Here are some interesting seedlings blooming this morning......


I'm anxious to see this one relax and expand

Pictures 7 and 9 get my vote! It must be really fun waking up and seeing your creations every morning. I have one seedling (bee pod) that might bloom next year. I've had some luck making the crosses some years, but then had trouble getting them to germinate. You should start a thread about how to get the seeds to grow. I know I'd sure like that.

Wow, what a beautiful crop of seedlings that is! Each one of them is gorgeous!

Tom...I may start that thread. I had lots of success with germination in 2010 but not so much this spring.

I like the first red very much. The 2nd to the last picture is also quite appealing.

The red with blue beards is great

I know there are many others who are good at that who could join in and help out us newbees with germination.

Tom we don't do anything specieal Plant them in ports outside over the winter as they need the cold.

Awww, Tom, they are all just SOOOO pretty!! How could I pick a favorite?

Dot

1, 8, 9, 10. Droooooooollllllllll Very very nice.

Love 'em all -- WOW!!!

Lucy, I read an article by Paul Black a while back. Put the seeds in the pots, buried the pots outside over winter, got 3 seeds to germinate, all from the bee pod, none of the others came up. One of the 3 survived. still waiting on the remaining one to bloom, might happen next year. I have one that came up as a volunteer years ago, and is a nice purple self with loads of fragrance, a whitish beard and some white marks near the beard. The one remaining seedling is from this purple volunteer, so it will most likely be just another purple self. I'd like to get one of my crosses to germinate. Last year out of about 20 attempts, I got no seed pods. Guess I'm getting worse at it.

I have the best success getting seed pods by pollinating a freshly open flower early in the day while the stigmatic lip is still moist. I prefer pollen from a second day flower...fluffy. Not all crosses take so make some extra. Some varieties do not have pollen. I harvest the seed in the fall as the pods mature. dry the seed on paper plates for a few days and then store in envelopes. I start my seedlings in the house...About November I soak the seed for a few days changing the water. I then put the seed on a damp paper towel. fold it up, wrap in foil, put in plastic bags, and refrigerate for a couple of months. I then plant them and grow them on in a sunny window or under lights until I can line them out in May. In 2011 I got lots of seedlings...this spring not as many. This is more "labor intensive' than many people like to bother with but it works for me and I get bloom one year quicker. I'll post more seedling pictures in another thread.