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ryan820

Disappointing

19 years ago

I had bought two bulbs from Nature Hills Nursery and they were huge. One is a picotee and the other is suppose to be a white peacock, double. Well the peacock took off like a weed and has bloomed-- and though it is white, it is far from being a double. WHat do I do? I wanted the double but it is obviously a single. Will Nature Hills send me a new bulb? Or am I out of luck? Thanks for your help.

Comments (42)

  • 19 years ago

    Hi Ryan,

    I would take a pic of the flower and attach it to an email explaining what happened. If they have any sense of customer service at all, they will either replace it or reimburse you.

    Dave
    Milwaukee

  • 19 years ago

    I haven't grown 'White Peacock', but have read some about it and have never heard that it isn't reliably double.

    Were the blooms perfect in form, as any single is? Was there any irregularity in the petal placement or shape? If so, that could possibly indicate that it is a double that has reverted to the single form temporarily.

    A study was done by John Deme that showed if doubles were grown under too high heat (90F or above), they would later produce single blooms, but were double again the next year. I don't know the details of the study, but I suspect that at a critical point in the bud's early development within the bulb, the higher temps could easily affect its formation.

    I can't say that that is what happened with your bulb, but since it is one of the sometimes finicky Peacock series, it could have happened.

    Of course you may have been sent the wrong bulb or Nature Hills could have received the wrong bulb from their supplier and sent it to you unawares. Whatever the case, I would call them and let them know. They may have received or will receive other complaints about this bulb and need to know about your problem with it. Try to get pix if you can in case they ask (but I doubt they will) or as documentation anyway.

    If you end up keeping the bulb, you might be surprised to see it become double again next year!

    Or not.

    I added Dancing Queen and Blossom Peacock to my collection about a year ago and our summer temps go into the 90s a lot, so I'll be watching to see if any variations occur in them over time.

    Robert.

  • 19 years ago

    I have 120 kinds of amarylli right now, many of which are double. I never experienced that a double converted to single unless I bought the bulb from Aaron's Bulbs or TyTyGa. They just have no friggen idea what they sell. None of their flowers turned out to be what they were supposed to anyway, so I am sure that those 10 bulbs will just go down in history as noids. I will rebuy the varieties from reliable retailers.
    It was interesting to learn about that doubles can revert to single sometimes. I will definitely look for it and I know that I will notice it right away if it ever happens to me...
    There is still a lot to learn.
    I would take some pictures or would call fast and ask them if they need the pictures or not. But would probably take some pictures anyway to try to ID the bloom at least. I am sure they will refund the money, since I don't think they have many bulbs anymore. I had a problem with John Scheepers' Sugar Candy that had the core rotten. After four weeks of being planted and not doing anything I reported the problem to them. They refunded the price PLUS they send out another bulb for me. Of course, they see from my customer record, that I ordered all of their varieties already, so I am a good customer.
    I told them to get new varieties for next year, because I want to keep buying from them. :o)

  • 19 years ago

    soultan-you have 120 Amaryllis varieties??????? WOW do you have them all planted together? Would like to see some more photos. Most of your lovely photography is devoted to one bloom. I'd like to see your masses!

  • 19 years ago

    I like to plant them up one by one. I always have 10 bulbs developing in the kitchen window while others are flowering on the bar. I am occupying the living room right now, but in the new house I have a special section for flowers right under a glass enclosure, plus, I will have an acre of wooded hillside up and another down from the house where I can plant them out... If they decide to flower during srping to fall, that might be a pretty sight. Not to mention the seeds they must produce for me... Plans, plans, plans, plans, hopes.

  • 19 years ago

    Would love to see a list of them all......even the ones that don't have names (a good description would do).

    Better yet: A pictures gallery would be wonderful!

    You *are* going to treat us to more pictures, pretty please?

  • 19 years ago

    Well I emailed Nature Hills to see if I get a response. The flower itself almost looks like a white lilly. And they're nto fully open yet but you can clearly see inside-- and no extra petals. The petals from what I can tell are perfectly formed-- not funkiness or malformed pieces. And to be honest I don't even know what a normal white peacock looks like-- so I guess I should look it up to compare. But for now, I can tell you it is perfectly white, except the inside very near the place where the petals merge, where the petals turn to a very dark red/purple.

    As for the temp of the bulb-- it has grown anywhere between 70 and 75 degrees. The area I have them growing seems to stay very consistent with the temp as I have a thermometer there and at any given time it is around 72-- day or night. But it would be neat to see the blooms change the next growth period. There is a second stalk growing right now-- would it be possible to grow a double from this one? Who knows...

  • 19 years ago

    ryan~

    My comments about the doubles going single from too high heat was for the developing buds and not the temps that the bulb is flowered in, so your growing of it was fine and wouldn't influence the emerging scape as far as making the double go single. That happens long before that inside the bulb at the very beginning of the cells forming the embrionic buds.

    Anyway, it *is* possible for the second scape to be more double: freaky things can happen.

    I wish Mr. Deme's experiment was available so that I could see if he kept the bulbs at 90F around the clock. That might be where the problem is, not coming from a day temperature that high.

    There aren't a lot of pictures of White Peacock around, but if you Google a bit, you will find some.

    I've put one below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: White Peacock page.

  • 19 years ago

    Yup...that is the exact one I ordered. The petals are narrower than other amaryllis petals-- and you can sort of see that evident in the pic. I'll wait and see what Nature Hills has to say.

  • 19 years ago

    Here is the list, but please don't kill me that it fills up the whole page... I have it in list form and I wouldn't like to type the whole thing in again separated with commas. That would be too much work.
    I only have the common, easily available varieties yet. Nothing really special. And as you know I still have 2-300 more to go.

    Alfresco
    Amalfi
    Amigo
    Amourette
    Amputo
    Angelique
    Aphrodite
    Apple Blossom
    Apricot Beauty
    Apricot Sensation
    Baby Star
    Basuto
    Benfica
    Black Pearl
    Blossom Peacock
    Blusing Bride
    Bolero
    Candy Floss
    Cantate
    Carnival
    Charisma
    Charmeur
    Chianti
    Chico
    Christmas Gift
    Christmas Star
    Clown
    Cocktail
    Dancing Queen
    Double Queen
    Double Record
    Elvas
    Emerald
    Exotic Star
    Exotica
    Fairytale
    Faro
    Floris Hekker
    Furore
    Gold Medal
    Grandeur
    Green Goddes
    Hercules
    Hermitage
    Honeymoon
    Intokazi
    Jaguar
    Jewel
    Joker
    La Paz
    Lady Jane
    Las Vegas
    Lemon Lime
    Lilac
    Lilac Wonder
    Lima
    Limona
    Ludwig Dazzler
    Luxor
    Macarena
    Mambo
    Mary Lou
    Melusine
    Merry Christmas
    Milady
    Minerva
    Miracle
    Misty
    Mont Blanc
    Nagano
    Nymph
    Orange Souvereign
    Pamela
    Papilio
    Papilio Improved
    Pasadena
    Picotee
    Pink Blossom
    Pink Floyd
    Pink Impression
    Pink Nymph
    Pink Star
    Pizzazz
    Prelude
    Queen of Hearts
    Ragtime
    Razzle Dazzle
    Razzmatazz
    Red Charm
    Red Lion
    Red Nymph
    Red Peacock
    Red Pearl
    Red Sensation
    Rilona
    Rosetta
    Royal Velvet
    Ruby Meyer
    San Remo
    Santa Cruz
    Santos
    Scarlet Baby
    Snow White
    Solomon
    Striped Panther
    Sugar Candy
    Supreme Garden
    Susan
    Telstar
    Top Choice
    Trentino
    Unique
    Vera
    Vienna
    Vivaldi
    Wedding Dance
    White Christmas
    White Peacock

    These are the named bulbs and varieties I own so far.
    Pictures will of course, come. I am setting up my web site for my flowers, but I am so busy that I hardly even have time to sleep, so it is a really slow procedure. I have made so many pictures, and they all need color correction, web treatment, then html encoding... So you will see pictures from me continuously.

  • 19 years ago

    Holey Schmoley, soultan, that is a very impressive list!! Can I come live at your house? I want to see all these beauties...do you ever sleep??? Do you dream of Amaryllis when you do finally Zzzzzz off???

  • 19 years ago

    Yes. I am starting to turn coockoo here. I don't know when I'll stop.
    Yes, I sleep sometimes, but usually from 6 am till 1 pm. :o)
    I wish I made pictures of the bulbs that bloomed last year. I didn't really care for that earlier, so I didn't make the journal. Now I am keeping a picture journal. At least, I shoot the pictures and store them. Later, when I retire, (or die), I will have time to sort them out and create that web site. So far I only have a few pics ready and most of them are here in the forum already.

  • 19 years ago

    Wow, what a superb collection!!!!!

    Can't wait to see your site!

  • 19 years ago

    Yes. It is a third of what I intend to have in the future. I am especially hot on Thai Thai. I really want to get that, but no one is distributing it yet. But what's coming late is coming sooner or later... Now I am concentrating on making the new bulbs bloom and nurture the old bulbs back to healthy sizes, so they could produce flowers, offsets and seeds for me. Plus, I keep on buying 10 new varieties per month till they are available.

  • 19 years ago

    As far as heat and developing bud goes my environment for my post blooming hippeas' this summer was a greenhouse that reached temps of 120 during the day (even with fans and ventilation-I'm getting a swamp cooler for next summer). There are about 50 pots with some named doubles so we'll see what happens. I'm letting them bloom on their own schedules so it may be months before blooms though.

    That's quite an impressive list soultan. My list is not as long but growing in leaps and bounds. MY NAME IS ALICE AND I AM NOT ADDICTED. geekgranny

  • 19 years ago

    My name is Alfred, and I am addicted. I want the other 200 varieties NOW.

  • 19 years ago

    geekgranny~

    Was the night temperature above 90F as well?

    It will be interesting to see if there is any change in the next 2 years.

    R.

  • 19 years ago

    LAS!

    Nice list, Soultan!!!!

    I don't have that many, and I do need to take inventory. I suppose I have close to 100 varieties, but my goodness, I am not trying to get them all. Most of what I have were given to me by a dear friend. Some specific varieties, for hybridizing purposes, I have purchased.

    I have LOTS of seedlings. Some will bloom this year, but my better, more unusual crosses were the ones from last year, so it will be awhile.

    Eventually, I hope that all of the mother plants will go in the garden. We have flooding problems in the spring and those dreaded hurricanes, so I plan to keep at least one medium size of favorite varieties in protected areas. Right now, most are protected for the winter. They will start blooming in March.

    Managing what goes where all winter long can get to be somewhat of a hassle. I have limited space, so I manage as I can. I do understand your trying to force them so that they bloom according to space and light. This has become a more difficult challenge for me.

    I don't refrigerate any of mine. They stay in their pots, and this year, because they have multiplied, I have removed the leaves from many of them just before our last predicted hard frost/freeze when they were taken to protected areas.

    Collected plants can be a challenge, and it is fun. The problem is that I collect a lot more than Amaryllis/hippeastrum. But, GEE! These are the beauties that get me through the dull, dark and cold winters. I know! I know! My winters are short, and I am spoiled, but this is the life that I know.

    Can't wait to see your pictures!

  • 19 years ago

    Well, three more blooms have opened-- and much to my surprise, two of the blooms have double the petals. To sum up the plant, there are four blooms, one with only single petals, one with what looks like the beginning of one extra petal, another with several doubel petals and then one more with a plethora of petals. Very odd indeed.

  • 19 years ago

    Yep, White Peacock now seems to be a candidate for the "unstable doubles" file.

    It may be due to some irregularities or event in your bulb's culturing and will probably do better after you grow it for awhile. It may take some time for the buds that were formed earlier on, depending on how many there are inside that were affected by whatever it was.

    Robert.

  • 19 years ago

    Ok-- now my White Peacock is in full bloom. Half are double and half are not-- and each stake is split 50-50 for both. Very weird...but it is gorgeous.

  • 19 years ago

    Ryan:

    Sounds like it is very pretty! It would be great to see some photos of these beauties!

    Frank

  • 19 years ago

    hmm...don't think my post went through-- so I'll try again.

    All of these flowers are from the same bulb. For more pics go to ryans.smugmug.com

    {{gwi:452799}}

    {{gwi:452800}}

  • 19 years ago

    That pretty thing really looks a lot like 'Jewel' to me......the double ones that is. The small form also hints at something other than White Peacock.

    I think you may not have WP after all.

  • 19 years ago

    Well at this point I've given up on guessing what this flower will do-- either way it is very nice looking and it'll stay with me.

    I'll do a search on "Jewel" and see what I come up with.

    Also, the characteristics of the plant is "slender." The leaves are very narrow, the stalks are narrow and the petals aren't "broad" like so many of the others, such as my minivera or red lion. Interesting how they each have their own look.

    Also, I have a Picotee growing and the stalk is a few inches short of 3 feet tall!!! It definitely has picotee looks to it, though, as you can already see the red lining. What color it'll end up, who knows...

  • 19 years ago

    Ryan...you make me think of my stepdaughter who's in the Air Force base there. If that amaryllis pictured above is a Jewel, the flowers should have a scent, one of Jewel's characteristics.

  • 19 years ago

    Jewel. When I went to Smith & Hawkens, I saw that they mislabeled their White Peacock. All the blooming ones were Jewel. I told them, they thanked me and left everything as they were. :o)

  • 19 years ago

    Those are gorgeous regardless of what the name may be! Thanks for sharing Ryan.

    I hope everyone will post their photos so we all can enjoy!

  • 19 years ago

    Definitely a keeper, ryan, whatever it's named. Very pretty. I find that even though it's unerving and disturbing at times, the mislabeling of plants can lead us to mystery and also falling in love with something we may not have chosen in the first place!

  • 19 years ago

    Yeah I'm keeping it. I emailed Nature Hills and they haven't any bulbs anyway to replace this one. Plus, it is a pain to exchange anyway.

    If Jewel has a scent then this is not Jewel-- it has no scent-- in fact it has a slightly smelly scent. Either way it bloomed quickly and the flowers opened in rapid succession. All blooms on both stakes opened before the first flower began to fade.

  • 19 years ago

    My Jewel had very little scent too. So this is not a determining factor. Look is. It most definitely looks like Jewel. I hope Nature Hills gives the money back to you.

  • 19 years ago

    >>>geekgranny~
    Was the night temperature above 90F as well?
    It will be interesting to see if there is any change in the next 2 years.
    R.raydio, Most nights got slightly below 90F during the hottest months, but not much below. A few nights, outside temps, duing late summer and fall don't even come down into the 90's until almost midnight; many fall only into middle 90's around midnight. So their "below" 90F night time, periods is very short for many, many days.

    Those poor mistreated Hippies are putting up scapes now. We'll get to see pretty soon. But then again, we may have to wait until next blooming to see how the developing buds from last summer were affected.

    geekgranny=alice

  • 19 years ago

    Looking forward to seeing what happens.

    Keep us posted!

    R.

  • 18 years ago

    Hello all-- I'm replying to my own post to give an update on the elusive White Peacock. Nature Hills sent me a replacement bulb this past October since the original bulb did not bloom true to its name (many suspect it to be Jewel). Anyway, the replacement bulb opened its first bloom. It is white and it has a semi-double look to it (peacock is suppose to be a full double from what I've read)-- but the flower, at this point, does not look like white peacock. It is flecked with pink at its tips and the color has not bleach out, as some flowers tend to do when opening (my picotee does this-- it looks reddish in color but when fully open, it bleaches pure white with red edging).

    I haven't made a final ruling yet as it has four more buds to bloom on the same scape and another scape on the way-- but the first bloom does not look to me to be white peacock. I won't bother emailing Nature Hills again-- not worth the trouble.

    I'll post a pic when able.

  • 18 years ago

    I almost ordered from Nature Hills... their prices aren't that bad... I opted for John Scheepers and Royal Colors... my Royal Colors order hasn't shown up yet, so I might as well have ordered from Nature Hills... even if I got the wrong bulbs, at least I'd have bulbs!

    If it were me, I'd complain again... but that's me... to me, it would be worth letting them know that twice I got the wrong bulb sent to me... that really says something about their packing and shipping department, or the grower they order from...

  • 18 years ago

    Ryan, if you really wanted White Peacock and it turned out something else that you don't even really like, then you should complain again with pictures attached to the e-mail. When I got Celica instead of Chianti, I only did not complain because the mixed up bulb bloomed for me a true to name other kind, that I still haven't had, so I was fine with it. But when I wanted Aphrodite, and it turned out Nymph, I asked for replacement bulb. When the replacement bulb turned out Nymph as well, I just went ahead and ordered from Royal Colors (turned out real Aphrodite), and requested a refund from MZ. They sent out two bulbs for me and at the end, they had to refund... This will happen to Angelique too. If they do not reply to me in a month, I will just talk to MasterCard and initiate the refund myself.

    Please post a picture. I am really interested in what you have.

  • 18 years ago

    Ryan: I just had a Razzmatazz, from JS, in bloom. It put up only 1 scape, with 4 blooms: two doubles, and two singles. The double flowers didn't open properly, the center never fully uncurled. I wonder if that was a temperature problem. My White Peacock from ABC turned out to be Rainbow: the flower shape wasn't quite right, and it's end were streaked with pink. Rainbow is another double that is sold by ABC.

    Soultan: Along with my Chianti from MZ which is probably Lady Jane, my Angelique from MZ just bloomed: very pretty, but I also think it is actually Faro. Wonder how many more surprises I will have this season.

  • 18 years ago

    Palm,
    They are absolutely quiet. I have sent them my second request and NO answer whatsoever... I am afraid, I will have to initiate a charge-back with the credit card company.
    That Faro is definitely Not like Angelique whatsoever. Have you found out how to put your pictures online?

  • 18 years ago

    MZ seems to have a rather high rate of mislabeled bulbs!

    The only bulb I have that is not what it's supposed to be is labeled Vivaldi, but Soultan tells me that the picture on the label is incorrect... we shall see what it is when it blooms... it has a scape growing right now... it shouldn't be too much longer... I'm wondering what the flower will look like... will it be the real Vivaldi? or will it be the same as the label photo? I don't know that we ever named what the photo is of, so if the bulb turns out to match the label, I'll have to post a picture so Soultan can tell me what it is!

  • 18 years ago

    Hehe...
    I can guess... But I will definitely be able to tell you if it is Vivaldi or not.

  • 18 years ago

    I have complete faith that you will be able to put a name to it once you see it! I'm hoping it really is Vivaldi, and that the picture on the tag is just wrong... but I have a feeling that the flower and picture will match, and it's not Vivaldi. That's how my luck goes, so that's what I expect.

    "Expect the worst, and you'll never be disappointed!" The Koura Family Mantra!

  • 18 years ago

    Talking about Disappointing: My Queen of Hearts turned out Apple Blossom. Now, I'm not sure I can get a Queen of Hearts this late locally. I will drive out tomorrow to see. How disappointing... I have a truckload of Apple Blossoms and I don't even like them.

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