Soultan -- hey you, I've missed you. Where have you been? =) Did you get my email? Are you back for good or are you still busy? Give me a holler. =)

Hello, hello, hello, incommunicado friend Soultan.

I am jumping for joy to see you back here.

Happy fall to you and Toto!

Best,

Blanca

I, too, am very glad to see you posting! I was starting to worry about you and Toto, not having "seen" you in so long!

The same results at my own local garden center... the same listing as last year... with the exception of Papilio. I did buy one, and I'm hopeful of flowers. The bulbs are kind of medium sized, so I hope they're mature enough to give blooms.

Good to see you, Soultan! :-)

$4.98
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$5.98 (plastic kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$8.98 (metal kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$8.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom a
Blossom Peacock a
Clown a
Red Lion a
Red Peacock a
White Dazzler a

$10.99
Black Pearl a
Blushing Bride a
Clown a
Mambo a
Merry Christmas a
Red Lion a
San Remo a
Vera a
Wedding Dance a
White Dazzler a

*
a - Armstrong Garden Center
h - The Home Depot
10/20/08

Man... our northern stores are really lacking in the bulb department! It's so disappointing... they hardly order anything. Just the usual Red Lion, Minerva and Apple Blossom... with the occasional addition of Susan or White Dazzler.

I have yet to get a White Dazzler that's actually a White Dazzler!

$4.98
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$5.98 (plastic kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$7.19
Apple Blossom r
Charisma r
Clown r
Liberty r
Minerva r
Nagano r
Picotee r
Red Lion r
Royal Velvet r
Scarlet Baby r
Vera r
White Christmas r

$7.79
Aphrodite r
Blossom Peacock r
Dancing Queen r
Double Dragon r
Elvas r
Jewel r
Pasadena r

$8.39
Lemon Lime r

$8.98 (metal kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$8.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom a
Blossom Peacock a
Clown a
Red Lion a
Red Peacock a
White Dazzler a

$10.99
Black Pearl a
Blushing Bride a
Clown a
Mambo a
Merry Christmas a
Red Lion a
San Remo a
Vera a
Wedding Dance a
White Dazzler a

$11.99
Aphrodite g
Apple Blossom g
Benfica g
Blossom Peacock g
Charisma g
Clown g
Dancing Queen g
Double Dragon g
Elvas g
Jewel g
Lemon Lime g
Liberty g
Minerva g
Nagano g
Pasadena g
Picotee g
Red Lion g
Royal Velvet g
Scarlet Baby g
Vera g
White Christmas g

$11.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom g
Minerva g
Red Lion g
Vera g
White Christmas g

$12.99
Apple Blossom s
Black Pearl s
Blossom Peacock s
Candy Floss s
Charisma s
Double Dragon s
Elvas s
Jewel s
Merry Christmas s
Milady s
Minerva s
Moonlight s
Nagano s
Pizzazz s
Prelude s
Red Lion s
Royal Velvet s
San Remo s
Vera s
Wedding Dance s
White Christmas s

$19.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom s
Minerva s
Red Lion s

$23.99 (Jumbo)
Apple Blossom s
Red Lion s
White Christmas s

*
a - Armstrong Garden Center
g - Green Thumb Garden Center
h - The Home Depot
r - Green Arrow Home Center
s - Sperling Nursery
10/24/08

You've been searching!!!!

Some of those prices are better than Royal Colors. How do the size of the bulbs compare. Come on don't tell me you didn't open the packages?

Wish Canada had a selection. The usual
Red Lion, Appleblossom, and Minerva and those from Wal-Mart. Home Depot was only Red Lion and Minerva.
Same old, same old.
Dana

It seems that the warmer the climate, the larger the selection... we have very little offered in the stores, and only about a dozen varieties offered at the garden center. It's looking like anything else will have to be ordered through catalogs or online sources.

I always wonder who does the ordering for these types of things, and what they must be thinking... if I were ordering, I'd be thinking that the nicer bulbs and more flashy flowers would sell!

((((SOULTAN))) How is my love...er um...Toto??? Missed you too much my friend!

I did a run to Walmart since Dennis had to get some new steel toe sneakers for work...None of the $6.96 bulb-only-in-a-bag like last year. They have $5 box kits-Red Lion only and then these metal bucket kits for $10 from Euro Bloom.
Flamingo Star
Romance
Grand Cru
Pink Diamond
Stargazer

Of these the only one of interest was Flamingo Star, a beautiful orange color. But not $10 interesting though-besides I ain't buying ANYTHING new this year!

Here is a link that might be useful: Flamingo

I'm noticing that there seem to be several varieties that look very similar... too similar to spend a lot of money on!

What is it with these larger stores? Why don't they order some of the more interesting kinds?

Cindee,
I want

Flamingo Star
Romance
Pink Diamond
Stargazer

from you this year. :o) Buy up for me please, and if you want, choose from the list I provided, to send you some bulbs in return, or just bill me! I still have another store to check out for bulbs, then in one or two weeks, Smith and Hawkens will get their bulbs as well, and I know that they will have Roma. So hang on, but in the mean time, grab four bulbs for me too, please, and don't close your eyes if you see some new ones. My CHAD has just started to act up lately very painfully, and I think, if I fun through everything all at once this year, I might have a bigger financial impact now, but I will not keep on checking all the sites daily which varieties I want to buy become sold out. This year, I think I will get everything I want, and refuse to be a slave to the sites that slowly sell out, and drive me to frustration by the end of the year. This is my Christmas present for myself. Why shouldn't I spend as much as I want on me? If I spend more than I should, then I will only have myself to blame, and it is easier to explain to the family once, than trying to convince them every month that what you bought was absolutely and irrevocably necessary to your well being. Not to mention, that if the companies ship out now, the bulbs even from White Flower Farm should perform better. Last year, probably because of the late order, I almost couldn't enjoy any of them, so I am just keeping the bulbs to see if they will unfold their artistic talents in coming seasons.

But in the mean time, I went to two other places. Here is the list before the final Smith and Hawkens addition:

$4.98
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h
$5.98 (plastic kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$7.19
Apple Blossom r
Charisma r
Clown r
Liberty r
Minerva r
Nagano r
Picotee r
Red Lion r
Royal Velvet r
Scarlet Baby r
Vera r
White Christmas r

$7.79
Aphrodite r
Blossom Peacock r
Dancing Queen r
Double Dragon r
Elvas r
Jewel r
Pasadena r

$8.39
Lemon Lime r

$8.98 (metal kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$8.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom a
Blossom Peacock a
Clown a
Red Lion a
Red Peacock a
White Dazzler a

$10.99
Black Pearl a
Blushing Bride a
Clown a
Mambo a
Merry Christmas a
Red Lion a
San Remo a
Vera a
Wedding Dance a
White Dazzler a

$11.99
Aphrodite g
Apple Blossom g
Benfica g
Blossom Peacock g
Charisma g
Clown g
Dancing Queen g
Double Dragon g
Elvas g
Jewel g
Lemon Lime g
Liberty g
Minerva g
Nagano g
Pasadena g
Picotee g
Red Lion g
Royal Velvet g
Scarlet Baby g
Vera g
White Christmas g

$11.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom g e
Charisma e
Dancing Queen e
Minerva g e
Picotee e
Red Lion g e
Royal Velvet e
Vera g
White Christmas g e

$12.99
Apple Blossom s
Black Pearl s o
Blossom Peacock s
Candy Floss s
Charisma s
Double Dragon s
Elvas s
Jewel s
Merry Christmas s
Milady s
Minerva s
Moonlight s
Nagano s
Pizzazz s
Prelude s
Red Lion s
Royal Velvet s
San Remo s
Vera s
Wedding Dance s
White Christmas s

$19.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom s
Minerva s
Red Lion s

$23.99 (Jumbo)
Apple Blossom s
Red Lion s
White Christmas s

*
a - Armstrong Garden Center
e - Green Arrow Nursery
g - Green Thumb Garden Center
h - The Home Depot
o - Sego Nursery, Inc.
r - Green Arrow Home Center
s - Sperling Nursery
10/27/08

Soultan-you got it buddy! I will be going by there a couple times this week and will stop one day. I just got a Free-Lance gig I am starting tomorrow for a friend of mine starting their own business. I hope it turns into something permanent! It's a bit of a drive and a toll, but it's for cash right now....I'll grab your bulbs for you!

I really can not be ording anything for myself this year, Soultan. I am feeling the crunch of not working.

Has anyone grown 'Flamingo Star' before? Is it a nice flower? -Prime

Soultan, you should buy whatever bulbs you want without having to justify your purchase... if they make you happy, that's the important thing!

If I overspend, I only have myself to blame... but if buying them make me happy, then I feel it's worth the purchase! Winter is depressing without the wonder and color of blooming bulbs!

I don't have Flamingo Star, but the photos are very pretty. I actually think that every one on the list is pretty in their own way, and you can't go wrong regardless of what you choose!

Hey there Prime. How are ya? LTNS! I just may try that Flamingo, mainly cause I love the name and I like the orange tangerine color it shows on the container. Plus, since I am already picking up the 4 for Soultan, I guess it can't hurt to buy myself JUST ONE new Hippi this year! Will let you know how it does for me.

LTNS....What?!? Sorry Cindee I don't what that means? I did buy a 'Flamingo Star', the name caught my curiosity. But I had never heard of or seen this bulb before, so I was just curious : )

I think it means Long Time No See?

I have seen Flamingo Star in walmart for $10 in metal container.

Has anybody seen the collection 'Pretty in Pink'
offered by Van Engelen?
This is on their website specials and includes
Candy Floss, Rozetta (double!) and miniature Amalfi

9 (YES 9!!!!) bulbs for $56.96 + 10% shipping!

This is a fantastic deal !!! I've gone back and ordered
some more for the LOL's in my church choir!

LOL's? (Lovely Older Ladies?)

Those are very very special Lovely Older Ladies (LOL's)
they rate amaryllises every holiday season!

Well I have Soultan's 4 bulbs from Walmart. Went through every box and picked what I thought were the best. they were overall very nice and clean and fresh looking with good roots.

Pink Diamond-Flamingo Star-Romance-Stargazer
{{gwi:431354}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

PinkDi and Flamingo are expecting little ones!
{{gwi:431355}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

Soultan, I will email you to get shipping instructions from you since these are kits and not just bare bulbs.

I did also treat myself to ONE Flamingo Star.

I meant to add before submitting. Soultan the tins are a little nicer than your run-of-the-mill plastic pots in kits. They are a kind of faux Verdi Gris greenish-grey wash with a sworl pattern. I got you 2 square and 2 round tins.
{{gwi:431356}}From Amaryllis 2008-09

Those tins are very similar to the ones offered last year at our local Walmart and Meijer's. Inside each tin was a thin green plastic pot and a disk of cococoir. I pitched the disks, bought clay pots, and used the plastic ones outdoors for starting some perennials. The bulbs inside looked a lot smaller than the ones you found, though!

I did notice that this years bulbs look to be a bit larger, and the ones at our local garden center have babies sort of like the ones you got! Those are very nice!

Yes the hippie bulbs this season are bigger and healthier. It must have been a good growing season this year. Last year was too wet thus our problems with small bulb sizes and rots in our bulbs. I have received 5 bulb shipments from different companies and so far (knock on wood) all the bulbs are good sized and have no rot problems. This is a very good season to purchase your bulbs.

Our Walmart here has those kits too besides their usual boxed ones. I got me a Flamingo Star and Romance.

Cindee,
Thank you for your troubles. You got yourself four nice tin planters. If you have some paper bags, you can bag the bulbs up individually with the wrap around printed, picture name tag included in them, so the shipment could fit in a flat rate box.

Well... so far, all reports indicate that this years bulbs are larger and healthier than last years! This is very good news!

Now I wish I had a larger budget for bulb buying! If this was a good year for the growers, this would be the perfect year to obtain all the varieties I'd like to have in my collection, plus a few that I'd like seconds of! Oh, if I only had more room!

Geez! Isn't this always the way it works? When we have space and the budget, the bulbs are not so great... but when the bulbs are at their best, we're broke and have no extra room!

Smith & Hawken has a wonderful selection of Amaryllis in the stores. I purchased several jumbo bulbs for 21.00 and they were by FAR the largest Amaryllis I've ever seen. The regular size amaryllis bulbs are priced at $16 and very large too.

$4.98
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$5.98 (plastic kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$7.19
Apple Blossom r
Charisma r
Clown r
Liberty r
Minerva r
Nagano r
Picotee r
Red Lion r
Royal Velvet r
Scarlet Baby r
Vera r
White Christmas r

$7.79
Aphrodite r
Blossom Peacock r
Dancing Queen r
Double Dragon r
Elvas r
Jewel r
Pasadena r

$8.39
Lemon Lime r

$8.98 (metal kits)
Minerva h
Red Lion h
White Dazzler h

$8.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom a
Blossom Peacock a
Clown a
Red Lion a
Red Peacock a
White Dazzler a

$10.99
Black Pearl a
Blushing Bride a
Clown a
Mambo a
Merry Christmas a
Red Lion a
San Remo a
Vera a
Wedding Dance a
White Dazzler a

$11.99
Aphrodite g
Apple Blossom g
Benfica g
Blossom Peacock g
Charisma g
Clown g
Dancing Queen g
Double Dragon g
Elvas g
Jewel g
Lemon Lime g
Liberty g
Minerva g
Nagano g
Pasadena g
Picotee g
Red Lion g
Royal Velvet g
Scarlet Baby g
Vera g
White Christmas g

$11.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom g e
Charisma e
Dancing Queen e
Minerva g e
Picotee e
Red Lion g e
Royal Velvet e
Vera g
White Christmas g e

$12
Black Pearl m
Dancing Queen m
Elvas m
Ice Queen m
Mont Blanc m
Picotee Red Lining m
Red Dragon (Double Dragon) m
Red Lion m
Sydney m

$12.99
Apple Blossom s
Black Pearl s o
Blossom Peacock s
Candy Floss s
Charisma s
Double Dragon s
Elvas s
Jewel s
Merry Christmas s
Milady s
Minerva s
Moonlight s
Nagano s
Pizzazz s
Prelude s
Red Lion s
Royal Velvet s
San Remo s
Vera s
Wedding Dance s
White Christmas s

$15.75 (Jumbo)
Dancing Queen m
Minerva m
Red Lion m
White Dazzler m

$19.99 (plastic kits)
Apple Blossom s
Minerva s
Red Lion s

$23.99 (Jumbo)
Apple Blossom s
Red Lion s
White Christmas s

*
a - Armstrong Garden Center
e - Green Arrow Nursery
g - Green Thumb Garden Center
h - The Home Depot
m - Smith and Hawkens, Beverly Hills
o - Sego Nursery, Inc.
r - Green Arrow Home Center
s - Sperling Nursery
11/09/08

End of the Journey. I don't think I will find any new stores offering bulbs, but if I will, I will report. It is time to start buying up the net!

Very tempting! Thanks for making the rounds for everyone, and letting us know what's available! I sure wish there were more stores here that had such a nice variety of bulbs... why is it always the same here in the north? It's depressing!

Well... maybe there will be a few more now... last week there wasn't much displayed yet.

I wanted to add to this list to show what is available at the local garden center here. I took down this list rather quickly so if I mispelled any, please forgive me.

These varieties are loose for $13.99:
Black Pearl
Viammeaspel
Red Peacock
Amsterdam
White Nymph
Lemon Star
Moonlight
White Christmas
Cherry Nymph
Splash
Full House
Minerva
Samba
Ferrari
Royal Velvet
Benfica
Double Dragon
Red Lion
Sweet Lilian
Elvas
Blossom Peacock
Aphrodite
Novella
Paris
Blushing Bride
Lady Jane
Nymph

Boxed kits with decorative pots $15.99:
Pink Diamond
Red Sensation
Star of Holland
Queen of Sheba

Exotic and Cybister loose $15.99
Begota
Melusine
Rembrandt Van Rijn
These are in the same category, but also had several that the scapes were bolting so they were 30% off of the $15.99
Emerald
Santos
Giraffe
Chico
Lima

I picked up a Sweet Lilian for 30% off the $13.99 and a Giraffe for 30% off the $15.99 since they both have the scaped emerged. I love getting to the prized bloom sooner and I can't resist a sale...I just have to gather the strength not to go back tomorrow and buy more. I know I missed some varietes because they had a Neon Pink that apparently has sold out.

Sweet Lilian with one scape that is gone wild and another waiting patiently to steal the show:

{{gwi:431357}}

{{gwi:431358}}

Giraffe with double scapes growing in sync. I can't help but love this effect!

{{gwi:431359}}

{{gwi:431360}}

Our local Smith and Hawken at the mall has some huge nice bulbs. Sydney, Dancing Queen, White Dazzler and the common Red Lion and Minerva. Jumbo $21 and nice regular size $16 for very healthy looking bulbs!

I have a couple more garden centers to check out when I get time!

-Frank

Nice haul, Frank! I think you'll enjoy both Sweet Lilian and Giraffe... I had both bloom for me last season, and I loved them! Both are real beauties!