Connoisseur Collection

[Boyed]

Luit,

Wonderful pictures!!! What a beautiful work you do with sharing these nice pictures with us. Considerable number of these varieties are very rarely avalable in trade (or not available at all) and there is only a little information about them avalaible. Your contributions at least let us to make an impresision about them.

An advice from me relating photographing tulips:
Tulips normally are at their best from the third day of blooming: they get the normal height and flowers get their typical form and sizes. So you can bare it in mind when making pics. Tulips kaufmanniana 'Speranza' and 'Goudstuck' are the tallest kaufmanniana cultiavars in Dutch selection, but in the pics they seem to be just starting to develop.
Fosteriana 'Yellow Empress' is wonderful variety, much admired by me; which is much better that 'Yellow Purisima' (or syn. 'Yellow Emperor') offered in trade.

[Lvandelft]

Thank you for your advice, Zhirair.
But when there are so many varieties I just have the feeling of being in the biggest
candyshop and just take what I like most.
When I see a Tulip like Goudstuk, I know it wil get a bit higher but when I would have waited
some days there would not have been anything to photograph (bad weather).
With Speranza I waited some days for more open flowers, but when I came again, they were all damaged.
The most pictured tulips are from the eastside (best light conditions) of the beds
and the beds are almost 150 M. long.
nearest to me to photograph, but they are all planted in rows of 1 M. and it is not possible
to walk around the plant finding the best situation.
I take what I can, but not all because of this reason. (there are appr. 2500 varieties)

[Boyed]

Luit,

I understand you very well. Even me, when making pics of just few varieties, its takes quite a long time.

Luit, 2500 varieties sounds very impressive! Wow! I wish I could be with you enjoying all that beauty.

By the way, Luit, if he has greigii varieties 'Bokhara' and 'Grand Perstige', I would very appriciate if you could take their pics. I obtained 'Grand Prestige' 2 years ago from Latvia, but one of my collegues told me that mine are not true to name. Then when looking attentively and comparing its pics with the photos of some other greigii varieties I grow I found some identity with my variety 'Princesse Charmante'.

Besides, I would be also pleased to see the pics of greigii 'Red Torch' and Red Reflection', and especially 'Holland Herald' (it is stated that it is a tulip of an exceptional beauty!!!) if they are present at the collection.

[Paul T]

Luit,

All these wonderful plants I've never seen before, nor even heard of in many cases.  I too love that Scilla, but also those wonderful Chionodoxa, and the Tulips... and the Narcissus.... and the..... 

Thanks for sharing the pics with us, and the time and effort that goes into taking them.

[Lvandelft]

Zhirair, I will do what I can!

Paul, time consuming it is, but fascinating. All these beds...I'm glad I can still find my own at night.

[Armin]

Luit,
thank your for the prompt location identification of Scilla melaina

[Lvandelft]

The first picture is an overview of the Narcissus beds.
Where do I start making pictures?   
But the good thing is that I am allowed to pick some flowers, but not getting greedy
there is very difficult, so I decided to bring some help.   

Narcissus   
Narcissus DIV 4 Van Sion Ringh. '01 1
Narcissus DIV 4 Van Sion Ringh. '01 2
Narcissus cernuus DIV 13         
Narcissus DIV 4 cernuus Plenus Lentefl. '94
Narcissus DIV 4 Irene Copeland
Narcissus DIV. 10 Kenellis Lentefl. 92
Narcissus DIV 5 Ice Chimes  R.A.Sc. '04
Tulipa kaufmanniana Hybr. Heart's Delight
Tulipa greigii Group Engadin     

[Susan Band]

What a task!
Getting the right names on the pictures must be some work, do you take a picute of the label or do you write it all by hand. I think it will take quite a few years before you can get everything photographed when it is looking at its best. Filing them into some sort of order when you get home must also take sometime. Great to see them and to know there is a record of all these bulbs for the future.

[Lvandelft]

Thank you Susan, yes it is much work.
But making pictures without having the information would not work, seeing
the questions which raise now and then by Forumists.   
I do take pictures of the labels and there is mostly much more information on it
as I put to the pictures. It is almost a sort of Daff Seek.
I probably never will be able to get all varieties pictured, there is so much.
My wife yesterday picked a bunch of flowers almost opening and I saw some this morning,
which I hope to find in the field because of their exceptional beauty.

[David Nicholson]

Brilliant Luit, we appreciate your hard work.

[Lvandelft]

Some more pictures:

Tulipa fosteriana Hybr. Samba           
Tulipa fosteriana Group Ballet
Narcissus DIV 1 Colleen Bawn  Av. Bu.'02  2
Narcissus DIV 1 Colleen Bawn  Av. Bu.'02 3   
Narcissus DIV 12 Bittern  R.A.Sc. '07       
Narcissus DIV 5 Harmony Bells  R.A.Sc. '94
Narcissus DIV 12 Toto  Br. Gard.
Narcissus DIV 6 Cotinga B.S.Dunc. '97
Scilla bifolia Alba 2                         
Scilla siberica Taurica Mon. '98

[Lvandelft]

Narcissus DIV 1 Princeps E.Br. '04   
Narcissus DIV 8 Halvose
Narcissus DIV 6 Greenlet R.A.Sc. '97 res 2
Narcissus DIV 1 Rembrandt
Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica Alba  PCN '06
Tulipa greigii Group Flaming Torch 
Tulipa kaufmanniana Hybr. Giuseppe Verdi
Tulipa DVT Stockholm

[mark smyth]

Luit you should try and organise a SRGC visit to the fields next year.

[Paul T]

Luit,

Lovely pics as always.  Love the white Scilla, and that delightful white Pushkinia.  Great Stuff!! 

[Boyed]

'Engadin' is one of the most bright and beautiful bi-coloured greigii tulips. Pity, picture doesn't show the inside of the flower.
Fosteriana 'Samba' is terrific!