Sweet! I may have to make a trip to HD. Ordered an AppleBlossom last season that wound up being more like Minerva.

Thanks for letting us know! :-)

You're welcome! Since I have a thread going, here are two of my three bulbs from Maguire's. (Stanwick is chillin' in a dry spot outside now that temps are in the 50s/mid 40s)

{{gwi:430816}}

The Lemon Splendor is doing well and has a scape showing.

I planted the Russian Halo right away and it took forever to show any signs of growth. This is the first time I've grown in tera cotta and it was probably under watered. It had no leaves, about a three inch scape and kept tipping over. I pulled it up to find NO roots so I buried it deeper. It bloomed on a five inch scape but had no picotee to speak of, just a little white at the tip of each petal. Although I was disappointed, my husband loved it so it sat next to his chair in the living room until the bloom faded. By then, it looked rotted. So I cleaned it up and have been fussing over it in the sunroom. Three leaves are starting to grow, so I'm gaining hope for next year. After reading Jodik's thread, I don't feel so bad. I rarely post here, but lurk all the time. I appreciate all the threads and the knowledge all of you share. Thanks! Jennifer

I hope our Home Depot got some in. Maybe they'll jump in my cart as I walk by. A really gorgeous hibiscus did last week when I was buying paint.

Apple blossom hunter rejoice!
Tally Ho!

Jennifer, I had much the same problem with my Russian Halo. I went to remove the faded scape and the entire bulb lifted out of the pot without a single root. No picotee on my flowers either, so I'm hoping by next season after (or rather "IF") it roots, and is established, the flowers will display the picotee.

Phoenix Ryan

Yep. They have $7 Amaryllis, minus the two I just bought!

:0)

-Ann

I went by today and found only Red Lion bagged up with the fall iris and bulbs in the outside garden area. And they were 26-28 cm bulbs.

Are you guys looking at the same -- net bagged fall garden bulbs? Or are you finding them in with the Christmas items? (Very few Christmas items out here yet.)

I asked two employees, but they've no idea if they will be getting more.

Maybe I'm a little early for this region?

-G

There was a stand-alone display of pot/bulb kits inside the store by the Christmas decorations, and also mesh bags of bulbs in the indoor garden section by the bulbs. The bagged bulbs were larger than what was in the kits. Our store had Minerva, Apple Blossom and a red--could have been Red Lion.

Our store had them indoors near the houseplants. They're in mesh bags with a Christmas theme and there is also a gift set with the pot.

Thanks, Ryan. I thought it was just me. I took a look today and my Russian Halo does have a few roots.

I just checked, and my Russian Halo feels very well rooted in. I tend to plant very shallow, so if a tug on the bulb doesn't dislodge it at all, I have to think that the roots are anchored in fairly well. I use a very porous medium, and it seems to help encourage healthy root growth. The thin, white picoteed edge was less than expected, but the blooms were lovely... I have no complaints, whatsoever.

The larger stores around here are beginning to get in boxed Hippeastrum bulb kits, but I've managed to resist... so far. I'm waiting for the garden center to get theirs in... it'll probably be a while yet.

I'm going shopping on Friday, Galveston, Texas City and a little further up the road, maybe ALL the way to League City! What can I say, leaving the island is a big deal for me. I haven't seen any bulbs yet here but Home Depot was unpacking Christmas stuff this week & the garden guy said they thought theirs were on the truck. Plan to hit a couple of nurseries too.
I'll let you know what I find.
Tally HO!

My local Home Depot had Amaryllis bulbs today for $4.98, although they're not nearly as big as the one pictured in the original post. I hope the Apple Blossom I bought is correctly labeled - last year I bought Apple Blossom and got Red Lion and Minerva.
Ruth

Ruth,

Which HD was that? I'm in Northridge and have checked two with no luck. Also tried Lowe's.

TIA for info!

Beachplant - I remember what a big deal it used to be to go TO the island. In high school summer I went most every Monday. Can't imagine what it is like now. We used to go out to the state beach, the road was empty for miles. I haven't been back in decades, but I doubt it is like that anymore.

It was the Home Depot in San Diego on Rosecrans.

We were out and about shopping the other day, and the local Rural King, a large farm supply store, had Hippeastrum bulbs for $6.99 each... less 10% for Ladies Day!

I got what I'm fairly certain is a White Dazzler. None were labeled with a name... they just said red, white, or red & white, or pink. They looked identical to the usual fare... Minerva, Red Lion, Susan, and White Dazzler. I chose the white.

None of them looked like Apple Blossom, though... I would have gotten one of those.

I just picked up two Apple Blossom from my local Home Depot. Decent sized, not overly huge, but the bulbs were firm and free of blemishes, and you could see they are itching to start growing.

Home Depot here and mainland have no bagged bulbs :(

You can't drive on most of the beach anymore. Due to erosion the end of the Seawall was closed to traffic years ago, you have to take Stewart road west now instead of just driving down Seawall onto the beach. There are huge ugly houses everywhere that sit empty most of the year and the owners want us, the taxpayers, to buy their houses after storms. One guy had his listed for over 1.5 million and is asking for a buyout because of damage, it's not on public property, and another lady in the same subdivision has been renting the house she's trying to get a buyout for, for $5,000 PER WEEK! The other owners in their subdivision are protesting saying they didn't have much damage and the property should remain as it is. Don't get me started on that subject!
It seems better than it is. Then you start looking and notice how many houses are still empty, how many are being torn down, how many businesses are gone and will never return. The Strand is getting better but still a lot of empty stores. We have no public housing and a huge fight on rebuilding it. Schools are closed, the population is about 50-60% if pre-Ike, the city says more. There are abandoned apartment complexes all over the island. UTMB looks like a war zone, I'm never going to the cafeteria again, it looks like your walking through an abandoned building that has been vandalized, we just need some graffitti! All the buildings are gutted on the first floor, there are dead trees all over campus, you can still see the water line on some of the buildings.... BLAH! The trees along Broadway are gone for the most part, there are survivors here & there. And they've started cutting down the dead ones in peoples yards. There are blocks without a single living tree.
But we are getting there.
Tally HO!

The picture from many places within the United States is a little bit scary, and a lot dreary... there are closed store fronts here, too... there are persons at the exits with signs saying they'll work for food... the food pantries don't have enough, from what I've heard...

I heard on the news the other day that the recession is about over, but I don't see it that way. There aren't enough jobs, there are homes foreclosed, and for rent everywhere.

I know Ike took a toll on your area, Tally... but the current economy is making recovery either very slow, or nonexistent.

It's hurt us, too... we have less supplement customers, and a couple are behind on paying... but I'd rather keep their business and let them pay slowly. It's not their dog's fault, and they need the supplement.

Hopefully, things will swing the other way soon.

I haven't checked all the stores yet, and so far, only Rural King had bulbs in. Other stores are still selling tulips and other fall bulbs. I'm still waiting for the garden center to get theirs in... that will determine what I actually order.

@ sproutshonour: enjoy your huge bulb! It will probable produce three scapes with that size. I wrote in another thread how pleased i was with the bulbs i ordered at Het Vlaams Zaadhuis/Le Jardinier du Nord. They were also huge and for 5,50 euros. Maybe is it smart to buy bulbs early in de season? I figure that when you order very late (let's say, around february, march, etc) then you get what is over from their stock, and that is not always first choice or high quality.

@ beachplant: i hope everything is fine and wish you many huge and healthy bulbs jumping on your cart :-)

@ Jodi: I'm with you on your point about porous growing medium encouraging healthy root grow. I'm delighted how fast my bulbs have recovered after replanting them in regular potting medium with perlite and a bit of orchid bark. It was wat i could find, but it is at least something. I'm making a big attempt on finding lava chips, but till now, i have just been able to locate sellers in Belgium. If nothing else appears, i'll go to Belgium. After seeing Kristi's results using lava stones, i just have to have some!

Happy gardening to you all! Wishing you lots of great and gorgeous bulbs for a bargain pice!

In case anyone is interested, Aldi has nice bulbs for $3.95.

I saw the ones for around 6 bucks too at HD (in Upland, CA). I was hesitant to buy them because they look like they could have been mixed up easily (no bags?) and I didnt want anymore Red Lions. What a bummer. I would much rather wait till they go on discount than pay that much up front for possibly mislabled bulbs.

Thanks, haitidoc. I was at Aldi's on Tuesday but all they had were dead ornamental peppers. HD and I stopped by today and he bought three for me - White Christmas, Red Lion and Cinderella. Woo-hoo!

I made a few stops while driving back from Houston this weekend.
No bulbs at Sams, local nurseries or the local Walmarts and Targets.
Lowes and Home Depot still just have Minerva, redlion and appleblossom in the boxes.
Maas in Kemah and Tom's thumb on the island still have no bulbs.
I'm getting impatient! How can I stimulate the economy, except for buying paint/paintbrushes/caulk/trim/etc. for the house, if they won't put out the bulbs!!!!
The economy in this area isn't as bad as the rest of the country. Houston isn't taking a hit like so many other places. But because of the world economy people are just kind of waiting, not expanding, opening new businesses, etc. We lost a lot of disposable income-type businesses, coffee shops, art studios, etc. People just don't have disposable income right now.
BUT! We hippi lovers are doing our best to stimulate the economy. We should get a nobel peace prize. Look at LL, she's getting CRATES of bulbs, hobbling round on her sore foot.
Tally HO!

Don't you hate that! I am not a shopper. Barely even a "consumer". Then, just as you knock down the barriers to spending money on something, you can't find what you want.

I've been thwarted in my efforts to indulge my CHAD!

Fortunately, I've found people here who have pointed me in the right direction. I finally waded into mail order plants. Yes, of course I wanted to spend the money locally, but it wasn't an option. Even though I live in a county with millions and millions of people, I've not found the ones that share my passions or their sources of "happeastrum-ness".

Beachplant, I feel your pain.

G

I just bought Apple Blossum bulbs at Lowes for $6.98! I bought 3 of them and have planted all 3 in a bigger pot with the medium they come with. Those pots they give you would topple over with their weight! They were nice huge bulbs too! Cool! More to plant he,he,he!
I had Red Lion's last year from Lowes and they did great! Can't wait to see these...

Jenifer thank you for sharing, as soon as I read your post I started to make phone calls to the local walmart, HD, lowes,target and so on. we just don't seem to get to many hipis in this part of the country. I did however find one lowes that had the usual apple blosom, red lion and piquot.
I'm really realy wanting 'minerva'for my sisters memory garden, she died about 2 years ago and thats her name.
Oh well I just keep trying
I did buy 2 apple blossom, nice big bulb.

Thanks everybody for all the good info
Carmen

It's a little early yet for the stores in my area to begin displaying their Christmas hippeastrum bulbs. Once Halloween is over, the Christmas displays will go up. Most stores are getting ready, moving things around to accommodate Christmas trees, lights and decorations, aisles full of toys and gifts, etc... so, I won't find many bulbs for a while yet.

I'm actually a little shocked that Rural King has their bulbs displayed already.

We're going north in a few days to celebrate Larry's 50th Birthday, so I'll be checking the stores up there for bulbs... if I find any, I'll definitely be getting an Apple Blossom... and possibly another Red Lion. It all depends on which of the common varieties they're carrying.