Oh yes, Ive been sneakily buying hibiscus this spring. Got in a couple of co-ops and got some really nice plants for very reasonable. They arrived pretty small, tho, which is no surprise. But what has surprised me is that, even tho they are small, they are budding. And look at the size of this bloom!! Holy smokes, is this gorgeous or what!! Its Peace Train. I dont even know how that little plant holds up those huge blooms.
Beautiful. The plants are amazing aren't they? What others did you pick up?
I have a whole list of them. I just received yesterday 12 hibiscus from the co op here on Daves. Just have them sitting in water right now, havent even gotten them in the ground yet. Thats on board for tomorrow, tho.
That's a beautiful yellow bloom
Jon
Oh I'm so glad to see your pretty hibiscus. It is such a dainty bright yellow. I just received Peace Train yesterday. Yours is so pretty; I'm going to really like mine. I can't wait for it to bloom especially after seeing yours. Thanks for sharing!!!
Patty
That is yummy! Which co-op was it? I love out co-ops! We are able to get things we would never have been able to in the past. Isn't DG wonderful! 12 new hibiscus.. you must be in heaven!
Love that yellow bloom Fla_Chick! I'd not heard of Peace Train. I'll have to look harder around here. Wish we had co-ops in Louisiana!
juliana57, keep an eye out on the co-ops forum page. There have been two co-ops this spring featuring exotic hibiscus and they are open to any Dave's subscribers lucky enough to have come across them.
Fla_Chick, that Peace Train is beautiful, they got the right name for it alright, that yellow is so peaceful and it come rushing to you like a train, just hope the other 12 you got look just as beautiful and performs as this one does. You sure got great taste when it come to choosing hibiscus.
Wilfred
Here juliana; let me be an enabler . . . here's where I found mine and a whole lot more pretties. I just got my order on Friday.
http://hibiscusplace.com/index.html
and if that isn't enough, there's this one too. I am thinking about ordering two or three from here after I get the hang of growing these. Tropical hibiscus are my latest obsession.
http://www.triedandtruehibiscus.com/
This morning I had my first blooms open on Twilight Mist that I just got from Matt at The Hibiscus Place. Wisdom should be opening soon too. I am in hibiscus heaven.
Oh Pughes, you have gone and done it now! I added 4 new Hibiscus to my garden yesterday and was wondering if I should stop due to space available but after viewing the URL's you sent, don't see how I can ever stop now! My poor husband will just have to give up some of his flower space for a larger hibiscus area for me. What a wonderful addiction but how am I to choose which ones to add to my garden?
How pretty your Twilight Mist is, Phughes! I have a soft spot in my heart for pink hibiscus as pink is my daughters favorite color. She's deployed now but will be home in August and yes, she does have pink camo but is not allowed to wear it on duty. :) (also, misspelled your name in my prior post...please forgive me)
the plants are beautiful but I also have to comment on those beautiful pots you have them in! Just PERFECT!
Thanks for the nice compliments. The pots are spray painted. Most are cheap $ store pots that I use the outdoor spray paint or the spray paint for plastic on.
juliana I thought my Mother's Day present of five mail order hibiscus would take care of my itch for hibiscus, but it has made it worse. I have my eye on three at Tried & True and may have to order them as soon as I get paid. God bless your daughter for serving our country. May she always be safe!
It is so fun to see unopened blooms and go out every day to see if they have opened. All but one of the new ones has blooms on it. I have three other hibbies that I got locally and they all have blooms. Anticipation . . . .
Patty
Yes, I love the anticipation part of the process. It always good to have a hibiscus, or two, or three, or four, around that you haven't seen bloom yet. When I first started collecting them I wanted them to bloom immediately. Now I don't mind the anticipation part.
Jon
Jon, you started your collection when? and how many do you have now? Give us newbies something to think about...
I started gardening and collecting Hibiscus both at the same time in April 2007. Discovering the Hybrid Hibiscus online was what started the whole gardening process for me. I decided to basically remove everything in the yard and replace it with things that I like that bloom. Other than leaving in a few palm trees, and most of the hedges, everything I've planted is something that blooms. The odd thing is that, other than my Hibiscus, many of the things I grow are non tropical plants in a tropical climate. It's a challenge and there have been many failed attempts.
My Hibiscus collection is 58 right now. It's been at between 50-60 since last summer. If I order a new one it usually means I've given one away to a friend or relative. I'll usually give one away that's a poor grower or bloomer or simply because it may be very similar in color to another variety that has better blooms. It's always a good idea to try to get varieties that are all across the color range. You will find yourself really appreciating blooms in colors that may not be your favorites. The thought of a brown Hibiscus doesn't seem very attractive, but many of them are amazing when you see them live and in person.
Jon
I guess I'm a couple of years behind you...just started my gardening and hibiscus collection this spring. I'm hoping that I won't have too many casualties along the way.
The problem is in order to see them live and in person I have to order them...I am not aware of any outlets for the hybrids out here. Gone are the days when A Touch of the Tropics was at least within a reasonable driving distance from me but that was before I was bitten by the hibiscus bug. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I'm not too close and can't see all these beauties in person...ordering via the internet is dangerous enough. :-) Between the recent co-ops, Mother's Day gifts and the recommendations available here online, it is very easy to build up a collection in no time. If I were smart, I'd make sure I can overwinter my plants successfully before I get any deeper into the addiction...but somehow I just don't see that happening :-).
d
You should have no trouble overwinter in your zone if I can do it in mine! LOL I only have had 2 hibiscus for the past few years but also am branching out quickly. My father and I built a potting shed a few years ago that I overwinter mine.. I keep a heater running all winter out there and mine bloomed for me all winter this year!
There is a way you can "almost" see them live and in person. Most of the Florida Hibiscus Shows winning blooms can be seen in video format on You Tube. Although many of the blooms may be very new/difficult to find right now, there are some varieties that can be found online. If you would like to see video of the winning blooms at Florida Hibiscus Shows just go to www.youtube.com. Type in "Hibiscus Show" and then click on search. The search will bring up many results and many of them are videos from Hibiscus Show's. Even todays Hibiscus Show results from Venice, Florida are already on there. You really get a feel for how outstanding the winning blooms were when you see the videos.
Jon
