January 2012 Archives
January 30, 2012
A monsterous new Angel Trumpet
A recent bloomer in my Angel Trumpet forest was this seedling from a cross made between Brugmansia Miss B Haven x Daydreams.
The blooms are giant in size and the one pictured above was at least 10 inches across. The one shown below was equally as wide with a length to match.
The plant is also on the larger size and this seedling easily reached 8 feet tall before blooming for the first time. I plan to cross this one back to several other large flowered cultivars I have to see if I can create a few more monsters. I would also like to see if I can get some color into the next generation of seedlings.
The blooms seem to be equally split between compact and separated corolla skirts. Perhaps after a few more bloom cycles the plant will settle down and produce more consistent blooms.
The blooms are giant in size and the one pictured above was at least 10 inches across. The one shown below was equally as wide with a length to match. The plant is also on the larger size and this seedling easily reached 8 feet tall before blooming for the first time. I plan to cross this one back to several other large flowered cultivars I have to see if I can create a few more monsters. I would also like to see if I can get some color into the next generation of seedlings.The blooms seem to be equally split between compact and separated corolla skirts. Perhaps after a few more bloom cycles the plant will settle down and produce more consistent blooms.January 29, 2012
An Angel Trumpet influenced by two great ladies
When you make an Angel Trumpet cross with two classic ladies, you can usually count on some of the offspring being watchers. Here's one seedling from the cross I made between Brugmansia Painted Lady x New Orleans Lady that I feel is worth watching for a few more seasons.
Most pf the blooms on this seedling have had the bloom form pictured above. Sometimes it will produce a bloom that strongly resembles its father, New Orleans Lady, as you can see below.
Although my sense of smell is not that great, I was able to pick-up a nice scent on this one. I'm sure it was the influence of New Orleans Lady's genes.
I plan to wait until summer to decide if this one should be a keeper or not.
Most pf the blooms on this seedling have had the bloom form pictured above. Sometimes it will produce a bloom that strongly resembles its father, New Orleans Lady, as you can see below.Although my sense of smell is not that great, I was able to pick-up a nice scent on this one. I'm sure it was the influence of New Orleans Lady's genes.I plan to wait until summer to decide if this one should be a keeper or not.January 26, 2012
A Brugmansia with corkscrew teeth
I'm a big fan of wild corolla teeth. When I spot a new Angel Trumpet seedling with long and crazy teeth, it almost always ends up in my watch zone. Here is one I've been watching for the past year. It's corkscrew tipped corolla teeth continue to grab my attention.
This seedling is the outcome of an unknown cross with Brugmansia Rubirosa as the pod parent. The long lasting blooms have remained snow white in all seasons, which is a plus.
Often blooms on a new seedling will slowly change over the first few
bloom cycles, but this seedling has kept its wild corkscrew tipped
corolla teeth from the start.
To me this one is a keeper and is worthy of naming and registering. I
plan to chop it up for propagation next month and if the cuttings root well, it will earn itself a name.
This seedling is the outcome of an unknown cross with Brugmansia Rubirosa as the pod parent. The long lasting blooms have remained snow white in all seasons, which is a plus. Often blooms on a new seedling will slowly change over the first few
bloom cycles, but this seedling has kept its wild corkscrew tipped
corolla teeth from the start.To me this one is a keeper and is worthy of naming and registering. I
plan to chop it up for propagation next month and if the cuttings root well, it will earn itself a name.January 17, 2012
Brugmansia 'Herbstzauber' illuminates my new shadehouse
One Angel Trumpet that has really been putting on a show this winter is Brugmansia 'Herbstzauber'.
This beautiful cultivar is just winding down from a mega-flush. I bet I had over 100 blooms on my cluster of plants. It was a challenge to capture a photo showing the giant flush because it was occurring at the same time we were finishing my shadehouse construction. All my large plants were bunched together closely to give us more working room.
Brugmansia 'Herbstzauber' is Monika Gottschalk hybrid and it grows extremely well here in Florida.
I must have pollinated at least 50 Hebstzauber blooms during this recent flush so now the waiting game begins to see how many crosses take. I already have about 10-15 seed pods hanging on the plants from crosses I made this fall. If I'm able to get another 10-15 to stick I'll be extremely pleased.
One of my goals with the crosses I made is to combine the beautiful blooms of Herbstzauber with cultivars that have more attractive foliage and more compact growth habits. With all the crosses I made I'm sure you will see a more improved Herbstzauber style cultivae in the next year or two.
This beautiful cultivar is just winding down from a mega-flush. I bet I had over 100 blooms on my cluster of plants. It was a challenge to capture a photo showing the giant flush because it was occurring at the same time we were finishing my shadehouse construction. All my large plants were bunched together closely to give us more working room.Brugmansia 'Herbstzauber' is Monika Gottschalk hybrid and it grows extremely well here in Florida.I must have pollinated at least 50 Hebstzauber blooms during this recent flush so now the waiting game begins to see how many crosses take. I already have about 10-15 seed pods hanging on the plants from crosses I made this fall. If I'm able to get another 10-15 to stick I'll be extremely pleased.One of my goals with the crosses I made is to combine the beautiful blooms of Herbstzauber with cultivars that have more attractive foliage and more compact growth habits. With all the crosses I made I'm sure you will see a more improved Herbstzauber style cultivae in the next year or two.January 15, 2012
Remembering the past - Sommer Gardens circa 1984
We were doing some cleaning in our office and I came across this vintage areal photograph of Sommer Gardens circa 1984. This photo shows my retail garden center on US hwy 27 just north of Clermont.
Note the results of the devastating back to back record breaking freezes in the early eighties. Those freezes killed off thousands of acres of citrus in Central Florida, forever changing the landscape of Florida.
The building pictured is the old railroad depot that used to sit in downtown Clermont. My parents bought it in the 1960's and had it moved to HWY 27 and turned it into a roadside citrus packing plant to sell oranges from our family citrus groves.
I put my first triathlon on in Clermont back in 1984 and a few years (and freezes) later I was out of the nursery/landscape business and working full time in the fitness/triathlon business.
The rest is history... :)
Note the results of the devastating back to back record breaking freezes in the early eighties. Those freezes killed off thousands of acres of citrus in Central Florida, forever changing the landscape of Florida.The building pictured is the old railroad depot that used to sit in downtown Clermont. My parents bought it in the 1960's and had it moved to HWY 27 and turned it into a roadside citrus packing plant to sell oranges from our family citrus groves.
I put my first triathlon on in Clermont back in 1984 and a few years (and freezes) later I was out of the nursery/landscape business and working full time in the fitness/triathlon business.
The rest is history... :)
Brugmansia 'Angels Golden Showers'
Brugmansia 'Angels Golden Showers' has finally bloomed for me and I'm excited to be able to start using it in my hybridizing program.
The color is actually darker than what is shown in these photos. So far all the blooms have been triples, starting out with separated skirts. As the blooms mature the corolla skirts re-curve back and the bloom becomes more compact.
When the bloom is fully mature, it has a strong resemblance to one of my Daydreams x Ludger's Windsong seedlings. I'm anxious to cross the two back and forth to each other the next time they are both in bloom.
Now that this plant is growing in a more controlled environment in my shadehouse, I hope to be able to get some better pictures the next time it blooms.
The color is actually darker than what is shown in these photos. So far all the blooms have been triples, starting out with separated skirts. As the blooms mature the corolla skirts re-curve back and the bloom becomes more compact.When the bloom is fully mature, it has a strong resemblance to one of my Daydreams x Ludger's Windsong seedlings. I'm anxious to cross the two back and forth to each other the next time they are both in bloom.Now that this plant is growing in a more controlled environment in my shadehouse, I hope to be able to get some better pictures the next time it blooms.January 14, 2012
The Flying Nun of the Brugmansia World
This Angel Trumpet seedling has just earned a spot on my keeper list. It is from a cross I made between Brugmansia Naughty Nick x Cleopatra.
The blooms sort of have a flying nun look to me that is sort of cool when the plant is loaded with blooms.
The creamy white blooms are very thick textured and average 3-4 inches across. During cool weather they pick-up a slight apricot color as they age.
The plant growth has been vigorous, but not quite as crazy as its mother, Brugmansia Naughty Nick. Right now the plant has topped off at just under 8 feet tall. It is also just as comfortable growing in a pot as it is in the ground. It is also a fairly frequent bloomer, even in the heat of summer.
I plan to use this one in my breeding program through spring and then after that start propagating it for a future release. Watch for this beauty to be officially named and registered later this year.
The blooms sort of have a flying nun look to me that is sort of cool when the plant is loaded with blooms. The creamy white blooms are very thick textured and average 3-4 inches across. During cool weather they pick-up a slight apricot color as they age.The plant growth has been vigorous, but not quite as crazy as its mother, Brugmansia Naughty Nick. Right now the plant has topped off at just under 8 feet tall. It is also just as comfortable growing in a pot as it is in the ground. It is also a fairly frequent bloomer, even in the heat of summer.I plan to use this one in my breeding program through spring and then after that start propagating it for a future release. Watch for this beauty to be officially named and registered later this year.January 13, 2012
These hibiscus blooms will brighten up your day
Here's a final batch of photos of winter blooms from my hibiscus collection. Hibiscus 'Orange Lagos' pictured below is one of the brightest oranges I have ever seen.
If you like your blooms more delicate, Hibiscus 'Cajun Princess' is a good choice.
It is easy to see how Hibiscus 'Flame Thrower' got its name.
Below is Hibiscus 'Improved Crimson Ray'.
Multicolor Hibiscus 'Gone Fishing' and its jumbo sized blooms make for one impressive plant.
And finally Hibiscus 'Sun-Charm' is a real charmer with its ruffled blooms.
If you like your blooms more delicate, Hibiscus 'Cajun Princess' is a good choice.It is easy to see how Hibiscus 'Flame Thrower' got its name.Below is Hibiscus 'Improved Crimson Ray'.Multicolor Hibiscus 'Gone Fishing' and its jumbo sized blooms make for one impressive plant.And finally Hibiscus 'Sun-Charm' is a real charmer with its ruffled blooms.January 12, 2012
Brugmansia Sweetheart x Whiskers
Several years ago I made lots of crosses with Brugmansia Sweetheart as the pod parent. Here's a seedling from a cross I made between Brugmansia Sweetheart x Whiskers that is blooming now.
I carried this Angel Trumpet over to my watch zone last year because I liked the looks of its separated skirts and the very thick textured blooms. Thicker textured blooms hold up better in the heat and I like to use those crosses in my hybridizing program to cross back to cultivars whose blooms need some additional substance.
So far the blooms have remained snow white during the winter, unlike those of its mother. Blooms on Sweetheart tend to pick up some apricot color in the cooler months.
I'm going to watch this one for a few more seasons before I decided if it is a keeper or not.
I carried this Angel Trumpet over to my watch zone last year because I liked the looks of its separated skirts and the very thick textured blooms. Thicker textured blooms hold up better in the heat and I like to use those crosses in my hybridizing program to cross back to cultivars whose blooms need some additional substance.So far the blooms have remained snow white during the winter, unlike those of its mother. Blooms on Sweetheart tend to pick up some apricot color in the cooler months.
I'm going to watch this one for a few more seasons before I decided if it is a keeper or not.
January 11, 2012
Introducing Brugmansia 'Pink Cadillac'
Introducing Brugmansia 'Pink Cadillac', a new brugmansia I just named and registered with the International Brugmansia and Datura Society.
I grew this seedling out from a cross made by Brenda Delph involving Brugmansia Adeline x Miss Caylie.It is from an older group of seedlings carried over from 2007, the year I first started growing Angel Trumpets from seeds.
This seedling has been blooming for several years and thrives here in Florida. At first I was on the fence about registering it, but the more it bloomed, the more I fell in love with it.
I named it Pink Cadillac because just like a vintage pink Cadillac car, it's big and gaudy, and it really grabs your attention.
Watch for Pink Cadillac plants to be available in my online store in late Spring.
I grew this seedling out from a cross made by Brenda Delph involving Brugmansia Adeline x Miss Caylie.It is from an older group of seedlings carried over from 2007, the year I first started growing Angel Trumpets from seeds.This seedling has been blooming for several years and thrives here in Florida. At first I was on the fence about registering it, but the more it bloomed, the more I fell in love with it.I named it Pink Cadillac because just like a vintage pink Cadillac car, it's big and gaudy, and it really grabs your attention.Watch for Pink Cadillac plants to be available in my online store in late Spring.January 9, 2012
And they just keep blooming and blooming...
Here are some additional recent photos of my exotic hibiscus in bloom this winter.
Above is hibiscus 'Caprice' and below is one I grew from seed, hibiscus 5th Dimension x (Jason Blue x Wallflower).
Here's hibiscus 'Tahitian Golden Eye'.
Below is a jumbo-sized bloom from Hibiscus 'Idolize'.
I'll have one more batch of hibiscus photos to show you later this week.
Above is hibiscus 'Caprice' and below is one I grew from seed, hibiscus 5th Dimension x (Jason Blue x Wallflower).Here's hibiscus 'Tahitian Golden Eye'.
Below is a jumbo-sized bloom from Hibiscus 'Idolize'.
I'll have one more batch of hibiscus photos to show you later this week.
Mission Accomplished!
My first holiday project took about a week longer than I had anticipated to finish, but we wrapped it up just in time. As we were affixing the last piece of poly film to the roof the nighttime temperature had already dropped down to freezing.
I still have some cleaning up to do around the structure, but for the most part it is 100% completed.
This new shade structure offers just under 9,000 square feet of protection for my brugmansia. Because it was built on a slight slope, the inside height varies from 9ft tall to 12.5ft.
As you can see with this inside view, it did not take long to fill the place up.
The structure is completely covered with 30% shade cloth and wrapped with an added layer of poly film for the winter. The poly will be removed in March. Because the structure has a flat roof, the top layer of poly has small holes every 10-12 inches to facilitate drainage when it rains.
We had below freezing temps for over 8 hours the night we finished and the only brugs that received cold damage were the ones in my yard that were uncovered. I plan to install a fog system inside to provide additional warmth and protection should we have prolonged freezing temperatures..
Now its time to start project #2, a 24ft x 80ft hoop style greenhouse. Unlike the shadehouse which was built from scratch, the greenhouse arrives as a kit ready to assemble. They say it is an easy weekend project....we'll see. :)
I still have some cleaning up to do around the structure, but for the most part it is 100% completed.This new shade structure offers just under 9,000 square feet of protection for my brugmansia. Because it was built on a slight slope, the inside height varies from 9ft tall to 12.5ft.As you can see with this inside view, it did not take long to fill the place up.The structure is completely covered with 30% shade cloth and wrapped with an added layer of poly film for the winter. The poly will be removed in March. Because the structure has a flat roof, the top layer of poly has small holes every 10-12 inches to facilitate drainage when it rains.We had below freezing temps for over 8 hours the night we finished and the only brugs that received cold damage were the ones in my yard that were uncovered. I plan to install a fog system inside to provide additional warmth and protection should we have prolonged freezing temperatures..
Now its time to start project #2, a 24ft x 80ft hoop style greenhouse. Unlike the shadehouse which was built from scratch, the greenhouse arrives as a kit ready to assemble. They say it is an easy weekend project....we'll see. :)
January 4, 2012
Exotic Hibiscus warm up a cold winter day...
I thought I would try and warm things up on this frigid winter day with some recent photos from my collection of exotic hibiscus. Here is Hibiscus 'Chili Fire'.
Hibiscus 'Cajun Blue'
The hibiscus below is one I grew from seed. The cross is Hibiscus (Mystic x Cajun Swamp Music) x (Nightfire x Sunshower)
Hibiscus 'Chartreuse Rose'
Hibiscus 'Nitro Express'
Hibiscus 'Cajun Blue'
The hibiscus below is one I grew from seed. The cross is Hibiscus (Mystic x Cajun Swamp Music) x (Nightfire x Sunshower)Hibiscus 'Chartreuse Rose'
Hibiscus 'Nitro Express' More to follow later this week.
January 1, 2012
Look at the physique on this lady!
Here is a new Angel Trumpet with a rather shapely bloom. It is a seedling from a cross I made between Brugmansia Joli and Angel's Exotic.
The blooms are large and the color deepens as the bloom matures. I do not believe I have seen a bloom with a shape like this before. This bloom cycle only had three blooms, but I can only imagine how striking a larger plant with a giant flush would be.
This one is certainly worth watching during 2012.
The blooms are large and the color deepens as the bloom matures. I do not believe I have seen a bloom with a shape like this before. This bloom cycle only had three blooms, but I can only imagine how striking a larger plant with a giant flush would be.This one is certainly worth watching during 2012.
