by this point. I know that I've seen Gator Pride and Nightfire either on one of those sites or at HVH--no guarantee they have them in stock now but at least one of those companies usually grows them so you shouldn't have to wait more than a year to get your hands on them. There's also www.triedandtruehibiscus.com They don't ship to CA so I have no experience with them and don't remember what cultivars they grow, but I've seen others post that they like them.

Thanks so much ecrane3! I will check them out right now.

If you have a spare hour I highly recommend you head up to Danielson, CT and visit Logee's. Their plants are small but they have a good variety and you could see them blooming "in person" and pick your own plants. They are also a wealth of information on growing tropicals indoors during the cold weather. Just be sure and set yourself a strict budget because once you get into their greenhouses you will want everything in there.

Here's their website but remember, they have more plants than are shown here.

www.logees.com

OMG Logees! ardesia, thanks for the recomendation. I heard about them a month ago and so far I've been there 2 times & planning on going next week. I just love walking around there. The funny thing is, the first time I went with many things in mind to buy, but got so overwhelmed that I walked out empty handed. No worries though, I took a catalog and when I had time at home to think, I circled everything I wanted and went back the next week. It is by far the most breath taking greenhouse I have ever been in. I was completely shocked. Although I didn't have any idea what to expect, the person who told me to go was very vague...

I was able to get Cindy's Heart and Saffron! How exciting, however, I will not be getting Bonnie Lass and Sleeping Beauty after all. But luckily Cindy at HVH is totally awesome and found my 2 favorites to replace them. She was so nice, something happened with the ordering and totally hooked me up!

If anyone has Bella du Jour, and would be willing to make a clipping for me, I would pay. Just curious.

Thanks everyone, I will keep you all posted on how my new additions to my new addiction come along! And I love all the comments and help you could give me. As soon as Saffron and Cindy's Heart come in next week, I plan on taking a cutting of each and try to root them. See how I do. Ive never done it. Cross your fingers. (Or is there a time of year I am supposed to do this instead of the beginning of summer?)

Talk soon,
Kristen

Below my new babies, City Slicker, Voodoo Magic (who's leaves are curling, does any one know why?), & Gabriel.