John Hollever and I were both at our adjoining daff patches this afternoon and had a chance to look at a few seedlings .It was a week since our early show and after a cold southerly burst that gave snow to most of the country , we had a run of good frosts .However , a good inch of warm , northerly rain over the weekend and the bulbs have moved considerably .
John sows seeds every season but most are from open pollinated flowers .He has a big collection of the best show flowers and selects seed from only the very best or from proven parents .We found some attractive and well formed flower in the seedling selections that had been down three years .
This was a big , round trumpet , – flat , smooth and good substance .Good golden colour .
A big white trumpet , – good white flat perianth and a very tightly waisted trumpet . The look was spoiled a little by the rather flanged and serrated end to the very long trumpet that was a different shade of white .A good sized early flower .
A tidy pink that just measured trumpet .It was a Te Rangi Pai seedling with the good perianth that it is giving , on a taller stem .John liked the even , attractive flanged rim . As you can see from the background rows , the main lines of show daffs are still a few weeks away but looking good.
An orange trumpet that fully measured .Opens pale orange but tones to a true orange . good round form , had the look of Hero , but as Demmo is just opening here , suspect that may be mum .
Demmo , an elegant early large cup that is always an indicator that the show season is approaching .A young flower here .
The garden name of this bright double is ” Turbocharger ” . It is the brightest from many selections from the cross 88 – 23 ( Scorcher – x – Cinel ) . It has the bright colours of its mum and the tall , strong stem of Early Orbit . It does not have the symmetry of a show flower , can look a little spikey but is so strong and vibrant .
88- -23 has good colour , strong , med / tall stem and good neck that it mostly gives to its children .The perianth is a little pointed , as is that of Turbocharger .
The snow had been well down on Mount Hector ; when the southerly blew through we had some good frosts but some good growth after the weekend rain .
Some nice seedlings so early in the season. How do you get such good weed control in your fields?
Nice baby’s. I think our next NZ vacation will need to start mid August when your new blooms start coming in. My lunar probe bloomed last month and it was one of favorite new NZ blooms for 2016.