Another Year Comes to a Close

Wow! Where did this year go!? Sure went by quickly and doesn't seem to slow down these last few days either! At least I have my hippies in bloom as well as the African Violets growing in the 55 gallon terrarium.  The last Phalaenopsis Orchid I had upstairs closed it's finale blooms just yesterday, but the one in bloom in the basement light garden is till going strong.

'Alfresco' is the newest HIppies to open a bud.  Others that are close are 'White Nymph' and 'Giraffe'; there will be more, many more as the New Year progresses and the bulbs wake and begin to grow again.  With a total of 45 (give or take) the show should go one for awhile.

I've added A search box for Amazon.com if it ever wakes up and works) you can use for checking out the gardening tools and supplies they have available, I hope you will use it and that you find as many bargains as I did this year! All I have left to say now is,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Everyone, Happy New Year!

NEW VIEWS of LEMON and LIME, FAIRY TALE

I have 2 or 3 more Hippies that are supposedly green flowered; 'Emerald' a Cybister Hybrid, 'Green Dragon' and 'Luna'. The first two are potted and I hope to see bloom from them in 6 to 8 weeks and 'Luna' is yet to be potted up. As for who will be blooming next, it looks like it will be 'Alfresco' a white double. 'White Nymph' is coming along slowly in the cool bscement As are all the other potted ones, the newly potted ones are even under the lights yet; I need to make spots fo them. Something that is easier said than done - just like in my outdoor perennial and Dayliliy beds! Imagine that! . . . .

LITTLE STAR SECOND SET

This turned out so nicely I had to post and share it! This little Amaryllis is just amazing. For a small bulb as well as the diminutive size of the blooms and stem it can really put forth a big show! Only 5 buds n this second bloom stem but with 6 the first time that's way more than most of my full sized cultivars have done, although Rilona' does have 6 buds on it's first stem.

Blessing of the Season

It is so refreshing to see a corporation as large as Google who has not forgotten the ture meaning of Christmas or forgotten about the reason for the Season.

I am proud to be associated with Google, even if only in a very tiny way.

Blessings of the Season on the entire Google Family!

in reference to: Happy Holidays from Google (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tis The Season!

('Little Star' is the featured bloom.)

CONTRASTS

This was supposed to have been 'Emerald' one of the "Cybister Hybrids", but the same supplier who got 'La Paz' wrong, got this one wrong too! This has to be 'Picotee'; it is the only cultivar I know of with the red, penciled edge. A second bloom cluster shows on the lower right.

This first of two stems on 'Rilona' has 6 buds, with 4 being open today. Color is off as this is too red; 'Rilona' is a soft, pastel orange, an old, old favorite!

FAIRY TALE

'Fairy Tale' with 'Lemon and Lime' in the backgound.One of my favorite shots!

LEMON and LIME

Lovely pale lime green, similar to 'Lemon Sorbet' yet slightly different petal shape and color. I still have 'Jade Serpent' to bloom. Only recently potted so it will be several weeks before it opens.

Sold to me as 'La Paz' a "Cybister Hybrid", which it is definitely NOT. Could be 'Black Pearl' or 'Basuto'

DECEMBER - 2009

I really went overboard this fall when I had the opportunity to purchase new hippie (Hippeastrum or Amaryllis) bulbs and once again my collection is close to 50 different varieties and/or species plus the 6 or so seedling I kept from the very first cross I ever made as well as 70 or so seedlings from a cross I made last season and a few f3 seedlings from a species sent to me by a fellow "hippieholic" from PA.

1. APHRODITE (2) - Dbl

2. PHILADELPHIA - Dbl

3. APPLEBLOSSOM

4. CLOWN

5. HERCULES

6. ELVAS - Dbl

7. PROMISE (3) - Dbl

8. REMBRANDT VAN RIUJ

9. RED LION

10. ESTRIALA (sp ?)

11. CHICO -Cybister + one extra

12. EMERALD - Cybister

13. RUBY MEYERS - Cybister + one extra

14. BLUSHING BRIDE

15. PINK DIAMOND

16. LUNA

17. EVERGREEN - Cybister + one extra

18. RIO NEGRO - Cybister

19. MATTERHORN – Lg single white

20. GIRAFFE Mini

21. LEMON LIME (replacement)

22. EXOTIC STAR

23. FAIRY TALE - mini

24. EMERALD (second bulb) – Cybister – was NOT as ordered

25. LA PAZ – Cybister – was NOT as ordered

26. ALFRESCO - Dbl

27. ZOMBIE - Dbl

28. BRIGHT SPARK - mini

29. LEMON SORBET - mini yellow/green

30. FAN FAIR - mini

31. LITTLE STAR - micro mini - only 8" tall with tiny 3" blooms, adorable!

32. NYMPH (normal clone) - Dbl

33. RILONA (Mother bulb)

34. SUSAN (Mother bulb)

35. WHITE NYMPH- Dbl

36. BABY DOLL - mini

37. TANGO (Cybister)

38. GREEN DRAGON - mini yellow/green

39. LA PAZ -Cybister - replacement

40. H. roseum

41. H. belladonna (?) Not really sure who/what this one is as it was a bonus, will have to do some research on it.

42. H. papilio - The "Butterfly" Amaryllis

43. H. striatum seedlings (9-10)

Plus 6 of 22 seedlings from MINERVA X WHITE CHRISTMAS that I kept.

I have been growing and blooming "hippies" for at least 30 years but have only recently renewed my keen interest in them with the advent of the miniatures and now the Cybister Hybrids. While the latter has been around for quite some time they have not been widely grown and still are not marketed for the "Holiday Bloom Season".

Living in the mid-West I am not able to grow my bulbs outside year round and do not have space for a greenhouse, so all my growing is done indoors under lights with the plants vacationing out doors during the summer growing months.

I will be posting bloom images and or slide shows as the new bulbs bloom and then as my older bulbs come into flower later this winter. Please feel free to comment and/or add your own experiences with this fascinating group of plants. Also feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.

Enjoy to show!

Rebecca