Congrats, Kim. I seem to recall that bella has a nice scent. I bet it will be covered with blooms by summer's end!

Denise in Omaha

It has well over a dozen peduncles on it, one is getting close to opening but these sure take their sweet time!

I do not remember ever smelling my mom's, but went and smelled the flowers this morning. They really do smell nice! It is a very soft and slightly spicy floral scent.

Yay Kim! I may have to try this one again in the future.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

You should, this one is great for Northern growers. I wanna say it is from higher elevations in the Himalayas, but can not recall for sure. I do not know why more people do not grow this one, grows fast, fills out quickly, and is generous with blooms. Took me 3 years from cuttings to bloom but if I had of been fertilizing properly probably 2, and maybe even 1 if I hadn't forgot to water it most of the winter 2 years ago... whoops. I could see it being a challenge in a hot climate.

So very pretty and delicate to look at.....

Woo Hoo!! Beautiful flower.

Nice blooms. Kim. I tried Bella twice but they fried in the Florida heat. Your plant looks very nice as well. It must love where it is !

Marco

Bummer, and I feel your pain. Summer here is hard on my bella too, need to figure out a better solution for it but only so much you can do. Mostly it is happy all but a couple months of the year. With any luck, I will have tons more flowers soon. As long as the temps do not spike too high that is!

Mine bloomed not long after I got the cuttings from GG, maybe months. It bloomed for a few times, then it started to decline once I brought it in for the winter.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

How did you grow it over the winter?

In a bright window, but I think it was more of a watering issue. I tend to not feel as energetic about my plants in the winter and that's why I think some of them don't look happy or perish during that time. I try not to water them too much since they're not actively growing, but some of them get a little too dry. Still trying to get the hang of it until I can get a greenhouse.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Ah, gotcha. That was sort of what happened to mine a couple winters ago. Got busy with school and well... whoops. Fortunately bella lives above my kitchen sink in the winter. Makes it easier to remember to water! Now though, I get so into gardening by the end of the season I am glad to have plants in the house to fuss over.

Oooh this bloom smells absolutely AMAZING. Lots of smells I am allergic to, not this one though so even better.

Someone really needs to figure out how to bottle this fragrance so I can buy it by the gallon. I am now seriously considering getting the other forms of H. bella now, forget what they are called, one has green edges and white centers and the other is reversed, just to have more flowers that smell like this.

It's like something a lady of refinement would wear in her boudoir, elegant and classy, but reminiscent of sunshine and fields of flowers such that while externally you bask the classiness of it all, internally you giggle, remembering running through those fields as a girl.

Or something like that anyways.

I wish I could find a good size Bella somewhere.

I had a beautiful variegated one a few years ago that bloomed constantly.

I didn't realize that it wanted to be kept moist and ended up killing it.

Now that I know how to care for it I can't find one.

Kim, you give descriptions similar to what GG posts lol.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Hehehe, oh yeah, GG and her Estrella Waterfalls right?

Janice, if you like I could trade cuttings of bella later on. Just do not want to take anymore for a bit.

Exactly, Kim lol. Gotta add that one to my wish list ;).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Aaah yes. That ever growing monster that signifies the end of all our spare money, time, and resources that we affectionately refer to as our, "wish list". ;) we should compare them ome of these days.

My wish list includes non-Hoyas and flowers for my outdoor garden, Xanadu. Some of the Hoyas on my wish list I already know where I am getting them from: right here on the forum :).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Another umbel opened today.

Beautiful, Kim. What a nice plant too ! it obviously loves where it's at. Congrats !

Marco

Thank you Marco, this one is definitely my "baby". I am so very happy to see it in bloom, and there are many more peduncles of buds forming all over it!