Bulbs flowering April 2008

[Maggi Young]

All this rich colour is wonderful.... we still have cold rain and these colours seem very far away in nature here!

[Paul T]

Michael,

Those Anomathecas are of better form than many I've seen.  Lovely "filled in" flowers.  I think your last Ixia as actually a Sparaxis isn't it? Not complaining, just thought you might want the right name on it.  Great pics of some great flowers.

Armin,

nice Hippeastrum!!  So how have they been treated to get them to flower that prolifically?  That is a LOT of flower stems for such a small group. 

[Michael J Campbell]

Paul,I think I have posted way too many pics today, if I had looked at the label it says Sparaxis on it. Getting careless again. Better go to bed now.

[Paul T]

Michael,

No problemo at all.  Just wanted to let you know for your own records in case you'd received it as that.  You definitely haven't posted "too many photos" for me anyway, as I'm enjoying them thoroughly. 

[Armin]

Hi Paul,
that's not a big secret. I started with 1 Hippeastrum bulb which set annual a daughter bulb. As I was too lazy I did not remove the daughter bulb(s). After the pot became too small I repotted them into the next larger size without harming the roots!

I water not before the flower stems have appeared and have a min. length of 10cm - if you water too early the stem growth is disturbed by quicker leaves growth. After flowers have fallen over I put the pot in a semi-shadow place in the garden, fertilize once with Patentkali (pottassum, magnesium, phosphate). I stop watering in September for dormancy. Before autuum frosts I put them in my the cellar in front of a window and keep them cool at 10-15°C. In January I remove all wilted, dry leaves, eventually repot using a ordinary garden mix. In March I put the pot back in my living room at 20°C. Soon new flower stems appear

[Paul T]

Well you obviously have got it down to a fine art.  It's well worth the effort to do it to, given that wonderful show of flowers.    Well done!! 

[art600]

I have been growing the bulbs of the following Bellevalia for many years without a flower.  This year they flowered.  Can anyone identify it please.

Maggi - these were the bulbs I was going to send Ian to see if he could flower them, but postal difficulties intervened.

[Michael]

Hello!

Could you please ID these Anomatheca to me? I had planted there 2 bulbs 4 years ago, and now they just took over the whole pot. If anyone wants some seeds, just let me know!

[Maggi Young]

Mike, I think your Anomatheca are A. laxa

[Lesley Cox]

But in such a pretty pink shade.

[Maggi Young]

That salmon pink is the "default" shade with our plants, which I still call Lapeirousia!

[fermi de Sousa]

That salmon pink is the "default" shade with our plants, which I still call Lapeirousia!

And has now been lumped into Freesia! Will it stay there? Who knows!
cheers
fermi

[olegKon]

Arthur - can it be Bellevallia dubia?
Here is this year's display of Merendera sobolifera. For the first time that showy

[Maggi Young]

I think you may be correct about Arthur's Bellevalia, Oleg, but he is off to Iran now so it will be a while before he can comment!
What a fine display of Merendera you have there.

[Paul T]

The Merendera look so delicate.  Very nice.