I just had to tell somebody!

Today, my very first Alstroemeria grown from seed flourished! It is an Alstroemeria aurea I grew from seeds a friend gave me 3 years ago. My friend's name is Ricardo (Richard), so I call it my "Rickymeria".

The flowers are bright yellow, have 3 round outer petals with a dark stripe all along the petal and the 3 internal petals are sword-shaped and spreckled. Pistils are larger than the flower itself, which makes it look even prettier (if posible).

Even if they take 3 years to flourish from seed, it's worth growing them!

Ursula

Oh how excited you must be Ursula. Congrats. Any chance of seeing a picture of it? I need another addiction ya know..LOL
shirley

Congratulations! I bet you are so excited after waiting for so long.

scooterbug, toadlily,

thank you so much for understanding my excitement! Unfortunately, I do not have one of these nice cameras that allow to post pictures on the web.

Greetings and sunshine from Chile,

Ursula

Ursula
You should be excited!!!
3 years you have the patience of Job!!!! It has to be great to finally see your flowers after such a long wait.
Congratulations

Alice

Thanks Alice. In fact I am very patient when it comes to plants and animals. Maybe I should have been a scientist or researcher and not a secretary (LOL).

Ursula,
congratulations on your new flower! Do you have a big garden?

Thank you, Anna. No, I don't have a big garden and since I love so much to propagate from seeds my friends benefit from the many plants I produce. Right now a friend moved into a house with some 800 m2 for years abandoned garden that he is mainly restoring with plants I supply.

I do want to move to a place like that, where I have to start everything from cero and have it become a cottage-garden-jungle(?!).

Well Ursula,

I wish you all the success with your little plants and hope you get your big cottage garden in the near future. Actually, we are neighbours as I am south american aswell. Born in Brasil but living in England. If you ever want seeds from here, please tell me and I will do my best to ge tthem and send them to you!

Congrats Ursula! Starting from seed is so rewarding :o) Especially when you finally get blooms after such a long wait. A lot perennial plants take 2 years to bloom from seeds here... but there have been many that have been 3 years.... 3 years seems especially long in a climate like yours!

Thanks, poppysue!

I'm in love with Alstroemerias and would wait even longer to have their flowers in my garden. I just bought a newly released book on Chilean endemic Alstroemeria species (49, plus some subspecies!!!) and now dream of having at least one of each.

Even with our mediterranean climate (sort of ninish zone), most native bulbous plants will only flourish the third year after sowing. I can wait!

Greetings and sunshine from Chile,

Ursula

Hi, Ursula

I had to look this plant up on Googles to find out it was a Peruvian Lily. Here's a site, in case anyone else is as botanically impaired as I! http://www.horticopia.com/hortpix/html/pc489.htm

Yes, growing from seed is always satisfying, isn't it. I started some wild flag from seed about five years ago, and I just might get some blooms next year!