Monday, July 8, 2013

More Iris Seeds!

Like I needed more... Ha! ;)


Mother: Immortality Iris
Father: Purple Mom/Black Dad #1
Result: 39 seeds!

I'm really excited about this. I have to admit, I was nervous. I kept feeling the pod and it was giving so much that I thought I was experiencing an 'air pod', no seeds inside. Then heading out today, I saw that the top of the pod was peeling open - but there was a big ol' bug-chewed hole.

I was very relieved to see that there was no damage inside. There were 39 seeds inside. I can't wait to winter-sow them. Very excited. ;)

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Pink/White Pods

This has been a strange year when it comes to the amaryllis.

May 10, 2013 - Pink/White Amaryllis

May 17, 2013 - Pink/White Amaryllis

June 11, 2013 - Pink/White Seed Pod
What stunned me this year is that there were a handful of seed pods swelling on the Pink/White. I have only ever been successful once in getting a seed pod to set and give me viable seeds. Every year, it's just failure after failure. It hates its own pollen and the pollen of others.


June 12, 2013 Pink/White Mother & Red Father Amaryllis
And in fact - This flower here was from the only seed pod I could get from the Pink/White years back. I labeled it as "PinkWhite Mom/Unknown Father". For some strange reason it decided to bloom this year, way after spring. When the flower opened, it revealed that the father was Red. It doesn't show anything exciting or new - which means that Red is an incredibly dominant color. I selfed the flowers because there were no other amaryllis flowers at this time of year - all three flowers died out with no seed pods. Does this mean it inherited its mother's dislike for pollen? Who knows.

June 25, 2013 - Amaryllis Seeds
All said and done, The Pink/White Amaryllis set not one.. not two.. but three seed pods with viable seeds. The insides were a mixture of black seeds and a bunch of chaff. I don't know *what* it was this year that got the Pink/White excited enough to set three seed pods but I gotta get these seeds in some dirt...

What an odd year!