South African Bulbs 2016

[fermi de Sousa]

just spent a very cold hour in one of the tunnels cleaning all the dead stuff of the top of the pots of rhodohypoxis - looks like most of them have survived winter so far

Coincidentally we have the Rhodohypoxis hybrid "Hebron Farm - pink form" in flower now!
It's the first time this has survived to re-flowered this year; usually they die out after flowering - one of the failures of Southern African bulbs here for some reason.
Probably because of their requirement for water/rain being opposite to what we get normally
cheers
fermi

[Steve Garvie]

Massonia jasminiflora -A form obtained from Rob Scott of Shire Bulbs.

[angie]

Steve that's so lovely   .

Angie  :)m

[Steve Garvie]

Many thanks Angie!
It's a bonny wee thing and has the added bonus of a lovely scent.

[fermi de Sousa]

Crossyne flava are in bloom again!
A few days ago the gravel was bare and now these blooms have erupted out of the ground and there will be a thousand seeds in a couple of months!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

A few more picsof the Crossyne flava - there are 2 colours, a yellowy one and a red-stained one,
cheers
fermi

[YT]

Crossyne flava are in bloom again!
A few days ago the gravel was bare and now these blooms have erupted out of the ground and there will be a thousand seeds in a couple of months!

They have completely naturalised at your place, Fermi!

[YT]

Hesperantha humilis

[Rimmer de Vries]

Hesperantha humilis

So nice to see such tight growing plants in winter.

Lachenalia algoensis. In bloom in basement under lights

[Gabriela]

Beautiful pictures, thank you all. In same cases only reading the name brings to mind the fragrance -- Massonia jasminiflora 

Lachenalia algoensis. In bloom in basement under lights

You started to give me bad ideas Rimmer - if you don't mind, what temperature do you maintain in the basement?

[Rimmer de Vries]

Rimmer - if you don't mind, what temperature do you maintain in the basement?

a thermometer next to the Lachenalias says high of 61F (15C) and low of 55F (12C).  The high temp is when the T-5 lights are on.
there is also a 15" occulting fan that goes on with the lights to keep things cooler and help stiffen up the stems on plants and reduce damp off on seedlings.

[Gabriela]

a thermometer next to the Lachenalias says high of 61F (15C) and low of 55F (12C).  The high temp is when the T-5 lights are on.
there is also a 15" occulting fan that goes on with the lights to keep things cooler and help stiffen up the stems on plants and reduce damp off on seedlings.

Thanks a lot. So, it would be fair to say that a temp. +/- 10C would be even better? I could have something like this in a small space that got divided from the garage by the previous owners; no heat but I noticed the temp. remains very constant.

[ArnoldT]

Gladiolus griseus

These grow almost always within site of the ocean in the Western Cape.

[Robert]

Arnold,

What a fascinating and intricate flower. Thank you for sharing!

Definitely something I will research when I get a chance.

[jshields]

Arnold,
That is a unique looking Glad.  I can grow winter-growing Haemanthus and Lachenalia in my greenhouse, but I never had much luck getting winter-growing Gladiolus corms to survive the summer here.  I have never found the trick to it.
Jim