BLOOMS 2011 CONTINUES......

Ok Jon, I'll take the hibiscus, glads, and the pool please, LOL. Very pretty blooms. Please keep posting. I pollinated my amaryllis with it's own pollen, and it's like a science experiment. The blooms died very quickly, and the base of the dying blooms are quite swollen. I believe it's filing with soon to be seeds. I'll post a picture later. Annette

Annette, I was just reading about pollinating Amaryllis a couple weeks ago and there was recent discussion about it in the Florida Forum. I think the entire process to get to blooms is about 3-4 years. Just let the seed pod form, dry up and then pluck it once it starts to crack open. The same process is used to cross pollinate two hybrid hibiscus to create new varieties. The whole process takes about 18 months from seed to first bloom with hibiscus crossings. While most of the crossings produce something ordinary, you do get some occasional good ones as well. This is the first bloom from April 2 on one of my cross seedlings. I'm still thinking of a name to give it and then perhaps register the name with the International Hibiscus Society. Had another seedling first bloom about the same time, but it was just a solid red, the bloom was small, and the growth and foliage quality genetics are less than desirable.

Jon, that's one gorgeous bloom. Has the name Florida Sunset been taken? Love the dark center, the cream surround and then the lush color of the petals. Here is my pollinated amaryllis. Looks totally weird. It was amazing how fast the blooms died after pollination was done. Annette

Thanks Annette. Yes the name "Florida Sunset" has already been taken. Usually takes me several weeks to come up with a name. Sometimes the name is catchy, sometimes part of the name comes from the two parent varieties used to create it. An example would be Hibiscus "Burnt Saffron" that I just posted above. It's parents were Hibiscus "Saffron" and "Black Dragon". Someone gave me a name I liked so might stick with that one.... Hibiscus "Cheap Champagne".

Yeah your Amaryllis is looking weird, but that's normal. Just let it do its thing and let things fall naturally.

Thanks Jon, I will. Here's Dutch iris Oriental Beauty against a backdrop of white and yellow Baptista. You can see a NOID bearded iris peaking through in the background.

Wow, awesome picture. I bought some Baptisia online late last spring hoping I could get them to bloom down here. No luck last year....all foliage. See they have come back and hoping for better results even though my confidence is low on them.

This is the third year for mine. I've got the yellow, white and blue, but the blue isn't blooming yet. They're nice plants and mine had a lot of seed pods last fall. Here's a closer view of the white that's just starting to bloom and the yellow that further along.

Iris Echo de France is also close by, with it's white and yellow bloom.

Stop teasing me with the Baptisia!! LOL I do love the photos though. Hmmm, what tropical flowers from South Florida could I tease you with. LOL I did see this orchid I should have bought last week. Never seen anything like it before. It had large sky blue colored blooms.

Oh don't you go there, I've got them too Ha! Ha!

jxmas, metal configuration in pic serves triple purpose - marker, support, and symmetrical balance (art).

Mixed bed -

After the storm

Narcissus 'Brackenhurst.' This is their second spring blooming.

More N. 'Brackenhurst.'

Narcissus 'Wisley.' I saw them in Colorblend's catalog two seasons ago for a good price but did not buy them. Last year I finally bought them from another seller for a good penny. This is their first spring blooming. Very early flowering, at the same time, or earlier than some of the narcissi planted several years ago.

Nice blooms Jmorth and MmeW. Jmorth what's the name of the red and white tulip that you posted earlier today?

Cem, this one? If so, it actually has a more purplish hue than red. There is a red/white similar variety called Grand Perfection at Brent and Becky's; what came to mind when orginally posting this one was like 'Raspberry Swirl'; but I'm not overly confident with that designation. My map, wherein I track garden plants, sadly names that particular area 'tulips'.

Inside

Temple's Favorite - a quite tall single late (30").

Jmorth, you are in the same zone as I am, so why is that your single late tulips are already blooming and lilies also have developed so much? My lilies from two seasons ago have *just* poked their heads through.

T. 'Heart's Delight' from 2009 fall. They bloom before all the other tulips.

This message was edited Apr 24, 2011 12:32 AM

This spring's tulip manifestation has been somewhat different in that I had single early, Triumph, Darwins, Greigii, species, and late singles blooming in the same time frame (last week). The Triumphs, Darwins and late single presently remain.
As to reason of time factor in same zone, I don't know, first thought maybe due to micro climatic differences although I don't think this spring has been particularily different than previous ones weather wise.
I've some lilies presently over 18" tall and I'd postulate all have made an appearance.
First bloom last year for lilies happened 5-14-10 (an Asiatic Pixie), year before was 5-21-09.

Wow! Your lilies look spectacular! I hope you'll post photos of them when they bloom.

I'm also in zone 5b and my lilies are just starting to emerge.

Some ranunculus from a mix in the new "hot bed"....

New this spring are these split corona daffs I planted last fall. Don't know why I did that as I don't like the look at all :-((

A closeup

Here's another one...

Orange you glad about this one??

Jmorth, thanks for the closer picture of the tulip, it is a beauty and I'll check with the names that you posted to see what matches. The weather around the US is very strange this year. I also had bulbs blooming much earlier that last year, the bulbs are just finishing here, and the roses, peonies, irises and baptista are in full bloom. Hey newyorkrita, please send me all of the daffs that you don't like, I love the split corona variety and have a few in my garden:o).Evelyn, nice ranunculus, I saw some in plants in bloom at HD, and thanks to post of the pictures of the ranunculus in the 1st blooms 2011 thread, I'm going to have to get some.

Here's some anemones I got at Breck's a couple of years ago. I have not seen any this dark before. they have come back, but not sure if from more seeds or the same ones, but I think they are the same since they came up in the same place as before...

Leawood, I'll be posting...
Here's another clump of lilies-

Here's a clump of my lilies Visa Versa.

Here's the other clump of Visa Versa.

Eremurus Cleopatra. I planted 18 of these last fall. The blooms open from the base on upward.

This message was edited Apr 23, 2011 11:50 PM

Here's an iris that should have been Oriental Beauty. I got maybe 5 OB, the majority of the order was a purple Dutch iris, not OB that I ordered.
I just checked the Van Englen site, the name is Bronze Beauty.

This message was edited Apr 23, 2011 11:26 PM

Foxtail lilies are most stately.

This is my first time growing them. I got them from the Van Englen end of season sale.

Anyone loves star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)? I have them everywhere and try to dig all of them out (an impossible feat)!

They have pretty little white flowers and multiply like rabbits, but if you are looking for something like this...it will be your cup of tea.

I planted 3 last spring. I've not had any problems with it spreading yet.

No-name daffodil that came with the house
trumpet is yellow when it opens then turns white after a few days