Remarks from the Weekly KAVB Flower Show - Lisse

[Lvandelft]

Thanks Luit for all your pics!

Maybe a stupid question for you, but I'm a beginner in bulbs, so pleeeeeeeease tell me, what's the difference between Iris histrio, histrioides and reticulata?
I have The Bulb Book by Martyn Rix & Roger Philips (the old version) but it didn't enlighten me. They say only that (by head) "I. histrioides is closely related with I. histrio, but usually does not have leaves at first flowering."

Kathrine, I am afraid not being very helpful.
I can say they all belong to the Reticulata Group.
Iris histrio is perhaps the smallest and earliest flowering.
Iris histrioides has the biggest flowers and is a little later than the foregoing.
I believe both start flowering before the leaves appear.
Iris reticulate is the highest one and has the greatest variation in colours.

But I think, when you ask different experts you will get as many different answers. 

Gardeners will probably say: you can see the difference. 

[Lvandelft]

Here is the first batch of this week:

Amorphophallus rivierii   (About 1.50 m. high) 
Sorry, but you have to scroll down. 
   
Fritillaria meleagris Alba     

[Maggi Young]

I have edited Luit's pix to avoid the left to right scrolling , but some problem has made me repost them here.......
Tulipa Dreamlover             
Tulipa tsinganica   
    Some Pot-lilies :   
Lilium Tiny Diary               
Lilium Tiny Padhye             

Narcissus Snowball   
Muscari azureum   

[Maggi Young]

Luit, sorry to have to adjust your photos, you will see tha a width of around 650 pixels makes a good "Viewing size" !!
 
The Amorphophallus is extraordinary.... how could it manage to grow to flower with no roots?
Not the easiest thing to carry to a show, either, I imagine.

[Lvandelft]

Sorry Maggi I totally forgot to resize. Thank you!
I am too busy with the Croconuts. 

[Maggi Young]

That's okay, Luit!
 I understand the problem with those tommies..... I think we will never know for sure! 

[Paul T]

Maggi,

They're famed for it...... most people in the colder climates store them dry in their cellars/basements.  The Amorph starts shooting it's leaves or flowers and then they are planted.  They don't need moisture to start their growth.  The flower emerges, flowers and finishes before any leaf emerges, so they're ideal to flower "naked" and dry.  I think Amorph rivieri is a synonym for Amorph konjac from memory.... it's the easiest of the Amorphs to grow, offseting freely.  Mine produces masses of little-uns.  Never know what to do with them half the time.  If I kept them all I'd be up to my neck in Amorphs rather quickly.  I finally flowered mine for the first time last spring, which was something of an accomplishment as it had been large enough for a while but was being recalcitrant.

[Martin Baxendale]

Thanks Luit for all your pics!

Maybe a stupid question for you, but I'm a beginner in bulbs, so pleeeeeeeease tell me, what's the difference between Iris histrio, histrioides and reticulata?
I have The Bulb Book by Martyn Rix & Roger Philips (the old version) but it didn't enlighten me. They say only that (by head) "I. histrioides is closely related with I. histrio, but usually does not have leaves at first flowering."

Servus Kathrine. I'd say that the most important difference for a beginner with bulbs is that Iris histrioides is the most beautiful (and it shows its flowers best since the leaves are short when it blooms) but it and I. histrio are both expensive and less easy to keep growing in the garden than the many varieties of I. reticulata, which are far less expensive and easier to grow. If you are looking for which to start growing first, I would say start with the I. reticulata varieties available easily and inexpensively from the Dutch bulb merchants.

[Katherine J]

Thank you Luit and Martin. I don't say that's absolutely clear now, but I think I have to see many plants and then the experience will do. 

[Martin Baxendale]

Thank you Luit and Martin. I don't say that's absolutely clear now, but I think I have to see many plants and then the experience will do. 

Kathrine, have you not seen many reticulate iris? Are the reticulata types not widely available for sale in Hungary? The reticulata cultivars and hybrids are not very expensive to experiment with and can be ordered by mail order from the big Dutch bulb companies.

The overall differences between the main species are obvious when you see the flowers in the garden or in pots. Iris histrioides has broad flower segments and short leaves at flowering time, so the blooms are very showy. The forms of reticulata (and also histrio) tend to have narrower flower segments which are less showy, and the tall leaves at flowering time tend to hide the blooms a little and distract the eye from the flowers. Then there are some hybrids between reticulata and and histrioides (e.g. 'Joyce' and 'Harmony') which are in-between the two species, with wider flower segments and shorter leaves than pure reticulata.

Histrioides and histrio are much more expensive, so to start with I would recommend the reticulata types, but especially the hybrids 'Joyce' and 'Harmony'. Although, if you can  afford a bulb or two of histrioides, it is a real beauty well worth growing.

If it is difficult for you to buy the I. reticulata bulbs in Hungary, please let me know and perhaps I can send some when they are in the shops here later this year.

[mark smyth]

Lilium Tiny Padhye is a very nice plant. What size was it?

[Katherine J]

Kathrine, have you not seen many reticulate iris? Are the reticulata types not widely available for sale in Hungary?

I have not seen many histroides and histrio, Martin. , so that's why I didn't realise the difference.
Yes, the reticulata types are available here (sometimes without a name ), and I have a brother in Holland (not interested in plants at all, but very helpful ).
So don't bother yourself with sending anything, thank you very much.

[Lvandelft]

Lilium Tiny Padhye is a very nice plant. What size was it?

About 50-60 Cm. These are all useful for selling as potplants, Mark.

Here's the last batch:

Muscari botryoides                         
Tulipa Baby Blue           
Narcissus The Alliance                     
Pleione Iris                   
Tulipa Crispy Artair
Lilium Tiny Sensation           
Narcissus Viva   

[Lesley Cox]

Lilium Tiny Padhye is a very nice plant. What size was it?

I think it's 'orrible!

[Lvandelft]

This week there were again some interesting plants in the show.
Hope you like it.

Display tulips           
Fritillaria biflora cl. 
Fritillaria biflora 1   
Hyacinthus Spring Joy     
Fritillaria [-]       
Fritillaria [-] cl.       
Narcissus Petrel 
Narcissus Petrel cl.     
Tulipa sdl.           
Fritillaria carica