Janis Ruksans' plant collection - mostly bulbs April 2021

[Maggi Young]

Muscari turcicum JP 87-76 - one of the most gorgeous grape hyacinths in my collection with long large flower spikes


Ornithogalum platyphyllum from Vardahovit, Armenia, collected by Arnis Seisums. I'm not so sure about correct naming.


Red form of Tulipa kolpakowskiana found wild by Arnis Seisums ( - in Kirghizia ? )


This beautiful hybrid ('Amberland') I raised pollinating Tulipa vvedenskeyi with cultivar registered as T. fosteriana 'Toulon' (which by themselves is hybrid between T. fosteriana and most likely T. greigii due dark purple striped leaves)


Tulipa tubergeniana I got from Sjaak de Groot, who collected it in Central Asia

[Maggi Young]

On the day that we learn that the RHS is giving the  first Sir Daniel Hall award, in recognition of his significant personal achievement relating to bulbs, to Janis Ruksans  we have  some  more  of  Janis' photos to share. The RHS said that  Janis'  commitment to cultivation, exploration and education has produced an impressive collection of work that earned the RHS Bulb Committee’s commendation.
Great news!




Iris warleyensis x unknown - raised from open pollinated seeds


Juno iris hybrid from Alan McMurtrie - Iris x McM Cool Elegance


Short Iris bucharica form with deep yellow flowers

[Maggi Young]

Muscari bourgaei RIGA-014 - near Akseki, Turkey


Ornithogalum sp. JJVV-031 from Turkey, between Silifke and Gulnar, alt. 730 m


Tulipa carinata from Sina, Uzbekistan has very variable colour of flower's inner base.


Tulipa dubia usually is yellow with pale red back of outer petals, rarely are red individuals but this unique form with striped flowers I ( Janis R.)  collected in 1978 and it still is growing with me.

[Maggi Young]

Tulipa patens 12KZS-086 from near Tarbagatai mountain ridge, Kazahstan, altitude ~500 m, near very damp roadside lowering with sticky clay, on dryer spots.


Tulipa rosea received from Sjaak de Groot


Tulipa ulophylla orange form - 16IRS-153 - from Olang pass, Iran

[Maggi Young]

more from Janis...

Allium libani ARGI-008 - collected in Syria before the war started there.



Allium paradoxum var. normale from Aserbaijan Talish here is selfsowing in shady spot of garden


As I wrote before, my tulip cv. 'GIRLFRIEND'during blooming changes colour from yellow to nicely orange-red


Bellevalia hermonis I got from Oron Peri


Corydalis bracteata grown in pots I lost, but it excellently is selfsowing in my wife's Guna hosta bed

[Maggi Young]

Cultivar of Fritillaria eduardii 'Amberland' marvellously blooms in open garden


Erythronium howelii received from Art Guppy (USA) has the darkest leaves in my erythronium collection

Edit to add: Learn more about  Art Guppy and  his writings, here: https://artguppy.wordpress.com/


Flower of Tulipa undulatifolia - difficult in cultivation.


Tulipa undulatifolia (T. boeotica from Greece) pictured in wild - very different and very distantly growing from both T. eichleri and T. micheliana. Regarding as same is possible may be only if you saw them only in herbariums, not in nature.


Tulipa micheliana T4Z-116 from Kopet-Dag in Iran - another "synonym" for T. undulatifolia - I regard this as ridiculous joining

[Maggi Young]

Tulipa eichleri described from Caucasus (I got it from Georgia) now regarded as "synonym" of T. undulatifolia what seem to be at least very strange for me.



Fritillaria drenovskyi from Greek Islands was grown up from Vlastimil Pilous seeds


Iris caucasica from NE Turkey


Juno iris hybrid raised by Alan McMurtrie - Iris x McM 'Smile of Sun'


Muscari leucostomum WHIR-036 from Kopet-Dag in Iran, this sample was collected on Kuh-e Hazar Masjed ridge, between Emam Qoli and Kabkan, alt. 1670 m

[Maggi Young]

Most amazing inner base colour has Tulipa affinis received from Sjaak de Groot, originally collected in Central Asia


Ornithogalum bungei - along way up to Olang Pass in Iran, just after Shesh Ab. alt. 1830 m


Peaches in greenhouse now are in full bloom


Some of Helleborus cultivars in Guna's hosta bed in spring surrounded by Corydalis and other small bulbs.


Tulipa anadroma is one of the most gorgeous tulip species.

[Maggi Young]

Very spectacular colour form of Tulipa montana from Iran collected along road from Fulad Mahalleh to Mehdi Shahr between dwarf spiny shrubs at alt. 2280 m

[Maggi Young]

Last images from Janis' collection for April 2021!


Tulipa corynestemon 12KZ-062 from Kazakhstan is very similar to Tulipa kolpakowskiana but easy identifiable by very unusual shape of filaments which are club-shaped and widest at top - 12KZ-062 - Kazakhstan, 70 km before Taldy-Kurgan, just on district border. Sun-baked stony steppe with low hills. alt. 1080 m


Tulipa wilsoniana flava 16IRS-168 - Iran, Mazandaran Province, near Reza Abad, alt. 2250 m - Leaves very variable – undulate and straight, on very hard clay on rocks. In wild always dwarf and compact, whilst similar T. montana usually twice as long. In shorter light conditions inside greenhouse - longer, but in outside garden still compact.



Tulipa vvedenskeyi hybrid 'Amberland' - raised by me during experiments for graduation work finishing University


Tulipa sp. WHIR-101 from Iran, between Astaneh and Fulad Mahalleh, alt. 2350 m


Tulipa montana WHIR-206 - from Iran, at road junction to Asad Abad. Only on very tops of small hills, alt. 2000 m, very special colour form.

[Maggi Young]

Tulipa juliae from Armenia


One of my very first tulip selections, late 70-ies of XX century  (1970s) - Tulipa kaufmanniana 'Lords Supper' - wild hybrid with T. greigii


My Tulipa greigii selection 'Evening Fire' - from 80-ies of last century ( 1980s)


Another hybrid from cross between T. vvedenskayi pollinated with Tulipa greigii - 'Earth Song'


Another my hybrid raised from crossing of Tulipa vvedenskeyi with T. greigii aurea - 'Dream Pearl'

[Maggi Young]

Tulip bed in Janis' gtreenhouse 2 days ago.


Bellevalia pycnantha BATM-170 - Turkey, 43 km after Kars on Ardahan rd, alt. 2175 m - the darkest blue grape hyacinth


Excellent form of Muscari armeniacum RUDA-026 - Turkey, between Ermenek and Gulnar (14 km from road cross), just before Moca gec



Fritillaria bithynica KJGR-071 - from Samos Island, Greece


Fritillaria eduardii from Tajikistan in our garden

[Maggi Young]

Fritillaria pallidiflora collected wild in Kazakhstan, Kol-Asuu valley at Dzungarian Gate. Altitude from 1233 - 1700 m


Fritillaria messanensis gracilis


Fritillaria raddeana from Iran in open garden rockery is growing and blooming for years without any attention


Fritillaria verticillata Urdzhar - from Kazahstan, originally collected by Arnis Seisums


In my inside rockery start blooming of Eremurus lactiflorus from Uzbekistan, Ihnachsai.

[Maggi Young]

In Tulipa kolpakowskiana 12KZ-060 - filaments are widest at base - Kazakhstan, on road to Altyn-Emel pass of Dzungarian Alatau, alt. 1450m



Juno hybrid raised by Alan McMurtrie - 'Creme Brulee'


Muscari hybrid  'Valerie Finnis'


One of the best Juno hybrids raised by Alan McMurtrie - 'Sunny Side'   (not - Sunny Side Up)


The latest blooming traditional Scilla in my collection is Scilla amoena