Winter Flowers

I have four rather different ones that I have just photographed. The first is one of the best from open pollinated seed from the Lima greens. It is certainly the smoothest and is what I call a blue green. Also one of the largest measuring 53-55 mm in diameter. There are some later flowering smooth flowers of this type only showing buds now.

The second type are what I call khaki greens and have more yellow in the perianth. Many of the flowers with this coloring come from ‘Lima’s Green Success’. This is a first bloom seedling but has a rather undisciplined perianth so it will probably have to go.

I really like this little flower. It is a volunteer in a pot of N. elegans. That species normally flowers in November. My guess is that it was crossed with N. serotinus, hence the strange lemon-ivory colored cup. It is diamond dusted and with a smooth perianth. It is 27 mm in diameter and only 14 cm tall. Wish I had it in flower during the show season.

The last is a selection from 01-087 [(Avalanche x Sol D’Or) by Emerald Sea]. Am not sure how this compares to Hunter’s ‘Emerald Monarch’ as I have not seen that in the flesh yet. Many from 01-087 have weak stems, but this is pretty good. There is a picture from the garden this morning and four stems staged. I think this will eventually be introduced. I will need to check to see if it is fertile.