And a close up, which looks so odd to see green petals with a red picotee bug in guessing it's how it is before it gets brilliant white.

Robert

This post was edited by rgebczynski on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 20:59

Rob,

Can't wait to see your picotee! I had my very first one last year and it was so beautiful but I think it outdid itself and so this year it's resting and just growing leaves. I'll just have to enjoy yours...

Your bulbs all look fine by the way and don't you just love those wide windowsills?

Donna

I have both Picotee and President Johnson in bloom right now. Funny to see Picotee compared to a very large picotee (Pres J).

Yes, the green will turn white, but remember, you are looking at the back side of the petal. I'll post photos tomorrow.
K

Oh yes Donna, I love these long windowsills, they are very long in the house and also I have a long shelf on the blocked fireplace. But the best is that my bedroom is the brightest room I'm the house. With the sun for the whole day.

Robert

Well, I thought President Johnson was open (upper left), but not yet! Picotee is open and much smaller by comparison.
K

Though, I'm still waiting for the bloom I was thinking of producing some Picotee seeds since I won't be able to cross it with anything, as its going to be weeks before anything else blooms. But then the question is how fertile is picotee and, and will the offspring will be just as the parent or will I end up with a odd hybrid wearing the genes of the grandfathers.

Robert

Rob,

I mentioned earlier that I had a Picotee, I was mistaken, it's President Johnson. President Johnson is very fertile and I had so many flowers opened at once last year that they all pollinated one another. I had tons of seeds. all of which I gave away. I would think that Picotee should be just as fertile and yes, some will look like the parent and some will look like the grandparents!!

Can you go to a nursery and find a plant blooming that you can surreptitiously lift some pollen from? I did that once... Or, maybe some flower shop where you can carefully brush your finger against the pollen and then get in the car and have a Q-tip and a plastic bag waiting... ;-)

Donna

Sadly here in UK we don't have such nurseries, and hippeastrum is only sold before Christmas time or online as far as I had observed.

Robert

A bit more, since I'm like a kid on a sugar rush with hippeastrum. Honestly I can sit in front of it for hours and just observe, a) it's really interesting to look at the structure of the plants b) it's kind of relaxing.

But anyway, I noticed my first scape will only have two flowers sadly, but it's fully explained since it was a bit infected earlier. And these deeply, bloody lines on the edges of the petals :) can't wait.

From other good news, Minerva is close to putting a show, just the steam needs to grow a bit longer? Which wonders me as I saw some pictures showing her bloom on a short steam and some on a very long. Mine is actually some 3.5 inch long. Flamenco Queen is shooting two steams at once, both Nagano are showing signs of live, especially the first which was so very infected I though it will be dead or something... what surprised me most is Red Lion the bulb was in such a poor state I though several time of just dumping it. Half was rotten, half mushy. I removed so much dead and sick layers of it that I was left with a small onion. And yet it showed a leaf and a flower steam is showing itself. Such will to live!

Robert

This post was edited by rgebczynski on Sat, Apr 6, 13 at 18:37

I Came back home and there was a surprise waiting for me...

It's gonna be a beauty!

Oooh... and another scape is on the way! You should have a beautiful show of blooms for a few weeks!

Thank you! I was so very suprised yesterday! And I though it will be so pale. As many pictures round the web shows the PIcotee with almost non of the red shade. But this is just... wow! Maybe because it's in the sunny location all the time.

Here is a bit bigger picture.

This post was edited by rgebczynski on Tue, Apr 9, 13 at 2:34

Finally in full bloom

And close up....

Sorry I can't add many pictures in one post as I'm not using a Pc.

Very pretty flower, the longer it's out the prettier it will get...take a few days to get it's shape.
Your pictures are coming through fine..

So the second flower has opened, both are very big! I can say about 5 inches. The first one is a bit nodding and the second is raised up... a bit odd but still beautiful and with a lovely painted picotee.