Tulbaghia 2019

[PaulFlowers]

Tulbaghia Galpini - survived in the greenhouse getting frozen occasionally! I love this genus. Most of these have been pink and red but the bottom two pics shows one that’s very white. I can’t renember if they change colour with age though.

[PaulFlowers]

Tulbaghia dregeana - from Namaqualand. These are supposed to be winter growing but mine seem to flower rarely and when they feel
Like it. They are still young though so maybe they’ll stabilise. They do not smell very nice.

[Maggi Young]

Tulbaghia dregeana - from Namaqualand. These are supposed to be winter growing but mine seem to flower rarely and when they feel
Like it. They are still young though so maybe they’ll stabilise. They do not smell very nice.
[/quote
Crikey!  I don't remember  seeing those  before  -  Odd  looking things, aren't they ?   

[David Nicholson]

Well it's different isn't it! According to the information on Tulbaghia.com "........ Set atop 39cm scapes the umbel is approx. 11 flowered and is delicately and sweetly scented of baby's talcum powder, late afternoons onwards . She says she over-winters hers in a cool room indoors."

The Web Site was set up by Liz Powney from Wales who set up her National Collection in 2007. Although the Web Site still functions I'm not sure that she continues to hold the Collection as I have written to her a couple of times for information and never had a reply!

In addition to what I have in the garden (a couple of clones of T. violacea; T.v. Silver Lace and the Devon raised hybrid 'Purple Eye' ) I have in the greenhouse a couple of clones of T. leucantha; a hybrid raised in Holland which rejoices in the name 'Otterloo 929'; T. montana (acquired early last year which I though wasn't happy in the garden so moved to the greenhouse); T. galpinii and T. natalensis. I'm very much a 'new boy' with Tulbaghia Paul and haven't yet really sorted out when to start and stop watering. Suffice it to say they are all still alive, in the early stages of leaf growth and indeed montana is in bud. Any advice much appreciated.

[PaulFlowers]

Maggie - the drageana do look slightly like those cabbage patch dolls from the 80s. Slightly creepy! Mine definitely don’t smell like baby powder....to be polite, they’re more like fritillary meets ferraria.....(not the vanilla scented kind).

David - I’m no expert on the tulbaghia but most of my small collection spends winter in an Unheated plastic greenhouse from b and q. Dry but getting very cold occasionally. I bring them out around now and into the sun. My exceptions are my favourites the evergreen simmerlii (which smells amazing!) I keep these in doors in winter .....and the winter growing ones Which I’ve been struggling with from seed -T.capensis (2 years on and only one plant has survived summer dormancy) and allicaea.

I’ve been having fun making hybrids too...not that I thought through the space requirements very well. I know hybridising is not everyone’s cup of tea. But I’ve got a few Montana x Simmerlii and ludwigiana x simmerlii (no flowers yet). So trying to get something that smells good and is a bit tougher. It would be nice if they are what I think they are

[Maggi Young]

Will be  interesting to follow the  progress of your  hybrids, Paul.

[PaulFlowers]

I just got this in winter so it’s the first time I’ve seen it flowering. No scent and hard to capture the pale pink Stripes. It’s ‘Elaine Ann’

[PaulFlowers]

This is my first tulbaghia hybrid to flower. Simmlerii x Montana. I’m aiming for something with the amazing fragrance of Simmlerii but that’s a bit hardier and more floriferous. The fragrance in the evening is amazing but not quite so heady as Simmlerii. It’s about mid-way size wise too. MyMontana in the garden still havnt opened to do a sniff test. One of its siblings is also about to flower so I’ll be very interested in how similar/different it might be.

[Maggi Young]

Looks  neat, Paul.

[David Nicholson]

Tulbaghia montana

[David Nicholson]

Last year this flowered from early March and still had a few flowers in January 2019, loads of 'em now. Tulbaghia 'Purple Eye'

[Mark Griffiths]

I picked up a couple at a Rare Plant Fair last weekend. I didn't really know what they were (I've see the common one before of course) and thought I'd give them a go. I have Cariad and Tulbaghia leucantha H+B 11996.

 

[David Nicholson]

Mark, Tulbaghia 'Cariad' (Welsh for 'sweetheart' ) is a hybrid bred by Liz Powney who used to keep a National Collection of Tulbaghia. See here for more.
http://www.tulbaghia.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=53


T. leucantha H+B 11996 collected by Hilliard and Burtt it's on the Web Site above.

[Mark Griffiths]

hi David, yes I found that site when I was googling the plants. They came from Edulis and I think they probably got them from her.

[PaulFlowers]

Here is one of my hybrids. Montana x Simmlerii (a white one).

 I’m having lots of fun with them. I think this one is cute because of the orange and pink and the way the flower heads seem to be exploding out like a firework....or maybe that’s my imagination.

It smells very nice in the evening.