Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Hristo on January 06, 2011, 01:20:16 PM
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A Happy New Year to all SA Bulb junkies out there!!
A Babiana species ( purchased as unknown species ) grown from Silverhill Seed sown in 2008.
Current thinking on my part is that this is Babiana odorata
Two corms have flowered, one yellow with a blue infusion to the petal edges, the other yellow fading to white.
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HNY to you too Chris. Little gems those.
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a pleasant surprise, at just under 1 year, from seed from penrock,
Bulbine favosa small form
flowers are open after sundown, since the plant is under lights, that's my excuse for really crappy shots ;)
4 inch pot, flowers 5mm- 1/4inch
more details here:
http://urbanehillbillycanada.blogspot.com/2011/01/winter-flowers-bulbine.html
not a flashy number, but it is a cute little thing, and winter flowers of any sort are welcome! it should develop some sort of caudex over time, and denser growth...
B. favosa An attractive species with a caudex and thin wiry grasslike leaves. The bright yellow flowers are borne on a long spike.
Form B. A dwarf form with short dense tuffs of leaves and numerous flower spikes. Found in short grassland over sheets of exposed rock near the Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga
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That is a little gem, very delicate! You can't argue with 1 year from seed to flower!
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thanks, chris--especially since i've been advised some of my others could be 10 years to flower ;D
mesa gardens has several bulbines listed, i'd like to try a couple of the small succulent spp..
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Well done Cohan.
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thanks, david!
though i think in this case, the plant is so accomodating that it flowered in spite of my blunders... a couple other things sown around the same time are not doing quite so well :(
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Daubenya marginata started to flower.
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Hans,
That Daubenya looks so cool. How big is it? I've grown Massonia etc but not much in the way of Daubenya, and I wonder how big they actually are. Great pic.
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Daubenya marginata started to flower.
Wow love it. 8)
Angie :)
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.... and outside too. Wow from me also.
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.... and outside too. Wow from me also.
Daubenya seedlings outside seem to have survived again this winter for me, The massonias outside are not looking so good though :'(
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In general, they're close to the same size as Massonias aren't they? I've not grown Daubneya but my Massonias I need to put under cover from when they come through, to after flowering. They make buds but those don't develop properly if there are frosts mid winter.
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a couple of Gladiolus this week. G. splendens not very much "splendens" as it has two abnormal flowers, maybe I forced it in excess. Seeds from R&R Saunders.
G. watermeyeri, from my good friend Miriam Sason.
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Rafa I particularly like G. watermeyeri - the leaves are an added attraction.
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A couple of Lachenalias not happy with the frosty weather.
1 & 2 Lachenalia namaqua,
3 & 4 Lachenalia bulbifera
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Michael - Good to see these two species. Are they also kept bone-dry during their summer dormancy?
johnw - +6c and heavy rain for the last few hours as another weather bomb passes; mercury about to plummet on this virtually snow-less scape.
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Are they also kept bone-dry during their summer dormancy?
Yes, the pots are dried out then left on the bench all summer,in full sun.
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A couple of Lachenalias not happy with the frosty weather.
Yours look a lot happier than mine Michael :(
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A couple of Lachenalias not happy with the frosty weather.
Yours look a lot happier than mine Michael :(
Yes, David, I was thinking that a lot of folk would be happy enough with Michael's stressed plants! He has very high standards!
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That's why he is Mr. Amazing ;D ;D
Every time I see this thread, I feel like a little uninformed gardener. Always new species, new wishes but no place :'(
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why would you wear a uniform Uli? ;D
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Flowering indoors, a welcome relief from the whiteout in the garden!
Lachenalia orchioides var. orchioides
Cyrtanthus mackenii 'Pink'
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Beautiful pastel pink mackenii, Chris. Lovely!!
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Very nice Chris. I've tried Cyrtanthus a few times with no luck at all.
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Cheers Paul and David! These are both first time flowerers for me, the Lachenalia from seed and the Cyrtanthus purchased as a bulb.
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Chris - Do you keep your Cyrtanthus barely moist during its summer rest?
I think we are going to have a bumper crop of flowers on our big C. brachyscyphus. Will post when out though nearly as exciting as yours.
johnw
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Hi John,
It has never had a rest as such, it stays on a west facing window and just keeps on throwing out leaves so I just keep watering it. My other amaryllids let me know when they want to rest but this one just keeps on going!! Will look forard to seeing your C.brachyscyphus when it flowers.
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John, practically all Cyrtanthi are WINTER dormant or at least, are much slower at winter.
They are really tender and even slight frosts can turn them to mush.
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Alberto,
That may be how they behave in nature, but I definitely have mackenii here that have had quite heavy frost (by that I mean at least -5oC) here without any problem at all. I also have Cyrtanthus elatus (Valotta Lily got those who don't know it, but that spelling just doesn't look right to me?) which grows for me in the open garden without a problem. My mackenii are verging on evergreen, and I have a creamy white variety of mackenii that almost always flowers in June here, when we're well into Winter (and just to be different it has sent up a scape now for our summer enjoyment! ;D). While frost may damage badly many of the other Cyrtanthus, I have to stand up for the mackenii and elatus at the very least as they do not have any problems at all with the levels I talk about above, and the ones out in the open garden would have definitely been through -8oC while dormant (the elatus is definitely dormant in winter here). The majority of my mackenii that I grow are in a bit more shelter than that, but ALL of them would get at least some degree of frost on them as even against the wall under the eaves of the house would get to freezing in midwinter. This would include Cyrtanthus falcatus, montanus, brachyscyphus, some complex hybrids and more. I've even been told that the Cyrtanthus falcatus needs a decent level of cold for it to flower, so I've moved my pot out so that it gets light frost in winter. The plant is looking much stronger now, and I am hoping for flowers one of these years. By the sound of it it should have died last winter when it got frost on it? I'd hazard it would have had at least -2 or -3oC where I have it at present?
I know we've had discussions before about "ideal" climate and where they originate from, and we've disagreed on my growing conditions for some things in the past, but my Cyrtanthus grow, multiply, and flower well so they can't be that close to death. I'm just mentioning this so that pthers reading this don't make the blanket assumption that frost and Cyrtanthus means death, because as far as I am aware I haven't lost a Cyrtanthus to the cold here as yet, although as I said most of them are not out in the open and full frost by any means.
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I have to agree with you Paul, the extrems that plants evolve with in their natural climates are not the climates we think of them occupying. Those extremes may kill the plants in cultivation but often the plants survive and we discover their tolerances are much greater than expected. I had Massinia pustulata seedlings survive -15 C last winter for six weeks, the bulbs tried to flower this winter but I think have finally died at -18 C Our normal winter cold is about -8 C, these are the coldest winters we have experianced in my life and I would not have left these plants out if I had known what was coming!
Cryptostephaus, Clivia, Cyrtanthus speciosus, falcatus, Sprekelia, will all take some frost, this is of course not the same as hard freezing for prolonged periods, which is a more doubtfull affair.
Also having plants well drained and dry will much increace frost tolerance
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Always fascinating how plants will behave in 'unexpected' ways, all this experience underlines for me the need to observe how various species behave in cultivation in your prevailing conditions and to take your lead from the plant!
Sown in 2007 this is my first flowering of Gladiolus splendens, given that G.tristis can overwinter here under the snow I suspect a spare of this will be put out in the garden to see just how tough it is! ;)
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Wow, Chris. Unusual flower shape. So un-gladiolus-like. :o
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According to the PBS this used to be Anomalesia splendens but has now been lumped. ;) ;)
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chris would you mind doing a pic of the whole plant please.
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Here it is! Form isn't great but then it's on a windowsill in Bulgaria!! ;)
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Nice gladiolus Chris 8)
On a windowsill in Ireland, Lachenalia pustulata blue form
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I'd rate G splendens as more tender than tristis Chris. It barely survived rather dry last winter for me, when it would certainly have frozen to the bottom of its pot although plunged, and I have been growing it without heat for 8 years, I expect to have lost it this winter though, as well as even colder, the south african corms were wetter this time when the frost hit. :'(
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Ashley,
Nice pustulata, one of my fav Lachs. :D
Peter,
Taa for that info, I'll only risk it if I have a spare cormlet or two, I've been surprised by what can make it in the open here, but as ever discretion is the better part of valour! 8)
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yes the lachanaelias are lovely Michael, Ashley, sorry should have said.
Polyexena ensifolia looks like it is growing a new set of leaves after the frost messed its first lot but it self seeds anyway. You could try it outside Chris. My pot of P maughanii seedlings are dead. I have 2 new bulbs of it, but definately more tender though they came through last winter.
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I have enough P.ensifolia to give it a go outdoors, it would be interesting to see how it coped! Your Massonia observations are fascinating, were they at -8 to -15c and fully exposed or under snow?
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Looks very snowy in Bulgaria. 8) ;)
Thanks to a very generous friend I am growing a few south african bulbs, actually Romulea sabulosa and Daubenya aurea are blooming.
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Beautifull Hans.
Chris they are in a greenhouse with no sides, only a roof, some snow blew in, but just as far as the Massonias
Some Daubenya seedlings seem fine, just growing very slowly but obviously quite hardy.
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I do not envy those of you who are growing plants in pots on windowsills in snowy countries. It would be so much harder to keep them going. Any attempts I have tried on my windowsills never succeed. Hence my concentrating on those plants that will grow outside in our conditions - maybe with a little extra help.
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Hans those are two beauties 8)
Angie :)
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Super Hans, the light levels in your part of the world really do yield a pleasing form from SA species like Daubenya, I fear I would have to grow them under lights here to attain that clarity of form! :'(
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Hans,
That Daubenya is a cracker!! Brilliant pics everyone. 8)
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A harbinger of the mid to late season flowering SA bulbs;
Tritonia crocata
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Lachenalia tricolor (or aloides?) has been in flower for days and days on my balcony - I forgot to note exactly when the flowers came out.
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Gladiolus trichonemifolius
Wonderfully scented. Grows in wet sandy flats (Hopefield and Ceres to Bredasdorp.)
( edited for plant spelling ;))
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Gladiolus trichonemifolius
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A beauty Arnold.
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Very beautiful, Arnold, and if it's scented too ...
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Chloe:
Scented something like Freesia.
It's interesting that descriptions of flowers and plant often neglect to give details of the scent.
This Gladiolus is described in Manning and Goldblatt "The Color Encylopedia of Cape
Bulbs" as "intensely fragrant".
Like roses or violets?
Arnold
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I notice one of the Androcymbium latifolium (a.k.a. pulchrum) in bloom in the attached greenhouse today. The bracts are never reddish here in Indiana, and I've never been able to get them to set any seeds, even with careful hand-pollination. We have the same problem with "red" Clivia, which at least bloom orange here. We have too little light in winter to bring out the red colors in many flowers. Today, we don't even have enough light for a good photo.
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beautiful Arnold
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Thank you all.
Seems the flower close up in the evening.
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hello Arnold
Very nice Gladiolus trichonemifolius
Did you grow it from seed
or from bulbs
if from seed how long did it take to flower
Roland
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Maggie
maybe this is on the wrong place
I think it belongs in the 2011 tread
I just saw it to late
better to move
Roland
Edit by Maggi: Well spotted Roland... I've moved Arnold's Galdiolus and following posts to the 2011 thread now.
thanks :-*
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Roland:
Grown from a bulb. I can send the details later when I get home and have a look at my records
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Histro, I would said your Gladiolus is G. cunonius. Here they are blooming G. cunonius and G. splendes
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A nice Freesia, but not identified, any idea?
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Can be corymbosa
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Rafa,
From the pics you posted (particularly of splendens).... how closely related are they to Chasmanthe aethopica var duckettii? The flowers of the duckettii look so much like the petal arrangement on your pic of the splendens, and up until now they'd looked like nothing else I'd come across. The splendens certainly resembles them more than it resembles any other Gladiolus? I know they're the same family, but they are just so similar, yet different genus? Or should I prepare for Chasmanthe to become Gladiolus one of these days? ??? ;D
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Here is Veltheimia bracteata in full flower.
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Can anyone tell me - is Eucrosia mirabilis a summer or a winter grower? I have a pot of healthy seedlings but don't know how to care for them.
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Hello Rogan
Here in France my seedlings got dormant in December
Roland
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winter dormant for a long season
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Gethyum atropurpureum syn.Solaria atropurpurea flowering today on the greenhouse :)
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Gladiolus maculatus
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Both lovely Arnold.
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Beautiful pics everyone!
Took some pics of some southafricans today (which all came from very generous forumist ;))
Hesperantha vaginata, Daubenya aurea, Gladiolus watermeyeri and Lapeirousia silenoides.
Last one (as I know now ::) ::)) grows on granit in nature - here it is growing on lime so it looks a bit chlorotic - but it seems not to affect the vigor of the plant.
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I don't have G. maculatus but as I remember from someone else's, it is lusciously perfumed. :D
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Lesley:
I've read about the scent which is why I got this one. I can't smell anything.
Perhaps in the evening.
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I'm afraid your maculatus does not look quite right to me Arnold, which might explain lack of scent. Mine are nicely scented all day and are very early to flower (they have already finished here). I attach a pic. It does vary a bit but the red/brown speckly appearance is usual - sometimes the specks coalesce into poorly defined stripes.
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Darren:
I checked again last night and this morning and no scent.
The flowers are smaller than I thought they would be.
Any ideas/suggestions as to what it may be.
I picked it up from a grower in California.
Thanks,
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It looks a bit like my G. scullyi but may well be a hybrid.
Many of these Cape Gladiolus are supposed to be scented but I can't detect anything on any of mine except for orchidiflorus and maculatus. Same goes for Lachenalia - I can only detect a scent on a very few of them, even those supposed to be scented. More likely my nose at fault than anything else!
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Darren:
The topic of olfaction could be a separate topic by itself. I think it is a very individually developed sense. I also think as we age we lose some of the sensitivity. I have some Muscari macrrocarpum that I faintly can smell now ten years later. What't next, can smell the Bordeaux!
I have seedlings of G. scullyi coming and should be interesting to compare the two.
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Alessandro,
You or others have shown this on the forum before. Such an amazing little flower, with such a cool colour. Amazing!
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Arnold,
It reminds me colour-wise of Gladiolus orchidiformis, but I think the shape is wrong?.... my maculatus looks just like Darren's.
Hans,
Gorgeous pics of your South Afircans. Brilliant!!
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Darren:
The topic of olfaction could be a separate topic by itself.
we often mention scent in many topics but before we start a topic on scent only, we are waiting for Fred to upload the scent button. ;D
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Darren:
The topic of olfaction could be a separate topic by itself.
we often mention scent in many topics but before we start a topic on scent only, we are waiting for Fred to upload the scent button. ;D
And as we speak, Fred is thrashing the water in NZ after trout again..... this could be a long wait........ :-\
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Again??? :o How many trout does he think we have??? :o
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Hesperantha vaginata
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Lesley, often I don't understand completly your humour but always it gives me smile :D
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Again??? :o How many trout does he think we have??? :o
Doesn't matter how many you have, Lesley.. he puts them all back in again! 8)
He can keep going for years.......
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very nice Hesperantha Arnold.
This one is Freesia verrucosa
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Rafa:
How's the scent on the Freesia
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Rafa,
I'm guessing that that might have used to be an Anomatheca? Great colour to it, that's for sure. Thanks for the pic.
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Again??? :o How many trout does he think we have??? :o
Doesn't matter how many you have, Lesley.. he puts them all back in again! 8)
He can keep going for years.......
Well he could smoke a few and pass them along the line. :-*
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Here's the Veltheimia bracteata in full color.
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Here's a bit of a travel log from Mary Sue Ittner of the Pacific Bulb Society.
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/NaudesNekTwo
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Here's a bit of a travel log from Mary Sue Ittner of the Pacific Bulb Society.
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/NaudesNekTwo
Arnold mentioning this has reminded me that I meant to give a link to a great series of posts by Mary Sue in the PBS mail list..... the thread is entitled Eastern Cape Trip and begins here Tue Jan 11: http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/pbs/2011-January/039764.html and continues at intervals through the next weeks/months finishing here:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/pbs/2011-March/040106.html ..... it makes interesting reading and there are links to super photos on the PBS Wiki.
I commend it to you!
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One of my favourite bulbs, Daubenya aurea, has flowered well this year at home. If you cross the familiar yellow and red forms you sometimes get orange shades from the resulting seedlings. I find the one shown below particularly appealing. The second photo shows it alongside the two regular colour forms for comparison.
Paul
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Paul,
Beautiful Plants! Another plant to add to my want list. Thanks to this thread I have started a South African bulb collection. Just curious... is it relatively easy to grow?
Robert
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It was not easy for me to grow here in central Indiana. It seems to need cold weather in its growing season in winter. My bulbs never bloomed in my cool greenhouse, and they died when grown outdoors in a cold frame. On the other hand, Massonia do great in the same cool greenhouse along with Lachenalia and Haemanthus. I have given up on Daubenya, since I hate to waste rare and valuable plants.
Jim
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Thanks for that Jim. I suspect you and I have similiar growing conditions so I will definitely take your advice.
Robert
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Paul I can see how Daubenya aurea is one of your favourites. Something special 8)
Angie :)
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Jim, it can be more of a problem of dim light. Grown under frost free conditions it is very persistent. The info about it receiving occasional snow in winter does not mean it is alpine at all.
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Paul,
Thanks for your interesting post!
The orange Daubenya is wonderful :o
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The first belladonna showing the stems trying to get to the afternoon sun - it is growing in the shade of a rose. The other photos are of the cream belladonnas in a couple of parts of the garden. The cream is looking really good this year whereas the regular pink one is not looking as spectacular as usual. Must be the cooler summer and ongoing rains.
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Love those Daubenya Paul but I'm about to give up trying with them as expensive purchased bulbs have always rotted before growing and seedlings are very slow. If my current batch of seedlings die then I won't be replacing them.
Here are some plants that I can grow:
Lachenalia carnosa - first flowering from seed and exhibiting a rather bifurcated tip to the inflorescence which is probably related to abnormal bud development and will likely not be present next year.
Lachenalia namaquensis from a Terry Smale collection. Normally this flowers in early February but is late this year.
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Here is Ixia sp. from Silverhill Seeds, cat. #1381. Though it was described as ‘20cm flowering stem, high altitude species, fl not seen. Sow Au. Zone 7.’ on the list, its flower stems usually reach 30-40cm. And blotch-less but veined flowers have faintly fragrant. Does anyone have already identified this ixia yet?
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Here's Whiteheadia bifolia, the poor relation of Massonia and Daubenya. I grew it from Alpine Garden Society seed, sown 3 years ago. It's the sort of plant only a mother could love: the leaves appear to have no stiffness in my growing conditions but just drape themselves about listlessly, completely dependent on support from the environment; the flowers, which are pollinated by mice, smell faintly musty. I suppose it's what they used to call a 'connoisseur's plant':
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Tony i have a bit of a thing for green flowers and that's pretty special.
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On the contrary it is a hell of an attractive plant, odd not beautiful. Not easy to grow well, yours are super specimens. They look their best with the leaves pressed flat against the soil. You need to use a large pan in which they can display its foliage properly.
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today in flower
Nothoscordum ostenii
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Really lovely Alessandro.
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Thanks David
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well done Toney, congratulations
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Exceptionally rare in the wild.
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Here's Whiteheadia bifolia, the poor relation of Massonia and Daubenya. I grew it from Alpine Garden Society seed, sown 3 years ago. It's the sort of plant only a mother could love: the leaves appear to have no stiffness in my growing conditions but just drape themselves about listlessly, completely dependent on support from the environment; the flowers, which are pollinated by mice, smell faintly musty. I suppose it's what they used to call a 'connoisseur's plant':
cool plant for sure! Some list I was looking at described some plants as being of 'botanical rather than horticultural interest' well, that depends on the interests of the horticulturalists!
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Ipheion dialystemon
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Hello Michael
Nice pictures
but I thought Ipheion had 6 petals
and not 8
is this an unusual form ??
Roland
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Roland, Nothing special that I know of,I got as the standard Ipheion dialystemon.
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Tristigama leichtlinii
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I love that rich yellow. Is it hardy?
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Maren,no it needs to be kept frost free(or so the books say) although that one got one or two degrees of frost last winter and survived.
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It can stand several degrees of frost but in the wild it grows in a strong sunshine mild winter climate. There can be occasional -10 C frosts some years that leave the plants unharmed but this is not normal and it grows most all the time under the same temperatures a Cape bulb would grow in the Cape.
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It is very beautiful Michael.
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I have them in my garden in the open for several years, which means that they can withstand quite some more frost then thought (-17C in early 2010). I very much think that this is on the verge of what they can stand because I had no increase for several years. Last season I have moved them on a south facing slope and finally it looks like I will get some flowers. Naming is somewhat doubtfull for this species, once it is in flower I will check if it's the same as Michael's. According to the pic from PC Nijssen it should be.
Rob
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Here's a potful of Lachenalia aloides quadricolor acquired from the PBS seed/bulb exchange.
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An old Clivia clone.
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Hesperantha falcata grown from seed that i acquired from David Nicholson.Sown Oct 2009 it is a beauty and lovely fragrance.
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Ornithogalum dubium is back in season in Germany, and I expect all of Europe. I decided to pick-up one of each colour. Any hints on keeping them going? Just how hardy are they?
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Hesperantha falcata grown from seed that i acquired from David Nicholson.Sown Oct 2009 it is a beauty and lovely fragrance.
Whilst said David Nicholson lost all his. I've suggested to DaveyP that in future I send all seeds to him and he can do the growing, he's much better at it than I am ;D
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Ornithogalum dubium is back in season in Germany, and I expect all of Europe. I decided to pick-up one of each colour. Any hints on keeping them going? Just how hardy are they?
Now! That is the question ??? ??? ???
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Tender, keep frost free. Not the easiest bulbs of all! Incredibly susceptible to virus infections, just like O. conicum, O. thyrsoides and all species of Lachenalia.
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This is a bumper year for flowers on my cape bulbs. :)
My theory for this is simply that I switched brands of John Innes composts last year. The growth of the plants has been incredible compared to the old stuff. Anyone in Cumbria or Lancashire should investigate Keith Singleton's brand of composts made in Cockermouth, it is much better than the Bowers stuff, with more humus content. I used to use it before but struggled to find a local supplier once we moved - happily this has been resolved.
Anyway - some Gladiolus taken today. G. scullyi (or possibly G. venustus), G. orchidiflorus and G. caeuruleus.
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All three stunning Darren,my spikes are there way up.
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The G. caeuruleus is stunning
what a nice colour
how tall is this one ??
Roland
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Producing such natural looking specimens with Britain's low light is truly amazing.
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Alberto:
Good point, any supplemental light Darren?
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Darren very nice indeed 8)
Angie :)
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The first flower appeared and it is indeed the same as Michael's. I have 2 foto's attached with different light settings. Unfortunately you cannot see the brown stripe on the foto's but it's there.
I must admit I was a bit dissapointed because from a distance it looks like Ranunculus ficaria which is the main weed in my garden at this time of year. But on closer view it's still nice.
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Thanks! caeruleus (like scullyi) is a short one at only 30cm high and is a favourite of mine. This is just the first flower - more spikes and buds this year than I have seen before - and I'd almost lost this species at one point.
The orchidiflorus illustrated is a tall form at around 70cm. Much smaller forms exist, and I do have one or two, but I find them less vigorous by far. A small clay pot with Calochortus tolmei in it has a 'weed' bulb which I decided to let flower. It is a redder form of orchidiflorus and is even taller (looking very incongruous in a 9cm clay pot with a tiny Calochortus).
No supplemental lighting so stakes are often needed for the taller ones ;D
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Darren,
great looking gladiolus. Are these winter hardy for you? or do you keep them in pots under cover? I've tried a few from seed with absolutely no germination. Is absolutely fresh seed required?
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Hi Jamie,
Definitely not hardy so in pots in a greenhouse kept at 1C minimum. Though they have had -4 on occasions when I've been late closing up and switching heating on - they recover from the leaves being partially frozen but they were never this cold for long enough for the pots to freeze.
Alberto and I have had discussions about Gladiolus germination and I'm sure he can elaborate better than I. Apparently much commercial seed from South Africa comes infected with a fungus which causes rot of the seed when it gets moist. Seed collected from cultivated plants is far more reliable. Also, apparently viable looking seed sometimes contains no embryo - this often happens if temperatures are too low at flowering time for instance. I also feel that, like other cape bulbs, treatment of the seed after harvest is important and it must not be kept cold - it needs a post-harvest ripening period of warm temperatures for several weeks otherwise germination will not be triggered. Even then success is not guaranteed - I harvested hundreds of seeds of G carmineus last spring and they appeared fine and I stored them correctly but none germinated.
Some species are especially troublesome no matter what I do - I have never germinated G alatus despite getting good seed from a number of sources. I know I'm not the only person to experience this!
A well known grower of exhibition Gladioli in the UK says that seed should be sown deeply (as Ian Young would recommend with Crocus). I know Alberto disagrees with this and I am not convinced either. The 'reason' for this is that germination is disrupted unless even moisture is available, fair enough but, unlike Crocus, Gladiolus seed is primarily wind distributed and is not adapted to deep sowing. Keeping the seed at a constant moisture level is probably more important than actual depth of sowing.
If in the northern hemisphere my advice is that whenever you get seed it should be stored at room temperature and sown in late august/early september. Even if this means keeping the seed for nearly a year. Seed imported from South Africa in December has often just been harvested and has not had time for the ripening to occur. Dressing the seed with a fungicide powder at sowing time might also help.
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I insist, growing such perfect specimens under uncongenial conditions is extraordinary.
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Thank you for that Alberto! :)
I wish I could do so with Daubenya.....
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Darren, Daubenya (aurea, if this the one you are thinking of) is one of the easiest and more persistent of SA bulbs. The problem is that it is annoyingly slow to grow. Adult bulbs are undemanding under good sunshine conditions. It is hardier than others. It flowers reliably each year, set abundant (large) seed. The "flowers" are huge, unlike so many others that are dismaying in the flesh.
With your super skills you will find it a fine plant once they grow adult!
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BEAUTUIFUL Gladiolus species. I lust for those things but we are unable to import very many.
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Gladiolus huttonii from a PBS distribution
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Amazing colours Arnold :D
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Very nice one Arnold
Is this a short one ?
Roland
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Arnold i think my G. Huttonii should flower for the first time this year,cross fingers.Nice to see what to expect.
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Darren,
thanks for the germination tips. maybe one needs to cover the pot with a clear chimney, to keep the moisture even. I've had succes with cuttings using cut-of plastic bottles as mini greenhouses. I've found seed of many woodland plants grow better in a small windowsill greenhouse. One just has to be carefull of mildews. I haven't given up on Gladiolus. I'll keep on trying. They really are beautiful things.
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Arnold, it is Bob's seed?
If it has cylindrical grooved leaves, it is one of the "Homoglads" and not true G. huttonii.
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Arnold, it is Bob's seed?
If it has cylindrical grooved leaves, it is one of the "Homoglads" and not true G. huttonii.
Alberto do you have any pics of G.huttonii leaves so i can compare them with my plants please.
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Davey, they are just barely sprouting at this time but I will take some.
Are you familiar with Gladiolus tristis? "Homoglads" have the same type of leaf since G. tristis is one of the parents.
True huttoni, priorii, etc. all have "normal" gladiolus leaf although a miniature of course.
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Alberto:
Attached leaf cross section of Gladiolus huttonii. It's X-shaped in cross section.
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Unknown Lachenalia.
Any suggestions?
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Perhaps a colour form of Lachenalia liliflora, Arnold?
see a super photo here at the UBC site: http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2007/01/lachenalia_liliflora.php
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Magi:
Thanks for the lead. The stem is very thick as is the one I have.
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I wondered about the foliage, Arnold... since I couldn't see yours :-\
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I'll have a look later when I get home. It think it was pustulate.
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A few South Africans in bloom in our garden.
Nerine fothergilla "Major"
[attachthumb=1]
Nerine rosea
[attachthumb=5]
Oxalis flava (mauve pink form)
[attachthumb=2]
Moraea polstachya
[attachthumb=3]
Crossyne flava
[attachthumb=4]
cheers
fermi
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A belated comment on the Daubenya on a previous page........ Gorgeous!! :o I haven't seen the orange intermediate before (I've never seen ANY of them in real life as yet), and it is such a good colour. Thanks for showing us, particularly that wonderful shot of the 3 colours together.
Excellent pics posted throughout this topic. Thanks everyone. 8)
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Some more forms of Gladiolus orchidiflorus are now in flower.
The first is of similar tall stature to the one on the previous page but has brownish, frilly flowers.
The second is one of the compact forms at 30cm high and is pinker in colour (the flower looks distorted as it is not quite fully open yet) it also has neater foliage (3 main veins instead of 5 on the big forms) and smaller flowers.
Susan tells me that she can detect little scent on the big green one but the brownish one is stronger and the little pink one best of all.
The last two are recently scanned slides from my South Africa talk, showing my encounter with this species in habitat in the West Coast National Park at Langebaan. The dune behind it hides a view of a lagoon full of flamingos! This is a tall, deep green form, similar to mine on the previous page but slightly darker in colour.
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Darren i have said it before they are just are stunning,can i ask from which plant did the small corms you sent me come off so i can put some more info on the label.
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Further to the unknown Lachenalia.
It has a single lorate leaf about 30 cm long with pustules on the upper surface. The leaf is green changing to a maroon towards the end.. Flowers are 18 mm long and the anthers are exserted about 14 mm beyond the flower. I detected a faint pleasant scent.
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Hi Davey - almost certainly the taller green form. I only say this because the pink one barely hangs on, let alone increases, and the brownish one is the 'weed' that appeared in a pot of Calochortus tolmei.
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Hi Davey - almost certainly the taller green form. I only say this because the pink one barely hangs on, let alone increases, and the brownish one is the 'weed' that appeared in a pot of Calochortus tolmei.
you star thank you,by the way they are growing fantastic.
-
Babiana pygmaea today. I get the brown spots on the leaves every year, they are unsightly but the plant still grows OK.
-
what a flower that is,does it produce seed for you because if so you might get some clean plants that way.
-
No seed I'm afraid, but I didn't think the spots were likely to be virus I have to say - probably fungal?
Cheers,
Alex
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Hi Alex,
I really struggle with B pygmaea. Not quite the same symptoms but foliage is often yellow and sickly looking and it rarely flowers. This year it looks much better and the only difference in culture is that I potted it into a much more humus-rich JI compost than usual, with a bit of ericaceous compost in it too. Worth a try?
Gordon Summerfield often says that cape bulbs need a very acid medium but I've found that this is not really necessary for most things - I do wonder if this is one of the exceptions?
-
Thanks Darren, very useful. I'll try that when I repot.
Cheers,
Alex
-
The sun shone this weekend and encouraged some more flowers to open.
The first is Geissorhiza corrugata, looking nice enough but nothing like it does in the wild where the light keeps the foliage curled up like springs. It made the show bench at Hexham where it was resoundingly sniffed at by the judges and then decided to shut as it was too cold for it in the hall anyway.
Then G. inaequalis (it says on the label - I have not checked).
Lastly the 'spectacular' Moraea citrina opened very briefly.. my index finger is for scale.
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Darren superbly grown plants. The Galaxia is very healthy looking
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Thank you Alberto :)
I also grow M. galaxia (formerly Galaxia ovata) from this group, which always looks healthy but never flowers (or at least it has never flowered when I have been at home to witness it).
Some little seedlings of versicolor are also doing well - perhaps big enough to flower next year.
You have to be a real enthusiast to grow these as they are so tiny and the flowers are so fleeting!
-
True, but one thing is to grow them in Southern California or Sydney and another different one in Britain, as said before.
-
By the way - the Gladiolus 'scullyi' I posted on page 8 of this thread looks now more likely to be G. venustus (based on colour alone). I'll compare it to Goldblatt's key when I get chance but have edited my post to indicate my uncertainty. I have another (much paler) which is more likely to be true scullyi.
-
Geissorhiza aspera
-
here a rare plant :
Nothoscordum montevidense
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Very nice Michael, very delicate.
I was surprised to see Hesperantha oligantha already flowering in the start of the second growth cycle. It is also delicate and it was difficult to take a picture of it while it moved with every breeze.
-
Nice to see those two pics next to each other - they clearly illustrate the diagnostic difference between Hesperantha and Geissorhiza flowers - compare the stigma.
-
Very nice Michael, very delicate.
I was surprised to see Hesperantha oligantha already flowering in the start of the second growth cycle. It is also delicate and it was difficult to take a picture of it while it moved with every breeze.
Rob that is really nice are you growing it outside.
-
I prefer to grow all bulbs outside but for this one I dare not. I have choosen a kind of 'in between' method. I grow this in a mesh pot like you use in garden ponds. In winter I use a double plastic pot to cover the mesh and I have this in my unhetaed greenhouse. Everytime I have a big freeze I have to move all tender bulbs inside. Not very effective I must admit, but I only have a very small greenhouse. When the temperauture heats up I plant it outside in the biggest plunge bed that I have; my garden. If it's there I can stop caring, no need to water, no chance on funghi and exactly the same chance on slugs. If I get some offsets or seedlings I will test it on hardiness. The seller stated USDA 7, but I doubt it.
I have told to myself several times that I shouldn't get any more tender bulbs but so many times I start again.
-
How tall is it? How are the leaves?
-
the flower stems are 8cm long
the leaves 20 -25 cm long
the color of the leaves is green ,they are 2 mm broad
-
Thank you
-
Look at this Ezeiza 8) :o It is a Ferraria crispa var. northierii from Mike Salmon. I am still trying to get F. densepunctulata, F. ovata etc.. of species rarely seen in culture SO please :'( write to Kirchenbosch Botanic Garden from my part, requesting some samples ahhahahaha;D ;D
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Gladiolus Tristis grown from chiltern seed flowering for the first time,the perfume is incredible i only have 2 of the 11 spikes open at the moment and the scent is incredible,can't wait for the rest to open.There are a few different forms amongst these lot,flower and colour forms.
-
Davey, can you try to describe the scent?
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I take it that is grown under cover Davey, mine is nowhere near in flower in the garden yet.
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Rafa, in your haste you posted the Ferraria to the South AMERICAN thread.
-
Oh!
You are right, but anyway, the message was sent and you can't evade it! ;D
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Rafa, in your haste you posted the Ferraria to the South AMERICAN thread.
;) :) So he did! But I've moved it across here!
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Davey, can you try to describe the scent?
Maggie i will give it ago tommorow.I take it that is grown under cover Davey, mine is nowhere near in flower in the garden yet.
Yes Brian just kept frost free,i have tried it in the garden and lost them.
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Thank you Maggy!
-
Davey, are you trotting out at night to sniff the Gladiolus? In my experience yes, the scent is wonderful, but at night only. Daytime, nothing at all! Most likely it's pollinated by night-flying insects.
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Hi Davey,my experience with this Gladiolus is that it is not frost tender,and I think Fermi also grows his in the open and he gets more frosts and more severe frosts than I do.
So if you catch up with him in the next couple of weeks ask him.bye Ray
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Ray, Davey's frosts are real frosts not the slight frosts you have in Australia and we have in mild South America.
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Ray, Davey's frosts are real frosts not the slight frosts you have in Australia and we have in mild South America.
Alberto - Davey's worst winter frosts are like November or March/April in Nova Scotia. I think we have the real frost. Oz has our
May frosts - if and when they ever happen. Now the Albertans may counter and it all ends when the last forumist in Antarctica replies! ;)
johnw
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Rafa,
the Ferraria is sublime. What a great looking plant and a great picture of it. I take it, these are not at all frost hardy, as to say -15°C! Happens rarely, here, but does happen.
thanks for sharing this one!
Jamie
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Davey, are you trotting out at night to sniff the Gladiolus? In my experience yes, the scent is wonderful, but at night only. Daytime, nothing at all! Most likely it's pollinated by night-flying insects.
G tristis is one of the best scents of all. I can smell it by day, although I have heard the night-scented moth pollination story before. I don't keep it frost free, it will certainly go to -7C but that is in a pot where it can be kept fairly dry. It is quite a prolific seeder and one year came up and flowered in the garden - don't know how it got there, but it didn't survive to the next year.
The picture is from 2009, Gladiolus tristis in the garden
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Davey, are you trotting out at night to sniff the Gladiolus? In my experience yes, the scent is wonderful, but at night only. Daytime, nothing at all! Most likely it's pollinated by night-flying insects.
Yes Lesley it was about 6 in the evening.I agree Diane the scent is up there as one of the best.
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;D
Ray, Davey's frosts are real frosts not the slight frosts you have in Australia and we have in mild South America.
Alberto - Davey's worst winter frosts are like November or March/April in Nova Scotia. I think we have the real frost. Oz has out May frosts - if and when they ever happen. Now the Albertans may counter and it all ends when the last forumist in Antarctica replies! ;)
johnw
;D ;D ;D ;D
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Babiana rubrocyanea.
Any secret to getting the flowers to fully open?
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Is there somebody growing Babiana rubrocyanea
from wild collected seeds
I still have the idea
that all plants are from a single collection
they all look so similar
or are they in the nature almost identical
Arnold yours are early
I have to wait one or two weeks
I will post a picture to compare
Roland
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Here is Gladiolus involutus, from Gordon Summerfield nursery.
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That is lovely Raffa, how tall is it?
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it is arround 50cm high
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Very nice Rafa!
re: Babiana rubrocyanea; Arnold - high temperatures and sunshine should persuade it to open. However, like Roland, I have doubts about much of the material in cultivation.
I'm pretty sure that all those I've seen are either virused, poor narrow-petaled forms, or hybrids with another species such as plicata.
This is a picture of the real thing in habitat near Darling. There is a purple cast to the blue part of the flower due to the photography but you can see it has a lovely bowl shaped flower with broad overlapping petals. Every flower at this site had been badly chewed by insects - this was the best one!
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Some from my greenhouse today.
Moraeas tripetala, atropunctata and a stray in a pot of villosa, which looks likely to be a hybrid. (villosa x aristata?)
Freesia xanthospila
three slightly differing forms of Gladiolus gracilis from the same packet of seed.
One of the few named winter growing Gladiolus hybrids is 'Christabel'
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Merciful heavens Darren, what a range of plants you grow. 8) A treat to see them.
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wow!, M. atropunctata is superb
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Thank you! And you have not even seen the cacti & mesembs.... Too many plants and never enough time ;)
Atropunctata in one of my favourites but sadly I never get seed as my plants are all one clone, slowly increasing from a single corm which came from Mike Salmon. . However - I do now have some small seedlings from Gordon Summerfield seed. It needs to be watched in winter - the lower sheathing bract on the leaves gets botrytis very easily once it dries out, and must be peeled off before it can infect the green tissue.
The reverse of the flower is also nice - a speckly warm brown colour.
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Some from my greenhouse today.
three slightly differing forms of Gladiolus gracilis from the same packet of seed.
One of the few named winter growing Gladiolus hybrids is 'Christabel'
Stunning Darren lovely forms of G.gracilis.
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My little contribution to the South African bulb display: Tulbaghia simmlerii. It is one of the few plants that I grow in pots!
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A fantastic display Darren.
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The first flower on a pot of Moraea aristata opened today.
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Lachenalia mutabilis
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I always look forward to seeing your M. aristata Michael and I'm pleased it survived the winter. After many years of waiting I now finally have buds on mine. I will NOT be amused if they turn out to be something else ;)
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The Gl. gracilis is a honey. They all are. :D
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Darren did you collect seeds
from the Babiana rubrocyanea near Darling
Roland
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I'm afraid not Roland - I wish I had!
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Pity
it would be good to have fresh LN material
to compare from what is in the trade as bulbs
I have never seen seeds from Babiana rubrocyanea
in the trade
Roland
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Agreed.
I'm sure I once bought seed from Silverhill about ten years ago but got no germination, and I have not seen it listed since either.
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I have the experience with LN South African Babiana seeds
They are best sown in October
the ones I have sown in Febr germinate poor here
the Oct ones almost 100 %
the Babiana seeds I collect here (France) are sown fresh
and germinate in a few weeks
Roland
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They were listed past year (S. S).
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Ok Alberto
I will mail them
Roland
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Color is not true.
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Arnold
Are you sure this is Babiana rubrocyanea
or is this the diversity
and the plants we have
are very good selections
I got mine from Peter Moore
they will flower in a week or so
Roland
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Roland:
They were purchased from a reliable dealer. The color on the screen doesn't look true to the live plant. I'll try another image in better light.
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They are all in bloom today.
Moraea aristata
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Michael,
how wonderful! I hope this means there will be seed for the exchange. ;) ;D
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How wonderful to see such a clump Michael.
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Jamie,they don't seed with me but I should have some bulbils and a few flowering size bulbs later.
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Moraea aristata is confined to a population in the wild and it is critically endangered. Growing them is so important. Once you obtain even a single corm of a different clone you can produce lots of seed from your plants, Michael. This year they were offered in a commercial catalogue.
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Michael,
sounds good!. Apparently, if I understand Alberto, it is self-sterile. Now to find another clone or seed. How cold does it take? Down to 0°C or more?
-
I have grown it in a raised south facing bed about 6mts from the house for a number of years, but it hasn't appeared this year yet. Don't know if it would survive in the ground. I doesn't seem to mind a few degrees of frost if it is in a well drained compost.
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Expert's advice. There is a noticeable difference on how tender these South African plants can be if dry or recently watered.
Yes, Jamie, the clumping form in cultivation seems to be a single self sterile clone.
Big, big surprise years ago when we started growing in large containers that "sterile" plants started to set seed. Not this case tho.
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Here's two shots of Babiana stricta from a PBS distribution
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I love babiana's
I don't understand why they aren't more popular
Roland
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They need sun.
They need big pots and considerable depth to thrive.
They are very sensitive to spider mite.
A lot of the hybrids sold as "mixed colors" are virused.
They do not like cold.
Mice will exterminate them easily when dormant.
Otherwise all species are stunning, even the simpler ones.
-
I grow them from seed
first in 2 litre pots
after two years in 5 litre pots
without any problem
no problem with mice
they can't climb my iron table legs
and till now luckily no spider mite
and yes Alberto they are stunning
Roland
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I also grow them from seed first in small pots and then in 20 litre containers. These are not enough for some like dregei, ecklonii, thunbergii, ringens, framesii, etc, and the corms are found deep in the container. Corms grow huge.
Besides mice in seedlings every few years, I don't have any of the problems mentioned. Your question was why they are not more popular thence my response
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Thanks Alberto
I will re-pot dregei, ecklonii, thunbergii , ringens and framesii in 24 litre pots
maybe even 36 litre :o
Roland
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Beautiful Arnold.
-
I tried them a few times
lots of leaves
no flowers
it seems they need a hot dry period ??
Roland
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The rather strange looking Gladiolus orchidiflorus is now in flower.
-
Strange maybe, but very beautiful indeed, Melvyn !!
How tall is it ??
-
Good morning Luc, it is about 50 cm in height.
-
As a tip, Babiana lowermost leaves are "sitting" on the ground or inserted in it. If the stem is visible the plant needs to be planted more deeply. Hope this is clear enough.
Our pots are 30 cm. in diameter and 40 cm. deep and they are enough to acommodate many species (if not all). At least it is enough for those mentioned and many others. It is in them that the corms grow huge.
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I will try first 12 litre pots
they are almost 30 cm deep
Roland
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You will not regret it.
The measures I gave are for 20 litre buckets, in case it is of any help.
-
My 24 litre pots are bad on the tables
almost 30% lost space
so I prefer 12 litre
Thanks for the tips
Roland
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Moraea atropunctata
-
WOW. ;D
-
I would say the same thing ;D
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What beautiful marking Michael :)
-
Have the petals dots on the edges too on the other side. Stunning flower
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Michael, I have given up trying to decide which of the plants you grow and share with us is my favourite... the choice is endless! Thank you! 8) :-*
-
This has got to be one of my favs and patriotic,red white and blue.Geissorhiza radians
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Good grief - your Geissorhiza radians is just wonderful. Will it stay in good patriotic shape for the Royal Wedding???
-
Looks like everyone's cape bulbs are peaking right now!
Moraea villosa (2 forms)
Moraea tulbaghensis
Gladiolus 'Gillian'
Romulea saldanhensis
Geissorhiza splendidissima
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Looks like everyone's cape bulbs are peaking right now!
Certainly true of yours, Darren....a lovely selection 8)
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Beautiful indeed Darren. especially the Gladiolus and M. tulbaghensis
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The last of my Lachenalias: Lachenalia contaminata, grown from AGS seed 3 years ago. Not a hugely glamorous plant but it has a delightful scent:
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The last of my Lachenalias: Lachenalia contaminata, grown from AGS seed 3 years ago. Not a hugely glamorous plant but it has a delightful scent:
Fantastic Tony well done.
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The last of my Lachenalias: Lachenalia contaminata, grown from AGS seed 3 years ago. Not a hugely glamorous plant but it has a delightful scent:
I didn't know about the scent... and that seems to me to be a great plant only three years from seed.... well done!
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Can anyone familiar with South African amaryllids identify this one I spied in a garden up the road? It looks like a Brunsvigia ...
Anita
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Hello Anita
Looks like Brunsvigia gregaria
Roland
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First Babiana here in flower
bought as Babiana rubrocyanacea
but no red at all
so probably wrong named
Roland
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And a bulb bought as Ledebouria sp. Mpumalanga
bulb looks like an Eucomis bulb
flower-stem first goes horizontal
later with the flower-part goes upright
Roland
-
I rather like that Babiana Roland, whatever species it is.
-
I just received some Tritonia bulbs: T. disticha and T. drakensbergensis. Both are hardy in upstate New York; anyone have sage advice for me on trying them outdoors here in central Indiana?
Jim
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I forgot the pictures ;D
Ledebouria sp. Mpumalanga
Roland
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I really struggle to grow Ledebouria :'(
These are happy enough though:
Geissorhizas mathewsii, monanthos and radians. (mine will definitely be in patriotic colour for the royal wedding but I hope to be hiding somewhere on the day so might not see it...)
This Moraea was a double surprise - seed labelled 'M. neopavonia' actually turned out to be the right thing, plus it was hidden away under the bench as it still did not look big enough to flower. This is now, I think, sunk into M tulbaghensis (see above post for a picture). I actually agree with this but I note that my neopavonia is unusual as it lacks any trace of the iridescent patch on the falls (which is usually present in 'both' species). This first flower is also malformed as it lacks two of the small inner tepals. I also note that the flower has lasted far longer than my tulbaghensis at 5 days and counting - remarkable for any Moraea.
Lachenalia latimerae. I posted a pic of this as an unidentified weed in my plunge last year but now that a pot of labeled seedlings has flowered I know what it is. This potful is the same single individual which flowered with one flower spike in the plunge last year! That is some rate of increase... This species was awarded a PC by the Joint Rock a couple of years ago. The cynic in me says that if it had been me rather than Kew which put it up for award it would have been laughed out the door and marked NAS in the show to boot ;)
It has gone to the top of my favourite Lachenalia list. It stays very neat and flowers for ages.
-
Babiana stricta
-
Darren,
the Giessorhizas are brilliant. What great colours and definition in pattern. Those will come on my list for the future. I take it, none are winter hardy.
-
Roland,
That is a Ledebouria, but which species is unclear. Concolor? But, that one usually forms clumps. You would have to look at the ovary, threads in leaves and bulb scales, bulb color, root type (fusiform or not?), ridges on the rachis, leaf vestiture, etc....... I could help if I had the plant! I do have a few that are very similar, but a better location would help.
Aaron
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Besides the flowers, it is useful the habit to identify a babiana species. Some of them are so typical that you can tell a species from the foliage alone. The amount of hairiness of the ovary is also relevant. In some species the stems are branched or are inclined or curved and this alone helps ID them.
-
Tulbaghia violacea alba
-
Very fine pot of Tulbaghia, Michael.
-
Moraea polyanthos
-
One of the latest Cape bulbs, with the Tritonias.
Interesting in that it has characters of both Moraea and former Homerias, to the point that it was known as Homeria lilacina before Homerias were merged into Moraea.
-
Roland--nice Ledebouria!
-
Nice gladiolus Chris 8)
On a windowsill in Ireland, Lachenalia pustulata blue form
I've come to this thread late, but this is stunning!
-
Two forms of Lachenalia(Polyxena) ensifolia flowering now.bye Ray
-
Two nice forms, Ray.
-
Look like two different species, Ray. There are species of Polyxena still to be described. As a matter of fact, there are numbers of species still to be described in practically all genera.
-
Could somebody id this Gladiolus for me,the seed was sent to me from SA three years ago and they are flowering for the first time ;D.The plant is no bigger than 14 inches maybe 12.
-
Beatifull polyxena Ray, and congratlations with the ?gladiolus Davey.
Morea spathulata flowering here (I think it wold be better in the ground) and Tulbaghia acutiloba which is obviously pretty hardy too.
-
M. spathulata in a moist spot could be surprisingly hardy. Makes large clumps.
-
Alberto you couldn't look at the gladiolus pic that i have posted and possibly id it for me please?
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6462.msg200600#msg200600 on previous page ofthis thread
Thank you Maggie ;D
-
I'm into it, Davey. Seems a form of former floribunduses. Give me some time.
-
Watsonia laccata ? this one came up in a pot of laccata seedlings but is about 30cm taller and the flowers are more tubular and don't open out like laccata. Any ideas?
Watsonia laccata.
-
Watsonia aletroides, Michael.
-
Both look lovely Michael
-
Hi Alberto,I thought that pic 1277 was Polyxena pygmaea,but this doesn't have species status and Goldblatt & Manning say its just a form of P ensifolia,but maybe its P maughanii.
What do you think?.bye Ray
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Here's another of my (Thank you Alberto for the id,i agree)Gladiolus floribundus,it's a very cute little thing.
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There are more species than those described and thus the Polyxena puzzle looks unresolved to most of us. The use of locations is useful, like
Polyxena ensifolia Cathcart
Polyxena ensifolia Stellenbosch
and so on. This gives a little more sense at times
Lachenalia is another genus with many variants within a number of species but at least in them they look familiar to each other.
-
Ledebouria cooperi
Ledebouria? can anyone ID this little chap,it is very small and the flower is only 5cm tall. the pot it is in is 6cm.
-
Both lovely Michael :D
-
No idea what the little chap with the plain leaves is, but they are both charming.
-
Michael,
That looks like Ledebouria lepida. The pilose scape is fairly distinctive as are the pink flowers. Where did you manage to get that one?
Aaron
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I got seed from a member of this forum in Bulgaria who said that he got it from Paul Christian without a valid name. 12 seedlings germinated and though all have survived they have not all flowered yet.
-
Moraea lurida
-
Michael, great looking Moraea.
I have a question about over 'summering' my SA bulbs.
My options are a cool basement at around 65 F, leaving in the greenhouse where temps could get as high as 110 F
Or ?
-
I just leave them in the Greenhouse without shading until the end of August then I start watering.
Having said that I have a big pot of Tritonia tangerine that sits outside at the front of the house all year facing south but protected from the rain ,it is only brought in when heavy frost is forecast. It is actually put out in the rain from the end of August until the end of October.
Don't rely on my ideas,others probably do something different with equal success.
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Michael:
Based on what I've seen here you have some serious green finger going on there.
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Tritonia prince of orange.
Tritonia tangerine.
Tritonia lilacina.
Tritonia corcata hyb.
Tritonia corcata hyb.
Rhodohypoxis deflexa
Feel free to correct names if you think they are not correct.
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How hot does it get in your greenhouse during August?
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Could go up to 35c at any time In June or July, August is usually a little cooler but not necessarily so.
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Would the miniature Narcissus experience the same dormancy for you?
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Yes,all the summer dormant bulbs get the same treatment except those that require some moisture when resting,they are placed in a north facing frame that gets watered occasionally.
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Sorry that should have read 35c not 100c I was thinking 100F. I was reared in the old school :)
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Michael:
Thanks, this could mean I don't have to transfer all the pots to the basement. I may put shade cloth up to give a bit more protection from the heat.
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Tritonia prince of orange.
Tritonia tangerine.
Tritonia lilacina.
Tritonia corcata hyb.
Tritonia corcata hyb.
Rhodohypoxis deflexa
Feel free to correct names if you think they are not correct.
Don't know if the names are o.k. Michael, but I love these sort of bulbous flowers :D
And obviously superb cultivated!
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Don't think I can claim South African residency for this group. I got the bulbs from out local B&Q four to five years ago and they come up nicely every year with nothing more than an annual dose of Sulphate of Potash.
Ixia hybrids-
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A Lovely strong pink David.
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It's actually a deep red Dave, that's my camera's version of it ;D
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Lachenalia rubida
Romulea hallii
bye Ray
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Super, Ray.
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some plants flowering in these days
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Nice ones, Matteo! What is the foliage like on Drimia anomala? I think I have seen, but I forget...
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Bought as Ledebouria
but looks for me like Drimiopsis maculata
Am I right ???
Roland
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Nice ones, Matteo! What is the foliage like on Drimia anomala? I think I have seen, but I forget...
it have a only one leaf at time, round in section and very long, tomorrow if I remember i take a photo;)
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Nice ones, Matteo! What is the foliage like on Drimia anomala? I think I have seen, but I forget...
it have a only one leaf at time, round in section and very long, tomorrow if I remember i take a photo;)
Ah, onion! ;)
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not onion;) the leaf if solid non empty;) and not so big in cross;)
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This should be Drimia anomala
to compare your picture
Roland
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hi Roland
i've no doubt about this one but one more confirm is welcome;)
your plant and mine look the same ;)
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Albuca shawii.
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What does the foliage smell of, Davey?
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Mine are in a pot in the greenhouse and will need at least another week before flowering.
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Lapeirousia corymbosa
-
h
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What does the foliage smell of, Davey?
Alberto it is fragrant but im not sure what it smells like,last year i thought aniseed but im not sure this year,it has very sticky stems and leaves.David Nicholson gave me these bulbs originally.
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The true shawii/pachychlamys smells of liquorice. The others have no fragrant foliage.
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The smell of the foliage of Albuca shawii - I have never thought to smell the foliage of bulbs such as Albuca before. I will have to get seed of A. shawii just to smell the foliage.
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Pat hold on just a little longer i am posting some stuff to you later on today or first thing in the morning ;D
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Thanks Davey. Make sure each packet is labelled with the botanical name please .
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Pat isn't much demanding isn't it Davey
Roland
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I wouldn't want Davey to go to the bother and expense of postage to see them seized by quarantine into Australia. Not a good outcome. :(
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I know Pat
I was just kidding
I still try to find a way
to get one of my cuttings from my grape
for a decent price to Australia
See: Dad's Grapes (http://www.ozgrow.com/index.php?topic=7383.msg71339#msg71339)
Roland
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I don't mean to be a 'kill joy' Pat ,however suggest you keep a close eye on the Albuca . :o
I have grown Albuca shawii from seed --sticky leaf /stem ,however have never noticed a scent,so it may not be the same as Daveys. ???
Seed germinates too much for my liking , so i deadhead every season and i have a suspicion my plant could become a weed in a warmer climate........
Cheers Dave.
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Providing a little colour besides the winter flowering Narcissus and a few early crocus is this little beauty.
Grown in a pot outside all year round, (taken under cover for the photo),it's height reaches 40 cm with leaf blades that have four narrow grooves.
Although there are only small red median streaks in the throat of the lower tepals i wonder whether this could be a form of Gladiolus nigromontanus .
Cheers Dave.
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Very nice one Dave
Do you mean it can handle -8şC in pots ???
Roland
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Very nice one Dave
Do you mean it can handle -8şC in pots ???
Roland
Thanks Roland .
Not sure --however it has withstood temps down to nearly -4C...
Cheers Dave.
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Dave, the smell is strong as you gently touches the foliage, otherwise not.
Albucas are interesting and rather undemanding, but they are not weeds everywhere. Most probably your albuca will behave very politely under different conditions.
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Last year I walked around the yard sniffing plants to see what shawii
smells like - it's the same as Alberta spruce - Picea glauca.
I planted it in a raised bed. We had a cold winter: -8 or so,
and even worse, it got cold before plants had hardened off, but Albuca shawii
has done well. I think I saw some flower buds emerging at ground level
today. I must check my map to make sure it was the Albuca I was looking
at.
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Dave,
That Gladiolus looks very much like what I had identified a few years back as Gladiolus montanus. Grows fine for me outside here..... has done for years.
Now off to look back through some of the many pages (and that is just in this topic alone) I've missed here since the last time I visited. 8)
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Here is flowering Galtonia viridescens :D
This plants I have grown from seeds ex AGS ( sown 2004 ) - they have survived the last winter without any protection free in borders
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Nice one Hans
one of my favourites
You don't believe it
but they call it now Ornithogalum
BTW The Acis ionica grows well
Roland
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You don't believe it
but they call it now Ornithogalum
Roland
I didn't know this..... went to see learn about it.... and so I see http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-307626 where it also says the name is G. viridiflora and Ornithogalum viridiflorum..... another thing learned for me today. ::)
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You don't believe it
but they call it now Ornithogalum
Roland
I didn't know this..... went to see learn about it.... and so I see http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-307626 where it also says the name is G. viridiflora and Ornithogalum viridiflorum..... another thing learned for me today. ::)
In a 2004 paper, Manning et al. sank everything in the Ornithogaloideae into a single genus -- Ornithogalum. That was, IMHO, simply a cop-out. Now, there are enough more recent studies out there on Ornithogalum and its many close relatives that "you pays your money and you takes your choice!"
Manning et al. in 2009 resurrected a couple of the old genera and left the Ornithogaloideae in four genera: Ornithogalum (containing most of them), Albuca, Pseudogaltonia, and Dipcadi.
Martinez-Azorin et al., [Annals of Botany, vol. 107, pp. 1-37 (2011)] resurrect most of the old genera, including Galtonia.
It will come down to a careful reading of these last two papers by people with a deeper understanding than I have of the math involved in calculating distances between DNA sequences. Whose data and whose analysis are better?
Jim Shields
in Westfield, Indiana
USA
where the sun is finally shining again!
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It is really problematic to keep pace with all these changes that to growers are of little practical consequence. We need to know more about habitat conditions to sharpen our cultivation methods. Of course we have to know about them or will end buying the same species under four different names.
Not to mention that is has done little to support credibility the fact that several genera were merged and reinstated by the same people within a short time
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There was a chart of the ornithalogum relationships in a IBSA mailing last year which seemed to make sense...
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Peter is that chart available. Link?
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The chart was in the maling about a year ago, I dont have the means to reproduce it here but perhaps Heine could help?
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Kniphofia northiae has persisted here for 7 years and this year is sending up a offset. Purchased from the now closed Seneca Hill Perennials in upstate New York.
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Very nice colour
Looks a very short one Arnold
is it ??
Roland
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Thanks for posting Arnold, It has grown well here for several years but not flowerd yet.
-
Aloe ecklonis seedling blooming for the first time. The seed came from Mauro Peixoto in Brazil.
Jim
in Westfield, Indiana
USA
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Roland:
The flower stalk is till growing. The plant is very large. I'll post an image of the entire plant with something in it for scale.
-
Jim. is Aloe ecklonii a bulb of some sort?
-
Actually, it is probably better classed as a succulent than a geophyte. It is definitely not a bulb! So it's somewhat off topic here, other than being native to South Africa. I was just very happy to see mine bloom for the first time.
-
I was happy to see it Jim, my seedlings havn't flowerd yet. Anyway the number of people mixing up the words bulb, corm, tuber, rhizome, pseudobulb, I got into a lot of trouble for that when I was a toddler. (Even though I take a few liberties now ::) ;D ::) )
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A few species of them have a subterranean organ that can behave like a bulb.
Kniphofias on the other hand are never bulbous, they always have fleshy roots like an Agapanthus and that is all.
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From Penrock seed, Jan 14, 2010
Labelled Ornithogalum unifoliatum Steinkopf
This plant is under lights and would probably look very different in stronger light.. we'll see if I can get it accomodated better by next winter.. No sign of succulence in these leaves as at least some forms of the species should have.. some nice colour though, even in poor light.. any thoughts on whether it really is that species? it does have only one leaf per plant.... 4 or 5inch pot
[attachthumb=1] [attachthumb=3] [attachthumb=4]
[attachthumb=2] [attachthumb=5] [attachthumb=6]
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It's "properly" (!!) Albuca unifoliata G.D.Rowley, Ashingtonia 2: 55 (1975), it seems :-X The Ornithogalum version dating from 1978.... must say, it looks more like an Albuca to this amateur than an ornithogalum ::) :-X
http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=283300
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Interesting--that's a switch in names I had not come across--not that I should be surprised, the two genera don't (superficially) seem so different.. more importantly though, I wonder if my plant is in fact that species by any name? Many online photos are very succulent leafed plants-- I expect my leaves to be stretched in poor light, but shouldn't go from succulent (digit like) to completely flat..lol
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but shouldn't go from succulent (digit like) to completely flat..lol
Yes, I wondered that.... the description is for "cylindrical" leaves ???
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Androcymbium striatum
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Very nice pot Michael
how long did it take for they flowered ??
Roland
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I think about five years,can't read the date on the label.
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Absolutely worth to wait for
very intriguing flowers and bracts
Roland
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Michael, so good to see your plants again. Androcymbium are among those bulbs that demand very deep planting.
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Albuca juncifolia. From a generous forum member :)
This plant is 120cm tall
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Albuca shawii.
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Amazing. Some people can grow about anything.
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A full shot of Kniphofia northiae
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With a one foot ruler
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A full shot of Kniphofia northiae - with a one foot ruler
The plant is stockier and shorter than I expected, Arnold. very nice.
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You are right Arnold
impressive plant
Roland
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I had one plant of northiae that survived for years in my raised bed, but it never bloomed. The cold, wet winters finally did it it.
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Jim:
It is in a spot that is fully exposed to the wet winter weather we have here. I'm surprised it is still hanging in here.
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Androcymbium striatum
Michael,
That is gorgeous. I wish the Androcymbium pulchrum that I have about to flower here at present were nearly as impressive as that. I'm hoping it might be a bit better than it's first flowering last year, but I'm not betting the house on it. ::) I just the striatum though, it's a beauty. You rarely see pics of Androcymbiums as they're so seldom grown I think.
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Rhodohypoxis baurii confecta
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Nice one Michael
Here is Eucomis zambesiaca in flower
looks like E. autumnalis but earlier and smaller
Roland
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Perhaps someone succeeds to identify ???
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A smaller one.
Kniphofia caulescens
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A couple of wonderful plants ex. JJA, both growing in deep sharp sand (and given winter cover). First Gladiolus flanaganii - I had these as young bulbs several years ago and this is the first flowering. It is a rather stunning small species. The second is a group of Eucomis schijffii just beginning to show signs of flowering. The small species of Eucomis are really excellent rock garden plants and this one is particularly distinct.
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Eucomis schijffii just beginning to show signs of flowering.
:o :o
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I agree completely with Brian
very special leaves
waiting for the pictures with the flowers
Roland
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Super specimens, Tim. The range of South African winter dormant bulbs is huge.
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Here is my Gladiolus flanaganii with a few more flowers than last year
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Nice Michael. I've had very good germination on seed from the last SRGC Exchange that I sowed in May. Were yours from seed?
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Yes David,sown on the 21/02/2007
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Should have a nice pot full in 2015 then provided I don't kill 'em in the meantime.
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They are not difficult, keep dry all winter and plenty of water and a few feeds when start to grow in the spring.
I can send you some corms when they die back,I have another potfull.
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Thanks MIchael I'd love a couple.
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I have made a note in my file for the autumn/winter,I also put in some Lewisia cuttings in for you yesterday,fingers crossed that they root
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Michael, no need to exaggerate!
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;D ;D ;D
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"Michael, no need to exaggerate!"
This referred to the spectacular potful of G. flanaganii
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Eucomis zambesiaca
looks like E. autumnalis but earlier and smaller
Roland
I have one flowering now too, with a delightful coconut scent.
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Last week I have bought in a nursery a new plant for me :
Tulbaghia maritima
After searching in the web is it a bit strange ...some accept this name ...some other put it to Tulb. violacea...
Here are some pics for comparison :
T.maritima
T.violacea ( grow from seed ex AGS ) - T.maritima
same with the flowers ....
Hans
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Any ideas as to the identity of this bulb, flowering for the first time.
I asked for Lapageria rosea from the AGS seed exchange and this is what grew. It is nice however.
I initially thought it was a Lapeirousia but now think it is a Geissorhiza, ? schinzii.
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Hesperantha baurii ?
-
It looks like it to me Michael, totally hardy for me and about to flower here. (it has lots of names in the seed exchanges)
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Thanks Michael and Peter.
Further Google image searching makes it almost certainly Hesperantha baurii.
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A long way from a Lapageria. ???
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Some SA plants flowering now bye Ray
Romulea tortuosa
Massionia depressa
Eucomis vandermerwei
Lachenalia pendula
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You are not going to believe this. This Watsonia is planted in my front garden and has survived two winters with -15c the first winter and -17c last winter for weeks at a time. It is planted in a bed with shrubs and while 60% of the clump is dead these few have survived and flowered last year and again this year.
I think it is Watsonia amatolae but I am not sure. I have included a pic of what is left of the clump.
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looks in the same state as my Libertias and Watsonias Michael, no buds on my Watsonias yet but it was a little colder here >:( :'(
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Tulbaghia sp. Devon in flower
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a pretty thing Alessandro :)
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Another non bulb -Kniphofia
hirtasorry I think the name is hirsuta :-[
and I have corrected the name on the picture too.
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I'm a bit of a "Bulb Bigot," but I tried to grow Kniphofia here too, including hirsuta. So let's make Kniphofia all honorary bulbs. K. caulescens was almost hardy here, surviving out in my garden for several years and blooming a couple times. K. northiae survived a very long time in the rock garden, but it never bloomed and eventually also died.
Jim
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Thanks Jim,
caulescens died last winter here, but survived, rather the worse for wear, in shelterd spots. No sign of pauciflora as yet but it usually emerges from deep down when the winter is too hard. I grew seed of citrina, ensifolia and baurii some years ago and they have done well this year, but I am not convinced that they are the true species. An interesting one I hope is still there when I finish weeding the allotment -K typhifolia which has vertical, narrow, twisted leaves and flowers that are mostly just stamens. Triangularis seems to have coped well with the cold too.
northiae is growing strongly.
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I have a new (to me) Crocosmia in bloom: 'Elizabethan Gardens' which I received in 2009. It came to me as being hardier than 'Lucifer', but I'm not sure about this. I received at least 10 corms, but there are only a few shoots showing, and only one is in bloom.
Still, it has to be pretty hardy to have made it through two winters out in my garden. I like the hot, red-orange color too. This cultivar has larger flowers than the strain of 'Lucifer' that I grow here, so that is also a plus. So far, this is not quite as tall as my 'Lucifer'. Let's see if it continues to survive here, and bulks itself up in the process.
Jim
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Rhodoxis Hyb. / Hebron Farm
(http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2867/rhodoxishybhebronfarm.jpg)
Ornithogalum dubium (Hybrid?)
(http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/3743/ornithogalumdubium.jpg)
(http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/6047/ornithogalumdubium3.jpg)
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Rhodohypoxis grown among cacti and succulents?????
-
That does seem an oddity as Rhodohypoxis love water. The longer you water them the longer they flower. I think these are the Rhodohypoxis x Hypoxis hybrid?
-
Even so, a lot of Hypoxises grow with wet feet.
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Hesperantha baurii, seed grown, sown March 2008 SRGC 07/08-1935. Apologies for the quality of the pictures.
A frustrating little specimen, it's been in bud since last Thursday but by the time I got to photograph it (late afternoon) it had closed up again. Given our low light levels, and temperature levels over the past few days it simply wouldn't open so yesterday I left it on the dining room window sill (special dispensation!!) and this morning it opened with the help of some warmth from the central heating (I said it was cold here!) but now at 1335 it's all closed up again. Lovely little plant, pity that the pics don't do it justice.
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Hesperantha baurii, seed grown, sown March 2008 SRGC 07/08-1935. Apologies for the quality of the pictures.
A frustrating little specimen, it's been in bud since last Thursday but by the time I got to photograph it (late afternoon) it had closed up again. Given our low light levels, and temperature levels over the past few days it simply wouldn't open so yesterday I left it on the dining room window sill (special dispensation!!) and this morning it opened with the help of some warmth from the central heating (I said it was cold here!) but now at 1335 it's all closed up again. Lovely little plant, pity that the pics don't do it justice.
very pretty David,i am getting into hesperantha,i have got a few pots of different sp that i bought as seed in the spring awaiting there atumn wetting,good easy S.A bulbs and pretty bomb proof.
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Dave, I've extracted a list on a Word doc. of Hesperantha species South African flowering dates from The Colour Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs -Manning Goldblatt and Snijman. It's too big a size for me to post here but I will send you a copy to your private email address. If anyone else would like a copy send me an email to my home email address.
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Instead, your super growing skills, Davey. Winter growing Hesperanthas are not among the easiest of Cape bulbs, proof is that so few species are in cultivation. Summer growing Hesperanthas (Schizostylis excluded) are even more hard to please.
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.................... Summer growing Hesperanthas (Schizostylis excluded) are even more hard to please.
.....apart from baurii perhaps Alberto. If I can do it anyone can ;D
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Davey, your Glad. floribundus seed arrived this morning. It looks good and will be sown this afternoon. Thanks very much. Also some Ramonda seed from Belgium. Only nice things come in the mail nowadays. 8) Nasty things like the power bill come Online. ???
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Lachenalias originally from a local Barossa Valley cemetery where they have colonised well.
Species?
-
Lachenalias originally from a local Barossa Valley cemetery where they have colonised well.
Species?
Pat they remind me of ice lollies we used to get when i was a kid,a fantastic blast of colour.
I hope they grow well for you Lesley,if you can keep the corms dry during your summer they will be fine,they are not forgiving when introduced to water in there rest period,i have found out the hard way >:(.
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aloides, Pat.
-
Lachenalias originally from a local Barossa Valley cemetery where they have colonised well.
Species?
Hi Pat,
As Alberto has indicated they are Lachenalia aloides - the type sold as "Quadricolor" for the 4 distinct colours in the flower. Still one of my favourites.
cheers
fermi
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I should take a diversion coming home tomorrow and go to the cemetery as the lachenalias should all be out there too.
Fermi I think you told me the species last year but I forgot to write it down so thanks Alberto for the species name. The tag is written - just needs to get to the clump now.
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Pat, if those Lachenalias are all the same type, such "wild" seeds would be very interesting for distribution.
-
I will definitely take my camera with me today.
Jack Frost has covered all the hillsides really thickly this morning. Fingertips are losing feeling as I type. Coldest morning for three years!
I will have to keep an eye on my clump to watch out for seeds and then visit the cemetery.
-
Damn. Lachenalias are not hardy.
-
They can't be too frost tender surely, Alberto, for them to have made these naturalised clumps ?
-
They are cooked, Maggi, with slight frosts in my humid climate if not protected.
-
We had a whopper of a frost this morning. See below.
I called into Neukirch C on way home (very roundabout way) - they would have had more frost.
I think the grass must have been mowed last time I visited as I remembered more clumps.
I do wonder why this one grave is separate. Can someone translate please?
As I read it with highschool German - Here lies a small child - born and died on 15th March 1910
And one of the old farmhouses on the same road as the cemetery.
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Pat ,
maybe I can help a little bit :
Neukirch means New Chapel
On the grave is written :
"Here is slepping a little boy ,
Create for dying and died to life ,
born 15. March 1910,
For remebering from his parents ....."
Greetings
Hans
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Here rests a little boy
made to die
and died to live
born March 15, 1910
in memory of his parents
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Thank you both for the better translation.
It was sad to see only that grave on that side of the cemetery. It is possibly the area where the children were buried. It is a small cemetery with only a couple of dozen graves.
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Thank you both for the better translation.
It was sad to see only that grave on that side of the cemetery. It is possibly the area where the children were buried. It is a small cemetery with only a couple of dozen graves.
How sad to see it on its own.
On a brighter note could that be a more frost resistant generation of Lachenalias,it could be an excellent discovery.
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Sorry I double-crossed your translation Hans
I missed that one
was in a hurry for the concrete
Roland
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David's boobed again!!
Well you see I have this system. All my summer growing bulbs have a yellow label in the pot, as well as the plant label, so that I can tell at a glance that they are summer growing. Now this works well-as long as I make sure that the bulbs are summer growing in the first place. This time I've failed and have been watering Albuca juncifolia and Freesia alba and only realised today after checking my database after tipping them out to explore the reason for no growth. The Albuca has a good root system and the Freesias were just beginning to show shoots.
So, what should I do to retrieve the situation?
-
If you have growth I would personally just keep them growing - less water though.
-
They can't be too frost tender surely, Alberto, for them to have made these naturalised clumps ?
I have tried a few Lachenalias (including aloides) without frost protection but kept dry when frozen, a couple persisted for ten years, Lachenalia contaminata even flowerd a couple of times and survived -15C in the winter of 2009/20010 and so did aloides, but not last winter which was even colder. I came to the conclusion that they will withstand a fair amount of frost though the leaves may be "cooked" as Alberto puts it, but they won't grow in prolonged periods of cold. The average temperatures in a british winter are simply too low for them to grow.
The other reasons that I gave up on them are that in order to get them through frosty periods I had to keep them too dry to grow properly in any case, and indoors they need too much light.
Probably a better bet planted against a wall in Cornwall or parts of Ireland.
David ,
the freesias are happy to stay in growth much of the year but dont care much for hard frost, the albuca is pretty easy going and grows in season regardless but has its limits too with regard to frost.
-
I did notice today that the frosts made the flowering stems of the Lachenalia collapse a bit and the flowers don't have their previous substance. Just hope they set seed - never looked for seeds before on Lachenalias.
-
Thank you Pat and Peter. They are pretty wet at the moment so think I'll leave them and not water again until September.
-
A couple of wonderful plants ex. JJA, both growing in deep sharp sand (and given winter cover). First Gladiolus flanaganii - I had these as young bulbs several years ago and this is the first flowering. It is a rather stunning small species. The second is a group of Eucomis schijffii just beginning to show signs of flowering. The small species of Eucomis are really excellent rock garden plants and this one is particularly distinct.
See the Eucomis in flower......
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7532.msg209023#msg209023
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Thanks Maggie, wonderfull pictures.
G flanaganii is indeed wonderfull and E schijffii is definatley on my wants list....
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First flowering of two Albucas (aurea and shawii), both from seed sown in 2008,
growing in a raised bed in the garden.
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A criss-cross of Boophone disticha leaves
-
Great picture Arnold ;)
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Nearly spring here! Some South African "bulbs" in flower on the weekend,
Moraea macronyx
[attachthumb=1]
Romulea sabulosa
[attachthumb=2]
an unnamed Romulea - possibly R. tortuosa ssp aurea, but no noticeable scent
[attachthumb=3]
cheers
fermi
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First flowering of two Albucas (aurea and shawii), both from seed sown in 2008,
growing in a raised bed in the garden.
3 years to flower seems a good time, Diane. Have they been planted outside for long?
-
I planted the albucas outside last August. So, two years in a pot
and one year in the ground.
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Thank you, Diane.
-
A first flowering for me of Albuca shawii
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;D Fred African bulbs,about time,fancy some more. ;D
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I may well take you up on that Dave ;D
I appear to be diversifying yet again ::)
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Eucomis bicolor
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Arnold
I love this remarkably unremarkable plant
they seems to flower the whole summer
pity here in France almost nobody wants them
Roland
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Arnold
I love this remarkably unremarkable plant
they seems to flower the whole summer
pity here in France almost nobody wants them
Roland
Really? They are hardly above the ground till summer is almost over here in Aberdeen. :-X
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Here they are three weeks in flower now
what I like after flowering
the seed-pod is still very attractive
and stays there till the winter comes (December)
Roland
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Romulea tetragona
Geissorhiza heterostyla
Romulea hirta
Cheers Dave
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Dave the Geissorhiza heterostyla is very special not one i have seen before.
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Dave the Geissorhiza heterostyla is very special not one i have seen before.
I raised it from NZAGS seed Davey ,sown Aug 07.First flowering this season.
It's not a large flower, each individual one about a mans large finger nail in size ,(depends on how often one cuts ones nails ::) ;D) .
Mine have a 5 flowered spike over foliage of about 25cm in height . Currently growing in a pot outside all year round unprotected ,it has coped with light frosts of -3c.
There are a number of seedlings in the pot with another one just about to bloom so it will be interesting to see if there is any variation in colouring.
Hopefully it will set seed --if you are interested just PM with your snail mail details.
Cheers Dave.
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A first time flowering of a rather strange gladdie, G. abbreviatus, it was apparently Homoglossum abbreviatum
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[attachthumb=2]
cheers
fermi
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Really funny one
very unusual shape
seeds are on there way
also for Pat
I hope they arrive save
Roland
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A few SA plants flowering now.bye Ray
Hesperantha latifolia
Hesperantha pauciflora
Spiloxene sp
Aristea spirallis
Babians sp-
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Lovely pics Ray
Cant wait till some of mine start flowering
maybe the first next spring
Roland
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Hi Ray,
your babiana might be B. cedarbergensis.
Here are Babiana odorata
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and Babiana pygmaea
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cheers
fermi
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I love Babiana's
I thought B.odoratum was more creamy
Roland
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One from the greenhouse today- Hesperantha huttonii grown from Exchange seed sown March 2008 and the only one to survive from the batch.
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Lovely David very nice but are they not African?
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Lovely David very nice but are they not African?
Of course they are Dave, wrong thread (it's an age thing!!) Maggi HELP
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Lovely David very nice but are they not African?
Of course they are Dave, wrong thread (it's an age thing!!) Maggi HELP
Happy to help, David,.... I often don't know where I am, either.... :-X
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Fermi, I feel so jealous every time I see your avatar. I bought a bulb of Romulea sabulosa way back before 1980 and while it increased it never flowered. I left it behind when I retired (like most of my southern hemisphere bulbs). I don't know if it will still be there as no-one else was interested in tender bulbs. Babiana pygmaea, grown from seed flowered for a year or two and even set seed then didn't flower for years but flowered the year after I retired.
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Many thanks Maggi.
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Acidanthera bicolor
(http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/6973/img0043zj.jpg)
(http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/1641/img0038vj.jpg)
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Very nice Peter, in some quarters it's called Gladiolus murialae now.
Upto this winter when I lost the lot I was able to grow them in the garden and leave them through the winter without lifting them.
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I was amazed to see a potfull in flower three weeks ago, in Lincolnshire. They had stood out all winter in the pot, pushed against the house wall, been fed in the spring and flowerd! :o ???
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I have these plants in a shallow dish. In the winter I bring into the basement (cellar).
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very nice Fermi
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Fermi, I feel so jealous every time I see your avatar.
Don't feel jealous - I can't grow meconopsis and so many of the wonderful cool climate plants we saw when we visited Scotland!
Here's the first flowers of Geissorhiza corrugata which opened in the sunshine on the weekend,
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[attachthumb=2]
cheers
fermi
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How much water do these need Fermi, should I stand pots of seed in a saucer?
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I'm not sure our conditions here would equate to Fermi's anyway but this is not necessary, and probably inadvisable, in the UK climate Peter.
All my cape bulb seed, including my own seed of G. corrugata, is sown in august here and the pots stood out in the rain (and we have had a LOT this week!), they germinate in about 30 days and I bring them under glass before the first frost and then treat them as mini-adults.
Adults - All my Geissorhiza (about 10 species) get normal bulb treatment i.e. just damp through the winter. However - in my experience they will abort their flowers if too dry as the flowers develop in spring so then I water them much more freely but still don't stand them in water. The vigorous increasers like G. aspera get overcrowded easily and this means the pots also dry out very rapidly in spring. Corrugata is easy to manage though the leaves don't spiral tightly like they do in brighter conditions in the wild or even in Australia. Mine performed better than usual in the bright spring we had this year and even went to the Hexham show where the judges were spectacularly disinterested. ;)
Some Geissorhiza grow with wet feet in the wild and in a Mediterranean climate you could get away with saucers of water but the seeds or bulbs would likely rot in a cold dull UK autumn & winter.
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Thanks so much Darren, your advice is pretty much what I thought, but information availabe suggests they are almost aquatic for the winter!
Wish I could have been at Hexham, - I would have been interested ;)
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:)
I just thought of another good example - Hesperantha vaginata grows in wet red clay in the wild (I've walked on it and it is great for your leg muscles as your boots weigh a ton in seconds!) but I find this plant so rot-prone here that I have to grow it in a plunged clay pot and be careful with the water. The habitat bakes to concrete-like consistency in summer of course.
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Thanks Darren - Its a bit like growing junos and american frits...
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Darren, 10 species of Geissorhiza is just too much!
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Dave the Geissorhiza heterostyla is very special not one i have seen before.
There are a number of seedlings in the pot with another one just about to bloom so it will be interesting to see if there is any variation in colouring.
Cheers Dave.
One of the other seedlings is in now in bloom Davey.While this one shows a touch of purple especially in the bud ,it opened to a white.
Cheers Dave.
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Lovely white,i kind of like the dark reverse.
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Got this earlier this year from a generous Forum member from down under.
Gladiolus pappei - merely 25 cm high ! :D :D
Thanks Dave !!!! ;)
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Very nice Luc
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Beautiful bloom, Luc and at only 25cms that makes it even nicer.
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Yes, indeed, very nice. I love the South African Gladiolus, but I have problems growing them. Maybe I just don't go at it right. Gladiolus oppositiflorus salmoneus is marginally hardy here. I can keep it alive in pots, but the plants are weak and don't bloom regularly. Planted outdoors in the ground, it is much more vigorous and blooms much better -- if it survives the winters. I planted maybe 10 different clones outdoors in the garden, in the same bed where Crinum variabile and Crinum [bulbispermum x lugardiae] are perfectly hardy. Over several years, 6 to 8 maybe, I gradually lost them until I was down to only 2. I lifted them and potted them, and they have not bloomed since.
I have been growing G. saudersii in pots right along. They did very well for a few years, and bloomed nicely. Now they are dwindling, and repotting seems to be fatal for them.
Other species, kept full time in pots, simply never bloom for me.
It's very frustrating!
Jim
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Got this earlier this year from a generous Forum member from down under.
Gladiolus pappei - merely 25 cm high ! :D :D
Thanks Dave !!!! ;)
This isn't a gladi that i grow but it's very nice.What amazed me when i first started growing the sp glads is how small the corms are when the flower,only ever having hybrid corms,i was blown away.
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Jim, you can store the corms indoors for the winter under frost free conditions.
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Got this earlier this year from a generous Forum member from down under.
Gladiolus pappei - merely 25 cm high ! :D :D
Thanks Dave !!!! ;)
You haven't seen my bill yet Luc ! ;D ;D ;D ;)
(Just kidding).
You have done well to 'turn it around ' as i remember the corms had roots forming when i forwarded them.
One of the early ones for me is Glady recurvus which is currently out in bloom --took some pics last weekend but they aren't that flash so will have another go tomorrow....
Cheers dave.
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Schizostylis coccenea has started flowering.
Poul
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Nice Poul. This another the Botanists have re-arranged the name of, it's now Hesperantha coccinea
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Yummy clear photo of the Schizostylis Poul--(I'm not going there David .... :: ;D)
Bright yellow Romulea diversiformis ,followed by in the same pot, a seedling of a paler colour which has remained consistent.
Cheers Dave.
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Very nice bicolor Dave
Roland
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Amaryllis belladonna,
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Very nice bicolor Dave
Roland
Thanks Roland.
I've marked the plant to collect and sow seed later in the hope the youngsters come true.
Here's a close up of Gladiolus recurvus i mentioned earlier. I had to twist the flowering stem around the metal frame to get a decent shot.
Cheers Dave.
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First Pelargonium triste, a form grown from seed from Silver Hills, many years ago.
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Next are two posies of flowers seen at the Ferny Creek Horticultural Society Spring Show on the weekend.
[attachthumb=2]
[attachthumb=3]
cheers
fermi
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nice freesias, Fermi what is the blue flower in the first pic?
Nice triste too, I grow a few pelargoniums but Ive never really cracked the SA tuberous ones....yet
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Sorry, Peter, I don't know - they weren't mine.
The purplish ones are Babiana but the blue one might be an Aristea.
I have 2 forms of P. triste - the second has a bit of red in the petal.
cheers
fermi--
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Fermi if you ever get a bit of extra on the Pelargonium triste I would love to try it. I did grow a plant from seed many years ago and I think that had a bit of red. The perfume was divine. Back in my early days of growing bits and pieces from seed.
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Some bulbs flower now.bye Ray
Moraea tricolour
Geissorhiza radians
Hesperantha vaginata
Moraea vegeta
Moraea papilionacea
Sparaxis elegans
Geissorhiza tulbaghensis
Moraea atropunctata
Babiana hyb
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"some" , Ray?? That looks like quite a lot of good stuff to me!
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Some beautiful plants there Ray. You have the right place for them all right. :)
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Wow Ray!
Congratulations!
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Cyrtanthus elatus.
Oxalis purpurea 'Ken Aslet, (Oxalis melanosticta)
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Cyrtanthus elatus.
Oxalis purpurea 'Ken Aslet, (Oxalis melanosticta)
Cyrtanthus elatus is such a good plant,mines just finished flowering.
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Cyrtanthus elatus is such a good plant,mines just finished flowering.
It must depend on the clone you get. I've had elatus a couple of times, and it never would bloom for me. Now, [elatus x montanus] is just fine in that department. It usually blooms very nicely, until this summer. Our summer was very hot and dry; maybe as Autumn comes, they will start to bloom.
Jim
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Jim, here it remains evergreen and flowers in October (say April with you). If the plants are robust (they make clumps) a second flowering takes place some two months afterwards, in December.
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Cyrtanthus elatus is such a good plant,mines just finished flowering.
It must depend on the clone you get. I've had elatus a couple of times, and it never would bloom for me. Now, [elatus x montanus] is just fine in that department. It usually blooms very nicely, until this summer. Our summer was very hot and dry; maybe as Autumn comes, they will start to bloom.
Jim
Sorry Jim i stupidly thought all Elatus were easy to flower,i could send you seed off mine.Like Alberto mines almost evergreen.
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I would be most grateful for seeds from a floriferous strain of elatus. I will have fresh seeds of Haemanthus to offer shortly (I hope).
The [elatus x montanus] occasionally set seeds if different clones are cross-pollinated. I've never had the patience to grow them on. I'd be opnly to happy to have chance to grow good elatus form seed.
Jim
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Davey, the plants are maintained almost dry and frost free in winter to induce flowering.
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The very floriferous (and considered a weed around here, but not by me!) Gladiolus tristis which is scented from evening till morning
[attachthumb=1]
[attachthumb=2]
and the lovely Moraea spathulata
[attachthumb=3]
cheers
fermi
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Just discovered this forum, specially for the South African bulbs, one of my favourite bulbs/species/genera.
South Africa and especially the Cape Floral region contain some of the richest plant biodiversity in the world.
Here are just a few of the magnificent, always popular colourful Moraea species flowering for us at the moment.
The beautiful Peacock iris in all it's glory.
Morae aristata
Moraea elegans
Moraea gigandra
Moraea lurida
Moraea neopavonia
Moraea villosa var.Zoe
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Some amazing species :o :D
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Beautifull Moreas Fermi, Bill.
Only a few leaves on G tristis here this spring, the last two winters have set it back badly.
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Those are really something special Bill. I'll be looking carefully at you new catalogue as soon as I get a copy. ;D
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Beautifull Moreas Fermi, Bill.
Only a few leaves on G tristis here this spring, the last two winters have set it back badly.
Peter if you fancy a few fresh corms of tristis i could sort some out when mine go dormant again.Bill what a display.
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Wow Bill, an amazing collection!
They are beautiful!
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A few closeup pics of some of these amazing Moraea species.
Moraea aristata
Moraea tulbaghensis
Moraea villosa var.Zoe
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Spiloxene:These brilliant white starry flowers are stunning on a sunny day. Also comes in yellow, orange and even pink. So easily grown it can almost become a welcome pest!
Spiloxene canaliculata
Spiloxene capensis
Spiloxene liniaris
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A few closeup pics of some of these amazing Moraea species.
Moraea aristata
Moraea tulbaghensis
Moraea villosa var.Zoe
Some stunning specimens there, colour is amazing. :)
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Bill your Moraea villosa var.Zoe is stunning is it a new cultivar?
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Yesterday, arrived in the post, some Gladiolus corms I'd ordered. What is wrong with me? They are the tall kind reminiscent of a certain Australian personage and if anyone starts to call me Edna, I'll spit!
Also arrived in the parcel, a few smallish bulbs of Eucomis 'Tiny Pink Rubies.' Very small parcel on its way to you Brian. :D
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Spiloxene:These brilliant white starry flowers are stunning on a sunny day. Also comes in yellow, orange and even pink. So easily grown it can almost become a welcome pest!
Spiloxene canaliculata
Spiloxene capensis
Spiloxene liniaris
Pest? I will like to have a very ill bed!
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Hesperantha coccenea at its best
Lithops - yes I know it is not a bulb, but it is from South Africa
Poul
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Hi Bill,
Extraordinary pics of moraea. Spiloxene capensis is also a stunning one. But is it so "easy" to grow?
J-P
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This is Lachenalia mediana (I think!)
cheers]
fermi
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The purple/blue ones are often scented. Have you bent your knees yet? :D
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Bill your Moraea villosa var.Zoe is stunning is it a new cultivar?
Davey, yes this is a different, selected named form/seedling, that originally came up in a batch of open pollinated Moraea villosa species.
This species can also vary in shades of darker and lighter colours.
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Hi Bill,
Extraordinary pics of moraea. Spiloxene capensis is also a stunning one. But is it so "easy" to grow?
J-P
Hi JP, good to meet you on this forum again, you grow some beautiful Tropaeolum species.
Growing the Spiloxene capensis for us is easy in our climate, grown in containers and as long as the medium is a sharp, free draining mix and bulbs are dried off when dormant like most South African bulbs, there shouldn't be any problem.
You should try a few, drop me a pm, we might be able to organise an exchange of seed. ;) ;)
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Babiana's are another dainty, graceful, colourful South African species, outstanding and easy to grow in the warmer climates.
In its native lands, this plant is a favorite food of baboons, hence the less than engaging common name.
Babiana villosa hybrids
Babiana angustifolia
Babiana pygmea hybrid
Babiana rubrocyanea
Babiana villosa
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Wow Bill! Very nice plants!
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Veltheimia bracteata, a native of South Africa is a beautiful deciduous bulb, the inflorescence is a dense raceme of tubular flowers, densely placed, carried on a long stalk, reaching a height of up to 500 mm. The colour of the flowers is variable, and could be pale pink, dusky pink, orange-pink, lemon-pink or deep rose pink, and is occasionally greenish-yellow.
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they are just into leaf here Bill, both bracteata and capensis.
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Beautiful plants!
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As Hurricane Ophelia passes the weather is warm and steamy. It was sunny and 25c here today but Wednesday night promises a low of 4c and Thursday a high of 9c. I am concerned about a large planting of Hippeastrum (common houseplant hybrids) outside. Can they withstand a light frost? If not it will be a scramble to get out to the outer suburbs to lift them. I will be surprised if we get the frost here on the coast but suburbia just might.
johnw
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Some lovely variations in the Veltheimia Bill, we only ever managed to get a knicker pink one!
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Hi Brian,dosen't Kurt Vickery sell a different cultivar.bye Ray
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Geissorhiza: this large exquisite, colorful genus from the winter-rainfall Cape Province of South Africa grows in winter and dormant during the dry summers,
Geissorhiza radians is one species aka the "Wine Cup", is a delightful rare gem from South Africa.
What the inch-wide flowers lack in size, they make up for in their dazzling color pattern of indigo-blue and ruby red, separated with a white line.
Geissorhiza tulbaghensis has also large attractive flowers of creamy white with a dark eye and blue anthers.
Other species like G.inaequalis and G.inflexa are two more species well worth growing.
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Very nice indeed Bill. I struggle on with Geissorhiza corrugata which seems to give me a lot of very small bulbs but none, so far, of flowering size. I trying G. inflexa from seed.
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Having lost flowering sized bulbs of Poyxena odorata and P. longituba in the greenhouse as a result of last winter I really wasn't expecting this. Polyxena longituba (or to be precise Lachenalia longituba as the taxonomists say!) grown from seed from SRGC Seed Ex (2424-07/08) sown December 2008 and it has existed outside in my plastic covered seed frame since it was sown.
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Empodium plicatum in buds and in flower
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To all those South African Bulb enthusiasts, this is the recent offering from the Pacific Bulb Society.
Members may request seeds or bulbs and pay a minimum charge per item plus postage
(Disclaimer, I'm partial I serve on the Board of the Society)
[pbs] Pacific Bulb Society BX 290
Dear All,
The items listed below have been donated by our members to be shared.
1. Seed of Brunsvigia littoralis
2. Seed of Gladiolus grandiflorus
3. Seed of Lilium martagon, rose colors
4. Seed of Ornithogalum reverchonii
5. Seed of Ornithogalum fimbrimarginatum
6. Bulblets of Gladiolus splendens (few)
7. Brodiaea californica, OP among Ratko collections
8. Dichelostemma capitatum, OP among Ratko collections, few
9. Hyacinthoides vincentina
10. Lapeirousia jacquinii
11. Massonia pustulata
12. Onixotis stricta
13. Lachenalia alba
14. Lachenalia liliflora
15. Lachenalia mathewsii
16. Lachenalia orchioides var glaucina
17. Lachenalia pustulata, dark blue
18. Lachenalia viridiflora
19. Daubenya stylosa (ex Silverhill as D. capensis)
20. Daubenya marginata Fransplaas
21. Massonia pustulata (cross of very pustulate parents)
IBSA distribution from the Clanwilliam Wild Flower Garden
22. Bulbinella cauda-felis
23. Sparaxis roxburghii
24. Rhadamanthus platyphyllus ex Steve Hammer
25. Lachenalia bulbifera, coastal dunes at Rocherpan. Olive green leaves
with nice red markings.
26. Massonia depressa, M41, Matjiesfontein Cemetery. Unusual cliff
dwelling form.
27. Massonia depressa, M42, S of Middelpos, rocky area.
28 Massonia depressa, M45, near Middelpos Hotel, ribbed leaves, few.
29. Massonia pygmaea?, M46, Nieuwoudtville, Matjiesfontein Farm, few.
30. Massonia depressa, M47, Nieuwoudtville waterfall, well marked.
31. Massonia depressa, M48, Nieuwoudtville waterfall, reddest, few.
32. Massonia depressa, M49, Carolusberg, near the old Van Der Stel
copper mine, extra large form.
33. Massonia depressa, M51, Modderfontein, large form.
34. Massonia 'pygmaea' pustulate form, M52, Modderfontein, rocky dome.
Distinctly different from the flatland M. pygmaea in the same area in
terms of leaf and seed pod morphology. Rare and choice (at least for
me), and may not commonly be in cultivation. Very few.
35. Massonia pygmaea, M54, Modderfontein, dry field/renosterveld area, few.
36. Massonia pygmaea, M55, Modderfontein, wet pasture.
37. Massonia depressa, M56, field across from Kamieskroon Hotel, good color.
38. Massonia depressa, M57, Kamieskroon Church, from a huge population
with some immense forms.
39. Massonia pygmaea, M59, SE of Elands Bay, rocky area. Seed and pod
morphology is different from the Modderfontein forms.
Most forms of Daubenya zeyheri in cultivation are from the Paternoster
area. The following are from a different population in Jacobs Bay.
40. Daubenya zeyheri, Mx22, Jacobs Bay, selected forms from private
garden. Very few.
41. Daubenya zeyheri, Mx23, Jacobs Bay, limestone area.
42. Daubenya zeyheri, Mx24, Jacobs Bay, near old runway, sandy area over
limestone.
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I'm trying to produce some seeds on my own Brunsvigia litoralis for the PBS BX as well. I'd need several new greenhouses if I took advantage of all the neat offerings on the BX. Then my wife might be tempted to shoot me, of course.
Jim
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Arnold, thanks for highlighting the super opportunities afforded by PBS membership.
There are few other chances to gain access to material of most if not all of these plants. The Bulb Exex take place at various times of the year, when materials are dontated so they might happen at odd times and while there may only be small amounts available, the chance is really worth it!
www.pacificbulbsociety.org will give you loads of information .... about the society and also will lead to huge amounts of plant info, too. 8)
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Having lost flowering sized bulbs of Poyxena odorata and P. longituba in the greenhouse as a result of last winter I really wasn't expecting this. Polyxena longituba (or to be precise Lachenalia longituba as the taxonomists say!) grown from seed from SRGC Seed Ex (2424-07/08) sown December 2008 and it has existed outside in my plastic covered seed frame since it was sown.
Well done David my Longituba and other species are just germinating ;D.Thank you for the iris seed it arrived safe and his now potted up.Empodium plicatum in buds and in flower
Wow that is really lovely
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I am delighted to have received my book from Silverhill Seeds this morning, 'Grow Bulbs' by Graham Duncan, a chunky 2cms thick paperback which will provide bedtime reading until the proper snowdrop season begins! The trouble is there are so many lovely things to grow...
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I am delighted to have received my book from Silverhill Seeds this morning, 'Grow Bulbs' by Graham Duncan, a chunky 2cms thick paperback which will provide bedtime reading until the proper snowdrop season begins! The trouble is there are so many lovely things to grow...
Every time I open another page there is something I would love to have. It's really is a great book.
I am looking forward to the snowdrop season as well, love these little white treasures but what I really enjoy is reading all the posts from the members. I think it is so much fun ;D
Angie :)
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Haemanthus albiflos with 21 flowers, I can't get them all in the picture.
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Wow, Michael.
Haemanthus on steroids.
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That's really impressive, Michael!
Jim
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Wow the pot is exploding! beautiful!
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Among your recent pics Bill, the one I like most is the Babiana pygmaea hybrid. The blue/cream combo is delightful. No, I'm not hinting. I think I have to accept that South African bulbs are not for me here, being without any glass cover. A few do well in the garden but most need some sort of summer ripening or winter protection which I just can't do. But I sure enjoy everyone's here. :D
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Michael :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o WOW !
Angie :)
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The first flower this year on Moraea polystachya.
Polyxena ensifolia, thanks Darren
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Albuca osmynella syn. Ornithogalum osmynellum
(http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4633/albucaosmynella.jpg)
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My Gladiolus alatus is flowering now. They can be seen on a few open plots in the street I live in too.
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_2321.jpg)
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Gladiolus tristus flowering for me now.
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3353.jpg)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3355.jpg)
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Geissorhiza monanthos flowering now
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3347.jpg)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3349.jpg)
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I have pot filled with Tritonia crocata starting to flower now.
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3356.jpg)
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I have a number of Gladiolus Rougex in flower now
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3280.jpg)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3281.jpg)
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Here are a few of my Lachenalia that has just flowered
Ronina
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3269.jpg)
Robijn
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3263.jpg)
Rupert
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3268.jpg)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3273.jpg)
Viridiflora
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3221.jpg)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o149/loevenstein/IMG_3224.jpg)
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Heinie, they are all being uploaded as amaryllidaceae
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Alberto,
Thank you. I realized that after I posted it. I probably became over excited to get the last one done with all the Amaryllidaceae photos before them and just continued under the same category by lack of thought. I will have a look at moving them to the Hyacinthaceae family if there is a category after breakfast.
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I love Gladiolus alatus, Heinie. Wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
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Gladiolus tristis :o :o. This one's on my want-list!
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And another wonderful one. This one's on my want-list!
Wim next summer when mine are dormant i send you some corms.
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What a superb flower that G.Alatus is.
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Gathering Heinie's super plants from the Iridaceae etc into the South African thread. :)
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I've moved things around for you, Heinie! ;)
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Now flowering in the Rock Garden is the rather tall Babiana spathacea in a cream and a white form, both with magenta "bee-lines"
[attachthumb=1]
[attachthumb=2]
[attachthumb=3]
cheers
fermi
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Fermi your Babiana is really lovely 8)
Today in my greenhouse my first Massonia is in flower.
This one I got from Hans J.
I think it is so cute.
Angie
-
Very well done Angie.
-
Cute indeed Angie. :)
-
And another wonderful one. This one's on my want-list!
Wim next summer when mine are dormant i send you some corms.
Thanks Davey, that would be wonderful!
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A lovely Massonia Angie, well done. Happily I have some seedlings from a donor to last summer's seed lists. They came up very quickly, just a fortnight after sowing.
The Gladiolus tristis shown here is very interesting to me as the form we have in NZ is all pale lime-green to cream, with slight brown striping on the backs of the petals but last night at a talk we were shown one very similar to yours Heinie, as liliaceus (if I heard correctly) even though tristis had been ordered. Does tristis vary much in S. Africa, with larger or smaller amounts of the brown colouring? The one we saw I first thought was maculatus, before we were told otherwise.
-
Close up of Massonia pustulata leaf.
-
The Gladiolus tristis shown here is very interesting to me as the form we have in NZ is all pale lime-green to cream, with slight brown striping on the backs of the petals but last night at a talk we were shown one very similar to yours Heinie, as liliaceus (if I heard correctly) even though tristis had been ordered. Does tristis vary much in S. Africa, with larger or smaller amounts of the brown colouring? The one we saw I first thought was maculatus, before we were told otherwise.
My own tristis is mostly like you describe Lesley but some of mine have a bit of colour and I'd be interested to hear of the wild variations too. I agree Heinie's looks a bit like liliaceus. Without a scale it is hard to tell. My own plants of tristis have slightly bigger flowers than maculatus - but rather smaller than liliaceus. Also, liliaceus changes colour at night (from brown to mauve) and develops its scent in the evening as it changes. As well as being smaller maculatus stays the same colour day & night, is scented during the day, and here at least it flowers very early - usually Christmas - whereas the other two flower rather later. According to Goldblatt, maculatus is not that closely related to liliaceus, so the resemblance is coincidental.
-
I saw this at the Ferny Creek Hort Society's Show last weekend:
Resnovia Resnova pilosa [thanks, Roland, for the correction]
[attachthumb=1]
I presume it used to be a scilla?
cheers
fermi
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Yes Fermi
but it is Resnova
see: Resnova (http://www.shieldsgardens.com/amaryllids/Resnova.html)
Roland
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Yes Fermi
but it is Resnova
see: Resnova (http://www.shieldsgardens.com/amaryllids/Resnova.html)
Roland
Thanks, Roland,
well it's certainly a new thing to me ;D
cheers
fermi
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Sure fermi
the leaves are beautiful
here Resnova megaphylla burgesfort
Roland
-
I saw this at the Ferny Creek Hort Society's Show last weekend:
Resnovia Resnova pilosa [thanks, Roland, for the correction]
(Attachment Link)
I presume it used to be a scilla?
cheers
fermi
Very nice indeed.
Angie :)
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There is one small not ripe seed-pod on my Resnova megaphylla burgesfort fermi
if you are interested just pm me
no guarantee if there are seeds inside
Roland
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Baeometra uniflora raised from NZAGS seedex.
While the flowers are small ,about the width of my thumb ,the blooms are of an unusual colouring.
Cheers Dave.
-
Dave
I just bought seeds from this tiny beauty
hope it doesn't take to long before they flower
How long took it you from seed to flower
Roland
-
Hello Roland
Not sure.
My records show sown 04 ,(and a note that it germinated quickly),and i think this is it's 3rd or 4th year of bloom.
Cheers Dave.
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Thanks Dave
Hope my seeds arrive soon
Till now I bought approx 150 different African seeds
many Babiana and geissorhiza
Roland
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Yessss Roland ! ;D I can't wait for seeing all of them flowering... ;)
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Me too Nicole
some of the last year seedlings start growing already
If you like I send you the link from the seed-lady
Roland
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Why not ? :D
-
Baeometra uniflora raised from NZAGS seedex.
While the flowers are small ,about the width of my thumb ,the blooms are of an unusual colouring.
Cheers Dave.
Mine have just started to germinate,so I am really looking forward to see mine flower now.Cheers Dave.
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Oxalis hirta 'Gothenburg
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A nice cheery picture Michael. It's just beginning to go dusk here and I have been busy packing seed all day so I thought it was time to get my daily 'fix' of the Forum. This Oxalis was just what I needed. Thanks.
-
here are some plants, raised from seeds but I'm not really sure of the identification.
Should be Massonia pygmaea, Polyxena maughanii and Polyxena ensifolia.
If somebody could help me for names.... ???
-
Not sure of the names Fred, but they are beautifully grown!
-
Thank's Peter, but I'm not really happy because they don't have enough light, although I use artificial LED light 9 hours per day.
-
I have a little heat in one of my green houses for the first time today Fred. Lights might be next year... I have wanted extra light for years now.
But these plants of yours are very good! I have grown them dry through frost, and on windowsills, very difficult and not such good results as yours.
-
here are some plants, raised from seeds but I'm not really sure of the identification.
Should be Massonia pygmaea, Polyxena maughanii and Polyxena ensifolia.
If somebody could help me for names.... ???
Hi Fred,
not sure on the names either but the severe reflexing of the petals on the Polyxenas is curious. I've never seen P. maughanii before but the other looks somewhat like P. ensifolia.
The late spring South African bulbs include: Ixia versicolor from seed from Gordon Summerfield in 2010:
[attachthumb=1]
This ixia is quite popular around here and is known as "Teal"
[attachthumb=2]
- it appears to be a hybrid of I. viridiflora and unfortunately is often what you receive when you order the species from suppliers. >:(
some seedlings near this clump have flowered and one is almost pure white!
[attachthumb=3]
another is quite pink
[attachthumb=4]
but both have the same distinctive habit of the parent - being tall and willowy.
cheers
fermi
-
Lovely bulbs Fred and Fermi.
-
I received a bulb catalogue today from Bill Dijk in Tauranga. Sadly, it will be the last mail order list as he and his wife have decided to retire! How could they? After showing all those tempting Narcissus and many South African and other bulbs, to say there will be no more lists is extreme cruelty. :'(
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Fred,
I'd be quite happy to call the first one Massonia pygmaea. Also the Polyxena maughanii looks OK but is a rather extreme form with those small reflexing petals - I like it though.
Your last picture looks very much like Polyxena pygmaea to me (though this is usually sunk within ensifolia so I can't quibble with the name).
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Thank's Darren, I should get seeds so will see if the babies will look similar to the parents ;)
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I received a bulb catalogue today from Bill Dijk in Tauranga. Sadly, it will be the last mail order list as he and his wife have decided to retire! How could they? After showing all those tempting Narcissus and many South African and other bulbs, to say there will be no more lists is extreme cruelty. :'(
Lesley, regretfully and understandably, I was expecting a reply like yours, but after 30 years+ of mail-orders and at 75 years young, we should be entitled to some sort of well deserved appropriate retirement, after a very busy and productive life of supplying all these treasures to our loyal customers, even you would understand that.
Apart from that, we would love to spend a bit more time traveling, the campervan, and the all important (sometimes neglected) supporting family and 12 grandchildren.
Don't worry Lesley, I'll be around for a while yet to supply, reply, relax and contribute to the never ending source of info and knowledge to all members of this very endearing and enlightening forum. Back to were we started as a hobby, no rest for the wicked yet ;D ;D
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Well I guess that's quite reasonable Bill it's just that after having so little or no spare money for so long, when at last I have a little to spend, what I want to buy vanishes. I'll try to make the best of this last list. I hope you can see your grandchildren often. Half of mine are now living on the far side of Australia and their mother has made it plain that relatives from their father's side of the family are not welcome. We can't fight this as she moves sround a lot, NOT the best environment for young boys. >:(
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First Daubenya starting to bloom now is D. zeyheri.
This species is a pure jewell with orange and blue colds, and a lot of nectar.
I hope to post a better pic with more flowers in the next days.
-
It's looking promising already Fred. Wow!
-
Very nice 8), looking forward to the next picture.
Angie :)
-
Fred:
Nice plant. Is this one pollinated by rodents in habitat?
-
Yes it is , but I hope they will not come in the greenhouse... >:(
I'll try to be a mouse in the next days to get seeds ;D
-
I absolutely want that one Fred
Roland
(http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Jobs_and_People/Criminals/Burglar_4.gif)
-
Roland,
I'm waiting for you
(http://www.bestemoticon.com/smiley/super-heros/super-heros-16.gif)
-
;D ;D ;D Hey bad boys, calm down !
-
(http://smilies-gifs.com/ok/38ok.gif)
-
More flowers today, and bright sun 8)
-
How high and large is this little jewel Bulbi ?
-
Same as massonia
Roland
-
yes, a bit bigger, flower group about 3-4 cm just over the ground
-
Absolutely delightful Fred, thanks for cheering up a November day.
-
A few shots from today of the last of the Nerines, just a few last spikes emerging.
johnw - +5c and sunny
-
I saw this Nerine in the botanic garden of the isle of wight
after asking (there was only a Yucca label)
they found out that it was labelled N. undulata in the books
We don't think this is correct
Maybe one of the members can help to name this one
The plant is in full bloom now and flowers there sins more as 10 years
Roland
-
I saw this Nerine in the botanic garden of the isle of wight
after asking (there was only a Yucca label)
they found out that it was labelled N. undulata in the books
We don't think this is correct
Maybe one of the members can help to name this one
The plant is in full bloom now and flowers there sins more as 10 years
Roland
Looks like undulata to me; I have a clone that looks similar to your photo & it usually flowers at this time ~ this year it was a month early.
-
Here are flowers of Polyxena corymbosa and Polyxena longituba.
Fuliro
-
Charming photos, Fuliro.... good to have you posting 8)
-
very nice species Fuliro
-
Thank you very much Maggy, i like to take photographs of flowers and planten.
fuliro
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Malcolm
I thought Nerine undulata flowers with leaves
This one just start flowering without leaves
The leaves on the picture aren't Nerine leaves
They are Agapanthus leaves
Roland
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Here's a Polyxena I have as P. pygmaea corymbosa
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Summer growing Eucomis ready for the winter sleep. I pack them away in barely moist commercial potting mix and place in the attic. They stay wound 45-50 F.
I think the largest is E. pole-evansii
-
When do you replant them, Arnold?
-
I repot in March/April in fresh potting soil. I've been mixing in some Calcium and Seaweed meal.
-
I should imagine this escapee on a roadside in the Adelaide hills is a South African native as the white and pink watsonias are a real problem up there - here I can't seem to keep them going ::)
-
Looks like a Sisyrinchium Pat, - in which case it is from the Americas.
-
I repot in March/April in fresh potting soil. I've been mixing in some Calcium and Seaweed meal.
Thanks, Arnold.
-
Looks like a Sisyrinchium Pat, - in which case it is from the Americas.
perhaps S micranthum, or depauperatum? I was told many names have been 'sunk' into micranthum making it a variable species. I also understand that there is a lot of misnamed Sisyrinchium material about, so I don't trust all the named pictures produced by google.
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It is a genus no one dares with. Imagine that there are species with three or four different fenotypes all growing in the same spot. Like Fritillaria bucharica, imperialis, purdyi and michailovskii all growing together in the same location but ALL with identical disposition of the sex organs. And there are NO intermediates. Very unusual.
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It is a genus no one dares with. Imagine that there are species with three or four different fenotypes all growing in the same spot. Like Fritillaria bucharica, imperialis, purdyi and michailovskii all growing together in the same location but ALL with identical disposition of the sex organs. And there are NO intermediates. Very unusual.
Alberto, this sounds like a challenge for someone! Do the different forms breed true? What happens when two distinct forms are crossed? This sounds most curious.
Jim
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Thanks all. I don't think we have all that many South American escapees.
Pat
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It is a genus no one dares with. Imagine that there are species with three or four different fenotypes all growing in the same spot. Like Fritillaria bucharica, imperialis, purdyi and michailovskii all growing together in the same location but ALL with identical disposition of the sex organs. And there are NO intermediates. Very unusual.
Alberto, this sounds like a challenge for someone! Do the different forms breed true? What happens when two distinct forms are crossed? This sounds most curious.
Jim
The ones I grow seed true Jim, and I'm fairly sure I grow the one Pat Pictured. I'm just not sure of the naming. Alberto could you hazard a guess at the name of it please?
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Alberto is there a good book that deals with South American bulbs?
-
Hello Pat
A part of the plants you can find here
See: Chilean plants (http://www.chileflora.com/Florachilena/FloraEnglish/EPlantdbase.htm)
By the way
the calostemma's grow well
Roland
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Wow Roland that looks like a comprehensive website. It is now on my favourites bar.
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Me too . Cheers Roland
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Here are a few more of the not so well known species from South Africa flowering at the moment.
Both of the interesting, Wurmbea recurva and the Ornithogalum maculatum species make excellent, colourful pot plants.
The Gladioli species like Gladiolus debilis and Gladiolus ecklonii are always charming, easy to grow and most provide a beauty and elegans missing from modern large flowering hybrids.
Can anyone ID the other Gladiolus species please?
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Very, very cool pics, Bill. I just love that Wurmbea. Never seen anything quite like it. The orange Ornithogalum is glorious..... I've tried the orange O. dubium but can never get to break dormancy again unfortunately..... now that I know there are other orange ones I must try to find them. ;D And those Gladiolus are brilliant!! 8)
Thanks for showing us.
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Paul have a look here
she send all over the world
See: Bulbseeds South africa (http://beingplants.com/zen/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16&zenid=64d4a15606801e2185c40c3fdcf64605)
Roland
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Paul have a look here
she send all over the world
See: Bulbseeds South africa (http://beingplants.com/zen/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16&zenid=64d4a15606801e2185c40c3fdcf64605)
Roland
I have to agree with Roland i buy all my seed from this site.Good quality and the Gladiolus patersoniae seed i bought from her has just started germinating. ;D
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OMG!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o Dangerous!! ::)
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About the last of my SA bulbs to flower Ixia rouxii.bye Ray
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very nice Ray, I dont know that one.
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Some really lovely flowers in the last few pages, thanks for taking the time to show us these wonderful plants.
Angie :)
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very nice Ray, I dont know that one.
Thank goodness for that Peter.... I fear I'm usually the only one surprised ::) :'( It's great to know I'm not alone :)
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Not a bulb or even a species, but I can't find a general pelargonium thread :-\
The rich almost mahogany-red of Pelargonium 'Ardens' is hard to photograph accurately.
Although I've grown this plant for years, I find it very reluctant to branch and produce cutting material.
Does anyone know whether there's some trick to propagating it?
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Ashley, that flower is a stunner! Extraordinary colour and markings.
PS There is this thread........Geraniaceae 2011
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7108.0 ;) .....
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Thanks Maggi. Kindly move it across if you think it fits better there.
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You are not always the "only one" surprised Maggi ;D I 'm used to discover so many plants on this forum... ::)
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Thanks Maggi. Kindly move it across if you think it fits better there.
I was thinking of asking you to re-post it there so two lots of specialists can see it!
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You are not always the "only one" surprised Maggi ;D I 'm used to discover so many plants on this forum... ::)
Now YOU are the one surprising me, Nicole :D
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Not a bulb or even a species, but I can't find a general pelargonium thread :-\
The rich almost mahogany-red of Pelargonium 'Ardens' is hard to photograph accurately.
Although I've grown this plant for years, I find it very reluctant to branch and produce cutting material.
Does anyone know whether there's some trick to propagating it?
Very nice colour, ashley. Never seen any pelargonium like that before.
If it has a stem, can't you just cut off the tip?
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Not a bulb or even a species, but I can't find a general pelargonium thread :-\
The rich almost mahogany-red of Pelargonium 'Ardens' is hard to photograph accurately.
Although I've grown this plant for years, I find it very reluctant to branch and produce cutting material.
Does anyone know whether there's some trick to propagating it?
Ashley I have this pelargonium Ardens. I tried cuttings but had no success but that's me ( not good at propagating ) but I took the stem and laid it down on my plunge bed and it took roots, it was just at a new joint. Bit of a pain but I think its such a nice plant its worth the effort. Would also be interested to hear what others do. Maybe Mark might know.
Angie :)
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I have been growing the very nice Pelargonium 'Ardens' for several years and have found the best way to increase it is to break off the stem at a joint and push it into the sharp sand on the greenhouse bench.
-
Thanks Angie and Melvyn; I'll try that.
If the upper part of the stem is taken as a cutting, does the stump reshoot? And is time of year important do you think?
-
Hello Ashley, I am not sure that time of year is important, as you will know after a while the plants tend to get a bit 'leggy' so I just put a few bits in the sharp sand when tidying up the parent plant.
-
Freesia fucata
Clay slopes in renosterveld, SW Villiersdorp.
-
How tall is it Arnold
Probably perfumed ??
Roland
-
Roland:
Flowers are scented although I have trouble getting the full scent at certain times of the day. It seems to be more apparent when the flowers first open. Plants are 10 to 22 Cm tall.
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Ok that,s one for my collection
I am home again and have a look in the books
Thanks Arnold
Roland
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I hadn't known about Tanya's BEing plants until it was mentioned here a few
days ago.
I put in an order, but didn't duplicate any of the seedlings I have growing
from Silverhill.
However, perhaps that was a mistake. Maybe Tanya's seeds are collected
from different areas and will vary significantly.
Has anyone flowered the same species from both BEing and Silverhill and
found them to be quite different?
-
I grow them both sins last year
but I have to wait till they flower to see difference
I have the idea that they have the same suppliers
If you see the listings on internet
most have the same seeds
Roland
-
Has anyone flowered the same species from both BEing and Silverhill and
found them to be quite different?
I won't know for awhile, Diane, as like you I just discovered the site and have sent for my first order already!
In the garden: Ornithogalum thyrsoides
[attachthumb=1]
And another pellie: Pelargonium triste - this is the "other form" that I grow which has the red markings
[attachthumb=2]
cheers
fermi
-
Here's two.
Polyxena paucifolius
Crossyne flava ( note bristles along leaf margin)
-
Lachenalia rubrida rubra.
It think it's a bit 'leggy' due to our low light levels at this time of year.
-
Love the Polyxena Arnold. I have some coming along from seed but another couple of years before I see flowers.
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Hi all, I got this polyxena bulb as 'an unidentified sp.' but it looks like Polyxena pygmaea.
-
simply LOVELY YT :o
-
Very nice, Tatsuo.
-
Exactly the same words for me Tatsuo !!! ;D
-
Thank you Fred, Wim and Nicole :) I'm pollinating the flowers with my finger everyday ;)
-
Why not with a thin paint brush ? I used of one yesterday to take pollen from a double white and red Brugmansia picotee (one "etamine" only !) to a single green-white one... ::) Wait and see ;D
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Why not with a thin paint brush ? I used of one yesterday to take pollen from a double white and red Brugmansia picotee (one "etamine" only !) to a single green-white one... ::) Wait and see ;D
Good luck with that cross ,Nicole.
In my case, a finger is better because I have ten of them with me at all times whereas the paint brush might be anywhere..... ;) ;D
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;D ;D ;D I fear to crush flowers with mine, you have really "fairy fingers" Maggi ;)
-
Me, a fairy?
I don't think so!
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
I think there's a clue to why I like the little fat flowers like in Tetsuo's lovely plant!
-
;D ;D ;D
-
Why not with a thin paint brush ? I used of one yesterday to take pollen from a double white and red Brugmansia picotee (one "etamine" only !) to a single green-white one... ::) Wait and see ;D
Sounds interesting combination, Nicole... And I completely agree with Maggi :) I've never left my fingertips anywhere before but paint blushes ;D
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Thank you Fred, Wim and Nicole :) I'm pollinating the flowers with my finger everyday ;)
I wish you luck YT. My clone of pygmaea is definitely not self-fertile and I have now raised some seedlings from Gordon Summerfield in order to get another clone and hopefully produce seed.
For pollination of little tubular flowers I simply use a thin blade of grass - there is a plentiful supply growing as weeds in my plunge* (!) and they are disposable. The slightly ciliate surface helps hold the pollen. Like Maggi says - for anything bigger a fingertip works just fine.
*Years ago I used my greenhouse to house an experiment for my degree - the experiment was to breed salt-tolerant strains of festuca. 12 years and a house-move later I still have not managed to eradicate it all. Something always manages to survive somewhere and seeds around before I can catch it. It does not help that the thing flowers very young, often when only a cm or two high.
-
Great Idea Darren
I will try that too
no more cross-pollination by accident :)
Roland
-
Freesia eilminensis
-
That is really beautiful Arnold.
-
Subtle colours
Also perfumed ?
Roland
-
Yes, perfumed,
Thanks,
-
Gladiolus maculatus a full month earlier than usual!
-
That's good Darren
I have no problem by seeing nice flowers early ;D
I hope you have some seeds later
where comes Gladiolus maculatus from
I thought I ordered seeds
but it was Gladiolus miniatus
Roland
-
Very nice Darren.
-
Massonia pustulata.
Here's a shot of the fully open flower.
-
Lachenalia viridiflora
-
Lovely one Arnold
I still don't understand that my customers don't want to buy Lachenalia's
I tried it a few times , one time even with 20 species in my stand
but every time I lost a lot of money
What is that hairy leaf under the right flower
Roland
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Roland:
The Lachenalias are so interesting and easy to grow.
It may be like football ( soccer) in America. Everyone says it is a great game but will take 20 years to take hold..NOT.
Attached is better image of the hairy visitor.
-
Now I recognise it :)
I give the Lachenalia's an other change in a few years
or maybe in the on-line catalogue
Sometimes it helps if people don't see the bulb ;D
Roland
-
Is there somebody who know how seeds from Dilatris look like
I got a parcel with seeds
it just looks half hollow seeds
it's just if the seeds are missing if you put two together
Roland
-
From 'Flowering Plants. Monocotyledons: Alismatanae and Commelinanae (except Gramineae) (The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants)'
extracts found in google books......
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
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Looks if they send me the skins
they look like miniature half coconuts
3-4 mm diameter
I will make tomorrow a picture
Roland
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Another Massonia postulate and haemanthus deforms are flowering now.
I think I'll have to give the Massonia a bigger pot.. ;)
-
Fred they are so lovely 8) I love the leaves of the Massonia postulate
Angie :)
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Is there somebody who know how seeds from Dilatris look like
I got a parcel with seeds
it just looks half hollow seeds
it's just if the seeds are missing if you put two together
Roland
Arnold T just sent me this, which I have reduced in size for the forum.... thanks, Arnold...... it's a page with flower parts......
[attach=1]
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Maggi:
I didn't see any images of seeds.
-
Arnold: no,the seeds are of other plants... but there is the longitudinal section of the Dilatris.... which may cast light....( she said, in hope!)
-
What I have looks as the two half "balls" on the left picture
Roland
-
This gets more interesting. Flowers exhibit enantiomorphy, or the presence of right and left handed flowers ( in Dilatris expressed in the direction the style is flexed).
Seed is
-
Here a few close-ups from the Dilatris "seed"
I have the idea the seed belong inside the hollow part
maybe I am wrong
pictures are not very good
but I hope good enough
Roland
-
soak one and dissect it, post the pictures.
I always get a surprise when I see tagetes seeds...
-
This one is soaked 12 hours
Roland
-
have you enough to cut one?
-
I have 100
but I don't like to cut one
better I seed them and wait if they come or not
I just hoped somebody had seen the seeds
sure once seen
you never forget this one
Roland
-
Silverhill listed a Dilatris, you could email Rachael...
-
Good Idea but they sell exact the same varieties as I bought
Probably the same supplier
Roland
-
I think that there are a very limited number of species,
several virtual herbariums list them but I could find no pictures of the seeds
-
couple of pictures of a related plant, capsules are in sections
http://www.spacecoastwildflowers.com/2010/12/cruickshank-sanctuary-november-11-2010.html
http://www.spacecoastwildflowers.com/2010/12/cruickshank-sanctuary-november-11-2010.html
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I had the same problem
the "seeds" look the same family
but it doesn't solve the problem
Went the second link wrong
it's the same as the first
Roland
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Roland:
This may help, description of Dilatris seeds.
From Manning and Goldblatt Cape Bulbs
"The seeds are free to be shaken out of the capsule and dispersed by the wind"
Your image looks like just the capsule
-
Sure they can't go by the wind
Much to heavy
I will see
I send the lady an email with the question
and let you know the answer
Thanks all
Roland
Roland
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There are some problems in my climate with the Lachenalias, but I'm not so sure casual garden customers would recognize them. Being winter growing, then suffer at higher latitudes from lack of winter sunshine. This makes them leggy, flopping over the bench in a tangle. I suppose they are an acquired taste.
Jim
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and they will survive, but look miserable, in temperatures between -10C (dryish so they cant grow anyway) and +5 C. :( >:( :(
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Another Haemanthus species blooming : H. pauculifolius, looks like a small H. albiflos.
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Nice one Fred
How do the leaves look like
Roland
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Looks like that Roland :)
Only one leaf per bulb
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I like the shape from the flower
very unusual
or is it opening later as H. albiflos
Roland
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No, it will stay closed like that, with this nice shape.
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Another Haemanthus species blooming : H. pauculifolius, looks like a small H. albiflos.
A most elegant flower - and photographed perfectly, Fred, as usual! 8)
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Fred, nice H. pauculifolius! I like that the whole plant is covered with silvery short hair.
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Here is Lachenalia viridiflora with heavy spoted leaves, selected from seedlings of Silverhill's.
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Almost the last Nerines here in flower
Nerine Hawaii a sarniensis form
and a very tiny one Nerine Elspeth
just 25 cm high
Roland
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Massonia echinata is almost fully open now, and always scented
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8) 8) 8)
Angie :)
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I love that colour Fred :)
Mine are all white :'(
Roland
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Stunning colour Fred, thanks for showing us.
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Lachenalia viridiflora fully open in sunlight.
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Another Haemanthus species blooming : H. pauculifolius, looks like a small H. albiflos.
Brian E could do with a few of those. He's painting and decorating at the moment. ;D
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For info: the December 2011 issue of Curtis's Botanical Magazine features a bunch of superb plant portraits of Cape Bulbs including Moraeas villosa, aristata, loubseri, tulbaghensis, Geissorhizas radians & monathos, Spiloxene capensis, Massonia (syn Whiteheadia) bifolia.
I've just been having a read at coffee break. There are some stunning pictures - a fire-engine red form of Moraea tulbaghensis and an 'albino' form of Geissorhiza radians. This has the usual red centre in the flower but the outer part is white, as the blue pigment is missing.
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The Lachenalia viridiflora of Tatsuo and Arnold are a quite crazy colour, are they not? Really not too many plants that go along the path of such a shade... but each one is a show stopper. I remember the first time I saw Ixia viridiflora.... I thought it must be a joke! :-[
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Some of the Lachenalia has this waxy appearance but in L. viridiflora the flowers look glassy like a well polished turquoise.
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Maggi & Alberto, my first impression of Lachenalia viridiflora was it must be a glassworks by René Lalique.
A Massonia pygmaea is full blooming now :)
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Maggi & Alberto, my first impression of Lachenalia viridiflora was it must be a glassworks by René Lalique.
Yes! I can see that. 8)
A Massonia pygmaea is full blooming now :)
That is one fat little flower ;D
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Did Lalique do coloured glass? My 2 pieces (1 old and numbered and 1 modern circa 1965) are clear or milky.
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Oh yes, Lesley... apart from the clear and milky , opalescent types of glass ware,
Lalique TIFFANY designed stained/coloured glass lampshades etc, as well as having been originally a jeweller..... though of course there were Lalique father and son and I cannot rmember who did which first!
Nowadays there is a large market for "Lalique" TIFFANY style stained glass lamps and such.
There you go... that's my contribution of today's bit of trivia! :D
Edited by maggi when Arnold gave her the clue that she was losing her mind! see later posts!
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Thank you Maggi. I didn't know that. My milky vase is just signed R. Lalique so I don't know whether father or son. It is quite plain but has birds, maybe budgies or similar, as handles and these and the thicker areas of glass turn to a delicious apricot shade if the vase is placed with the sun behind it. So it lives on a table against a west-facing window. The other is a flat bowl, very heavily encrusted around the edge with chrysanthemums and about 5cms deep. It weighs about 5 kgs!
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Nice stuff Lesley, I only have one piece of Lalique, a scent bottle from C 1920
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Lesley, I should mention Émile Gallé instead of Lalique ;)
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Yes, very beautiful glass indeed, but way beyond my means I'm afraid. I did buy my bowl but the older and much more valuable vase I was left, by an aunt. :D I should do a couple of pictures but must catch up with dusting first. ;D
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Wonderful plant Tatsuo !!
I also can confirm René LALIQUE made many colored glass, but, like Tatsuo, I much prefer Emile GALLE or DAUM family in glass work ;D
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Since are plugging our favorites any votes for Louis Comfort Tiffany?
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Since are plugging our favorites any votes for Louis Comfort Tiffany?
:o :o Good grief! Just realised my ramblings about stained glass etc are actually related to Tiffany, not Lalique... what a fool I am! Sorry... poor grey cells are obviously fading fast! :-X :-[ :-[
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Sorry, Lesley, my muddled ramblings have given you useless info.... all the coloured/stained glass comments were really about Louis Comfort Tiffany... and his son!
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That's OK Maggi. It's the time of year, locally known, though mostly in regard to TV programming, as the silly season. If our minds are a bit wonky at present it's only to be expected. ;D