Raggae Breeze
Blooms March 15-16
Ring of Fire
Rosalind
Space Oddity
Spotted Sparrow
Stolen Kiss-day one
Stolen Kiss-day two
Sweet Pink
Sweet Potato Pie
TIGERAMA
Topaz Glory
Tropicana
I love the mini's, midi's, and maxi's... They are ALL amazing.. Barry, how could I choose a fav? Moonsprite is stunning! Amanda, look at the color variation on Orange Mocha, and the ruffly playful edges...;) Wedding Song is so delicate looking, but the edges surprise you with a burst of orange yet, mellowed by the crepe-ish texture to compliment her soft inner beauty.. they're ALL breath-taking. Cat, what a paradise of blooms! Thanks for adding some color to my day! I have a few of those, but more are on my must have list! I do have to say the tall upright bushes are probably my least fav as far as keeping upright is our summer winds, but it's usually the bloom I'm going for and I'll amend it's pot spot until I find something compatible.
AuntB - I KNOW! It's beautiful!! You know my style, girl! Hee hee hee ...
BTW, we had about 2 more weeks of off and on freezing cold, extremely windy nights. Will send your cuttings next week if things keep picking up. I hope they do!! :) I'm ready for BLOOMS!! And with the way Robert keeps adding more plants and Barry keeps cranking out all the good stuff ... I'm going to have to get started on digging up my yard so I can make room for my new hibs!!!!
I saw Robert early this month and purchased a Nightrunner from him ... OMG, I am DYING for that one to bloom!! And it has a BUD on it!!!! YAY!!! I feel all giddy about it! The others are just astonishing, too ... but Nightrunner, that one has stolen my heart FOREVER!!
I'm anxiously awaiting for bud to mature on Nightfire, and just to get a bud from Hot Ross, I got them both last fall from Matt...your cuttings will be so much fun, Amanda, thank you! They will help keep me busy for another 4-6 weeks until I can start putting things outside.
I am so jealous, you all must have gorgeous gardens! Keep on posting the pictures, I love looking at them!
::dreaming of summer::
Kathy
WOW!!!
I really have to move South...
Cat, there are just not enough adjectives to describe your blooms - I cannot pick a favorite. DaVinci? Topaz Glory? Congo? (did I order that one????) Kiss of Death (just to die for, lol), oh my gosh your yard must be gorgeous right now :-)
I'm SO envious...
karen
Does anyone trade rooted cuttings of these for other plants? I would love to start one. I have a ton of perennials and/or seeds if anyone would like to trade with me. If not, I will just keep looking at the pictures, lol!
Kathy
Kathy, the majority of these fancy hybrids do not root well. They are bred for their outstanding flowers and often have weak root systems. The growers graft cuttings on strong hibiscus rootstock such as Pride of Hankins.
You can always get seed from the American Hibiscus Society, you never know what you'll get since they won't come true from seed, but I'm sure out of the pack of seeds you'll get at least a couple interesting ones.
ahhhhhhhhhh, thank you for explaining it, ok, I will just look at the pretty pictures, lol.
Kathy
Actually a big majority of exotic Hibiscus do root at better than 70% of cuttings stuck under good conditions, and I actually prefer own root plants in the long run, though I graft lots to get quick clones for evaluation here. Different growers use different kinds of propagation, but for example, all of Hines' Hibiscus, most of DuPont's, and about 99% of the more common Hibiscus sold are on own roots. Of the very exotic ones sold . . I'd guess that these days maybe half are grafted. Big advantage for own roots? Bushier plants producing more blooms, generally, and Varieties come back from freeze "true to variety" NOT a rampant growing rootstock, to the disappointment of the buyer. This is in zones 9 mostly, not colder where these tropicals cannot survive in the ground without major accommodation. Big advantage for grafteds? Quicker production of blooming plants, in most cases, more vigor, sometimes larger blooms, and for some varieties, fewer fatalities to root rot, etc. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY.
My 2¢
Barry
I do envy your entensive expertise.
I have never had trouble rooting them but keeping the rooted cutting alive and thriving was another story for me. One would think I have more than enough humidity around here but in reality it is not constant and the breeze, which is constant, dries things out quickly if I am not careful.
Big sigh, I neeeeeeed a GH so badly.
Here are the blooms I used for pollination yesterday, labeled for your possible interest.
peace,
Barry
a new one last april, now making first blooms on grafted clones, and looking much better than the raggedy mama plant, which died after one promising bloom. Tons of buds in the very bushy clones 11 months old, pretty fast thru cool season . .
"Easy Money" not that it will make a commercial impact, but I like it lots.
barry
a somewhat older "green" I bred, also not very green in this mild weather, Holy Guacamole is very, very similar to DuPont's newer Black Jack . .
Holy Guacamole in its green mode:
peace,
Barry
here's a high drama photo of very intense colors currently showing up here in TX due to very mild temps. Smallish size but oh my, what colors!
enjoy,
Barry
OMG OMG OMG
how much for the Mellow Yellow, it took my breath away!
yes, I am serious, lol. I can just see that beside my water garden with me sitting next to it with a Margarita in my hand.
Barry, have I told you today how handsome you are? ::giggle::
Here'a one of my earliest successes, in Hibiscus, Jason Blue from 1992. Grown all over the world now . . and very starchy and pretty today, though the eye can be much bluer in heat.
This is Chivalry which Matt is growing, and very young clone . . and ya gotta love it when a 5" pot yields a 10" bloom!
(Chivalry isn't dead!)
;-)
Barry
Wow...that Chivalry is one impressive bloom! The others are gorgeous too...Culture Shock, Rum Raisin, and Dracula particularly caught my eye.
Barry,
I need to take stock in your company, lol. Do you realize that more than 1/2 my hibs are hybridized by you? I am loving your Easy Money and Rum Raisin.
PS....your pic of Chivalry does not do it justice. It is the deepest, most beautiful red I have ever seen.
And, Lemon Life has become my newest fav. The yellow is so dramatic and the flower humungus!
Thanks, folks. Another bountiful day today. Cat, you wouldn't make much money with our company. We live off teacher retirement for our 70 years of teaching. Most of the hibiscus income goes to pay the help, pay for water and extensive supplies, and pay our taxes. But having this much fun its okay to break even; I think of it as free entertainment despite the hard work.
This is an oldie I still use pollen from; it won Best of Show Seedling in 2002 but just doesn't bloom enough to suit most folks. Great form and color, though. Al Schlueter x ORville Davis: Toffee Crunch
peace,
Barry
This is a remarkable flower with sometimes a metallic gold eye like this. I named it Jazz, a number of years ago, and luckily I can show you this feature in today's bloom. I've never seen any flower feature like this in any other floraculture.
Alas . . the plant is pokey and not as upright as I like, but when it does this in certain weather, I stand in awe of the genes.
Barry
Here's an intensely colored new yellow double, quite large . . Golden Egg
Barry
And today my Alegria! made this huge double, stopping me in my tracks. This one is released but I guess no one sells it much now; it's been around awhile; blooms well and grows tall
Barry
BTW, Alegria was about 10"; those are 2x6 decking pieces.
Finally, here's a brand new one getting good reviews, called Charisma. Too new to say too much about except that it is 8+ inches and very firm on a vigorous plant so far.
Charisma:
