Two more pics in warmer light -

Lena, your photos are so lovely! I have loads of H. Giraffe this year and can't wait to see blooms!

Lena,

Five flowers!! How did you ever do it!! Your pictures are lovely!! I just had one bloom from a large healthy bulb that someone gave me and it put out just 2 gorgeous flowers. Looking back at my pictures it seems that all I ever got was just 2 flowers on any of my Giraffes, possibly 3 but never 4 or 5!!

This picture doesn't hold a candle to all of yours and it is very encouraging to know what this bulb can produce if I can only find the trick to making it happy!

Donna

Hi ladies and thank you so much for your kind words!!
Giraffe surprised me too with this show of five flowers and overall performance. I have to admit I was not impressed with it when I purchased it a year ago but I'm glad I got a chance to change my opinion about it.

I have been experimenting with fertilizers trying to find the perfect method to use in these growing conditions. One of my contacts in the Netherlands recommended a fertilizer rich in Potassium and it has been very good. It is a slow releasing formula. I give it to the plants in spring and summer, with some Nitrogen. A fertilizer rich in Phosphorus is in use in the fall and winter. So far this system seems to be working quite well.

Wonderful ! and beautiful pics. Thanks for the advice on fertilization.

Thank you so much Tsucath!
I have still so much to learn... I think the key to success is to learn what works for you, in your living enviroment and climate. I have made masses of mistakes, and I still do, fortunately hippies are quite strong and forgiving, but of course they can't take everything that's dished out on them.
And I can't take it for granted that every bulb I have will blossom again and again... but if some do and when they do, I'm over the moon!! :)

oh I understand that ! Hipies are amazing. How is it possible I discover them only now ???

Some of the very best pictures of "Giraffe" that I am aware of. Congratulations, and thank you for sharing! Oh, and I have 3 "Giraffe" in the queue; the scapes just poking out.

Lena, beautiful pics of Giraffe. It really shows off how lovely this flower is. - J

Hans-Werner and J thank you!! Much appreciated, thanks. And please remember to share your images of Giraffe!

Any crosses in mind? I pollinated Giraffe with Belicia. No high hopes though...

My "Giraffe" produce seeds but seldom. If "Belicia" is a DIP then you might be more lucky with the reciprocal crosspollination. But admittedly I am inclined to take "Belicia" for a TET. "Striped on Striped" is, in any case, a good choice

Thank you Hans. I am tempted to try that cross the other way around but not sure if Belicia could handle it. That bulb was a leftover and I got it from a local store at a very low price. I've collected pollen from both for future use.

My own observations indicate that seed production is not as much of a "burden" for the bulb as it is readily asserted. The seed pods will rather abort, IF the bulb is indeed in such a bad state THAT it is likely "not to handle it".

Very comforting and reassuring point of view Hans thank you. I will reconsider and probably make the cross. The bulb is in ok condition but I hesitated for that very reason you mentioned, for fear of overburdening a bulb that has not settled yet.

I have 3 scapes coming on a pot of H. Giraffe. I do love those blooms. I hope they bloom all at once, and maybe have more than 3 scapes as they are just starting to peek out!!

Beautiful Hans, very beautiful. - J

If you have "Giraffe" in bloom, and you have any other "DIP" Hippeastrums in flower at the same time, then my suggestion is to crosspollinate in either direction. "Giraffe" is not as likely to produce seeds, but "never say never". It is fair to presume that "Giraffe" is a Papilio hybrid with H.evansiae, (what I actually mean is to consider it FOR a papilio hybrid from an non-veined, green or white parent!) which comes to light if you breed with it. You will obtain a very broad range of colors! I am just now, delaying the bloom of my 3 "Giraffe" and waiting for "Striped Panther" to sprout. Hmmmm...

Kristi remember to post images of your Giraffe when in bloom, it will be a spectacular sight!

Hans thank you so much for sharing the portrait and history of your Giraffe and your experiences in breeding hippeastrum. Your thoughts and notes about this topic are always most welcome and very interesting.

'Sumatra's flowers will open soon and I hope Giraffe's second scape would open by then too. Dip x dip... ?

>>Dipdip<<<
Absolutely!

Chico and Giraffe? (both flowering now).

I had performed this once, many years ago, but the results were not spectacular. All siblings with pastel colors, not one with dramatic contrasts. They are all "gone" and my only "Reminiscence" of them is from crossbreeding one with ["Chico" x H.papilio] which produced some nice siblings, one was the Pink "Curled wings"

With Sumatra it will be!
And what did I find this evening?! a tip of a scape in Fairytale!! Fairytale has not bloomed for two years I think and now, this spring, wow!
Isn't it worth considering also? as a pod parent for stored pollen, for it will be over a month till it blossoms.

Beautiful flowers Y'all. Fine work !