Haweha, Your attack is unfounded. No matter how speculative my statement seems to you, I was talking of my EXPERIENCE, not writing a fairy tale. At least 50% of cybisters sooner or later broke up a scape, probably due to this narrow neck. It happened to me with newly purchased bulbs. Chico just finished blooming for me, and it was a second year bulb, and this time, since I cut the leaves higher on the bulb when I prepared it to dormancy, the neck of the bulb was not cut narrow. Right now, I have Merenque blooming as well. It is a second year bulb as well and all the three scapes are standing firm and strong. So I must derive that when growers cut the necks very low, as the bulb material dries, it hardens the neck and makes it probable that future scapes simply snap off because of this narrow passage... Well handled bulbs in following year though seem to overcome this problem if the neck is prepared in a more careful manner. I have not experienced snapped off scapes from other hybrids that do not tend to produce very narrow bulb neck. And I guarantee that these bulbs are not sick. All the leaves and scapes coming from the bulb are clean and healthy. This is the end of today's speculations. See you tomorrow.

Oh, Dave, those are extraordinarily beautiful plants! And pictures! As Kal said, they are so beautiful it's hard to believe they're real. (Nevertheless, I do believe they're real.) I was just looking last night at the Potomac Camellia Society's website and thinking about the Ackerman hybrids. I can certainly see why you think highly of Spring's Promise! The entire plant, along with its prolific blooms is _gorgeous_! And all your others are beautiful, beautiful too. You put me in the mood to snap a picture, and if I can get it loaded, I'm posting a picture that is only half on-topic for this thread. On topic for bud hardiness, but an hiemalis, not a japonica. Our Shishigashira started blooming here in mid-to-early October as best I can recall, and about a month ago we had the impression that it was done. No!!! My husband cut a flower from the Shishigashira today! Bear in mind that we've had an extended cold period in early January here (at the same time you were experiencing the same cold wave) where the official low one night was 13 degrees and there were several nights in a row with lows close to that. This has set me to wondering how many other years it might have bloomed in mid-winter and we just didn't notice because we didn't walk where we might have seen it. The plant is mostly hidden now by much larger plants blocking a view from our usual vantage point. I planted it maybe 20 years ago, before so many azaleas got planted on one side of it. I did plant the (now huge) Hugh Evans at the same time on the other side of it, though, and now I'm wondering what I might have been thinking at the time and whether I knew then how differently the two camellias were going to grow. Oh, well! Now we'll just have to figure out how to transplant the camellia with those largish pots still attached for soil layering... ;) Our Shishigashira is planted in too much shade. However, she has reliably bloomed heavily anyway! So it's a variety I'd recommend for your shady spots--or any spot. And apparently it is exceptionally bud hardy. It hasn't been gibbed, and has barely been fertilized at all (cottonseed meal once in awhile and mulch every fall from the tall deciduous trees it is growing with). I'm going to see if it works to link the picture of Shishigashira that I just took. Dave, how did you embed your pictures? That would be ideal, of course. Best wishes, Mary P.S. It's snowing here now, and sleet is probably on its way too. Glad we got the bloom picked first! It's brightening up the kitchen right now (Professor Sargent behind it). Here is a link that might be useful:

My one oxyphora did ok this year (my first year growing it). This photo was taken in mid October when it was blooming the best. It liked the cool late-season weather. It bloomed ok during summer, but intense heat caused young buds to die. Growth-wise, the plant grew more slowly and remained smaller than I expected. If I was going to keep it in that same spot, I'd plant two of them together to fill in the space better. However, I think that spot is too hot so the current plan for next year is to plant one oxyphora in a sunny, but less hot, spot about ten feet off the left edge of the photo and a second oxyphora in a shadier spot on the other side of the yard that gets only morning sun. It will be interesting to see which plant performs better. The two new locations are also easily viewable from the house so I'll finally be able to see if hummers here like oxyphora. The cuttings I took in late September and early October all rooted quickly. I have three of them growing in 4" pots inside. They grow like weeds, especially under the shoplight(two of them are now in the cool window to keep their growth in check). I've already had to cut a couple of them back. This post was edited by hawkeye_wx on Sat, Nov 9, 13 at 0:00

O.T. to Melaska, We're an equal opportunity cheese consumer here--I even seek out and buy Limburger, which is still made in Wisconsin but DH draws the line here. There are a number of very affordable gorganzolas and blues made in Wisc. and Minnesota. Also lots and lots of cheddars in Wisconsin. Wisconsin marketers produce a cheese-beer road trip map that is my guide. I love it. Have hit about a third of the dairies. I can get aged cheddars at Burnett Co Farmer Coop for no more than $7/pound, which has spoiled me. They've worked up some specialties also which we're really enjoying. They do a mail order business. Moozarilla is their yogurt cheese that is very white and gets a lot of comments. Alpha Morning Sun and the Wood River series are nicely done. I'm not sure their parmesan would be up to your standard, but maybe. They've won awards for provolone for a long time and for string cheese. "The Splendid Table" on NPR turned me on to Roth Kase's gruyere from Monroe, WI. Best quality gruyere made in USA. Prairie Breeze, made in Iowa, is also showing up in specialty stores here. A real hit at wine tastings. We send boxes of cheese and wild rice to family in Fairbanks in Priority Mail boxes. No California cheese need apply, despite all their marketing. Here is a link that might be useful: Burnett Dairy Cooperative in Alpha, Wisconsin near Grantsburg