Bob Fisher, who has been growing plumerias for the past
fifteen years, decided to name one of his hand-pollinated plumeria seedlings Plumeria
‘Bob Walsh’ in honor of Bob Walsh, author of How To Grow Plumeria – Frangipani Anytime Anywhere!.
After years of collecting and growing plumerias from cuttings
Bob Fisher broadened his plumeria world by starting to hybridize plumerias with
his own method using pine needles which has shown to be quite successful for
creating magnificent plumeria hybrids.
In all his hand-pollinations he has used Mr. Bill Moragne’s
Plumeria ‘Jeannie Moragne’ as one of the parent plants. He has successfully crossed ‘Jeannie Moragne’
with Plumeria ‘Englewood’, ‘Aztec Gold’, ‘Fisher’s Sunrise’ and many other
plumerias in his collection.
Now he is honoring Bob Walsh with a cross between
Plumeria ‘Jeannie Moragne’ and ‘Kauka Wilder’, named Plumeria ‘Bob Walsh’. He
states that his decision is based on Mr. Walsh’s ten-plus years of research of
growing plumerias indoors and outdoors in Chicago, temperate growing zone 5,
disproving the age-old belief that plumerias could only be grown in tropical
and sub-tropical regions of the world.
Through Mr. Walsh’s research and success of growing
plumerias in zone 5 outdoors during
summer and indoors during the colder months of the year, Bob Fisher points out
that these accomplishments have opened up the door to plumeria aficionados and
gardeners to grow these beautiful tropical plumeria flowers
right in their backyards and indoors year round in their home, no matter where in
the world they live.
These new possibilities, like space travel’s age of
discovery, were never thought possible before Bob Walsh’s book, How To Grow Plumeria - Frangipani Anytime Anywhere!, which reveals these
new frontiers and growing capabilities.
Mr. Walsh’s step by step book describes the proper Plumeria Care needed
for plumeria cuttings, plants and seeds outside the tropical and subtropical
regions of the world, and even indoors year round bringing real joy and
excitement to plumeria gardeners worldwide.
The late Bill Moragne’s contributions begin with his
discovery of the process of successfully hand-pollinating plumeria flowers.
His other gifts to the plumeria world are the
introduction of his famous plumeria hybrids, which he named after the women in
the Moragne family, Jean, Mary, Sally, Jeannie, Katie, Cindy, Kimi, Julie, Edi,
Cathy and Kelly.
Plumeria ‘Jeannie Moragne’ is described as having vibrant red fading to reddish pink
flowers with large golden yellow bands and pinkish orange lines radiating outwards.
The petals are narrow with pointed tips and slightly overlapping. The flowers
have a heavy texture, are up to 4½” inches in diameter with a strong fruity
sweet fragrance and good keeping quality.
The flowers of Plumeria ‘Kauka
Wilder’ have a strong reddish-yellow color with a large bright yellow center
and wide moderate red bands on the back. The petals are narrow and elliptical
with pointed tips and slightly overlapping.
The flowers are three inches in diameter and have one of the strongest
sweet fragrances among plumerias.
Bob Fisher describes the characteristics
of Plumeria ‘Bob Walsh’ as
a vibrant red colored plumeria that hints at the ‘Moragnes’ and ‘Kauka Wilder’. It has many 4 petaled flowers with a windmill
effect which makes it very unique. The
flowers are about 3 inches in diameter and have a grand floral scent.
Often times when something is named in
one’s honor it is done posthumously. To
have this honor bestowed in the midst of one’s historical contributions in real
time for something that is considered to be one’s
passion, namely, growing plumerias, is truly a very honored moment.
Copyright © Bob Walsh