I haven't had money in years to indulge my wants... so I try to just window shop. It's perfectly okay, though... with my move comes a new set of growing challenges and I doubt adding anything before I figure everything out would be wise.

I'm actually thinking that I might switch my main interest to the orchids I've always wanted to try growing... but I'll always have a fond spot for bulbs!

Royal Colors has some doubles that look interesting as well as Multoflora Striped and Yellow Gardens and one called Jewel of the Night that I think I will order.
Maida

Ooh! I do like "Jewel of the Night" from Royal Colors! I may have to beg, borrow or steal this coming Hippi season! ;-)

Blooming Bulb does have some nice prices at the moment... I just love "Jewel", and "Graffiti" is so nice! Oh, and look at "Rilona", and "Dancing Queen"!

I guess I'm still addicted to bulbs! :-)

Oops....almost forgot that Barnhoorn Hippeastrum has some prerelease specials!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sonatini.com

Ooh! I like "Ratatouille"!

Thanks for all the suggestions, Kristi! Even 'window shopping' is fun!

I'll know later this summer if I'll be able to order one or two... I was kinda saving my pennies for an orchid, but... bulbs keep calling! :-)

Very nice, only the Jewel Of The Night is the same as the Black Goddess of the Russian forum. ))

Because nobody sends out free catalogs like they used. I have to beg or pay for catalogs now. Everyone wants me to order online instead. I need to see the photos and read about the seeds before I want to buy them.

Maybe since I am a annual customer, I've received at least 4 amaryllis catalogs. Some have always been online (RC, ETGB, BB, EB, BB, etc.). For amaryllis, you can always find an online description of the blooms.
K

It is always a very tempting experience viewing catalogs in that it is nearly impossible from refraining in buying anything from them. They do display flowers in their best blooms...

Taking about catalogs...
A friend of mine from Queensland, Australia has sent me this beautiful photo of a very old heirloom variety 60 years+ I am attaching the photo for you all to see. Can anyone please identify it, surely you won't find it in a catalog, maybe a close descendant of it...

Big thanks for your replies, very much appreciated!

Likely a hybrid of H. Vittatum. I love the ruffly edges and had that show up in some of my blooms this year.

I have the list of named/registered hybrids at home, but imagine that 60 years ago the list was quite limited. Also, what is from Australia may not be registered with the KAVB....Dutch Bulb Growers Association. I think an H. Vitattum hybrid is a good catch-all!

It's likely a fragrant hybrid...lovely!

Kristi

Nagano,

I've seen pictures before of hippie flowers from Australia that look like your heirloom and the name was "something" Lace. Maybe the first part of the name will come to me. I've always admired it too.âºâºâºDonna

Nagano,
Does that Hippeastrum have the variegated leaf I see, or is it another plant? Very striking!

I admit, I am far more familiar with the Dutch registered bulbs vs the bulbs developed in Australia. We've seen so many beautiful bulbs from all over the world!
K

Nagano, Do you think this is your flower? I knew I had seen something very similar several years ago and I had saved a picture of it!!âºâºâºDonna

{{gwi:419344}}

Here is a link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Stella Lace on this website

A Google search also returned "Stellar Lace"! Love how the names vary!!

Found an AU site that sells some different Hippeastrum.
K

Here is a link that might be useful: Hippeastrum.com.au

Yesssss that's it spot on Stellar Lace! The blooms look remarkably the same.
Seeing through this Australian website I am seeing some new names I had not seen ever before of which Stellar Lace is one of them!

Thank you!!

PS I do not think the variegated leaves shown in the photo belong to it, I am assuming it has normal green leaves like the one in the bottom left corner.

Bump...what are you buying??

I just placed my Royal Colors order....10 bulbs! A few I've had in the past but need to replace and several new ones. Come on October!!
;-)
K

Well, Kristi, what did you order?!

I've been playing the To Order or Not To Order -game for some time now. 'Jewel of the Night' is a nice one and so is 'Ice Queen', that one I've been hoping to get for some time. But so far I've been able to fight the urge...

The thing is my older bulbs are doing well and the baby bulbs are growing well so space is very limited at the moment and the little extra there is I want to save for my own future crossings.

Quick list...a couple replacements, a couple additions, and several "new to me" bulbs.
K

If I add anything this year, it will probably be a new "Minerva"... I do have the one, but I really, really want to find a second good, sturdy, hardy, healthy bulb like the very first one I ever got!

I neglected that first bulb horribly... and it treated me to a show every year, and grew like crazy! I had it for the longest time... years and years... well over a decade! I want that potful of mother/daughter bulbs again! :-)

Very nice list Kristi.

'Daphne' at RC interests me also, so does 'Sao Paulo'. Have these varieties been for sale before? has anyone ordered them before? experiences?

Oh I almost forgot. I have one order in already, I thought to give it a try and through Kristi's Sonatini.com link ordered two types of Sonatinis: Fluffy Rascal and Ratatouille.

Lena,
I haven't seen those two hybrids for sale before. I also have some Sonatinis on order. I'd really like a real La Paz that doesn't end up being Tango...I got a bulb this year from a local sale. It was in a paper bag and somehow I missed checking it. All the bulbs were fine, but the one I didn't check was totally mummified. They replaced it with a plant in bloom. It looked suspect, but I took it (sun damage, insect damage, or... virus?). Turned out to be heavily viruses. Ugh.

I'm sure I will find other bulbs I have to buy. I have a houseguest coming in January, and need to plan some blooms for them. The greenhouse won't be spectacular until March or April.
K

Back to the catalogues! Unless I overlooked it, no one has mentioned John Scheepers (Van Engelen is their wholesale branch) in the US. They offer quite a few amarylli and I have always been really happy with the size and health of the bulbs. They also send me physical paper catalogues every year. I get my tulips from them, too. I assume they also have an online catalogue.

I've been enjoying looking up some of everyone's favorites! Royal Colors is too expensive for me, though perhaps some day I will be more flush. Even so, a lot of their varieties also appear in Scheepers and Van Bourgondien. I got 'Exotic Peacock" last year from Van B. and loved it. Was surprised it was so good, as their tulips, etc. have not been in the past.

Every year I splurge on one or two varieties, getting 6 of one to share with my family and friends at Christmas. "Ambience", "Dancing Queen" and "Elvas" so far have had the biggest raves from my family. Oh, also "Rosalie", who is a light salmon color. Very beautiful. This year everyone is getting "Double Record". My sister, Karen, particularly likes the picotee edges on things.

Budding orchid grower - if you get your first ones at Trader Joe's (my biggest source, as they are cheap and have a lot of variety), check the root systems before buying, and if it is in spaghnum moss, I highly recommend immediate repotting in bark. The spaghnum tends to get soggy and salespeople I think overwater. I have bought a couple in the past with no living roots other than those that are reaching above the little plastic pot. If there are a lot of those, it's ok, once you repot with them in the bark. The oncidium relatives like smaller bark, and mixing that with perlite assures good drainage.

Sorry, I know this has nothing to do with amarylli! Best to you all! Janine