I must say, it's very delicate looking, and the colors are soft and pretty... I'm impressed so far!

I was wondering the same thing... is it a Diploid? or a Tetraploid? Can it be self pollinated? Should I save the pollen, since I have nothing else small-flowered in bloom yet? The only thing that might open while Sweet Lilian is still blooming is Amalfi, and I'm sure that's a large-flowered variety... I wouldn't want to do a cross between those two even if I could... it just doesn't seem worth while, color-wise...

jodi are you a night owl like me? I get on some crazy schedules sometimes because I work nights several "days" a week. You could try self-pollinate, I think "the" Hans said diploids are less likely to self, also even if you didn't want the seed you could try to put a tetraploid pollen on it to see if it would take. However, if it took the flower may not last as long...(none of mine have ever lasted long enough...)Anyway, it appears that the most foolproof way to figure out ploidity is to experiment.(THIS is what I most like about gardening!) But it might be nice to cross them, I am not the expert, I wonder about that. I have some crosses which are unlikely to be spectacular because I first started the hippeastrum crazy/crossing before I did any researching. Now they have survived 2 summers and there is nooooo way I'm giving up my results. Thanks for all of your beautiful photos!

Amalfi is also a "miniature", though when you'll see the flowers, you will not think so. It is a middle sized flower.

About pollinating: only pollinate when the flower is at its end... This way you are not accelerating the wilting progress. It works for me. The flowers still take pollen when they are about to wilt. You can see when the petals start to look fragile and tear for the touch. That is the time (for me) to pollinate. This way, I can enjoy the flowers as long as possible.
And I would cross pollinate with Amalfi. Why not. What is the worse that could happen? No seeds. :o) An experiment.

Jodik:

GORGEOUS pictures there...I love some of the effects you put in there with photoshop filters. Man...one could spend DAYS doing all of that with dozens of pictures.

Thanks for sharing.

Salpal - I am only a night owl because I have terrible insomnia... I'd love to be able to sleep at night like everyone else! It's ok, though... my husband is a night owl, so at least we spend time together! I used to work a split shift job... 12 hour shifts, 3 days on, 2 off... then it would change. It was really good money, but the hours about killed me! So, I know how you feel! I might just try crossing Amalfi and Sweet Lilian, after all... if Amalfi is not large-flowered, then it might work.

Soultan - Thanks for that information... I'm not sure yet about which flowers are large and which are small... but I am taking notes and keeping lists. Also, I will wait a couple of days before pollinating, so I can enjoy the flowers longer!

Cuddlyotter - Photoshop has some amazing filters and effects... I used to play with them a lot when I was working on web sites... imagine, if you will, what a close-up of a puppy's face looks like "wrapped in plastic"... it's hilarious because you know it isn't real! There are all sorts of other effects packages out there, like Kai's Power Goo... we used to use all those to tweak photos for fun!

I'm really enjoying these pics. That is amazing how fast it opened. I have amalfi too but I haven't potted mine yet. Thanks for sharing these pics.

Ooooohhh Jodi, your photos are splendid! You are getting to be really talented there girl. Tell me more about Photo Shop...I am a frustrated commercial artist. I only do works for myself and friends anymore, couldn't stand the pressure of others flat-visioned criticism. I have been wanting to get Photo Shop. I had a small version of it years ago. Will you tutor me if I venture into buying it?

Cindee - Don't buy any software until you read my email!

Thanks, you guys! I'm having a blast photographing these flowers! They are wonderful subjects!

Here's more pictures, taken this evening... Amalfi has decided to open, and I think Exotic Star will open tomorrow or the next day... Enjoy!

Sweet Lilian, again...
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and again...
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and once more...
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Amalfi, just opening...
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another angle...
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Exotic Star and Limona, opening soon!
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Thanks for looking, again!!

Ohhh Jodi-Smashing!! I can't wait to see your Exotic Star. It was one of my all time favorites last year. I love it's stripes.

Thanks! I'll post a picture as soon as it opens! I wouldn't be surprised if that happened today, or later this evening!

Lovely pics Jodic! Now your making me want to get a Sweet Lilian. I'll have to look into WWF website again.

My first bloomer for the newly purchased bulbs will be Top Choice. It will be opening it's flowers in a few days. I won't be having much blooms soon for I had to plant the bad bulbs first. I am planning to hold the planting of the newly purchased bulbs till maybe January or February if I can.
My winter growing space is so limited this year with the seedlings getting first priority and I don't want to set up more lights. The established cybisters/exotics just decided to wake up and started leafing out. They didn't even shed their old leaves yet. La Paz (again)and "sick" Papilio have scapes peaking out.

I'll post pics of Top Choice when it's flowers open.

Opening soon at Cindee's.....San Remo
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I can't wait! I must have gone out to the patio to look at it a dozen times today! lol

I swear they open right before your eyes, Cindee! At least, that's about how fast both Sweet Lilian and Amalfi opened! They were buds one morning, and by evening, they were nearly open! Looks like San Remo has a huge bud, there! The stalk looks really nice and fat!

Thanks, Maria! I'm really having fun watching my flowers open and taking pictures of them! If I'm not careful, I'll be too busy watching them and forget to pollinate! I can't wait to see pictures of what's opening for you!

I wish my Papillio would bloom this year, but I think I'm going to have to wait until next year... I think it's still a bit young. And I also wish that La Paz would begin growing... it's been planted for the same amount of time as the others, but it's still waking up, I think.

Exciting. Everything is blooming for you, and I got this mutt as Angelique. :o) I need some success too!

Soultan!

I think they got a head start on us, don't you?

My older bulbs will not start blooming until after the new year, but thankfully, I will have a few this year in December, I hope!

In the meantime, I am enjoying everyone else's.

No. They have not, I am just still planting my old bulbs and this cold weather does not help them to develop. Actually, as I see, my new house is quite cold, so it is not really amaryllis friendly. I might have hard time getting my bulbs starting well and blooming for me. It might take longer for them to do everything. Though it is true, I might have longer blooming periods as well.
And I just bought a blooming Angelique... So I have flower in my house right now. The fake Angelique and the Brasbonitas Angelique.

Anticipation
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Anticipayaytion, is making me late
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Ant 2 of my other favorite blooms...Emerald Eyed Smudge and Golden eyed Tootie....
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I love those furry blooms!! Is Smudge a male? Male tortoiseshells are very rare.

Hi anna, both my babies are female. Tootie actually adopted Smudge at the vets once when I was boarding her. Tootie was born at the vets, and they never put her in a cage. She just roamed the back rooms with the technicians. One night one of the gals was bathing these 6 week old Torties for aboption. Tootie jumped up on the table and took Smudge over to her corner blanket to sleep with. Needless to say I had to bring Smudge home. Tootie spent 3 days crying until I went back to get Smudge.

Maria!
Look at these furry flowers. This is where the flea bath comes handy!

LOL my furry flowers DO NOT have fleas!!

You see... The bath has helped... :o) We have to justify the flea bath for Maria!

Soultan!! Behave!! My cats are indoor pets and have NEVER had fleas or a flea bath...now, Maria, well that's a different thing. Do you notice she scratches a lot??

Hehe... I am not a Beehive!

Hahahaha...You guys are crazy!

Guess who opened its blooms for me today while I was at work? Top Choice!!! Very interesting one... I will be needing fresh pollens for this one. Now...where are my friends? :-) I'll post pics tomorrow.

Photos Maria?? I have some frozen pollen from that dark red undecided beauty. Do you want it?
Mystery Velvety Red.
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Cindee - Love your kitties! I'm glad I'm not allergic to pictures! And your flower is almost open! Yay!

I pollinated Sweet Lilian last night

spilled coffee in my keybord... must find replcment... be bck ltr..... lol

I'm back, with a different keyboard! Thank goodness "Old Guy" is a collector of junk! There are times when his pack-ratting is actually a blessing! I, like an idiot, spilled coffee all over my keyboard... I blow-dried it, but apparently that's not going to work this time... (yes, I've spilled coffee before!) It will have to be taken apart and cleaned the right way. New Jodi Rule in effect: No Liquid On Desk!

Ok... that out of the way... I did some pollinating last night... I did Sweet Lilian x Sweet Lilian, Sweet Lilian x Amalfi, Sweet Lilian x Exotic Star... I also did Amalfi x Amalfi, Amalfi x Sweet Lilian, Amalfi x Exotic Star... and I did Exotic Star x Exotic Star... so, now I hope for the best!!

I believe that Exotic Star is a diploid, and that's according to information I gleaned reading past posts from this forum... as for the others, I'm not sure... I'm keeping detailed notes for future reference. As other flowers open, I will do more pollinating... I even made little tags out of Nymo thread and address labels so I could "tag" each flower that I pollinate!

I hope your Exotic Star crossings take, jodi!

Cindee,

Top Choice is small flowering. You can try the Undecided-large-flowering-deep- red with it. Sometimes small flowering ones take large pollen and vica versa...

Yes Top Choice is small flowering with LOTS of flowers/scape. Ten flowers/buds on the first scape. A good small flowering variety like SG, Jade Serpent and Cupido would be good candidates as pollen donor. The problem is, most of my pollens are old, from last season. I don't know if they are still viable.

Cindeea...I would LOVE to have some pollen of that deep red. I will save them and use them with my new large flowering varieties when I plant them. May it have the same magic as the L&L pollens you sent me before. Thanks honey!

Jodic...Nice crosses you made there. Good Luck with Exotic Star. Everything I did with it failed.

Maria, the pollen has been in the freezer since this Sept. it should be good. I will send it to you m'dear. Anything else your lil heart desires? Some AV leaves, perhaps?

Mwwwaaaa!!! Thanks girlfriend! Nope, no AVs this time of the year please. I'd just kill them. Anything? Are you for real? I would love you forever if you can get me a Grand Cru and a Sumatra. I'll send you a check for cost of bulbs and postage. :-)

Come to think of it. What else do you want from this side of VA? seeds? seedlings? bulblets?

Well... if Exotic Star is a failure, at least I can say I tried... "Expect the worst, and you'll never be disappointed."

Since this is my very first time pollinating anything, I'm not expecting much. If, by some stroke of luck, I get a seed pod or two, I'll be thrilled! And if, by the same stroke of luck, there are viable seeds in those pods, I'll be even more thrilled!! But, I expect nothing, thus avoiding major disappointment.

Hey, Cindee! Guess what I scored at Miejer's today? I got a white, I think it's white, Christmas Cactus!! I wanted to get more than one, but I wasn't buying, so I'm happy with the one! The buds are very light colored, so I'm assuming it's a white flowered one. None of the buds are open yet.

OK I am taking a last order for WalMart. Those interested check out the post for Zombie.

Cindee,
You could buy up all these cheap bulbs and sell them on Ebay, like that Illinois lady, who bought all the bulb from Jodi and now sells it online on ebay. The question is: where is she making profit on it if she sells for the same amount of money she bought them for, plus, she paid tax on these bulbs. Something is not clear for me there.

Oh, and Maria, I almost forgot:
I planted a batch of seeds. NOW I can wait, though I am not too hopeful: low lights and cold temperatures... I bought a heat mat, so that might help. I just have to figure out where and how to use it... I cannot put it on the glass surface.

She bought all the bulbs, and didn't leave any for other customers, like me, Soultan... and she bought them at a discounted price, and will sell them for more money than she paid... if she bought them for around $3 a piece, and begins the auctions at $9.99 plus shipping, she's making a nice, tidy profit.

All I wanted was one bulb... but she cleaned out all the stores in the area we went to that day... oh well...

She bought them for a discounted price? How come? But then yes, she is making money on them if she can sell them.

How much longer does a girl have to wait????

San Remo at sunrise
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Ooooooh! jodik, can't wait for this one. You will be taking a piture of the full blossom, won't you? :)

Cindee,

You will be in love... The whole coloration of the bloom consists of tiny pink-cyclamen dots.

Here are a few more shots... Exotic Star, Limona, and a really pink picture!

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Thanks for looking!

Oh Jodi, soooo pretty! Love Exotic Star. I got the Sumatra because it reminds me of the same.

I wish the flowers lasted longer on Exotic Star, but I still like it... the colors are so unusual! It's very much a decendant of Papillio... at least, I think it is...

Yeah my exotic star blooms were short lived too, still I enjoyed them very much.

I simply love your Limona picture. Is it so green in real life too?

Limona is creamy green with the tiniest hint of pink tips on the petals... it's beautiful! I will try to post a picture later today, of the fully opened flower!

This one, I like a lot!

Jodi,

That is the Limona I am wishing to get... I don't like the orange veiny Limona. That is fake... That is what I got last year, and that is why I had to rebuy the bulb this year. I hope I will be lucky now.

This is very faintly veined, but it looks more pinkish to me than orange... it is so very faintly veined, that I only notice it if the bloom is backlit... although, I don't know how it would behave in different light conditions... I really like it!

I will definitely take a look at your picture when you post it. It is advertised as clear greenish colored, so I expect that.