South African Bulbs/Geophytes 2017

[fermi de Sousa]

A repeat performance from Watsonia socium opens the year for these varied plants from South Africa,
cheers
fermi

And it closes the year as well!
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Stately Watsonia!  Is the Allium behind it very tall  or oh somewhat higher ground?

[fermi de Sousa]

Stately Watsonia!  Is the Allium behind it very tall  or on somewhat higher ground?

Hi Maggi,
it's Allium ampeloprasum (Ampeloprasum Group) ‘Elephant Garlic’ and it's planted on the same level as the Watsonia!
I'll post a pic to the Allium Thread.
Here are some pics of an unnamed Albuca growing in the same bed,
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Thanks fermi.

[Karaba]

2 Gladiolus grown from seeds from Silverhill Seeds :
- Gladiolus saundersii
- Gladiolus oppositiflorus
About last species, I have two forms, one more pink, lax spike, glabrous and tight bracts, an other form more salmon, dense spike, with hairy and loose bracts. Both were from a pack of seeds labelled G. oppositiflorus ssp. salmoneus but this subspecies seems not to be recognized anymore in South-Africa (http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1549-124). Does anyone know if this difference is only from the variability of the species or any thing else ?

I finally have the answer from Rachel Saunders who kindly looked at my photos. There is indeed two species, Gladiolus oppositiflorus ssp. salmoneus and Gladiolus mortonius. The hairy bracts from G. oppostiflorus is one of the main caracteristic to distinguish these two close species.
I have renamed the pictures of my original post.

[Mark Griffiths]

quick question for the UK members - anyone know what happened to Tale Valley Nursery? They were suppliers of South African bulbs and I got the impression their range was increasing - the website seems to have gone?

[Maggi Young]

No word from Tale Valley on Twitter since  middle of 2016.  And Lorraine Birchall hasn't been logged into the forum since January 2016. 

[Maggi Young]

 AGS  are advertising  Tale Valley as being one of the nurseries expected to attend the "Rocky Flower Show'  in 2018

  http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/groups/Dorset/event/     

[Mark Griffiths]

thanks Maggi - maybe they will resurface as a mail order company - the website has apparently been gone for months.

[Graeme]

thanks Maggi - maybe they will resurface as a mail order company - the website has apparently been gone for months.

better not be gone as some mice have done all my rhodohypoxis this autumn

[Maggi Young]

One of  last "Tweets"  said they were not really interested in taking part in the Specialist Nursery listings that  was being drawn up - and that they were not  doing much mail order any more.  Hearing now that Lorraine suggested  they were cutting back  earlier this year  in conversation at Wisley.
 Hoping to hear more - will report here if  any news.

[David Nicholson]

I contacted Lorraine a couple of months ago and she told me that they were winding the nursery down and since then I've heard from others that they might continue to do some displays at Shows.

[Mark Griffiths]

thanks everyone, shame, I had some nice stuff from them.

[Graeme]

thanks everyone, shame, I had some nice stuff from them.

me too

[brianw]

They were at the last Wisley show and are still on the Rare Plant Fair nursery list for 2018, assuming it is up to date. Their plants were always good quality, but they seemed to have fewer "alpines" at recent shows.