Very nice ...

What a lovely site to see this morning Jeff !!!! Thanks! OH and is that Opt. Pennsylvania in the background of the last pix? She is one of my favorites! Rosie

Both Ness' Fantasy Gold and Buckeye Seductress are famous to be slow to come into bloom. Good Job, Mr. Jeff! Solid color Optimaras put me to sleep too.

Yeah - I know, Rosie. I am spoiled rotten.

No Rosie, that is one of my 15 "reddish" plants. The one in the background is "Arapahoe". Nice, as is "Pennsylvania", but neither are red!

Awww, that's ok Irina! We all have our favorites!!! Now where did I put vol. 74 of my Wish List? Gotta write down these names! Rosie

PS. Irina,,,I think you are spoiled sweet!

Ha, I got tired of the tiny flowers of Ness Fantasy Gold, I passed it to Rosie. Buckeye Seductress is one of my favorites!

Julie she is doing well and is setting more buds as we speak. I do love her! Little flowers or not, she is a keeper!!!! Rosie

Ness' Fantasy Gold has medium size often misshapen flowers - but the color is very interesting and the orange-yellow streaks are attracting hybridizers trying to lock it in the next generation. I am sure we have it in the parentage of newer hybrids - we just do not have access to this information.

So - it is an unusual plant. Probably not for everybody. I love when it is in bloom, but you just feel getting old by waiting it to finally produce. It holds the bloom for a very long time - so if you have a good bunch of flowers - they are quite cheerful.

Buckeye Seductress is gorgeous - the only problem for me - it is very variable. Each plant comes a bit different. You come to the Show- and there will be 3-4 of them - and sometimes you have trouble believing that it is the same hybrid.

What can I say - somebody loves a cream pie - and somebody - salted herring. And it is great. Otherwise we will be all growing the same 30 Optimaras... and nothing else...

Each of these are so beautiful! Going to start a wish list like Rosie's. Would add a new spin on going to AV shows and sales...picture this...standing in front of a table looking through pages and pages to see if a plant is on my list. Ha! Nah. Guess these lists are meant for swaps and online ordering only.

Love that Ness' Fantasy Gold!

You try it. May it will make your heart beat faster - may be not. If not - pass it to somebody else. I believe it has a great potential for crossing - just too interesting to write it off. Some people like huge flowers, some like greenish blossoms - it is a question of a personal preference. I love species. Well grown Saintpaulia velutina or orbicularis var. purpurea gives me more joy than the one that has 3.5" blossom.

Irina, the weird one.

Buckeye Seductress has had my eye for a while. I love the pale purple ontop the variegated leaves. Very nice!

"I hate to say it but some of my plants just bloom all the time, especially the Optimaras. I actually catch myself bored looking at the same beautiful flowers day after day. -- Jeff Z."

Many folks will likely not understand such a complaint, Jeff. I have the same issue with Phalanopsis flowers.

Well Paul, I will have to admit ignorance here. I have no experience with Phalanopsis flowers but I get your drift.

The longer I collect and grow AV's, the more narrow and precise my interests have become.

Thank goodness for all the very true enthusiasts out there who keep coming up with new AV ideas and technology. Should keep me going for a while!

It is not uncommon with Phalanopsis (the orchids commonly sold in grocery stores and BBSs) for the same flowers to last 2-4 months. After awhile, they become "invisible" ... having been there so long as to have lost the awe factor.

My problem is my plant tastes are too diverse. Hard to find room for all that interest me ... orchids, cacti/succs, carnivorous plants, etc .......