They are both so pretty, but I'm really loving the purple and white one! You really scored big on this little splurge.

The bottom one is almost for sure "Smoky Mountain". Optimara doesn't really have any other plants to confuse it with. The top one could be one of several.

Julie had a "Millennium" pic posted here not long ago. I have one of those as well and yours looks similar to mine and hers.

Both of these plants are very handsome and good bloomers. You were lucky to have found the Smoky Mountain at a BBS. I had to buy mine thru SG at roughly twice the price you paid!

I actually found the Millennium page later, but hey!! named plants!! yay!!

I just got an alert today.. They better have some good ones! Ive been eyeing smokey mountains

I had no idea Lowes carried such a variety. All the AVs I've seen have been boring. Those are beautiful!!

I surely hope I can find a Smoky Mountain this Friday. I agree the top one is "Millennium". I did buy a couple of leaves of Smoky Mountain from SG and they are rooted and doing great, but I don't mind finding a blooming one at Lowe's. The price for a pair of leaves including shipping from SG is actually 4 times of what I would have paid in BBS for a blooming one. But I was desperate.

Talking about Millennium, the blooms are showing more white now in my house. The flower is becoming red thumb print with white band. And the red is not so red anymore. But it's still very pretty.

Good observation - seems that in thumbprints the amount of darker color - red or blue - depends on a season - reds overwhelm white in summer. Blues can to go both directions.

It is fall....

I really love them already! I finally debudded and repotted tonight. I planted some flower stalks, half for fun and half for insurance. I really wanted to cross the Mountains with my Dali, but it didn't have pollen sacs or a style? I've never seen that before.

That is actually very common with double flowers, Marina. The extra petals replaced the stamens and pistil (if that was also missing).

The more you know! It's okay--I can live without crossing it (or maybe future flowers will have pollen etc). They're doing well so I'm sure they'll be blooming again soon.

Marina -

I wish you to be more adventurous. Take an Optimara plant - and cross it with a fancy one - fantasy, thumbprint, double, Russians - whatever you like- peferrably with large blossoms. The result will be interesting - at least part of the progeny will have the advantage of a strong durable plant with bigger and more interesting blossoms.

Optimara x Optimara... You will be working with the same genes Holtkamps spent 50 years playing with. No surprises there. You will spend 2 years waiting for your babies to bloom....and it will be Home Depot all over again.

I.

Irina, great idea of crossing Opt. with Russian. Yep,,,great!! Marina if you do that, please post some of the results! Bet they will be beautiful!!!! Rosie

I don't own any fancy ones yet--but maybe some day. Once I get my first successful cross I'm sure I'll pick traits more carefully in future.

But the SM will likely grow flowers with pollen in future, right....?

I am not familiar with this variety - hopefully it will throw some flowers with pollen sacks or stamen to use. Just keep an eye on each one.

Whatever you wind up with, Marina, sounds like it could be a fun and rewarding little project.

Sort of like the Olympics of "waiting".

Oh Irina!!! You are making me blush! Rosie

;-))