Lachenalia 2018

[fermi de Sousa]

I've always known this tiny autumn bulb as Polyxena longituba (coming first as Polyxena sp. nova from Silverhill Seeds in the 1990s, I think) but I see it is now considered to be Lachenalia longituba!
Here is the first little flower to open today
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Finally some more lachenalia to post!
Lachenalia mutabilis in the shade-house - the earth mites would devour it out in the garden!
No seed the last few years - maybe it needs hand pollination?
cheers
fermi

[bibliofloris]

Beautiful, Fermi! I’m hoping to try some this winter, so thanks for the additional inspiration. Does your shade house get any frost?
Kelly

[fermi de Sousa]

Beautiful, Fermi! I’m hoping to try some this winter, so thanks for the additional inspiration. Does your shade house get any frost?
Kelly

Hi Kelly,
The shade-house is not frost-free but the shade-cloth does offer a bit of protection but I can't say how much.
cheers
fermi

[bibliofloris]

Got it — my grandmother had one with shade cloth overhead, but no side protection, for her cymbidiums, in zone 9. Yours sounds similar, maybe.

Good to know your lachenalia grew beautifully there!

[fermi de Sousa]

Lachenalia bolusii once again has had its foliage burned off by the frosts in winter but still able to flower!
I'm not sure how the bulbs will be after losing all their foliage but hope that they can recover to flower again next year.
I'll have to relocate them to the shade house as well!
cheers
fermi