February 2011 Archives
February 28, 2011
Spring is officially here, my creature friends are back!
After a couple of weeks of near 80 degree weather, my reptilian friends have come out of hibernation. The tree frogs are a welcome site because there are way too many flying insects making their rounds.
I'm hoping these guys stay alert as well because I have spotted a couple of nice sized snake skins amongst my seedlings.
I'm hoping these guys stay alert as well because I have spotted a couple of nice sized snake skins amongst my seedlings.February 21, 2011
Variegated Brugmansia 'Grazie'
During the past couple of years I have accumulated a broad selection of variegated Angel Trumpets. Brugmansia 'Grazie' was a new addition to my collection last summer and now it is starting to take off.
Although in the photo below, Grazie's foliage appears to have a slight resemblance to Maya, but when you put the two together you will see that Grazie's variegation is actually quite unique.
Grazie was introduced by Monika Gottschalk, who discovered is as a variegated offshoot of
Kurpark Bad
Salzschlirf (KBS). As you can see the blooms strongly resemble those of KBS.
I hope to be able to collect some Grazie pollen as these blooms mature. I would like to pollinate Brugmansia 'Freckles', who happens to have KBS as a pod parent, with Grazie.
I only have two variegated brugmansias that have yet to bloom this spring, and they are the ones I'm looking forward to seeing bloom the most. One is 'Wupperstolz', a beautiful double pink, and the other is variegated Angel's Flight, with double gold/orange blooms.
Although in the photo below, Grazie's foliage appears to have a slight resemblance to Maya, but when you put the two together you will see that Grazie's variegation is actually quite unique.Grazie was introduced by Monika Gottschalk, who discovered is as a variegated offshoot of
Kurpark Bad
Salzschlirf (KBS). As you can see the blooms strongly resemble those of KBS.I hope to be able to collect some Grazie pollen as these blooms mature. I would like to pollinate Brugmansia 'Freckles', who happens to have KBS as a pod parent, with Grazie. I only have two variegated brugmansias that have yet to bloom this spring, and they are the ones I'm looking forward to seeing bloom the most. One is 'Wupperstolz', a beautiful double pink, and the other is variegated Angel's Flight, with double gold/orange blooms.
February 20, 2011
Super Rose Brumansia has super form
Last year I obtained a starter plant of Brumansia Super Rose and now it is finally large enough to bloom.Recently it produced its first bloom and so far I like what I see.
Although this Angel Trumpet normally has layered double blooms, this particular bloom was stuffed and never dropped it's second skirt. Brugmansia Super Rose is a Dorothea Langenberg introduction from a cross involving Charleston and L'Amour. With that great parentage, I'm anxious to get this cultivar into my breeding program.
One thing I really liked about the bloom was its thick texture. This means the bloom should hold up well in our heat. I also like it's multicolor appearance as the bloom develops.
Because I'm in hybridizing mode right now, this bloom was sliced open and pollinated after shooting these photos. As a result, I do not have a photo to share showing a mature bloom with its final color. I can tell you the bloom really colored up nicely after these photos were taken.
Although this Angel Trumpet normally has layered double blooms, this particular bloom was stuffed and never dropped it's second skirt. Brugmansia Super Rose is a Dorothea Langenberg introduction from a cross involving Charleston and L'Amour. With that great parentage, I'm anxious to get this cultivar into my breeding program. One thing I really liked about the bloom was its thick texture. This means the bloom should hold up well in our heat. I also like it's multicolor appearance as the bloom develops. Because I'm in hybridizing mode right now, this bloom was sliced open and pollinated after shooting these photos. As a result, I do not have a photo to share showing a mature bloom with its final color. I can tell you the bloom really colored up nicely after these photos were taken. February 18, 2011
Gee, I wonder what I'll be doing this weekend......
Take a pick-up truck load of 2 gallon sized pots, 1,500 to be exact.....
and add a mountain of fresh potting soil.....
along with a never ending row of overgrown brugmansia seedlings in one gallon pots.....
...and throw in a bottle of ibuprofen for my aching back and you are looking at what is shaping up to be one very long weekend. At first I had a helper lined up, but it looks as if I may be doing this solo...another work till you drop weekend!
I'm motivated to get this project finished because I expect more than half of these seedlings to bloom for the fist time this spring. I also need to complete as many nursery projects as possible before my real job producing triathlons ramps up next month. My open weekends will soon be few and far between from March through November.
Oh my soon to be aching back......
and add a mountain of fresh potting soil.....along with a never ending row of overgrown brugmansia seedlings in one gallon pots........and throw in a bottle of ibuprofen for my aching back and you are looking at what is shaping up to be one very long weekend. At first I had a helper lined up, but it looks as if I may be doing this solo...another work till you drop weekend!I'm motivated to get this project finished because I expect more than half of these seedlings to bloom for the fist time this spring. I also need to complete as many nursery projects as possible before my real job producing triathlons ramps up next month. My open weekends will soon be few and far between from March through November.
Oh my soon to be aching back......
February 16, 2011
After a near death experience, 'Mobisu' shines
One of the challenges of growing Angel Trumpets in Florida is that we are limited to what is known as the warm weather group of brugmansia. Actually at times our weather is even too hot for them, but they manage to adapt.
Keeping the cool weather group, Sphaerocarpium, alive in Florida can be a real challenge. One of the cultivars that can be grown in Florida with some TLC is 'Mobisu'.
I almost lost my Mobisu plant this summer due to fertilizer burn. What was once a two foot tall plant, turned into a small shoot coming up from the roots.
During our cooler fall weather my plant rebounded and is now rewarding me with blooms. Hating to see its blooms fade without being pollinated, I had to scramble to locate some compatible pollen. Thanks to Teresa, a cool weather friend of mine up in Canada, I was able to obtain some sanguinea pollen to dust the new blooms with.
I have one other cool weather brugmansia, an arborea, that is now in bud so I should have some additional pollen to use in a few weeks. Of course miss arborea can be assured that she will be dusted with some Mobisu pollen when she blooms.
I'm hoping I can get a pod or two to set because I would like to grow out a couple generations of cool weather seedlings to see if at least a couple of seedlings will show a better tolerance for heat.
Keeping the cool weather group, Sphaerocarpium, alive in Florida can be a real challenge. One of the cultivars that can be grown in Florida with some TLC is 'Mobisu'.I almost lost my Mobisu plant this summer due to fertilizer burn. What was once a two foot tall plant, turned into a small shoot coming up from the roots. During our cooler fall weather my plant rebounded and is now rewarding me with blooms. Hating to see its blooms fade without being pollinated, I had to scramble to locate some compatible pollen. Thanks to Teresa, a cool weather friend of mine up in Canada, I was able to obtain some sanguinea pollen to dust the new blooms with. I have one other cool weather brugmansia, an arborea, that is now in bud so I should have some additional pollen to use in a few weeks. Of course miss arborea can be assured that she will be dusted with some Mobisu pollen when she blooms.I'm hoping I can get a pod or two to set because I would like to grow out a couple generations of cool weather seedlings to see if at least a couple of seedlings will show a better tolerance for heat.
February 11, 2011
Introducing Brugmansia 'Amber Glow'
I would like to officially introduce everyone to Brugmansia 'Amber Glow', a new brugmansia cultivar I recently registered.
In containers the plants have stayed about 3-4 feet tall, so this should be a great container brug. The plants have remained relatively pest free and during the past two years of close observation I have yet to spot any fungal problems despite almost daily overhead watering.
Amber Rose is the result of a cross between Brugmansia L'amour and Charles Grimaldi.
This Angel Trumpet is what I would call an "over achiever". I think it bloomed more than any brug in my collection last summer, including Inca Sun!
The blooms start out a nice yellow and then turns a golden orange. Like many orange/yellow Angel Trumpets, the color deepens in the cooler months.
This Angel Trumpet is what I would call an "over achiever". I think it bloomed more than any brug in my collection last summer, including Inca Sun!The blooms start out a nice yellow and then turns a golden orange. Like many orange/yellow Angel Trumpets, the color deepens in the cooler months.In containers the plants have stayed about 3-4 feet tall, so this should be a great container brug. The plants have remained relatively pest free and during the past two years of close observation I have yet to spot any fungal problems despite almost daily overhead watering. February 8, 2011
Looking back at last year's outstanding golden Brugmansia seedlings...
The past few days I have been trying to organize my gardening photographs from last year. We are talking about thousands of images as I have a habit of taking lots of pics. I was surprised at the number or really awesome blooms my Angel Trumpet seedlings produced last season. Seeing how I'm only a few weeks away from my plants entering into a late winter bloom-a-palooza phase, I thought I would share some photos from my 2010 brugmansia seedlings during the next couple of weeks.
Today I'll feature some golden classics. Enjoy!
Brugmansia Jamies Monkey Business x America:
Brugmansia Orange Zest x Unknown:
Brugmansia Ludger's Windsong x (Ludger's Summer Dream x Creamsicle):
Brugmansia Day Dreams x Ludger's Windsong:
Brugamansia Axel Rose x Mt. Treasure:
Brugmansia Inca Sun x Bert:
Brugmansia Lady Liberty x Jamies Monkey Business:
Brugmansia Shooting Star x Masquerade:
More to come!
Today I'll feature some golden classics. Enjoy!
Brugmansia Jamies Monkey Business x America:
Brugmansia Orange Zest x Unknown:Brugmansia Ludger's Windsong x (Ludger's Summer Dream x Creamsicle):Brugmansia Day Dreams x Ludger's Windsong:
Brugamansia Axel Rose x Mt. Treasure:Brugmansia Inca Sun x Bert:
Brugmansia Lady Liberty x Jamies Monkey Business:
Brugmansia Shooting Star x Masquerade:
More to come!
Continue reading Looking back at last year's outstanding golden Brugmansia seedlings....
February 1, 2011
My Angel Trumpets are telling me Spring is on the way!
While I was working in my Brugmansia forest over the weekend I noticed many of the plants are loading up with buds. While it will be a couple of weeks until most of the new buds mature and open, a few have just started blooming. Here's a new Angel Trumpet seedling that just bloomed for the first time. It is from a cross I made between Brugmansia Butterfly x Angel's Exotic.
It is a thick textured, wide body bloom with a flare to it. I'm certain the color will deepen when the warm weather rolls in a few months from now.
Brugmansia Angel's Exotic has been an over-achiever here in Florida so I made numerous crosses with it. I already have a couple of Brugmansia Joli x Angel's Exotic seedlings in my watch zone along with an Brugmansia Inca Sun x Angel's Exotic seedling the really wowed me in December. You can be assured that my main Angel's Exotic plant will be covered with seed pods come spring.
The best is yet to come!
It is a thick textured, wide body bloom with a flare to it. I'm certain the color will deepen when the warm weather rolls in a few months from now.Brugmansia Angel's Exotic has been an over-achiever here in Florida so I made numerous crosses with it. I already have a couple of Brugmansia Joli x Angel's Exotic seedlings in my watch zone along with an Brugmansia Inca Sun x Angel's Exotic seedling the really wowed me in December. You can be assured that my main Angel's Exotic plant will be covered with seed pods come spring.The best is yet to come!
