Bulb Log 2017

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Ian,
apart from the smaller alliums have you considered some of the "themids" to extend the season?
Triteleia, Brodiaea and Dichelostemma flower into the late spring. I think Triteleia terrestris  and T. jolonensis would be worth considering. I've just posted some pics on the Southern Hemisphere thread.
Like Allium you do have to dead-head if you don't want them infiltrating into other bulbs' territories!
cheers
fermi

[Ian Y]

Thanks Paul, it was my decision not to surface dress, makes it easier to poke about in summer to see how the bulbs are doing.

Fermi I do have one Triiteleia so far but have to be aware that I have to let the sand dry out in July so that does limit the season a bit.

[Ian Y]

Find out why sea shells are important to the Bulb Log..................


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Nov221511348771BULB_LOG_4717.pdf

[Ian Y]

Outside the dying embers of autumn colour - inside the blossoming of the new seasons flowers all in this Bulb Log.



http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Nov291511955580BULB_LOG_4817.pdf

[Robert]

Ian,

I thoroughly enjoyed your recent bulb log. I also completely support your concept of growing multiple generations of garden raised seedlings to add diversity, garden adaptability, and interest to our gardens. For whatever it is worth, I would like to add a few comments on this topic.

Depending on what one wants for their garden, one might want to practice good seed saving techniques to properly maintain pure and vigorous seed lines. If one does not mind growing hybrids then growing open pollenated seedlings works well. To maintain purity of many species, especially strongly outbreeding species, some method of controlled pollination may be required. This is especially true for gardeners that have large collections of plants within the same Genus. As an example, most if not all, species within the Genus Lilium are obligate outbreeders. They will not accept their own pollen. Species such as Lilium pardalinum have an extremely dominant floral phenotype. If one grows other West Coast Lilium species in their garden, depending on the situation, many if not all the seed set by the lilies will be hybrids. With Lilium pardalinum in the garden many of the F1 offspring will look like Lilium pardalinum, but will be in fact hybrids. This is fine for a gardener if they do not care, but then all the seed donated to a seed exchange will be hybrid seed.

Another issue with strongly outbreeding species is inbred depression. Many gardeners grow large collections of species with only a single specimen (or at the best only 2 to 3) of each species. With strongly outbreeding species there is a high risk of inbred depression when attempting to grow multiple generations of plants from a single (or only a few plants with mixed genotypes) specimen. I see this in the Genus Lilium, Allium, the Apiaceae Family, and many more.

Even within species tolerant of inbreeding such as Fabaceae, genetic bottlenecks can be created defeating the intent of creating a genetically diverse population within our gardens. In nature some cross-pollination will occur with species that easily inbreed.

Some gardeners may wonder why some species will at first easily regenerate by seed in their gardens, but over time die-out. There can be many reasons for this, but excessive inbreeding needs to be considered too.

To practice pure seed saving techniques other considerations need to be considered, however the above thoughts are a start. By practicing good seed saving techniques we can broaden the diversity of species we maintain in our gardens though multi-generational seed lines.

Ian, thank you for promoting diverse, highly adapted populations of multi-generational garden seedlings. I think the concept is spot on! I hope my comments are taken as nothing more than my personal ideas and observations.

[Ian Y]

I agree with all your points Robert, I think we gardeners have a responsibility to maintain the plants that we have in cultivation and the only sure way to do that long term is by continually raising them from seed.
Keeping species pure in a densely planted garden is an added problem but it is possible and sometimes I have covered a flower before it opens so that I can control the pollination.
We were among the last growers to have Meconopsis sherriffii growing in our garden and every year I carefully pollinated the flowers and raised the seedlings, some years we had 50 to a 100 plants which we gave away in groups of 5 to be planted together. The continual inbreeding caused genetic damage and I noticed a decline in the amount of good pollen on the flowers the last year we flowered it none of the pollen was fertile and so we lost this treasure.

[Robert]

Ian,

I have read about the issues surround the Genus Meconopsis and inbred depression. Not many gardeners have the space, or want to devote the space, to 50 plants or perhaps more to one species. It is a challenging dilemma.

As a gardener, the desire for the "true thing" is very understandable, however generation after generation of my own garden raised seedlings will be much more adapted to my garden than a wild seedling. The desire for the "real thing" is at least partly to blame for the increasing restrictions on "wild" plants, seed, etc being transported and sold. In these days of the "industrialization" of everything, horticultural advancements are most likely to be made by so called "amateurs". As you say, it is up to us to keep many of our treasures going.

Thank you for continually advocating the growing of generation after generation of garden raised seedlings for our gardens and to share with other gardeners. I will try to do my part too.

[Ian Y]

This Bulb Log sees the first snow of the winter - I hope it is not the last.


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Dec061512560192BULB_LOG_4917.pdf

[Ian Y]

Bulb Log where Winter turned into Autumn for a few days before returning.


http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Dec131513163430BULB_LOG_5017.pdf

[Diane Whitehead]

Are those big clumps in the tree bird nests?

[Maggi Young]

They are  "witches' broom" growths in a Betula - they are quite dense clumps of tiny twiggy growth - but some small birds can find a way in to shelter and the wood pigeons often nest on top of them. There are more on a betula next door, too - and the largest, flatter-topped clumps serve as a good  feeding platform for the sparrow hawks.

[johnw]

At first I thought they might be mistletoe until I looked closer.  Ian should try grafting some as they could be great garden plants.  I assume they are native birches which are not so happy here with our occasionally dry summers.

Gentiana acaulis in flower here.........

john - +9c & overcast

[ian mcdonald]

Hello John, the witches brooms are a result of a fungus, Taphrina betulina. The fungus causes a gall, which is what we see on the birch.

[Ian Y]

Thanks for identifying the Taphrina betulina Ian.

[Ian Y]

Bulb Log 51 - Driveway Planting Special - how to get the best out of your drive.



http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Dec201513769419BULB_LOG_5117.pdf