Winter Narcissus - to early 2012

[annew]

I like it too - well grown.

[David Nicholson]

But, shall I still have it next year? This will be my third attempt to keep it for more than one flowering.

[Gerry Webster]

But, shall I still have it next year? This will be my third attempt to keep it for more than one flowering.

You are made of stronger stuff than me David; I gave up after one attempt. Many  imported narcissus now behave as annuals, though in their first season they look perfectly healthy & flower well. Of the half dozen or so forms  I have bought in recent years only N. 'Minnow' has lasted more than one year. I don't know what treatment the growers give to make them behave in this way though it is obviously in their interests that they do.

[Michael J Campbell]

Narcissus bulbocodium ssp obesus

[Rafa]

A couple of pics from the wild. Very very bad season this year.

N. nivalis
N. confusus

[annew]

Thank you for finding these, then, Rafa. What is the cause of the bad season, do you think?

[Rafa]

I think and important drought has contributed. It only snow, I mean snow one time since autumn and no rains. For example in Madrid, any rain or snow since several months... 2 or 3

[Gerry Webster]

Narcissus bulbocodium   

From a collection by Bob & Rannveig Wallis (RRW8832); Tahanout, High Atlas, Morocco

[David Nicholson]

Very nice Gerry and an excellent image too.

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks David. Like you I seem to have accumulated quite a lot of rather similar, yellow bulbocodiums (& we smile at galanthophiles!). As for the image - that seems to be a matter of luck with the lighting; sometimes yellows are captured very poorly.

[ArnoldT]

I agree with David, great image.

I have a great deal of difficulty capturing the detail with a monochrome subject.

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks Arnold. As I remarked to David, I was just lucky with the light conditions. I have a relatively inexpensive Canon camera but it does have the virtue of being able to switch to "spot metering". Following advice from Ian Young, I now always use this for macro shots. If your camera has this feature, I suggest you try it; I found it resulted in a dramatic improvement in image quality.

[Rafa]

Gerry could it be Narcissus jeanmonodii?

[YT]

Narcissus cantabricus: Spain, Madrid, Aldea del fresno. 500m. Clay. R. D. Dominguez coll., from JJA Seeds. Thanks Rafa
The seeds were sowed in Oct. 2009 and this is the first bloom

[Maggi Young]

Narcissus cantabricus: Spain, Madrid, Aldea del fresno. 500m. Clay. R. D. Dominguez coll., from JJA Seeds. Thanks Rafa
The seeds were sowed in Oct. 2009 and this is the first bloom

 Perfect!