Mischief, of course!

We've had a very productive year. After two years of freeze damage and general mayhem wrought by our old pal Mother Nature, the weather settled down, the buds came and plants we had planned to register over a year ago bloomed again. It was a long wait, but we think you'll agree the results were worth the wait.A good number of these new releases will be available this year, so keep checking every week or so to see if your favorites show up in our online store.

Winter has come to Florida. Ordinarily, our temperatures remain in the 50 - 70 degree range. As of late, we're getting temperatures in the 35 - 60 degree range which means we have to be ever vigilent about the slightest trends toward freezing. Despite the low temperatures, we've had some of our crosses from last year setting rather nice blooms. These are part of the group we may be registering within the next month or two. So, this is a sneak peek at what's new for 2011. Hope you enjoy them...

We've managed to get renewed growth from some survivors of last year's freeze! These Brugmansia seedlings made it through the hot Florida summer and are finally blooming again! The hard work and wait was worth it. Make a note of these crosses. It may be use for your breeding program.

Oftentimes, as I read through the various plant forums, i encounter letters from new hybridizers. After doing their homework, making a plan and racheting up their expectations, the much awaited blooms arrive. Some of those blooms are a sobering moment. The color isn't there. There are no real distinguishing characteristics that make the resulting blooms different enough to warrant being registered. Worse yet...ewwww, a pure white bloom. More often than not, the novice hybridizer says, "It just came out...white!" - as if this adds to the crash and burn. If you see something of yourself and your experience in this, take heart. We have a few insights into the situation that just might alleviate your angst.