South African Bulbs 2016

[fermi de Sousa]

What a color!

Actually it's a bit more purple in real life
Here's a sparaxis which might be Sparaxis grandiflora,or more likely S. bulbifera, I've been told!
cheers
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[fermi de Sousa]

After believing that what I've posted earlier was Geissorhiza splendidissima this morning I discovered this one grown from seed from Miriam in Israel!
cheers
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[fermi de Sousa]

Another new flower is a strange little babiana which has the look of an orchid gladdie!
Babiana sinuata, grown from seed from Being Plants, RSA, sown in 2012,
cheers
fermi

[GordonT]

Robert, the latest weather reports aren't holding much promise. Rainfall records in southwest Nova Scotia have been kept since 1870. This summer was the driest on record. Meteorologists are forecasting warmer than average weather for October and November. Apparently, it would have to rain every day in October and half of November to catch up to where we ought to be at this time of year.
http://www.digbycourier.ca/News/Local/2016-09-22/article-4647407/Dry-summer-of-2016-smashes-records-with-one-third-the-normal-rainfall-in-Southwest-Nova-Scotia/1

The vanishing rivers and streams are a real concern. The little remaining water gets too warm to hold enough oxygen for trout, salmon and other fish. I am hoping that the warm autumn forecast doesn't mean less rainfall. This is a year when I would actually welcome being targeted by a hurricane or tropical storm.

My God what is going on in your part of the world?      Even our rivers have not dried-up during repeated droughts over the years! The San Joaquin River south of the Merced River goes dry, but this is from agricultural over draft.

I hope there is a return to average rainfall soon and that little harm has been done.

[fermi de Sousa]

I thought I could show the difference between the two forms of Geissorhiza splendidissima by positioning the pot with the larger one next to the smaller but couldn't quite get the focus.
I hope it still demonstrates the size difference,
cheers
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[fermi de Sousa]

I now think that the smaller Geissorhiza might be G. foliosa.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/GeissorhizaSpeciesOne
Here is a sparaxis which used to be a Streptanthera but I'm not sure which species of sparaxis it has been put into,
cheers
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[Maggi Young]

These deep, velvety jewel colours are superb.

[fermi de Sousa]

These deep, velvety jewel colours are superb.

Yes, Maggi,
it's a real "stand-out" colour in the Aussie landscape. The first time I ever saw this I guessed what it was from a description in a book on bulbs without ever seeing a picture. It was when I was in "junior high school" - a friend and I used to scour the land besides the railway tracks for "wildings" like these and transplant them into our gardens.
Speaking of neglected areas - yesterday we noticed this babiana in flower in what was our "SAS Bed" (South African Sand Bed) which was abandonned a few  years ago when it got overgrown by the cypress hedge. The Hedge was removed a few months ago as it was dying and the babiana saw its chance! I believe it's Babiana scariosa, though it's not particularly scary
Except I didn't notice the earth-mites on it till I downloaded the pics!
cheers
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[David Nicholson]

Is anyone growing Eucomis vandermerwei 'Leopard'? It's a little thing, has much spotted leaves and is described as having "spikes of dark-red flowers in late Summer. I bought the plant from Wildside late in July and it hasn't flowerd (although it's possible that it flowered before I bought it but I can't tell. Keith's label says "Best in some sun and reasonable drainage".

So far I've had it in the garden, which is now taking on it's usual Autumn condition, WET! Would it be better for me to pot it up and bring it into the greenhouse and if so should I give it some water from time to time?

[ArnoldT]

David:

I have a couple of the generic Eucomis vandermerwei which flower in late July.

They sit on the edge of the greenhouse footings outside during the summer.

I give plenty of water and they go into the cool basement for our winter.

Does well as long as I remember to flood it once a week or so.

[Darren]

Hi David,

I've been growing E. vandermerwei for many years, from seed originally bought from Charles Craib's Penrock nursery in South Africa when it was £1:20 per seed! My original stock multiplied so much I gave loads away on the forum a few years ago. I'm almost back to square one and have rather too many again!

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8752.msg237437#msg237437
 

In my area with similarly wet winters I grow it in a pot and move it into the greenhouse over winter and completely leave it alone under the bench (no water). It retains roots through the winter but doesn't seem to mind getting dry. It gets watered and moved outside again in spring with the other summer-growing bulbs. I would not risk it outside in a wet-winter area personally.

I don't personally recognise the cultivar names applied to this species as none are outside the normal range of variation from seed.

[David Nicholson]

What a brilliant place this is!

Many thanks Arnold and Darren, gives me all I need. It will go into the greenhouse (when it stops raining!)

[Rogan]

I was out hiking in the mountains (Langeberge) recently and came across these two Gladioli - it was a good walk:

1. Gladiolus grandiflorus

2. & 3. Gladiolus aff carinatus (I am not sure of this id)

I collected seed of G. grandiflorus last year and the seedlings are doing well in captivity 

[Michael J Campbell]

Haemanthus albiflorus, all 27 flowers opened now. Can't capture them all in one pic.

[Michael J Campbell]

This is actually North African but i suppose it will be ok here.

Haycinthoides Lingulata