{Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum - in August and September}

Summer does last a lot longer here in the 'Deep South' as they call our region...

That sure has been true for our Fragrant Flowers, the Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum that bloomed on August 9, and again on September 24.

This is on August 9th...

Sure we have had lots of rain this summer as is evident here in this photo.

In only 2 days these buds did open up fully. This was on August 7.

The foliage is rather wavy...

Those raindrops on the almost bursting flower buds look very special.

One stem holds lots of flowers!

Husband Pieter took this photo of a second stem with flowers on September 24!

That are again several flowers, a total of six, on one stem!

Leaves do start falling down and accumulate on the patio in front of our greenhouse.

A very good photo showing the wavy leaves!

A final photo where Pieter is holding a single, large flower in his hands.

Wish I could also transmit its fragrance...

Related links:

Mariette on Google+

{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum 2013}

Our fragrant Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum was blooming on August 1, in Our Garden, here in Georgia/USA. 

Here I have cut off one stem with no less than 8 flowers. Some were still buds but nevertheless!

Looking perfect in this tall Baccarat crystal vase.

• They are of the Amaryllidaceae familly. There are supposed to be varieties that originated in South America and also in South Africa. 
• The link South Africa and Indonesia is a very logic one, since both countries belonged to The Kingdom of The Netherlands.
• Lots of Javanese people were brought to South Africa from Indonesia, to cultivate the fields as they were very adept and natural gardeners. 
• With that, of course plants and bulbs have gone back and forth as well. Enjoy our Indonesian species of fragrant white Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum:

A very green lawn we have this year due to all the heavy rains.

The sky is again looking pregnant with rain here...

There was no way to make any decent photos inside the home so I used this table on the patio outside our Rose Suite.

The second link below this post will tell you more about how we got this Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum from Indonesia, where we worked and lived.

We are sure glad we did bring a bulb from our Indonesian garden home with us!

They are such a reward each year. 

Highly fragrant too!

Here they are, in their big planter in front of our greenhouse. Under the left blossom you see the steps of our gazebo...

This photo is from August 18, when other blossoms had opened up.

A very happy and healthy plant and we're so glad for having something from the country where we used to work and live...

Related links:
{Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Wonosobo, Indonesia} | previous post by me
{Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{New Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{Our Tropical Patio with Orchids in Indonesia} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Our Garden}

• As promised yesterday, now I like to show you our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Our Garden, here in Georgia/USA. 
• We're having heavy thunderstorms right now, so the weather for the garden is great. Not for blogging, as I accidentally hit the Publish button instead of Save... scared I would loose it all when the power could go off. Never mind; thanks to God for lots of rain!
• Following photos are from our July blooms of the Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in our garden. 
• They are of the Amaryllidaceae familly. There are supposed to be varieties that originated in South America and also in South Africa. 
• The link South Africa and Indonesia is a very logic one, since both countries belonged to The Kingdom of The Netherlands.
• Lots of Javanese people were brought to South Africa from Indonesia, to cultivate the fields as they were very adept and natural gardeners. 
• With that, of course plants and bulbs have gone back and forth as well. Enjoy our Indonesian species of fragrant white Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum:

• This is the reward, a gorgeous showcase of fragrant white blooms!
• My husband Pieter did dig them up and planted them in a huge planter.

We also have provided an avid collector, Patrizia Ianne, in Bassano del Grappa, Italy with some plants.

• Pieter did dig up some young plants complete with bulbs and leaves, from this very planter, and we sent them via FedEx 2nd day air, to Patrizia Ianne's friend in San Francisco. 
• That friend did travel to Italy for Christmas so she could carry them with her. 
• Imagine; from Wonosobo, Indonesia to Dublin, Georgia and via San Francisco to Bassano del Grappa in Italy. 
• We hope that hers did as well as ours this year. 
• Last year they barely survived with the extreme heat and drought, that's the reason my husband had to dig them up in order to save them. 
• Here they are adjacent to the make-shift plastic greenhouse for not quite hardy plants in planters during winter. It is to the side of our green house. 

• This is how the wavy leaves look like and how the plant starts budding out...

• Thanks to natural rain, they look super healthy!

• Raindrops always look special on any plant. This is a large planter with yummy potting soil and one can tell that they look happy!

• FIVE blooms on one stem!
• Wonder how their siblings in Bassano del Grappa, Italy turned out this summer...

• Same stem only two and a half hours later...

• We did have another batch of them mid August...
• Flowers last only one day so you have to make your photo in time for capturing the beauty.
• Hope you enjoyed these fragrant Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum and their history.

Do any of you keep Amaryllis in the garden?

Related links:

{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Wonosobo, Indonesia} | previous post by me
{Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{New Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{Our Tropical Patio with Orchids in Indonesia} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Wonosobo, Indonesia}

• Yesterday I showed you our large fixed planter box on the patio of the house in Wonosobo, Indonesia. 
• I've also pointed out the green leafed plant in the center, to the right. Well, that is our treasured Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum. Let me introduce it to you here...

• Heavenly fragrant Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum...
• We found them adjacent to our home in Indonesia and when we carefully dug them up, we found they were bulbs. So those bulbs we treasured and had them in that fixed planter box.
• Sure enough they did cross the oceans with us, will show you in our next post how they did here.

• Their sweet fragrance is indeed heavenly!
• In the bright tropical sunlight it is not easy to take great photographs... 

• They have multiple blooms and than another repeat.

• You can see the planter box here. 
• The leaves of the Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum are rather broad and a bit weavy. 
• Below are two links from 2010 and 2011 where they bloom in our garden here in Georgia, USA.
• Will show you again some great blooms from this July.
• Hope you enjoyed this exotic and rare fragrant bulb!
• Wish I could reproduce its fragrance for you...

Related links:
{Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{New Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{Our Tropical Patio with Orchids in Indonesia} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Our Tropical Patio with Orchids in Indonesia}

• This time I am eager to show you Our Tropical Patio and Orchids in Wonosobo, Indonesia. 
• This will also prove that orchids only require the bare minimum for thriving well. 
• Come on in, step outside from our kitchen-dining area onto the tiled patio. 
• Our patio was walled in, for privacy as is very common in lots of countries. 
• Against that wall were boards of wood wool, on which orchids attached their aerial roots. 
• Also a larger planter box was there and some bonsai type tree in a pot.

• Orchid blooms are so rewarding!
• It gives you really the feeling of being in the tropics.
• At Singapore airport there are thousands of orchids in pots, all around. It makes you think you just went to heaven! But look at our own little heaven we had in Wonosobo, Indonesia...

• The green leafed plant (Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum) in the center, front to the right I will show in a future post as it has a story...
• Most of you recognize several house plants in this planter. Well, they grow like weeds in the tropics and we do pamper them indoors where they never thrive as well as in their natural habitat.
• High humidity; that is KEY.

• Tiled patio and this fixed large planter box and adjacent a little pot with bonsai tree.

• Another planter box and you see those boards with wood wool against the wall with the orchids.

• The entire wall was covered with those boards with wood wool and an enormous variety of orchids.

• Let's have a look at them.
• Have you ever seen them grow like this on a board of wood wool?

• They are a real study in beauty...

• All blooms are so different and also their leaves.

• Are they not a dream?

• We could not get enough of them...

• Such variety!

• Guess that fern is clinging onto the board of wood wool as well...
• By the way, above photo gives you a good view of that board.

• Such a soft cream with some tender lilac color...

• A completely different variety... in golden yellow.

• This one looks like an elegant, upside down cousin of the hyacinth...

• Not the best photo but I wanted to introduce you to this variety as well.

• Another beauty...

Like little bells.

At least you got an idea of the enormous Orchid variety we had.

They were no fussy plants for cultivating and such loyal bloomers.

We loved them and it sure made for a super spot for having our coffee after work; to unwind.

On Sunday we would read here and I did crochet on my filet lace curtains...

Yep, those rose curtains at the front door are made in Indonesia!

Many fond memories of paradise, besides our consulting job, which we loved too.

Did I convince you now for getting an orchid, or two?

Related links:
{Our Home in Wonosobo, Indonesia} | Previous post by me
{Dieng Plateau Indonesia - Where We Worked} | Previous post by me
{Our arrival in Jakarta, Indonesia} | Previous post by me
{Fly with us to Jakarta, Indonesia} | Previous post by me
{Updating my readers before getting to Jakarta} | Previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{New Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum}

• Pieter did dig up the bulbs of our {Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} (just click on this hyperlink to go to the previous blog) as they were struggling in the wood garden between the competing roots of trees. 
• There is always competition for food and the strongest usually wins! 
• It is a pity that Pieter did not take any photos of the bulbs before planting them in containers again. 
• But I like to show you their blooms for this year. Glad we kept them alive and well. Of course due to giving water with the hose. Pieter, being the handy man he is, has put a pump inside the pond and that runs with a switch of the button in the green house. Water at hand for some needy plants and trees. Not for all though...

• They do have wavy foliage...

• Photos are from August 4.

Mariette on Google+