Without a doubt, Papilio stole my heart and clings to me, not willing to let go.

Other favorites would be Misty, Amputo, Pink Floyd and Santa Cruz.

There are so many... It is hard to list them all in any kind of order.

I am in love with them ALL!

I have also been very happy with Pink Surprise, I even went back and ordered a second one. But this year, I think my favorite one is Red Pearl. It has the same velvety texture as Royal Velvet, but is larger and longer lasting. My second favorite is Queen of Hearts, since I have been trying to get it for 3 years. The last two years were mislabelled but this year, I hit the jackpot and actually got it. Three other special ones were Limona, Evergreen and Santa Cruz. How can I name just one. Its like deciding which of your children is your favorite. Each is special in his or her own way.

Oh My God, how do you choose? It's like choosing a favorite child. They are all so special!!
I have to say I have 3 favs so far this year it's Pink Star with her statuesque long scapes and huge pink flowers
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Zombie's profuse flowers was a real surprise
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and San Remo's bold blooms with delicate pink dustings
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But how could I overlook Elvas on plastic?
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Miss Unknown Zombie...looks like Picotee
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The lovely Charisma
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And the ever playful Tootie
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YOU be the judge!

Oh yes, I do know, LOL. I still have those 89 buds that I have not seen, including over half my varietes. But I doubt any of them will knock Pink Surprise out of first place. IT simply has everything!

MY first Elvas is almost all open...oh how pretty! I knew I liked my girlfriend's last year, but of course mine is even prettier:-)

I could no more choose a favorite hippi than I could choose one of my children as the favorite... all have their merits, all are beautiful in their own ways...

I am more impressed by Limona, Red Pearl, Hermitage and Exposure... these four have proven to be prolific and fertile, two of my favorite attributes!

Of course, I still have several bulbs yet to bloom, so there could very well be a favorite among them!

I for sure agree, its really tough to pick a fave...but, for me its a toss up. The Papilio is without a doupt, one very unique flower! But then,the unknown pink one, is so special too! hmmm lol!
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This pink was supposed to be Orange Soverein!

Beetle-that papilo photo is so crisp and sharp. The detail of the flowers edges is wonderful. The second is stunning, almost opaque petals that pull you right though them! I want a lipstick that color!!

Awww.. thanks so much Cindee,and it would be a lovely lipstick shade,lol!! On anouther thread, I posted this pinky...and I think soultan and some one else may have suggested it was a Danube or a tristar [but please don't quote me on this he he!!] I sure would like to know, but will be content, even if its an unknown.

I think it would make a wonderful lipstick shade! Even I would look good in that color! LOL! Larry prefers reds, but I look better in pinks and corals! It's a very unusual pink... name or no name, it's a keeper!

Sorry for the late reply,i have a bit of a cold. Of course you'de look good in this shade Jodi!! Just a silly question here... do we have a thread totally about misslabled bulbs, and getting there IDs? Seems far too many of us have misslabled bulbs,or bulbs with no name LOL! I have anouther fave I forgot to post,also, it's got a proper name,but when I went to search for it,it wasn't listed anywhere. Long ramble hey? sorry, to get to the point, her name 'Snow Queen'
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Beetle, your photos are so Beautiful! The lighting is compelling- very nice- thank you!

OK, I want Snowqueen! IF she is misnamed, how do we find one like her! Where did you find her? How many other names is she hiding under! Interesting as the stripes and lines and colorblends are, I seem to be really sucked in by the huge hits of color in the solids this year. I bet next year it will be something totally different...a good reason to keep on acquiring!

What a dramatic white! Beetle you must be in angel heaven cause that is what the bloom reminds me of. Pure white angel wings!

My 2 favs make a hansome couple. Sumatra and Zombie. The 2nd Zombie pic is worth repeating. I find it very striking.
Here's the boys with a left over Christmas bow.
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CrimeInItaly, Zombie makes me weak. God I love this one! hmm should I send one to Jodi? I'll have to think on that......

Cindee... Zombie really sends me... it's so different! It's the first double that I've really ever coveted! I must acquire one! I completely understand if you don't want to give one up... I could always get one next season... :-)

Beetle... the glistening, frosted-looking white of Snow Queen is sensational! Another must-have! But where to find one? I don't believe I've come across it in my internet travels... I do need a good white, and that certainly is one!

There are just way too many beauties out there, and every year new ones are introduced... how can we ever stop collecting?! When will I find an end to the varieties?! Every time I think I know most of them, a new name pops up that I've never heard of!

I love your Zombie too, Cindee! Now where did you find that? Looks a bit like Faro but even more so!

Fantastic flowers and fantastic photography. Coming spring I will have to work hard with my camara. Mean while I will try to pick up from your skills.

The Zombies I have came from Wayside...2 for one, only they sent one that looks like a double Picotee. The first Zombie I purchased from Gurney's when I went to order another, they said it wouldn't ship until fall this year so I cancelled and then found Wayside deal.

Here's big bold beautiful San Remo in Red then Blue. That's an air mattress in the background.
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Thank you so much salpal!!lizalily, I know what you mean about the solids,I'm really likeing RL, and OS!I found SQ in a canadian seed cat. if you google mcfayden,you could have a boo.Cindee, and Jodi, thanks for commenting! [to me, this white looks very similar to some of the other whites I've seen [Christmas gift,etc.]Cindee, I'm almost sick with wanting Zombi!! Jodi's right, it's very Spectacular!! Not much luck [probably] of getting one to Canada, live plants a no go, I've heard. Don't know about seeds thou.
San Remo is very Lovely too,love the freckels [speckles?] Have fun with your Hippies everyone!

Thanks, Beetle! I just ordered a catalog from McFayden... they have a US version, which is great! Their website is nice, from what I've seen so far, and they have several things that I haven't been able to locate elsewhere!

Zombie is something special... the colors and the subtle stripes are just fascinating! There must be some way you could get a Zombie over the border, Beetle! There must be a company that has it that will ship to Canada... I can't imagine that there's no way to get the plants you want from the States... or from most anywhere, for that matter... hmmm

Thats great Jodi!! They really back up their products too!
I need to do a lot more research on ordering etc from the states. Emailing some of the companys might be the plan. No worrys, Have a bit of time before I start tons of seed! [veg,flower,hipps, hopefully] is everything going well with your seeds[ing]? Have a Great day!

Beetle, I am rather sure that the pinky one is "Donau" (Danube)

If I had to select the one amaryllis I were allowed to take on a lonely island then I would select a primary (strongly heterozygous) papilio hybrid, but, certainly one which does produce seeds after self pollination.
Then I could build up a nice stock of differing amaryllis there.
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"PapDon2"(amazingly being a TET)
is H.papilio x "Donau"

The seed pods are ripening on several of my plants, Beetle... I should be able to plant some pretty soon! I'd like to have my hippi seeds planted before the early spring rush of starting all the other seeds I want to grow!

Sir Hans, that is an extraordinary color! Rather like chocolate-cherry! It's amazing! You always post such wonderful and interesting pictures! Thank you for sharing! That one looks good enough to eat!

Thank you, thank you Sir Hans!! I just felt all along she wasn't Orange Soveriegn! Is this Gorgeous flower your creation? Stunning!!
Jodi, so glad!So... you plant scads of seeds too? Us gardeners are always busy huh? Do you do peppers [hot] at all? Ta for now

SIR HANS (and what is the story behind that name?), I loved your stripey one that you would take to start over on a desert Isle. I would be your first customer....so quit shoving every one!

liza, out of respect for Hans' great knowledge, both self taught and otherwise educated on amaryllis, we have knighted him on the forum here. He is always very generous with his knowledge...and can be pretty funny too!

Hans, tell me you did not enhance that photo. The colour, shape, sparkle and lines are amazing. (just tickled to talk to Sir Hans!!)

Beetle... I grow mostly perennials from seed, and several veggies, herbs and annuals... the only hot peppers I plant are jalapenos, and they're not for me! I can't eat anything beyond very mild!

My veggie seed list list usually is comprised of radishes, carrots, bush beans, pea pods, acorn squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, okra, summer squash, watermelons, cantaloupes, onions, spinach, broccoli, brussell sprouts, wax beans... and several types of tomatoes, including cherry, yellow pear, a few large slicing types and some heirloom varieties.

Herbs include parsley, cilantro, mint, thyme, oregano, a couple types of basil, chives and sage. Annuals are grown mostly to fill some large patio planters and hanging baskets, but I also use some as filler for the perennial beds. I usually grow nasturtiums, coleus, verbena, snapdragons, lobelia, heliotrope, cosmos, cleome, and I know there are more... I just can't think of them all right now... this year, I'm going to try growing bacopa, sweet peas, and several of the newer, more popular container annuals.

Perennials include columbine, digitalis, dianthus, sweet william, heuchera, gaillardia, coreopsis, daisies, black eyed susans, echinacea, asclepias, bee balm, malva, hollyhocks, and many more that escape me right now...

Plus, we usually purchase several plants, like zonal geraniums, ivy geraniums, spikes, potato vines, petunias, million bells, etc... and I grow annual vines, too... morning glories, mina lobata, cup and saucer vine...

I'm pretty busy in early spring seeding flats and cleaning gardens and containers in anticipation of planting... spring is my favorite season! And this year, I'll have hippi seedlings joining the ranks!

Lizalily... Sir Hans is our very own hippeastrum royalty! With his vast knowledge and experience, he deserves a title!

I was going to say that Elvas is my favorite, but I may have a new fave -- First Love, on the Hadeco site. WOW!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:375182}}

Dirt...why are you guys tempting and torturing me with all these new beauties?? That is one beautiful flower, for sure..drool.....

My favorite shifts from day to day... Zombie is one I just adore... nothing compares to those stripes of color!

I really loved my Sweet Lilian when she was blooming... and Limona is a beauty, too! Red Pearl has that deep, velvety red that gets me, but then more bloom and I have to choose a favorite all over again!

I give up! They are all my favorites while blooming!

tell me you did not enhance...

A little bit in order to compensate a certain loss due to the phtogrpahic process itself but not really ;)

Other photos of PapDon2 were includesd elsewhere: (Open flowers on the next page)

Here is a link that might be useful: Further photos of my fav.fav.

Hans, thanks so much. Sure wish I could understand that forum! But then we do have you to make sense of it all!!

here's more photos from Hans back in 2005. I really love the plant with the distinctive white stripe in the center

Here is a link that might be useful: Bulb Gallery '05

Thanks for the link Cindee. These are just wonderful looking & have a decided "wild" look. Congrats as always to Sir Hans.

Beetle, I'm new on the forum
I liked your photo of Snow Queen !!
If You or anyone knows where I can locate one I would be
very grateful, It is harder than I thought to find certain
ones that I like !!
Thank's Olga

When I began my "wish list", I never thought to add the company name where the variety could be found... now, I will have to research each wanted variety to learn where it can be purchased. So, if you're making a wish list, it might be a good idea to keep a record of where you saw the varieties you like, or where others have found them for sale!

Thank You ! Jodi
I just started with Red Lion and now I'm amaryllis hook !
Here is my Wish list (Monaco)has to be the first, Did called white flower Farm they don't carry it anymore.
Then next (Pink Diamond ) Someone from Houston did her best to help me. Next (Snow Queen ) which lead me here.
and ( Maria Goretti ) I saw it at U.S. National Arbetum Amaryllis Website. Will continue to search I'm sure this is not the Month to be looking, But I want to get a head start, not being as easy as one thinks.
Olga :)
Olga,

Keep searching! By the middle to end of summer, lots of bulb companies will have their websites updated with new listings of bulbs... and the Fall 2008 catalogs will be available!

If you Google "fall bulbs" or "amaryllis" or "hippeastrum", or any key word combination related to indoor forcing bulbs or bulbs for indoor forcing, you should get lots of results with tons of links to follow!

Companies that sell Tulips and Daffodils often sell Hippeastrum bulbs, as well. I searched last fall for online catalogs and retail sellers of hippeastrum, and I found lots of links to stores and places to order from!

One of my favorite places is Royal Colors... John Scheeper's is another good bulb company... Brent & Becky's, Blooming Bulb, Dutch Gardens, Nature Hills, Garden Import, and the list goes on...

A Google search for amaryllis bulbs should net a good amount of places to begin looking!

Here is a link that might be useful: Royal Colors

Hmmmm.....of all the bulbs that are new to me, I love my Nymph:
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But my all time favorite remains my "foundling":
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Kristi

Hi Olga!!
Welcome to the forum!! Sorry for the late reply, between my horses, and all the planting and gardening, I don't have much spare time!

I found the beautiful 'Snow Queen in the Mcfayden catalogue. wish you luck with this, from year to year, you never know if it will be one of the varietys listed.Here is the online link [I hope,lol]...http://www.mcfayden.com/