Pink Favorite is back!!

Pink Favorite is my first brug, wintered in the ground, to bloom. She has lots more blooms, but this one is the first to open. I don't hear much about PF and she's a nice little brug, short, so far, with small, abundant leaves, she's a bush at this time, has not wilted so far, she's not a bug magnet, her blooms are pretty, her tendrils are ample, could be longer and curlier, and she smells terrific!!! A soft, pleasant, lingering smell. I like her color and she is already darker than she was in this photo. This would have been her 2nd flush, but her first buds, 3 that I saw, where blown away by the wind and rain that was coming down sideways. Does anyone else grow PF and, if so, does mine look like yours?? Rafaella/Raffaela, sp, is right on PF's heels and should bloom over the weekend.


This message was edited Jun 24, 2005 9:29 AM

Susanne did not winter in the ground here in Arky, I recently received her, and despite me trying to kill her, she's put on a nice flush of four nice blooms. I'm sending this one so you can see how long and curly her tendrils are...

Sherry, I like that one... and good fragrance too? Is it the citrusy or baby powder?

Susanne, again - does she have recurve, or what?? I've been told they do that to make pollinating easier. If that's true, she's REALLY ready, lol!!! I'm going to cross Susanne x PF and PF x Susanne, I've never had a pod and I'm just dying to see what they look like and if I can grow one to maturity...I wonder if those crosses will work and if they have been crossed already???

Sherry, your PF is really pretty! I have it but haven't seen it bloom yet. I didn't realize it was that dark. And your Susanne is so pretty too. I'm so anxious for mine to bloom.

Sherry ~ Way to go.... They look awesome!
Jackie

Love your pics. I do not have Susann, but here is Pink Favorite in winter/basement.

beautiful Ladies

PF really surprised me. She was here last year, but I don't remember if she bloomed, might have, but she is overshadowed by Rosamond and PB, who live next door, they Yed some time back and are several feet taller than PF, but PF is the first to bloom. And, because she is small, I figured, hoped her blooms would be little tiny things, but they are regular size.

Thanks, Hibiscus!! I think she's going to get darker today.

Jackie, I'm pretty tickled, thank you!!!

You are in for a surprise Brinda, I really think she's nice and maybe a tad underrated, but you know how new moms are, she bloomed for me, so I think she's wonderful.

About the smell, Blaine - her smell is soft, delicate, yet, it packs a punch. She didn't bloom until late last night, and, I had no idea, until I walked out the door, with my Golden, for one last turn and I took a whiff and thought I had surely been transported to some foreign wonderland - followed my nose and it led me right to PF. No citrus, which I love, yet it's not baby powder either. Tonight I will figure it out. I just lover the ones that smell good!!

Sherry, your blooms are beautiful. I am still waiting here for a big show.

Loretta

Sherry, I have PF and just can't speak highly enough of her - for one who isn't crazy about strongly suav-type blooms or pink flowers, PF is one of my favorites. She is the consumate performer! Darn near constantly in bloom, she's been my first or one of the first bloomers each spring and the last to stop in the fall. Nice big flowers that get surprisingly dark. Mine's been in the ground for a full year or more now and is only about 5 to 5 1/2 feet tall - Y'd at about 3 feet. She's very worthy of her praises - as you said, besides the flowers, she's a strong bloomer, very little to no bug issues. Not fussy at all. Mine's in maybe half or less sun.

She's a great brug.

I appreciate that Loretta, thank you very much!! I really enjoy the gardening and I've just got to push myself back out there, whew, it's too early in the season to stop and smell the flowers, lol!!

Carter, I missed your post this am, sorry about that!! I'm so happy to find someone who loves PF like I do, she's been such an unexpected surprise, I never dreamed her blooms would be so nice and that she would smell so good, I would have been happy just because she's pink. Actually, this pm, she is much darker but the blossoms wilted, but it was suddenly 95 degrees with heavy humidity and the morning was cool with little humidity. I figure any brug that does well for in Houston should do great here and I'm glad I selected her. She's already putting on more buds and there stand her giant neighbors, PB and Rosamond, with huge Ys and nary even a premature bud!! Does your PF look like mine, better yet, do you have a photo?? Thank you so much for your post...

Oh Sherry, she's so pretty, I love her curvatious flips, long tendrils and her sexy color LOL...she really is a beauty!

Thanks, Julie!! I appreciate your kind words. I hope she lives through the torture I've put her through. Tomorrow I'm going to photo my unknown brug, which I've also tortured. One thing I can say is that everyone blooming right now, smells like heaven!!! I really enjoy the neighbors coming over and asking 'what is that fantastic fragrance - is it your garden?'

Blaine, my hubby says PF smells like a fragrant bath powder, but not baby powder. Carter, how would you describe PF's fragrance??

Sherry, you plants look fantastic. Pink Favorite is also a great bloomer for me.

That's so nice Ada, thank you! I cannot believe that I overlooked her last summer. Of course the big girls, PB and Rosamond overshadowed her and Versi Peach was in on the party too. I hope she's a good bloomer for me too, she is putting on more buds as we speak...

Oh wowzer! Luv the color and the curly Q's.
:) Donna

Susanne is very pretty and smells great! Thank you, Donna...

If I'm not confusing my brugs, her smell is nice - not too heavy, but not too light. Kind of powdery, I think. I got a really bad sniffer, though.

That is beautiful, Carter!!! Is this her first flush this growing season?? Yes, we think her fragrance is powdery but my hubby says bath powder, not baby powder, but it is delicate...

That's from last season. I've got a pic of her first flush this season, but it's a bad pic. I caught it just after peak and it's got yucky flowers in it. Plus, there are plenty of others already dropped. They also weren't a very dark pink yet. It has five times (or more) that many flowers on it now, though!

Beautiful blooms everyone.

Sherry, I have a spreadsheet of crosses, and I don't see anything that has PF X Susanne or Susanne X PF in their history. I think Susanne is so new, she's just starting to be used.

There is one, Favorite Delight that is PF x Pink Delight, hybridizer Monika.

Good luck, hope you get pods, they are so much fun.

L

Oh, she's wonderful Carter and looks like an easy keeper, doesn't take many leaves or stalks to have a great flush, and could fit almost any place. I'm going to take the bottom leaves off most of mine after some of the under planting get a little bigger. Do you think my digital makes my PF look so dark?? If so, I'm going to get that same lens in my glasses, lol!!!

Sherry, she is a very easy keeper. I trim her occasionally to cut back low branches blocking the sidewalk. She tends to want to grow out more than up (as opposed to my Versi Peach whose "y" branches grow almost straight up - is that a versi trait?). I water that bed only every couple of weeks (at most). I hardly fertilize - anything. And she just keeps going. And yours may well be that dark - my PF gets pretty dark once she gets going. Like I said, this was a pretty light flush ("light" in color).

I made some crosses with her last year, but have yet to see blooms from them (PFxChristine, PFxTropical Sunset, and PFxSunkissed). Hopefully later this year.

Well, Carter, I'm afraid that it is so hot/humid here that my blossoms are melting, not just PF, but all of them. My pretty unknown started out such a pretty shade of yellow, now the color is harsh and ugly. Such a shame, do yours ever melt?? I think it could be that they are just going to have to get used to the heat and hopefully that will happen to all of them. Which ones do you have the best luck with in Houston? I'm most interested in your crosses. I do love Pink, but I'll use any color that can hold up to the heat...thank you for posting!!!

Pink Favorite is actually one of my best througout the year. Mountain Magic also has done really well under the heat & humidity. Dr. Seuss does really well, too. Outside of that, I can't say much - most brugs do ok in either spring or fall, but are pitiful in the summer. My versi peach will set buds all year, but only hold them to maturity in spring or fall. I've got some new ones, just no buds yet. Butterfly is has buds for the first time for me, as does Dr. D, hopefully they'll hold them and I'll see blooms. Tequila Sunrise did bloom for the first time, but it was ugly misshapen little things (and nearly white). I'm hoping that one will straighten out and straighten up - I put it in a front bed! Everlasting did the exact same thing, again it's first time to bloom.

I'd like to keep in touch in the event you find brug(s) that can take the heat. I've got my fingers crossed that these will all become adjusted and do better with each flush. We loved Versi Peach, big, fluffy, bouncy, girlie, pretty, fragrant blooms - I could not believe that both VPs wintered outside and are back this season, slow, but they are back. You know I think they have forums for different states or zones and I think it would be nice to have one for areas the sizzle - but I have pals all around the country and they are as hot or hotter than we are here. Hey, did I ask you if you winter yours outside?? What I really need is a way to summer them inside, lol!!

Rafaella/Raffaela, sp, bloomed today, I think she's cute, even if she is in Arky...she has six tendrils...do they all have that??

Rafaella is neat looking. Luv it!
:) Donna

Oooooooh, you are so nice, Donna!! Thank you very much!!!

I hope DonnaB reads this thread, the MONSTER bloomed tonight, despite me defoliating her twice and her pot drying out. What a lovely girl she is, and smells like heaven. Hopefully I'll be able to get photos tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm sending a photo of Ricki Ticki taking a nap, thinking I wouldn't notice that he is on my new garden pillow...

Beautiful bloom, Sherry. Ricki Ticki is trying to see if the new garden pillow is comfy. LOL He seems to be enjoying it.

Thank you Ada!! Ricki Ticki is a spoiled brat but he has good taste, lol!!!

Wow, that is an unusual bloom. I like it. I like your kitty too and the little bench is really cute.

Thanks, Brugie!!! The wind blew lots of buds off. I've never seen a blossom like this one, with that big ole leaf with the water droplets, it looks like a pond lily. It is a sweet, delicate blossom, with staying power, which surprises me because the weather is very hot/humid. That little iron bench was my daddy's - my grands painted it for me - little did they know, I would have left it exactly like it was, lol, but now I'll love it even more, they surprised me on MiMi's Day...

Those little surprises are what makes family life so much fun.

I have to say that I agree with Shirley, it's unusual but quiet elegant. I love it, it's those that are different that make them separate from the rest! I love it and the color!!!

Sherry, your Ricki Ticki is so precious laying up there on that sweet pillow in the chair, boy I wish I could sleep like he does, he looks like he's so content right in that spot. I love the chair too. :-)

Beautiful blooms Sherry. Looks like Ricki Ticki has found his favorite summer napping spot.

Thanks Julie and Terry. Ricki Ticki is a whiner but has a talent for finding interesting spots for naps - the minute I got my new, huge strawberry pot setup, quick as a wink, he curled upside down in the bottom and I could almost hear zzzzzzzs. Not nearly as exciting as peeping tom bears, lol!!!

Rafaela, which might be the correct spelling, is fun, her leaves are nice and with her unusual, and fat at the bottom blossom and her clean, soft fragrance, she suits me just fine. Staying power is a bonus. Susanne, Rafaela, DonnaB's Monster White, and two unknowns, one pink, one yellow, thus far, have withstood the heat the best. Maya hasn't Yed or bloomed yet but her foliage cannot be beat.

LOL Sherry. I'll trade you my peeping Tom for that cute little kitty.