Greg, beautiful plumeria, you don't even need blooms they look that good. Do you have to water everyday, or does it rain every week. You have some beautiful healthy plants. Barbra

Greg

Absolutely stunning, gorgeous and spectacular! Your plants look happy and healthy and oh those blooms! Thank you for sharing! I love each one!

Nicole

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing, Greg.
I hope the plumie gods bless my small, young 'Celadine' this year and it pushes up an inflo. Laugh.

-Robert

P.S. Sorta cursing you for stating 'Thumbalina' has a fabulous scent because of course now I'm curious and it might end up on my want list. ;)

Beautiful photos Greg! Every plant looks happy and healthy! Thank you for sharing.

Hi Greg. I am so glad that many of your plumies are ready to bust with blooms for you! Everything looks terrific so I'm guessing the iguanas are being less of a pest?

Your Lava Flow is gorgeous. In the not too distant future mine will look just like that. I can't wait! Celadine, too. VR is leading me into temptation but I keep telling myself that no matter how beautiful the flower, it's not the type of tree I need to be growing. You have a beautiful tree though!

I'm sorry about your disappointment in Lilikoi. Don't give up yet!

Your yellow pots are pretty. They are very festive!

Wow, lucky you, look at all those magnificent blooms! It must be like paradise there. My favorites there are Lava Flow, Celadine, Kelly Moragne, Vera Cruz Rose, & Divine. They are just B E A U T I F U L!! :)

GORGEOUS as always Greg, your photos never disappoint! You have some of the happiest, healthiest looking plumies around!

Very lovely. I wish my Lava Flow and Vera Cruz rose would show that much red. I guess there is a price for low humidity. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Greg,

Those are just amazing blooms!!

Always are so colorful and green....

I love all of the varieties that you have. Please keep the pictures coming.

Hope you all are doing well in FLA.

Your complex is so inviting.. Love what you have done with the containers on the dock. Simply beautiful!!!

Take care,

Laura

Wow! on the Lava Flow. What a great form.

And the Kona Candy is magnificent too. And the Vera Cruz Rose is on my must-have (or at least 'want') list!

Really nice photos and great color fidelity. What kind of camera are you using? Do you prefer overcast days for shooting?

Greg
Wow Just beautiful!! Keep those pics comming

Jackie

Looking Good as always Greg !!! "Mid season" already? I'm still waiting for the first inflos :( Peg

Gorgeous! Now I have to add lava flow to the list.
Tally Ho!

Hey Greg looking great. Also looking forward to seeing the JJ "light rainbow" when it blooms. Kelly Moragne looks great, postcard perfection...

All of you are so kind--thanks! This is only my third year growing plumeria, so I'm seeing most of this for the first time myself. It's mind-boggling how beautiful it is to be graced with these flowers! It is totally worth the wait :-)

Barbra--thank you! I am a SLAVE to watering these trees LOL. The ones in the gold urns are planted in the gritty, and those I have to water twice daily, or they begin to droop by about 5pm. (!) We haven't had much rain lately, either...but the plumies love the sunshine. The more they get the more they grow.

Nicole--mille grazie, amica :-)

Robert--thank you, sir. Whenever it is that your Celadine decides to bloom, you'll love it. It's so much more than a "yellow-n-white flower." And, I LOVE to play the Enabler on this forum, so I'll tell ya that you'll love Thumbalina! LOL Its scent has a fine-perfume quality to it. The inflo is bright red like paprika or cayenne, and the flowers are unlike any other plumie. The color continues to develop--I'll post another in a few days.

No-clue--thanks so much :-)

Moonie--I appreciate your kind words. Sadly, the iguanas are still terrorizing my trees, occasionally doing enough damage to make me want to spit nails, but overall they don't come around as much. I had decided to stop talking about it on the forum--the whole thing is a big "Debbie Downer" WA-wa! ;-)
I do have several deterrents in place, though, and I'll tell everyone about it later this summer.

Emily and Kim--thank you, ladies :-)

Bill--it's always an honor for me to earn your praise! Thank you for all of your knowledge and inspiration. I would be interested to hear what, if anything, you have to say about the bud drop on my Lilikoi. I saw no signs of trouble on that inflo, no insects, no brown spots--the whole tree, as my grandfather would have said, is built like a brick ****house ;-) It's beyond vigorous. It just seems to me like the tree "decided" to put its energy elsewhere, and aborted. Have you seen this sort of thing before? Anyone else?

Laura! Thank you so much for your kind words! You are an inspiration to all of us on here :-) and I am in awe of your JL Metallica! I know that Brandy would love it too. We'll talk all about it on the lift sometime...out West, at 12000 ft :-)

Dave, thank you, Captain! Both for your compliment, and for giving me the opportunity to boast a bit about my camera LOL. I have never been happier with any gadget that I've bought. It's a Sony Cyber-Shot, a 12MP, a last-years'-model kinda thing, I bought it open-box new from a wholesaler on eBay, got an AMAZING price on it. I did a stupidly large amount of research before buying this tiny little camera, but I'm glad I did. I'm constantly in awe of what it can do--can't recommend it highly enough. I'd say the same about both Kona Candy and VCR, too! Exceptional cultivars, both.

Jackie, beachplant, thank you both!

Peg, by next year you'll be nose-deep in blooms :-) Your cutting is rooting well, as far as I can tell, btw :-)

Brian--thank you, buddy. I will be posting pics of JJ "light rainbow", you know it! That little tree has grown on me BIG-time and I have high hopes for it. I'm hoping that it looks something like "Tangerine Dream," one of the flowers that Wendy photographed at the JJ Open House in SD. We'll see.

Good night, everyone!

Greg

Greg, as always, a glorious collection of shots of the most beautiful flower in the world. Can't believe this is only your third year! Mine, too, of serious collecting but I've had nowhere near the number of inflos you have. WA-wa, indeed.

Your Lava Flow looks so much better than in the growers' shots on Hawaii. And thanks for pushing VCR onto my list. My Moragne #78 cutting came in, burned with a pitiful cry in our Texas sun, then starting clawing when the clouds rolled in this weekend. Temps finally dropped to the low 90's and after listening to my cuttings' sighs of relief I decided to let them get rained on for two days. Looking forward to flowers as pretty as yours one day.

We apparently also have our cameras in common and I can't agree more: the Sony Cybershot is amazing. Explains why I love your photos so much. I don't think there's a camera out there--a point-n-shoot, anyway--that can take better outdoor pics. Fantastic macro lens, too.

Keep those photos coming, Greg!

Jen,

Thank you! IMO you have more "green thumb" in one brain cell than I have in my entire head LOL. I think that the reasons that I have more flowers than you are merely: 1) luck on my part; and 2) coastal South Florida is friendlier to plumeria culture than Texas Hill Country, by which I mean, even an idiot like me can do it here ;-)

How cool that you own the Cybershot too! Who knew that a point-n-shoot could take such fab pics, right?

I'm excited that you've got the Moragne 78 rooting! By next year, you'll be enjoying beautiful Kelly M blooms, I know it.

Always a pleasure, Jen--thanks again!

G

Greg-Lei parla italiano?

Keep the great photos coming!

Nicole:)

Thanks Greg. Your so sweet. I'm looking forward to it's arrival. Peg

Nicole-

Volero. Non parlo l'italiano. I have two obsessions in life: one is plumerias, the other is Italy, ever since my 20s, wnen I spent a summer in L'Umbra...sigh...it is the most magical place on the planet. I will learn to speak Italian someday; in the meantime, I just pretend that I do. LOL

Peg--just returning a favor graciously bestowed :-)

G

Greg,
Great Post. I figured you used a high end consumer/"prosumer" type SLR camera just by the way the camera is processing the light.

I agree on Celadine. Anyone who is new to the hobby...GET A CELADINE!. Its hardy, forgiving, fragrant, easy to flower and produces like crazy. My first two plumerias were Celadines and they are still going strong. I learned and experimented with them to find the best way to care in my climate conditions.

I just went upstairs to the roof and took this picture of a 8-10 year old Celadine with my cell phone (the color is a bit off). Its exposed and has been beat up the last few days with high winds and heavy rain but you can see the number and size of inflos. The other side of the plant looks the same way. Its been blooming since April or early May.

Also note some of the older leaves have some sucking insect damage. Again this proves my point on an established Celadine being so friendly...Yeah there are some critters munching on it but its still very healthy and vibrant and I have time to get the bugs under control without loosing my blooming season.

I have a couple inflos every year that do the same thing of dropping one bud at a time. Off the top of my head it has happened over the years on a Dean Conklin, JL Candystripe, Royal Hawaiian, and Rainbow (all well established). I stopped trying to figure it out and just stick to my care routine. It maybe different because your Lilikoi is relatively young (?). Hopefully the consolation is that it branched and you have more chances for an inflo next year.

I try to keep on a 3-5 year cycle for root pruning. By no means is this scientific but I beleive most inflo drops happened the year before I root pruned and branch pruned the tree. Again...these trees are in some cases are up to 12 years old. So not a direct comparison to your Lilikoi.

Completely anecdotal but there are two potential reasons in my mind:
1. Less tips producing inflos means resources (hormones, nutrients, etc.) are concentrated. Therefore more successful buds.
2. Root pruning pushes the plant to produce growth and maybe young roots are more efficient at nutrient collection.

Usually the year after root pruning is a fantastic flower production year for me.

K,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I agree with everything that you said, and think your advice is great for the forum to have. As you probably (?) know, I'm still new-ish to this great little hobby. Lilikoi has been in that urn in the gritty for less than a year, so I HOPE it's not a root-pruning issue...not yet! But obviously something is up, and it may remain a mystery...the Zen of plumeria...if I have the same issue next year, then I'll reexamine.

Great photo of Celadine! Yah mon! Yellow+white=so much more.

Greg

Greg- I have to say I've looked at your NOID white several times now and I just am amazed at its beauty! I've searched the web looking for anything close, even with the "no more" rule that I keep breaking. Do you remember where you got it?

I hope you make it back to that magical city again:) I've actively tried and I do mean REALLY T R I E D to learn Italian... I still stink at it, but I don't believe in giving up. :)

Nicole--

Thanks!-- I love that tree, too. It's on a corner of the property that I call the Heart of Darkness LOL, and those white blooms are so striking against that backdrop. I love their form.

I sure do remember when and where: that is the second tree that I ever bought, and I bought it at the Hollywood, FL Home Depot. LOL Just around the corner from you ;-) It's the only noID that I've kept and plan to keep long-term (yes, for those who read this and give a ****, I gave away Rock Star--it was too much tree for me LOL).

Nicole, I will be happy to send you a cutting of that tree! It's growing and branching gangbusters (which is what noIDs do) but seems to tolerate pot culture pretty well...I think that it's got very good genes :-)

I will cut you one early next spring, deal?

G

Also, Nicole--L'Umbra is Umbria, which is the Italian region next door to Tuscany. Google-Image it, and you'll swoon. It's la bomba ;-) Better than Tuscany, no tourist hordes (well, generally speaking anyway).

G

Greg,

I'm one step ahead of you...LOL I sat on my patio this morning, armed with the handy dandy iPad, an energy drink(my version of coffee)determined to google it-Umbria(il cuor verde d'italia). WOW! The architecture! Plus regional wines and black truffles! Sign me up! I see why it would be a place to remember.

I would be over the moon to have a cutting of your NOID. In spring I can check and see what I might have as well. Fair is fair:). I once had a no NOID rule but I seem to be breaking all my rules lately...LOL and that one is a beauty! Why is it in the "heart of darkness" part of the yard? And...what the heck is the heart of darkness.... The shady side of the yard? :)

Greg, your trees are perfection. AND OK (arms tied) I will get a Celadine. :o) (Thanks, I needed an excuse) BTW, John never confirmed Tangerine Dream for me, and I don't have the will to bother him. Although I am pleased your iguana drama has subsided, I have to say I miss the story line. My husband and I were rolling while reading it, you write beautifully, and have such a great sense of humor. Looking forward to an update later this summer.

Can summer really be half way over??

Nicole--si, il cuor verde d'italia, esattamente! :-) It's an apt nickname. If you ever get the chance, go there! Of all the places I've been on this planet, it stands out as the most enchanting, hands down. And the wine is unique and wonderful.

I call that corner the Heart of Darkness because it's where the property line meets the seawall, and it's overgrown with clusters of palms of various sorts that never seem to get manicured--and so all of the dead fronds hang there and it becomes more and more like a tiny jungle as time passes. Small *cringe*.

Anyway, I'll be glad to send the cutting either way. I know your trees are young. But if you make me an offer I can't refuse, I might then hafta accept :-) We'll talk about over the winter LOL it'll give us something to do while are plumies are bare naked sticks.

Thank you, Wendy! :-) You're very kind. And I don't expect you to bother John on my behalf--it's all good. If I decide I MUST have that tree (and put it where???), then you've given me enough info to, theoretically at least, find out from John what that sassy little plumie is named, if not Tangerine Dream, and then order me one!

LOL it makes my day to know that y'all enjoyed my storytelling :-) You hafta have a sense of humor, I guess, right?, 'cause if you don't, one minute the iguanas are downing your trees, the next minute you're going postal! hehe In seriousness, the iguanas still come 'round often enough to decimate any progress that a few of my smaller trees have made-- it only takes 1-2 visits a month on their part. It's sad--Mary Moragne and Kona Hybrid each came to me as short 2-tips, and they've been picked clean so often that the nubby tips are tapering up to nothing. Another one recently broke a branch off Haleakala, on its way to shred the leaves, kinda beaver-style LOL. It's MADDENING but I guess there are some things that one cannot control.

G

Greg,

Your Lava Flow is Amazing!
That's sure to be on my next list maybe for next year!
Your photography is really good and helps us see the "true blooms", I like that!

Stuart

I second that, Stuart. I am kinda trying to ignore it... cause it is too nice to pass up.

Gorgeous blooms Greg! Thanks for sharing!

Tony

Wendy,

By the way, happy to hear that you're gonna get a Celadine! You will love it.

Stuart and Tony,

Thanks, gents! Glad to share.

G