To answer you question in the Subject of Posting-- with regard to bulbs...almost immediately.

Ryan

p.s. You speak of your blooms but no pics? I for one, feel cheated.

Ryan...I would NEVER cheat on you. Will post tonight with photos. Patience darling...patience!
:-)

Hmmm... when does a hobby become an obsession? Well, I just asked Larry, and his response was, "Right away!"

I think it becomes an obsession when you first gaze at the intense beauty of one of these blooms, and from that moment on, you dedicate your time and effort to finding and purchasing one or more of every variety available... when you stand in front of your collection just gazing intently at the wonders of the green growth and blooms or buds, even the seed pods, and you can't seem to walk away... when you pour over every book, article and internet website having to do with Amaryllids and Hippeastrum bulbs, and you still feel like you haven't learned enough... when you spend more time caring for your bulbs, and you notice that your laundry and dishes and other chores are piling up, but you just don't care... when you realize that you're saving every extra penny toward next season's purchases, and wondering how you can assuage the current hunger for more bulbs in the off-season... when you check your favorite forum several times a day, in the hopes that someone has posted new pictures or a story about their newest finds, or any little tidbit of information regarding your favorite subject, bulbs... need I go on?

It's an obsession when you can't wait for people like Kristi to post her newest photos, and you feel cheated when she describes what she has in bloom without adding photos right away! :-)

HEY....they are posted!! :-)...smile!!

I think that when I turned my kitchen over to them...I should have know!

I did realize that many of my "late" order bulbs were from Bulbs Direct last year....hmmmm....haven't ordered from them (or even peaked at what they have). Chad sez I might need to do that!

Check out the photos...although it's just a few.
K

They were lovely, Kristi, thank you! I need to go obsess about sleeping now... not feeling all that good today, so it's an early turn-in time for me! It's raining today... all day... and my bones are doing me in!

I was going to post my own photos of Carina fully open and Clown, but they'll have to wait for tomorrow. G'night!

Oh no, Jodi! Please don't be sick :-( I'm sending you happy thoughts.

Thanks, Larissa... this old body is sick on and off so often that it's not even worth mentioning half the time! Between Lupus and permanent injuries, I'm a mess! Honestly, it's you guys and my love for bulbs and gardening that keeps me smiling and moving! I appreciate your good wishes... I feel ok today, so they must be working! :-)

Hang in there Jodi! I was so pleased that my bod held up on my vacation. Friend insisted on hour-long walks every morning (at quite a clip...not a stroll) and we went hiking in the foothills. Reconstructed knee did great!!

Her daughter had the crud on Christmas eve and for a couple of days afterwards, and I was so glad not to catch it, then on the plane home everyone was hacking and sniffing it! Reminds me of when I saw the movie "Outbreak" on a plane and the guy next to me immediatly sneezed during the part where the guy sneezes in a movie theater (I think) and you see the microscopic virus particles flying through the air and into the crowd. Too funny of a coincidence.

Keep your immunity and your spirits HIGH!!
:-)
K

That's part of the problem... without a properly working immune system, I catch every germ and virus that comes within a hundred yards of me! I couldn't even imagine sitting in tight quarters on an airplane, with people sniffling and sneezing and coughing all over the place! Eww, and yikes! It would be worse if they were playing a movie about an epidemic... I'd be imagining all sorts of things!

I take echinacea capsules to help boost my immune system, and they really do help quite a bit! I haven't been sick nearly as much as I was before I began taking them.

It's the Holidays... we just went north to visit the family, and when you get everyone together in the same room, someone is bound to have flu or cold germs... especially school aged children! It's usually following one of these family get togethers that I become sick... and it takes me longer to get over it.

On top of all that, we never eat right during the Holidays... there's all that good food, and all those cookies and fudge... I'm a sucker for sweets, but now that it's all over, I can start my healthy regimen again.

I think I just feel rundown after all the excitement... and the rainy, cold weather isn't helping. Spring is just around the next few corners, though... soon, it will be warm again, and I'll be outside having the time of my life in the gardens!

This is a good question Kristi. I don't have the answer, but it has forced me to question this as it relates to my Hippi collecting. I started out the season knowing that my space was limited and saying that I would just enjoy all the photos here and not purchase many. I lost that discipline and FAST! As of right now, I have purchased 25 new bulbs, got one free and received 2 in trade (thanks Larissa!) for a grand total of 28 new acquisitions...that is pretty close the number I already had meaning I have now doubled my collection!

I have now realized something else about my collecting. While I am excited to see the blooms and the seed pods and eventually the seeds, I think the "hunt" or the thrill of "the score" when I actually find the bulbs or get a bargain is what I'm most drawn too. Odd isn't it? Maybe it has something to do with my attention span...who knows? Am I alone or do others find this same thing happening to them?

Jodi - I'm wishing you strength and immunity to all that ails you my friend! Your posts always have such a warmth to them that we enjoy so much.

-Frank

Thank you, Frank... what a wonderful compliment! Actually, it's been all of you who have made me forget my limitations and my aches and pains, and it's because of the family-like vibe that I smile so often and feel so good about being involved with all these plants and bulbs! They really take my mind off my troubles.

I don't know... I find the thrill of the hunt is fun, but it's the actual growing and blooming that do it for me! My favorite part is potting up the new acquisitions, and adding them into the collection! The very best part is opening care packages from friends that contain bulbs or babies, and adding those into the collection! Those are my most precious acquisitions!

I also find that discovering new and rare bulbs to obtain, and learning about those, to be very exciting, too! Just thinking about getting them some day in the future is great!

The pinnacle moment, however, comes when you first discover a scape growing on a bulb that you've had for over a year... a bulb that has already bloomed once for you, and you hope it blooms again at some point... I reached that pinnacle last night when I discovered the scape on Lady Jane! This is my very first repeat blooming, not counting my original Minerva, and I'm excited beyond reason! To think that something I did caused this bulb to set new buds... it's amazing! The cherry on top will be sharing its blooms with you guys!