Brian, your suggestion worked. I have Chrome on this machine but all my pictures are on the other machine!! I'll figure something out! No pictures to post at the moment .

I thank you all for your suggestions!!

Donna

Awesome, glad to have you back creating posts.

Wooo Hooo!!! It worked, maybe there's hope for rest of us?

I posted the other day from work, where Chrome is my browser. I can’t post pics from my phone.

It's a beginning Donna, right? Lol

Gorgeous!

Donna, short lived flowers is my biggest complaint re Emerald.

Donna , your Fledermauss is absolutely gorgeous , I love seing it back :-)))

Nice pics Donna, a preview of what I might look forward to this coming this season. From ETGB, I have a "Cherry Crush" (Opal Star?) that didn't bloom when I received it last year and as a result, it fattened up and hopefully it'll produce this season. Emeralds received last year were supposed to be Chico's, also from ETGB, and currently in hibernation since I kept them on the balcony. Yes, Emerald blooms are fleeting moments in time at room temperature.

March 2018

Thanks, Béa! I find Fledermaus to be very gratifying for sure!!

Brian, Emerald does have its day in the sun but for me I couldn't even get all four flowers to stay open together long enough for a photo!! Perhaps they'll last a bit longer next year on a rooted bulb. I was pleased that the red streaks were quite strong however. For this reason alone, I don't think I will hybridize with it.

I haven't had an Opal star bloom for me in several years hopefully this will be the year!

Donna

Donna, your Fledermaus is gorgeous as always! I got one last year because of your pictures and was a bit disappointed. It is still sleeping but I hope for better flowers this season...

Brian, I love your Emerald. Mine hasn't flowered for 3 years now, I would say it's time!

Anja

So...as not to muddy up the discussion on Sweet Lilian I guess I'll post Maybelle here. This is one of those flowers that is very hard to capture. The vibrant dark pink or cerise or whatever you call this color turns into a brilliant orange at the end of the petal about an inch deep. You really have to see it to appreciate it and I've taken dozens of pictures trying to capture what I'm seeing.

You can see the orange tips quite well on this one.

This is no wall flower, she stands very tall and you can notice her as soon as you walk into the room, she is like a becon! Later in the day in low light, the green throat darkens and looks quite captivating!!

Here is my Red Flash from Komoriya. I have one seedling that bloomed from Jody that looks very much the same. This is a semi double but at least the double petals are fully formed and not messing up the middle with partially formed petals. The picture from Komoriya's website shows 4 flowers so that's good. This is blooming from a very small bulb.

One final picture of Maybelle.

Donna crossing her fingers as she hits submit!!

WOW!!!! Your Maybelle is stunning!!!!! Oh this is totally on my mailing list next year. I was almost gonna get it this year but I thought it looked so much like Napoli that I skipped it...what a moron!!!! Thank for posting :-)))))

Very beautiful colors, Donna!

Oh Donna, she gorgeous! If mine looks like yours I will be very happy :-)))

Very nice Donna! I have the same issues! My posts shine up everywhere, but not here!

Son of a beach wagon!!!!!

I just sent a post with two pictures and they went ot never never land!!!!!!!

Oh what the french toast!!!!! This is getting very annoying!!!!!

trying downsizing a picture.....

Ok, this morning it worked downsizing a picture. This is Simba admiring Maybelle through the screen door, he appears really smitten!!

And, adding another, here is Green Eyed Tangerine which is a cross of mine of a no id orange x Exotica. Last year she bloomed with 4 fowers, this year only 2 but still a pretty orange.

This appears to be working, downsizing the pictures and adding them as as edit and only adding one picture at a time.

I"ve got lots of stuff coming, Feb and March seem to be my months for blooms. I've even got a Party Pooper peeking out!!

Donna

Trying a few minutes later with a reblooming Tango/LaPaz. Just 2 flowers on this one too.

Yaaay!!!

Donna,

They're all very beautiful :-))) and so is the meow :-)))) Those are my months too as I like to bring them into bloom around late January from the cool basement.

Beautiful blooms, such vibrant colors. Mine are pushing up scapes too. Great time of the year for hippie growers!

Donna, they look great! And I'm sure Simba is not only admiring Maybelle, he is actually planning something.

Of course I have scapes coming too but it looks as if it will be less than last year. Or some of them will be very late.

I'm looking forward to seeing all your pictures, especially the Party Pooper!

I'm so glad that the posting issues seem to be diminishing just in time for the most floriferous time of the year!

This is Exotica x Lady Jane a cross made many years ago. This has bloomed previously and the flower in the back is a partial double, this one a single which I prefer to partial doubles for sure! There are 3 different bulbs from this cross in the pot and the second one that you can see to the right will be open soon. The third appears to be stuck in the bulb and is opening half out of the bulb.

Not my finest cross by any means but the color is pretty and just when you're not all that crazy about your results these bulbs preform like champs!!

Donna

Very pretty and productive equals a keeper!

It reminds me of Terracotta Star!

Duplicate.....

Here is another Exotica x Lady Jane from the same pot of seedlings, this one is 8 inches across!! Nothing special but they're safe all in one pot.

Here is the last seedling which is 9" across but rather messy looking with a darker orange throat. The other one at least has a yellow star in the center. Not my finest work I admit for sure!!

The first has a nice shape and beautiful orange color! The main work you did was growing this bulb from seed to a flowering bulb and you did this well, Donna :-)

This was a bulb that had lost its label and it ended up with a Flair? label which of course, it's not.

It's Tinkerbell.! I was disappointed when she started to open but she soon turned into a beautiful flower with her pie crust edges! This was a bulb I had bought several years ago and I thought I had lost it so I replaced it last year. It's a pretty little thing.

The posting of pictures seems to have cleared up at least......Donna

Beautiful, Donna! I bet you are happy with that little thing :-)

So, after trying once again on both computers, I was unsuccessful in starting a new thread so.. here goes!

I was gifted by one of the Dear Bulb Fairies on this forum this delightful new sonatini # 1875! She is gorgeous and I'll attempt to attach some pictures after I see if this message goes through!

Here is a cheat with me holding the two flowers together so you can get a closer look.....

Her color is true, very saturated with lovely white stripes and veining with a trumpet shaped flower. Hopefully, next year I will be rewarded with 4 flowers. I know I'll have to be very good to receive those 4 flowers but I'll give it my best!!

Now one is ready to be pollinated but there is a small cut on the stem about 3 inches from the bulb that appears to go right through the stem but is partially healed so I don't know if the stem can support a seedpod or two. She is quite well rooted so there shouldn't be any problem there.

I'm thinking of Exotic Star (fresh pollen) or Mystica (fresh pollen) or Glee fresh pollen also and out now. I also have fresh Tango/LaPaz pollen or anything that you see further up on this thread. Any suggestions? I'll probably put Exotic Star on the one that is ready but not for a few hours so if you've got any better sugesstions, let me know!

Here is Glee, again with just 2 flowers but there is another scape peeking out.

I"m pressing my luck but here is one more Glee...

OK!!!!!

Donna,

OMG are they're beautiful. My #1875 was doing well, then something went terribly wrong and off it went to hippie heaven :-((((( I hope (very very much) that it becomes available again, cuz I really love this one and want it back in my collection.

Oh Donna, this is very beautiful!!! I love trumpets and this even has variegated leaves! I've never heard of #1875, is it a new Sonatini?

Since I'm so happy with my Emerald crosses I would suggest to try some Emerald pollen on one of the flowers. What do you think? It may add some interesting shape without taking the gorgeous color...

Anja

Thanks Fred, and Anja!!

I thought I remembered that this was offered last year but everyone received the incorrect bulb; it had the striped leaves but I can't recall the number without looking it up. Hopefuly these will be available to everyone this coming ordering season.

I put Exotic Star on one and Mystica on the other. I don't hold out much hope but as long as I can keep the bulb alive, that's all I'm really concerned with. This sent out roots immediately so that's a good sign.

I put her pollen on Glee which although there were only 2 flowers, is stunning this year. I do have another scape coming on Glee so if it takes, I can do it again!

Donna,

Good luck and I hope something takes :-)))

Here are some re-bloomers. Julia, (Australian) Tres Chic and Glee.

Donna

I remember that there was a problem with one of the variegated Sonatini two years ago but I think that was #1820, I did not order any Sonatini in 2018.

Fingers crossed for your pollinations! Did you ever get seeds using Mystica pollen? I tried on several blooms but it never worked for me.

I love your Glee!!!

Donna,

They look glorious and the bright sunshine in the background makes them look even more so :-)))

Anja, Yes I did!! I got a healthy seedpod of Exotic Star x Mystica!! As a matter of fact, I just decided I'd better soak a few so I don't yet know if they will be viable. The fact that she took on Exotic Star, another one that for me is difficult to get a good seedpod from, really surprised me!!

Fred isn't it just so nice to see the sun and see the piles of dirty snow disappear!! The birds are already singing like its time to start a family so it won't be long!! Unlike those of you in Germany, we've had a good amount of sun this winter, plenty of rain and lots of sun!

Ok...so I'm havin' a rather massive brain fart. I have what I thought was #1810 in leaf right now and I thought I had and lost #1875. Can someone please remind me what the difference was??? Just to make things worse, what was the final decision between #1810 and #1820 from the Barnhoon order from last year?

Donna, we do get lots of rain at the moment (which is good) and we had sun during the winter here in the north of Germany but no snow. It was rather a very long fall than a winter...

This is very good news you're telling about Mystica and a nice cross you choose! I have buds on both and maybe I'll try the same cross :-))

Fred, two years ago we all got #1807 and/or #1810 instead of the #1820 we ordered. They are both dark purple with white stripes and there was a discussion about the difference in the big Sonatini thread:https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/4498261/sonatinis-2017#n=263.

#1820 has small dots. Mine is about to open, I'll post a picture of it soon. I don't know when #1875 was offered but I would have ordered it :-)))

Anja

Omg!!! What lovely blooms! And your crosses are all fantastic!