Well Howard, lookee here, you want to go to Chicago. Lots of company. The thing with going back to NY rather than elsewhere, for me, is that NY is easy to get into and out of, I can do a RT in one day, don't need hotels, don't need to rent a car, don't need a pet sitter at home etc, etc, etc..... That and I don't feel like taking my vacations in the States going to orchid shows. If I'm going to go to the trouble of organizing a few days out of town, I want it to be well worth it. Albeit,it's fun meeting people from the forum. Not having Paul around anymore to take care of the dogs and birds, when I decide to disappear for a couple of days, just adds another "issue" to consider. At the moment,I don't have the energy.

OMG-Ddesse, SUN! Hell of a username, fishing-dentist! You are welcome MAN! Amaryllis x Crinum was successful. As to the project vice-versa using Crinum as seed producer I do not know. Note: Amarylis belladonna is the "perfect mother" this applies also to the pollination with Nerine and Brunsvigia. And presumably Boophone. These all belong to the African branch of Amaryllids! Sprekelia (=Aztec Lily or Jacobean Lily) is a member of the AMERICAN branch and it was AFAIK never crossed with the African Naked Lady, A.belladonna. You obviously referred to some successful hybridizations with Hippeastrum (=American Amaryllid). I read that the progeny is fertile even, and this is a great exception because "exotic" hybridization between different genera (intergeneric hybrids) are generally STERILE. IF I intended to crossbreed Clivia to other Amaryllids then I would try with their closest relatives within the Amaryllidaceae family: HAEMANTHUS!!!

Hey Phil, that'll be an interesting cross! Not sure that it'll be hardy up there in your zone though, Easter lily's barely survive my zone 5-6 winters here in Massachusetts. you'll have something very special if that cross is successful buddy. They'll plump back up but you may not notice it, that is if they are still viable. Hope it works, and be sure to keep us posted. Chaz

One need not live in a tropical or sub-tropical area to be overwhelmed by plants! I hybridize Daylilies (Hemerocallis)and was not able to plant a single seed for three years as I was out of room to plant them out! I did try growing out several in pots, but Mother Nature took them all away from me last winter! Fickle lady, mother nature! I also am hybridizing the "Candy Lilies" and "Blackberry Lilies, which are actually members of the Iris Genus. I grow all types of Liliums and other perennials plus quite a few annuals that self sow and come back every year (mostly Snapdragons)and I save seed from good old Coleus and have several as potted plants as well as in ground plants of them. My outside garden begins to wake in late February/early March when the Snow Crocus and Grecian Windflowers make their appearance and continues until a hard frost knocks back the "Toad Lilies" and Mums. But then there is the indoor garden (that summers outside) and there are Tropical Hibiscus, several varieties of Lantana, various "house trees", numerous cacti and succulents, a few (12) Orchids, Clivia miniata and 15+ seedlings from mixed color hybrids and the Hippeastrums - 40+ named varieties a few mature seedlings from my first cross (a test and 70 or so new seedlings from last winter. Oh I must not forget the terrarium - a 55 gallon fish tank, that has 4 African Violets (2 minies, 2 standards and all are Variegated foliage) a Silver Spotted Philodendron and a small "Earth Star" bromeliad. While most of these "indoor" plants are grown under lights in the basement, all of my windows are also filled - and this time of year the hippies fill the space. Yeah, I know all about running out of space and there not ever being enough room to grow everything that I would like to! I even have space on a neighbors veggie garden for my overflow of Daylily seedlings and that still isn't enough! Most of my cacti and some of my succulent were rescued plants from Lowe's as were most of my Orchids (Phalaenopsis), I hate to see a plant thrown away because it didn't sell. Most of my Hosta were rescued from a dumpster as well as several shrubs and perennial plants! I can barely take care of what I have and I still want more! Here's a view of the basement light garden from winter 08/09: And this s just one side of one set of shelves!