And what beautiful photos you have taken of her, Cindee! Mine is but a memory now but it is fun to hear you sing her praises!

Hi Cindeea,
Isin't she a beauty!
She is an excellent grower, mine put on considerable girth in a years time & is just showing the tip of her first nose. Lora

(sorry gone so long,took a reeeealy bad fall,been in & out of hospital)

OH! Lora, Is that really YOU????

I hope you are now okay after your fall....

We have missed YOU!

It's so very good to have you back!!!!!!!!!

Hi Elizabeth,
I'll be on for little bits of time,vision still a bit blurry. Pitched backwards out of hayloft with a death grip on an 80lb bale.Got pins out of my pelvis 2 weeks back, I can sit! yippee! Lora

OH MY GOD...Lora!!!!!! ((((((((Hugs Darlin)))))))) so sorry to hear about your terrible accident. How scarey. I am sooooo glad to see you! I have often wondered where you were and how you were! I think of you every time I walk past the seedlings. 2 yrs ago you sent me Lil' Pinky seeds. I have four of them just growing great guns and very healthy! Please stick around, we sure have missed you here! OH boy OH boy, Lora's back.
...happy as an earthwom I am!

Since you had your accident, maybe you didn't get to pollinate. I have a bunch of seeds I could share with you! Let me know sweetie. Get better, my friend, we need you here to help us.

Hey Lora! Come on over and we can recupe at my house! I just got a new knee two weeks ago and I am lonesome! I Hhave to say the service is not too good here though as my son is gone to taiwan for 4 months to study Mandarin Chinese and my DH spends more time at work then home...I could use some converation! You can bring your Amies with you :-)

OMG!!! Lora!!! Hugs...hugs...and more hugs!!!

I just could not believe what I have just read. Thank God you are alright now AND back here! How I missed you. It's been so long...

Tell me when you're ready to do some "hippie" work again. I have so many seeds, seedlings and bulblets from the collection that I can send you. Welcome back girlfriend!!!

Cindee...Beautiful Exotica! Don't ya love those glitters in the petals? Exotic Magic!!! I adore Exotica!

Cindee - Your Exotica is just lovely! It's one on my wish list, of course! The veining of color is spectacular!

Lora - I'm so glad to finally "meet" you! I'm saddened by your accident, but happy that you're getting better... your past posts have taught me a lot, and I thank you for sharing your knowledge! It's because of you that I attempted pollination! And now, here I am growing my first seeds! I hope to have the opportunity to get to know you better in the future... I'm sure there's a lot more I can learn from you. You're in my prayers... rest a lot, and get well! You have been greatly missed by many!

Cindee, what a beauty! I love the pinks/peach hipps!

Welcome back Lora, Like Jodi, and newbies on here like me, I've learned quite a bit from your back posts. Glad to see you posting again.

Some group we've got here, Pins, new joints, bodies attacking themself, I may as well admit, in 1992 I fell out the door of a 747! 3 years of steroids injected into my spine. What a group we are! LOL, Lora, I know that falling feeling, but not the injury you've experienced. I wish you rapid healing and much strength in your recovery.

You are all in my prayers, remember...we're the lucky ones!

OH MY Gosh Chaz, you can't just leave it at that!! How in blue blazes did you fall out of a 747??? Inquiring minds NEED to know!

It's been my experiance you'll want to keep an eye to not over water. The pic below was second year blooms. Then, I over watered and the roots rotted off. :(

{{gwi:385287}}

Thanks, Pat. I try to be very stingy with my watering amaryllis. Your photo is beautiful. I am very pleased I added this one to my collection.

Hiya hiya hiya!

Cindeea,
Thank you and (((hugs))) right back ! I think you have the only Lil Pinkie X Geraldine seedlings left, how are they doing? The oppisite cross is showing it's first scape from seed sown March 31st of 06 :)
No pollinating has been done-yet. James has been taking care of the greenhouse & done a very fine job for a kid that just turned 12.
Lizalily
Hiya,nice to meet ya!
If it's warmer where you are it just might be a deal! I can bring pies,we have soo many pies from neighbor ladies,had apple for breakfast :)
Oh my Maria! It is sooo good to 'see' you again! Been way too long!!! Thank you so much for your kind offer:) James is still doing the majority of the greenhouse care. There are 2 steps down that I can't get yet,soon,soon! The guys got me an orchid yesterday to try & lure me out there faster(like I need lured).
Hiya Jodik,
Nice to meet you and happy to be of service:)
I can't rest, no ma'm. I have been flat on my back since late October.
Hiya Chazparas,
Out of a 747!!!Yikes! I'm firmly of the mind that any day above ground is a good day:)

LORA, yes, bring pies! we are up to 50 degrees today and supposed to go another 7 degrees. It is just noon here now. The snowdrops and crocus are out. Hey , I had a broken neck 35 yrs ago and still remember the pain of that healing...and the inability to move the head (I Fell down the stair while tending a toddler who is now 37!

Chaz, OK, buddy, what's the story? YOU can NOT leave us with that line!!!See me hobbling after you to give you a good shaking for the tease!

OH my , I want to go out and play but I am lucky to get to go out and walk and see all the leaves coming out in the forest, and watch the birdies.

And that was the most beautiful potfull of Exoticas! CAn't wait for mine to grow to that size! I am so greatful for all the challenges and knowledge I find here.

LOL
the story was not to tease. It was pretty embarrasing actually. I was a flight attendant, we were on the ground in Paris. The caterers had finished catering the plane but left a garbage bag behind. I held up the garbage bag to the fellow on the catering truck, he waved me out to bring it to him as he was busy. As I stepped out of the plane onto the catering truck the drive moved the truck inches and I slipped between the truck and the aircraft! I got caught by my neck and shoulder and hung for a second or two before the caterer grabbed me and pulled me back in...by my head! By the grace of a higher power I did not injure my spinal cord, and broke no bones. Anyway, 6 bulging close to ruptured disks, then lots of steroids injected into the disks, I'm healed and well these days. Although I do have a very healthy fear of heights now! But...My brother was director of world operations for the airline, when he got the call from paris ops, he said...What did he do now???? LOL, I am not known for my grace and agility!

Oh Chaz, that sounds like something I would do, LOL. Is it part of being "Earthbound" that we do all we can to get down there, LOL. I do feel for your back though,,, must have been months of pain. ISn't it great when it heals!

I Made it 3/4 of the way to the place in the Neighborhood I used to walk to before my surgery today but that is almost my full days work. I think the stiffness and pain are less tonight.

Also managed to get my bloomed out amies into my absent son's bedroom and in front of his window with a lamp on over them. I see that I need to take the pruners out tomorrow and clear some Clematis armandii away from the window. He used to worry that people would look in the window at him when he was sleeping, so it is sort of like Sleeping Beauties Garden there. (As if someone would drive 6 miles out into the country, park in our driveway and come into our gated yard, hop over the fish pond, and peer in his window? I think it was a guilty conscience in his younger teen years, LOL. Anyhow, Wheeled the amies in in the garden cart and all the way to his bedroom...love my manufactured home with the wooden floors!

And now...room in the growing room to start Lisianthus (Yes, I know I am late) and snapdragons tomorrow. TIme to get those sweet peas soaking also! Wound now healed enough I can play with dirt if I wear my gloves!

We are quite the rag-tag graceful bunch, aren't we?! I am the Queen of Clumsy! Long ago in another life, I trucked cross-country as a co-driver with my ex... we were owner-operators of a Kenworth T600B Aerocab... we were in a dock somewhere in Iowa, adjusting a load before pulling out... and I had to practically crawl under the trailer to pull the lever that loosens to tandems... anyway, I stood up BEFORE backing out from under that trailer, and you could hear the echo of the half-empty trailer for miles! BONNNGG!! I gave myself a good concussion!

I have fallen up stairs, into vehicles, backwards down stairs, out of semi's, been kicked across a gutter by a milk cow, fell off a hay wagon, etcetera, etcetera... and I've only broken one bone, my collarbone. And somehow, I ended up with Lupus!

We are all very fortunate individuals... some guardian angel is very busy, looking out for every one of us!

Chaz - Larry went through several sets of injections, which helped his neck, shoulder and upper back immensely... the lower and middle back, they can't fix without cutting, and he has opted not to go through the surgery that may or may not work... we remain chronic pain patients...

HoustonPat - that's a gorgeous photo! What a beautiful bouquet it looks like!

Lora - I spent many years on a dairy farm, climbing silos to shovel/pitch silage, and throwing 80 pound bales from the hay mow... I can imagine exactly what you describe... you are quite a trooper! I'm glad you're doing better!

And I'm very glad Cindee and Lizalily both came through their ordeals with flying colors!

It's the need we all have to be nurturing gardeners, to grow things and revel in their beauty that keeps us moving forward... and in the cold of winter, we have our hippis to warm our hearts!

Excellently said, My dear new friend!

Do y'all think it would be safe if we all ever got together! LOL, Insurance companies would be quivering with fear!

The insurance companies might quiver, but I think a couple bulb companies could be convinced to finance it -- people suffering from CHAD just reinforce each other's condition :P You just know we'd buy out someone's stock of bulbs shortly after that. :)

Happy growing,

Liltika

Speaking of CHAD, I've got to finalize my Maguire's list and get it to Soultan! How exciting to order bulbs when ordinarily we'd be pining away for fall and order season!

Oh My Goodness!
I think the extra insurance would be in order for sure!

Jodik, we could be sisters, I swear :0 I have Graves disease & low blood pressure,that's why I pitched out of the loft.(I am taking it a bit easier,I promise! I -hurt- today).

Chaz, I a previous life I was an EMT. We took a lot of runs at the airport,everything from cardiac cases on incoming flights to the Fed-Ex guys popping their fingers off on the hinges of the truck doors. You are one very lucky person in spite of the injuries you did suffer.A guy fell out of a 747 at the maintenance hub, it was very much a fatal fall.

Everybody, have a safe & painfree night, I'm going to bed! Lora

Lora,
more on the family tree, LOL. My Sister has Grave's Disease and had a number of falls last year. She is doing better now. I "just" have fibromyalgia and arthritis. I hope you are getting good treatment for the disease but with my sister I see no instant cures...just better or not so good days.Its nice to have a low key hobby with lots of nice color and growing things that we can sit down to do! Sure helped the winter time blues this year also.

Here we are, this wonderful group of nurturing, caring people... all with a passion for nature and helping God's creatures and flowers... isn't it a little odd that most of us have a debilitating health issue... Graves, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Arthritis, failing hips and knees, low blood pressure, back issues, etc... it's funny that we should all come together through the interest and love of the lowly little hippeastrum...

Or maybe it is reality, as we are not out skiing, dancing, or working long hours at the office....But we have the gift and joy of nurturing and finding our excitement in small pleasant ways we can handle. IN some ways we are the lucky ones who can take time for the small pleasures of life...and what counts more as a "Small pleasure" then to plant a bulb and watch it grow into a glorious heart stoppingly lovely flower, then sharing that with others who appreciate it{{gwi:384535}}

By the way, I think this might be Double Dragon, with its little white petal tips that no longer show. Now the frst flower is being held totally upright, like it wants to collect rain from the heaven, or open its face to the spring sun. I totally love this flower!

Double Dragon has smaller and smaller, quite uniform shaped inner petals as you get closer to the middle.

It reminds me of my Red Nymph... whatever its true name, it is a lovely flower!

You are right, Lizalily... we are the lucky ones that take the time to really see and enjoy the glory of nature... I find every tiny bit of growth, every leaf, every flower to all be such a wonder, and I feel Blessed to be able to view it all and be a part of it.

Time passes by so fast, and life moves at such a rapid pace, that if we don't stop to "smell the roses", we miss out on so much...

Good Morning Cindeea,
So sorry this thread went meandering this far off topic!
(We really need to lobby for a conversation side!)
In an attempt to redeem myself, here is Exotica wakeing from her slumber.

{{gwi:385283}}

I thought she was just getting big & fat but it appears she is going to split, the leaves are coming out just left of center. Her home is a 10 inch shrub can with coir & a heavy layer of packing peanuts for drainage. I will be repotting her in plain old pro mix come spring, coir seems to be problematic with poor water quality. Lora

Well, I have no chronic illness, I don't get injured-the worst thing that has ever happened to me is I dropped a bike on my toe & lost the nail, I'm a nurse, work in pain management and I'm always the DD. So I'm ready. Plan the get together, get the financing from the bulb companies & let's go bulb shopping!! One BIG problem though, I have very severe, chronic CHAD!
Tally HO!
PS, exotica was one of the mislabeled bulbs I got this year, it looks more like LaPaz or one of those, I'll know more when the blooms open fully.
I'm drooling over ya'lls!!

Lora - we have very hard water, and I notice that plain coco coir and poor water don't go together very well... I started amending my coco coir to give it the body it seems to need, and now I think it's working much better...

That's a huge bulb you have, there! Is that a baby to the right?

I have seen the word CHAD several times in posts. I give: what does it stand for? Crazy Horrendous Amaryllis aDdiction?

wildebloem
that's too funny - i had been trying to think of different phrases that it could mean, but couldn't come up with any good ones. i know that i had seen the meaning for it at one point in time, so i had to search for it. this is what i have found
(compulsive horticultural acquisition disorder)

It's the disease we all seem to have that keeps us bringing home more and more plants and bulbs! Some of us have it worse than others, but we all appear to be afflicted to some extent! There is only one cure... lack of funding... but this cure only works if the patient can be kept from getting the secondary infection, called credit... it's a hard disease to beat! The only long term affects seem to be happiness and dirty fingernails, so it's really not that bad... :-)

I want to design a CHAD tee shirt, LOL. I print out the design with the "Iron on" paper in my printer. SOunds like a fun project while I Am not fully mobile. If I Can do a good one I will share the design with you all! MY favorite garden tee is almost worn out but it is "Slave to the Goddess Flora"
That has gotton some looks over the years!

Liza, a teeshirt sounds like a great idea!!! Copywrite it!!!! Keep me in mind with the design, Don't wanna get beat up walking down the street!!! LOL

I've been known to wear some pretty racy sayings on t-shirts... you should see the looks I get when I wear my black t-shirt with white print that says:

I'M A *ITCH
What's your excuse?

People turn and stare quite a bit! I'm an old biker chick from way back, so it doesn't bother me a bit to wear something like that. If you remember, I'm tattooed, pierced and I was quite something else in my youth...

I am ready for something a bit more toned down... gardening would be just the ticket... I love the "Slave to the Goddess Flora" shirt! I wonder how many people see it and have no idea what it means?!

We've done those iron on transfers you print out... I made my kids shirts with photos of their dogs on them years ago! It's a good idea Lizalily, and I'd love to see the results if you decide to come up with a CHAD shirt!