Barry Schlueter

Good Morning all.

Barry it's great to see you on this forum. I'm posting a pic of my 10+ year old Georgia's Pearl for you. What a great plant. I wanted to thank you Barry for incouraging others that their first line of defense against sucking insects (aphids, white fly and mites) should be water....forcefully spraying your plants with water. Plants like it and it keeps the critters away. I have a lot of hibiscus at my home and I haven't used a pesticide (except for ant stakes) for a decade. My backyard is a small sanctuary for several species of birds and I want to keep it that way.

I have noticed that many over the counter pesticides say they kill this or that...particularly spider mites when in fact they don't. The only thing you end up killing are beneficials. Miticides are very expensive and not available to the general public. The best thing you can do is spray them off with water.

For those who don't know him, Barry is in my opinion, the finest hybridizer of exotic hibiscus in the country. He is the papa for varieties such as Jason Blue, Georgia's Pearl, Climax, Susan Schlueter to name just a few...a very few. Keep up the good work Barry. You have fans all over the world.

David

I'll reply to my own thread and apologize for the misspelled words. Sheesh, proof read before you send. Ho boy!

David

Ha ha - I do the mispelling thing alla the time. Wow, nice words! Barry - you can't hide on here! I think everyone's excited that you've joined. :)

Gorgeous plant, David! Barry's lurking around somewhere, WELCOME Barry, we're honored to have you among us!

love watching your posts, Barry.
PS, David, You and I have the same pots, lol

Beautiful Georgia's Pearl David!!!

And Barry, we are all so glad that you've joined :-)

bumping up for Barry.

Howdy, David.
I appreciate the kind words from you and the welcomes above. Plant lovers are among the nicest people in the world, aren't they? I know a couple of exceptions after all these years, but they are their own punishment.

Georgia Pearl Rank is my last remaining aunt. She is 87 now and going strong. I named this one for her a number of years ago, and truthfully, had I known how good it would be, I would have patented it. It just has a truckload of good qualities, and has made a raft of excellent babies from here to Tahiti. My Susan Schlueter is among them, and we think of my wife's flower as an "improved" Georgia's Pearl, bigger and brighter and more colorful by far, though I prefer the GP plant in cool seasons. Ya can't beat Susan in the heat, though.

I just posted a couple of new images in another thread . . if ever I figure out all these threads on hibiscus I'll be lots more helpful to folks. But here's a cookie for y'all, image wise.
Too good to be true? Yes. It's a bloom of a mini double Total Eclipse resting atop a big new single called Agatha Christie. Don't I wish I had produced a flower like that!
peace,
Barry

One more image . . three new doubles having a good chance to make it into commerce.
health and joy,
Barry

Oh, and here I was getting my hopes up!
I really like "night and day", but if this will be a hines variety, I will never see it. Boo Hoo.

WOW, gorgeous! I do like Night & Day, too!

Gosh, Barry, they are all very nice. I love anything with red in it. I agree with you on figuring out the threads....I think I welcomed you on another, but I don't know which one. In any case, welcome to DG. We are happy to have you and your expertise here with us.

I just wanted to post something INCREDIBLE for you guys (well, for me!!)

It turns out that Barry's operations are near me and he and his wife extended an invitation for me to come out and visit all of the wonderful hibiscus. WOW - it was incredible! I am sooo very much in love with those flowers, and the time and care and attention to detail that he gives with each one is amazing because it's so nonchalant. I really, really had a wonderful time and just wanted to say thank you, Barry, for allowing me to ask you a thousand questions and patiently answering each one!! It was a big blessing to me.

How very nice! Lucky you, Amanda. Tell us more, whaddid ya see? Did you get anything????

Yes, Amanda, we need pictures and details!

Ha ha, unfortunately, I didn't take my camera. I wasn't sure if I could / should, so I didn't. But OMG, the blooms!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!! I saw Going Steady (released already) in person and it's stunning! He's got some new ones that will be released soon that are to die for! I just can't believe that he was sooooo nice to someone he hadn't even met and invited me over because of being on here!

AuntB - interesting point - during one of the several questions I was asking (tried to keep them limited so I wouldn't intrude into their plans for the next several days, right?), he mentioned one of the best ways to get rid of spider mites is something that you were talking about on one if these threads - Bug Blaster. Pretty neat!

I'm just floored that he would offer his personal time to such a novice like me. Made my month!

This message was edited Sep 28, 2007 10:04 PM

Wowzer,
Now we have an insider for both Matt and Barry. What a wonderful world :)

Oh Barry, you are as mean as David. LOL Posting all those beautiful flowers and making me want them all. Interesting about Susan Schluter holding up well in the heat. Hmmmm, another for the list.....

Night and Day is wonderful, I'll just have to move someplace where they sell Hines plants.

I thought Florida was the only place that Hines didn't sell?

It IS the only place Hines doesn't sell. I don't get it, but that'ok, I have Matt

I notice a lot of the azaleas, other woodies and some perennials in the big boxes here have Hines labels but I have never seen a named (from any grower) hibiscus in any nursery here, big box or small privately owned.

If you go here and put in your zip code, it'll tell you if there are any nurseries near you that carry them http://www.bahamabay-hibiscus.com/Bahama%20Bay/BahamaBayDealers.aspx

Just tried that and Atlanta, (5 - 7 hours away) is the closest location. :-((((