'Sorbonne'

Gorgeous Neal. I think every 'Cobra' I have ever tried to grow has been eaten by something, bug or mammal. Never had one look that good. Guess I'll have to enjoy that one through your pictures.

Every oriental I've tried to grow has failed for one reason or another (though I've got two Sumatras doing nicely this year) so I think of this entire thread as my oriental garden. The Queens are so pretty. And that Cobra looks very special. Is it the photo, Neal, or do they really have what looks like white piping on the reverse, and that strong white edge? So eye-catching. And the form is great.

Thanks, Tracey :-)

Laura, Cobra does exhibit the white piping on the reverse and the white margin. It does make them pop out at the viewer, even though the blooms aren't that large. I believe it was bred for the cut flower industry, the smaller bloomed Orientals are easier to ship and arrange without damaging the blooms.

I never knew that.Interesting.Everything is engineered for packing and shipping.Thats why store tomatoes are so awful.

Are you growing your own lilies for sale bouquets, Neal? That would be neat.

I use flowers from the garden from time to time for events, but usually there are specific colors requested that I'm not likely to have enough of. I love having a few of each color, but events require lots of one color. There is a Lily grower here in town who grows them for cut flowers and sells at the Farmers Market. They have a nice greenhouse operation and offer nice OTs as cut flowers that you don't see at market very often.

Mint Fizz (from Buggy)

Mini Mona Lisa

What a pairing that is, jmorth!

Love Mini Mona, Jo.

Wouldn't growing lilies for profit for cut be such fun, Neal? I see stalks of asiatics being sold for 8.00, and the orientals for 12.00. I can just imagine what an OT woudl bring. I guess you would have to replant each year, but what a great business that would be.

And those prices only get you about 4 blooms for an oriental. Can you imagine the price a mature stem from an OT would bring? Heck, the tall ones you wouldn't even have to lose that much stem.

How about some 'Hot Lips'?

'Hot Lips' would be in Moby's garden, wouldn't it? Your naughty garden is always up to no good, isn't it

Love the Buggy oriental spotting. I'm already missing her creations.

It would be fun to grow Lilies for profit! The local place sells 4 stem bouquets for $27. They grow tall varieties and cut about half the stem, then nurture the plants till they go dormant and sell the bulbs later. I've heard from folks who've received the bulbs that they perform well in the garden afterword. I've recently become friends with one of the owner's daughter, she says she's going to get some bulbs for me :-). Florists and floral designers prefer fewer blooms per stem than what we see on a mature plant in the garden, they're much easier to use that way- each bloom can be positioned in the arrangement where desired.

Why not do it then, Neal? It's so cheap to get the ones from the Dutch trade, and to sell at $27.00 for four stems! That would buy two bags of bulbs.

jmorth, I wanted that Mint Fizz so badly...ack! the green-eyed monster! It was sold out when I first saw it...Yep, envy is a baaad thing, lol! Thanks for the picture of it:))

tgg, you're right on...it truely is a beauty; I'm hoping Buggy returns to business...

Another view of Mint Fizz where in the green aspect is more pronounced -

That has the coolest spot pattern.

Buggy is truly gifted in her eye for crossing orientals.

Agreed...Anyone heard from Lisa lately?