And So It Begins Anew. . . .

I found someone to take the majority of my virused bulbs to grow on for seed production in a dedicated greenhouse. The lucky thing is one can get seed from virused bulbs that are clean of the virus and he is wanting to work toward a strain of hippies that are immune to the Mosaic virus.  I am pleased to be a part of this endeavor and not have to destroy all of my bulbs.

I also have 6 virus free bulbs coming from him, mostly miniatures and one double flowered variety I've been wanting but hasn't been available.  On order are:

• Belladonna - Mini
• Bright Spark - Small
• Cupido - mini
• Emerald - Cybister Hybrid
• Harlequin - Double
• Lemon Sorbet -Mini, and
• Trentino - Mini

I also picked up a couple of boxed offerings from one of the discount stores that offered a % of the sale to the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. those two are PINK DIAMONDS and APHRODITE. (I have had to toss one of the two small APHRODITE bulbs as it began looking suspicious for the virus, better safe than sorry). These are being kept separate from all the others.

Up-date on LITTLE STAR, instead of taking a long rest the mother bulb has begun to push up 2 bloom stems that I hope to be able to make crosses on using stored pollen as well as a couple of self pollinationed pods.

Newest seeds sown are from a self fertilized pod on Matterhorn, a lovely large white, one of only 3 round flowered seedlings I have growing right now and all are upstairs under the lights of the small plant stand in my office.  It will be 3 to 4 years before I see any bloom on any of them.

Will post images of the new bulbs as they come into flower.

Ciao!