hmmm, tropicals anyone?

Aztek Gold Plumeria
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NOID Red Plumeria
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Pudica Bridal Veil Plumie
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Miami Rose Plumie
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Angelonia and Red Porter Weed
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Dwarf Poinciana (Pride of Barbados)
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Pink Rain Lily
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Blue Pea Vine (Clitoria Ternatea)
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Candle Stick Cassia (Senna)
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Allamanda Cherries Jubilee
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Black Ison Grapes
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Pomegranate Vietnam (Yellow Fruit)
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Orchids
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Ok Jodi, now I overloaded this thread....so sorry!

I'm anxiously awaiting for people to report their first bulb purchases... I have bought my package that I will share with others, but it is not shipped yet. So who wins the competition of getting his or her hands on this season's first new bulb?

nope, nope, nope...no more bulbs...no more I got too many!!

Wait, I was thinking it would be nice to compliment the red green and white foliage in the front garden bed with a few blooming red.green/white amaryllis bulbs this winter in front of the shrubs...oh crap...here I go again...

Yes, yes, yes. More bulbs... I want more... I have 7 more varieties coming now... I have to find MORE.

LOL, spoken like a true addict!

Not really an addict. Addiction sounds like a bad thing. It is not a bad thing. I am not hurting anyone with this... I prefer OCD.

Wow! Wonderful pictures, Cindee! I'm so jealous! I can't grow those beauties this far north!

I haven't seen any Amaryllis bulbs or kits in the stores yet... but rest assured, I'll grab some the minute they put up their displays!

I am also awaiting soultan's bulb package... I can't wait to receive the 6 I'm getting! I have pots all ready, and growing medium, and grow lights!

Today, I cleaned the kennel, and then went right back to bed... I don't know if it's the flu, or what, but I felt really bad all day... bone pain and a headache... I should have been outside working on the bulb garden!

I'm off to bed again soon... hopefully, tomorrow will be better, and I'll be able to get a lot done!

Thanks for sharing those lovely photos, Cindee... they made my day! :-)

(((((((jodi))))))))) feel better soon, sweetie! Glad you enjoyed the photos. Actually, you can grow Plumerias anywhere, you just have to container grow them in your clime and overwinter in the house. Some are evergreen, others deciduous. Let me know if you would like me to start you a cutting and I could send it off to you in the spring. If you think Amaryllis are easy, these guys are a piece of cake.

Get well!!! That's an order!

Hi All,
Not much is flowering yet in my garden, I think it might take a few more weeks when it warms up a bit more.
Cindee, your photos inspired me to get the camera out. As I said not many flowers in the garden but a few orchids in the shade house have flowers.

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And Soultan, My fiance calls it an "obsession' I don't really mind that word.

Thanks, Cindee! I appreciate it! Just had one of those days... today will be much better! I'd love a Plumeria cutting, thank you! To make it fair, I'll trade you something when spring rolls around!

Nice orchids, Dizzy! I've always wanted to try growing one, and I know there are a few that make good houseplants and are not too difficult... but like most everything I do, I'd like to know a little more first. So, I've put off getting one for a bit... until I learn more and know I can grow a healthy one. Yours are very pretty!

Addiction? Obsession? "I just like it more than other plants, so I have at least one of each!" LOL! Addiction is one way to put it... dependent is another... "I'm not addicted to my pills, I'm dependent on them." Let's see... I'm dependent on my amaryllis because... umm... they make me happy?! :-)

Cindee, I looked into growing the Rain Lily as a potted plant, and if I understood it correctly, it requires the barometric pressure change of a storm front to flower? Something about the first rains of the season making them bloom... they are really beautiful, and come in several nice colors and shades. But I don't think I can grow those here, even as a houseplant. I do think I can grow the angelonia as an annual in the garden, though. I've seen the seeds in catalogs and at the store... and of course, the plumeria as a houseplant!!

Nice photography, everyone! Gorgeous flowers! Today, I must get out there with my camera and take a few photos of the roses and other nifty things that are blooming in my garden, so I can share with everyone! Look for a few photos later! In the meantime... have a great day! :-)

Dizzy, stunning orchids. Don't you just love them. It's another passion of mine, and I have way too many!

Jodi-rain lillies are so easy. They will even bloom after a good shot with a hose or sprinkler, too. I'll send you a couple when I send the plumie.

dizzy,

Obsession sounds like a parfume. That is not a bad word. Actually, it sounds really sexy. And can you imagine?: I live next door to an orchid expert, a seventy something years old lady who has three green houses full of orchids...
We are going to the theatre together tonight. We will see Camelot. I hope it is good. I know it is an old musical (operette).

Cindee... thanks very much! I'd love to have a Rain Lily! I've got to figure out what I have that you can grow where you're at, and that you'd like to have... I have a garden full of perennials, and several types of houseplants... I'm sure we'll come to a nice trade!

Soultan... Camelot sounds like a nice play to go see... I think even I would enjoy that one! I saw Guys & Dolls once at Drury Lane Theatre up here... it was pretty good, actually...

Well... had "dog people" here all day... didn't get a chance to go out and photograph my flowers like I wanted to... however, one of my pups got a really good home, so I'm happy! I'll just have to take pictures tomorrow, instead... there's a really gorgeous rose in bloom right now... kind of a pink/salmon color. I have no idea what the name is, but it's a climber.

I'm so falling behind on my bulb bed creation... I should have been out there today shoveling more composted manure and sand... I thought I had enough spread out over the bed, but I think I need more sand, for sure... and probably more compost, as well. I'm also going to throw some crushed red pepper and garlic powder in the bed to deter the critters. I don't want to plant 300 plus bulbs just to feed the squirrels and moles!

Oh... I almost forgot... I think my Mandevilla vine might be growing a bud! I can't wait to see it flower!!

Yes, Orchids are another "obsession" of mine too. I have been collecting them for 5 years now and have no more room in the shade house. Thats why the new obsession on Hippeastrums (they are planted in the front garden bed)

Jodik, Orchids are very easy to grow but the trick is to buy the ones that are right for your climate. I found this out the hard way and have killed many of them.
I would love to see some pics of your puppies! I read in another thread you breed American bulldogs? I have two year old female, she's gorgeous.

Soultan, I hope you enjoyed the show. Yes obsession is a parfume by Kalvin Klien

Yes, Dizzy... we've been breeding American Bulldogs for the last 25 years, or so. We've even shipped a couple to Australia. I don't currently have any AB pups. After 25 years, my husband has grown bored with the breed, and has instead concentrated his efforts on the Olde Bulldogge, or "Olde's" (pronounced Oldee's) as they're commonly called. The following are pictures of 3 males from my current Olde litter...

Meet Mr. Happy Feets, Sparky, and Teddy Toad!

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This litter is the last out of my personal dog, Emma. She is now officially retired and her only job is to keep me safe and keep me company.

I don't have any AB photos on this computer, or I would post a couple of them. If you can obtain a copy, you can see pictures of our AB's in a book called "Gladiator Dogs" by Dr. Carl Semencic.

What type and what lineage is your dog? I probably am familiar with many dogs in the pedigree...

Oh what cuties!! They have so much expression in their faces!

They are just 7 weeks old, and already quite a handful! Mr. Happy Feets left yesterday for his new home. He'll be quite loved and spoiled! I am planning on taking some floral photos today, and I will include a picture of Maia, the female that I'm keeping. The litter totaled 6, 3 boys, 3 girls... Butterscotch and Ruby already are enjoying their new people!

As I type this, Sparky, Teddy Toad and Maia are playing quite loudly, rocking their whelping box! They tend to wrestle and play quite a bit at this age! I always say what a job it is to raise pups, but when they are all placed, I miss them!

Well... I'm off to clean the kennel and feed everyone! Then it's a day of hauling sand and compost to the new bulb bed!

Have a lovely day, everyone! :-)

jodik,

Camelot is not that boring. It actually has some story, but the music is just so opperettic... It is not like a musical. They sing, just because they want to put music in the show. The whole thing is almost ridiculous. You have this negative story with tingly-tangly music that is absolutely not memorable... If the female lead would have not been so incredibly good, the whole performance would have gone down the drain... Fortunately, she saved it... But I will not go to see this play again ever. It is just not a good show. It is a been there, done that show.
And I am absolutely in love with your doggies... One cannot look at enough doggie pics... But there is a problem. You just grow the need inside of you, to get another one, then another one, then another one... It is easier with bulbs...
I am crazy. I want to buy a girlfriend for my Toto... But that would require too much attention. Toto is two handful already, so another little rascal would be four handful already, and I only have two hands...
And how much I miss having little puppies around!

So dizzy,

yes, I enjoyed the show, but just marginally. I am a vivid theatre goer... I need more to entertain me. I need substance from play, from music, and from performers... It was a bad theatre building, mediocre music, and headless story, with a bunch of actors who think acting is standing in the middle of the stage and looking pretty.

Hi Jodik, I don't know much about her lineage but I think she is a hybrid.
Looking at her papers I see names like Jacksons Buck and JDJ's and Tascones none of this means much to me. I just know that see is very loving and so eager to please and one of the smartest dogs I know.

I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy the play, soultan... I like the story of Camelot, and so I thought it might be a good play. Theatre is so different from movies or tv... it's live, so the actors don't get a second or third chance to act out a scene.

I've never been to an Opera, but I bet some of them are just wonderful! Especially if the voices and songs are done right.

We'll probably always have puppies around, certainly dogs. And most certainly more than one dog. Breeding is in my husband's blood. He lives and breathes Bulldogs! It's funny... when we go to dog shows, young people come up to him and just gush about how he's famous and they have to shake his hand and meet one of the "Grandfathers" of the breed. He has been in the Bulldogs a long time, but it's kind of unnerving having people actually say that!

Having puppies around is a lot of work, though... which is why we pared down our kennel and only keep a few dogs now. We used to have an average of 40 or more dogs at any given time. We also hosted at least a couple of shows a year, with 3 attending registries, weight pull, protection demos, etc... We published a quarterly magazine for Bulldoggers called The Watchkeeper. It was an informational magazine with tons of articles and very few ads. We were younger then, and in much better physical shape. Plus, we had a house fire and lost pretty much everything. Now, we're Grandparents... and with my husband's bad back and my Lupus... well... we just can't do it all anymore.

I know how you feel... it would be nice to have a female companion for Toto, but that means a lot of extra time and work. I'm thinking that if I breed amaryllis instead of a whole yard full of dogs, it will be much easier and still be fun!

Dizzy - Yup, with names like those in her pedigree, she's most likely a hybrid.

Ours are Performance, or Scott, type American Bulldogs. We didn't care for what JDJ did with the breed. The addition of Leavitt culls to his breeding program didn't add anything positive. It's very difficult to find decent AB blood these days. Unfortunate, but that's the way it goes when everyone wants to make money breeding, but they don't want to do the research necessary to produce genetically sound dogs.

I'm glad you got a nice one. :-)

Toto is a Miniature Schnauzer. He was born in Kansas. He was shipped to California... I wanted to call him Oscar, but everybody else was calling him Toto, since he was from Kansas, so I agreed... What's in the name? I always liked elegant names for elegant dogs... Having German Shepards called Lux, Lady, Lord, etc. is elegant. Having a Toto is clearly FUN.

It's strictly a "Wizard of Oz" thing, soultan! The name just fits the way he looks... and then there's the line from the movie, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto!" Dorothy says to little Toto...

People just visualize the Wizard of Oz, and Judy Garland with her little canine co-star, when they see little black dogs like yours! They can't help it! Toto is a totally fun name! And from what I've seen of the breed, they are pretty fun little dogs to have!

Mine is silver. He is a wonderful looking shining silver schnauzer. Dorothy's Toto is not a schnauzer... People just like the idea that Toto IS from Kansas. You don't know how tired I am hearing "We are not in Kansas anymore." :o) People think they are so clever... But you know what, more than 60 percent of people I meet didn't know what Toto and Kansas had in common, so actually, I am glad, that the ones who do, I have something to talk about with. If someone does not know about Dorothy, Oz, Toto, Kansas, and all those things, maybe I don't even want to talk to them.
Oh yes. Schnauzers are very fun breed to have. My first schnaci is Toto. I am in love. Small, compact enough to be a personal dog inside of the house, and large enough to take a walk with it, without fearing someone would step on him and smash him.
And if those eyes could talk!

Silver is a beautiful coat color, especially shining in the sun. I once had a Staffy Bull Terrier with a gunmetal gray coat... it was really black with a slight bluish hue in bright light. Very unique and pretty, it was. His name was Hercules, and he was an awesome dog. Small, yet every bit able to cause damage if the situation arose.

Just like you and the Toto/Kansas/Oz thing, I'd be rich if I had a nickel for everyone who ever asked about my "Pit Bull"! Pit Bull, indeed! Minerva was an 85 pound American Bulldog... how do you confuse that with a Pit Bull? Two entirely different breeds that look nothing alike!

It is so nice to have a dog as companion... I could never live anywhere that I couldn't have at least one dog!

I don't expect outsiders recognize the breed of my dog. I like people who actually know... But then people sometimes call German Shepards Wolf Dogs and alike... Of course, who is not interested in dogs so deep is not really educated in the question. Dog-dog. Hair, teeth, legs, tail. So I don't get upset if some people say something stupid about Toto, unless it is detrimental. At least, they are interested and want to hear about him, and you know that a sign like that can start a wave of sentences. A proud owner cannot be stopped when asked. :o)

I know what you mean... I'm very proud of my girls! Both Emma and Maia are very special to me, and I like when people ask about them. Even nicer when they know what breed they are, and I don't have to explain. I would say that most people who meet my girls will go home and look them up on the Internet... Good Olde Bulldogges are still a rare breed! You don't see them every day!

Even more impressive is the fact that they have manners, and won't jump on people. They listen to commands and obey instantly, and that impresses most people.

Just today, the vet came to give all the dogs here rabies shots... the owners' Ridgebacks were all terribly behaved, and some of them had to be lassoed with leashes because they don't come when called. A few were even fighting the leashes because they're not even leash broke! It was a terrible mess! And I'm proud of my two adults, Emma and Bonzee, who were both perfectly behaved and sat nice for their shots and check-ups. That's what a little training will do... give you well-mannered animals that you're proud to show off, and can take with you anywhere!

Unfortunately, I'm only the kennel care-taker... I'm not a trainer. I couldn't possibly train all those dogs!

I'm waiting for my bulb which is resting in the fridge. Meanwhile, I'm watching the small bed outside where all my immigrant seedlings are to see if they grow. They do, but because we have been having so much rain, I could see some tiny bulbs being exposed. I gave it some cover (rice ash) but I don't know how they fare. Will check again this weekend (I live away from my garden!!!)
So I don't have anything amaryllis-related. However, I wish to share some bloomers I have now.

My azelea (always blooming, in my climate)
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My anthurium and peace lily
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My nematanthus (lipstick plan - blooming all year but seems to get leggy. Need a haircut soon.)
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My donkey's tail
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And naturally, my AVs
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Sorry, I flood the thread with non-amaryllis photos. But hope you don't mind.

Xuan

Thank you for posting such beautiful pictures, Xuan! Gorgeous plants, and so happy and healthy looking!

I have a question for you... how do you get your lipstick plant to flower?? I have one, but other than one time, it has not flowered! I don't know what to do to get it to bloom... I grew it from a few cuttings, and the cuttings bloomed while still in the glass of water rooting... When it had nice roots, I potted it up. It's now in an 8 inch hanging basket, and I fertilize with fish emulsion and water when it's fairly dry... how can I make it bloom?? Any ideas?

I think the burro's tail is my favorite of your pictures! Very nice!

Jodik, I'm sorry I cannot give a precise answer to your question re the lipstick plant. I really haven't done anything particular to the plant other than keeping them evenly moist and out of direct sun. Guess I'm lucky that my plants bloom for me because I live away from my garden and only visit during weekends, not to mention that I had been away for three full months travelling to the US!
Thank you for your nice words about my plants.

Xuan

Jodic...Aeschynanthus (Lipstick plants) love very high humidity. It's in the family of Gesneriads, cousins to AVs. It likes the same care as AVs but more exposure to sunlight to bloom. We grow different varieties of them in PI. They flourish there and bloom all year round. Unfortunately, mites adore them. I have a variegated miniature lipstick plant. I can send you a cutting if you want. At least this one is pretty even if without flowers.

Mine makes a very nice foliage plant, so I wouldn't get rid of it just because it refuses to bloom, but I know the potential is there because it bloomed before! I probably don't have it in the right window, and it's just not getting the right amount of light. My brightest window is taken up with Hippis!

I would love a cutting, Maria, thank you! Variegated sounds wonderful! I have a very nice variegated English Ivy.

I grew this lipstick plant from a few cuttings placed in water to root. It was then that it bloomed, strange as that may be. After that, though, I got nothing. It's a gorgeous leafy plant, little fuzzy leaves, nice and full... I am just a bit disappointed that it's not flowering like the mother plant, and she was full of flowers!

Well, I will try correcting the amount of light this one gets, see if that helps... I did a bit of research on it at one time, and I found that it's a cousin to the AV, as you said, Maria... my AV is blooming, just not my lipstick plant! Although, it grows like crazy! Thanks for the suggestion, and the offer!

Xuan
Your blooms are beautiful. I have never had great luck with azaleas, thanks for sharing!