South African Bulbs 2014

[fermi de Sousa]

Moraea setifolia and Lachenalia orchioides var glaucina
Moraea setifolia close-up
Pelargonium triste & close-up
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Another geissorhiza - this time in a lemony yellow with a dark centre:
Geissorhiza darlingensis from NZAGS 2011 Seedex;
first two pics taken in the morning and the third later in the day when the sunshine got it to open more,
cheers
fermi

[johnw]

The 14 month old Massonia pustulata babies have  finally shot up and appear to have bulked up a bit despite my "care".

johnw

[ArnoldT]

John:

My experience with these Massonias is that they are pretty tough little bulbs.

Mine sit all summer in a cool basement and show up on schedule.

[David Nicholson]

Another geissorhiza - this time in a lemony yellow with a dark centre:
Geissorhiza darlingensis from NZAGS 2011 Seedex;

That's a beauty Fermi.

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks, David,
it's certainly eye-catching.
Here are some mixed ixias,
cheers
fermi

[johnw]

John: My experience with these Massonias is that they are pretty tough little bulbs.  Mine sit all summer in a cool basement and show up on schedule.

Arnold  - These actually sat in the greenhouse all summer long without a single drink, I meant to put them in the cool basement so they have to be tough.

johnw - +16c

[Robert]

Fermi,

I like the yellow Geissorhiza too. Very sweet. Are the Ixias weedy - seedy for you? Sparxis is certainly seedy both in Sacramento as well as at the farm. We keep some around in the Sacramento garden - they look good in the spring. At the farm I think that they would naturalize, however they rodents keep them in check.

[fermi de Sousa]

Robert,
ixias can be very weedy here! I try to collect the seed or "contain" them within certain beds and remove them from where I don't want them.
The mass of them shown above is the result of a few years od crossing and seeding without any control
The seedlings of the "blue ixia" are just starting - the parent is what I think is a Ixia viridiflora hybrid - a paler version of the true species and unfortunately often sold as the (much rarer) true Ixia viridiflora
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Fermi,

My wife likes some of the color forms of Sparaxis that seed out in our Sacramento garden. We tend to keep them and weed out many of the others.

The Ixia viridiflora hybrid is quite sweet.

Cheers

[Steve Garvie]

A couple of small Brunsvigia in growth -the first is still on southern hemisphere time and is starting to die back now, the second has just sprung into growth.
The first is probably Brunsvigia gariepensis (despite the label). The second is I think the true Brunsvigia namaquana though I would be grateful for confirmation on both.

[fermi de Sousa]

A couple of ixias grown from SRGC Seedex2011:

Ixia trifolia - not sure why it's lying down!
Ixia scillaris - looking a bit atypical as the pic was taken in the late afternoon and the flowers were starting to fold up,

cheers
fermi

[Helen Johnstone]

I have just acquired some bulbs of lachenalia rubida from PBS but struggling to get my head around when they will flower in the UK and what conditions they need.

[SJW]

I have just acquired some bulbs of lachenalia rubida from PBS but struggling to get my head around when they will flower in the UK and what conditions they need.

Helen - it's one of the earlier flowering Lachenalia species, ie late autumn/early winter. It needs a really gritty soil and keep dry over summer. They can tolerate low-ish temperatures for short periods but much prefer frost-free conditions. And give as much light as possible in growth. Here's a more scientific view from Japan: http://wwwlib.teiep.gr/images/stories/acta/Acta%20673/673_47.pdf

[ArnoldT]

Helen:

Mine are pushing flower buds at this moment.  Very early for me.  Last year flowered at the end of November.