Fritillaria 2007

[Paddy Tobin]

Susan,

Certainly they will do better in the open garden here than in the glasshouse, a place where I put plants to mind them but in fact it is where I kill them oh so regularly. Open garden growing is a far better proposition for me.

Many thanks for the id on the erythronium, White Beauty is shall be labelled.

If you have a moment, please look at the trillium thread and give me a name for the first trillium which I posted there.

Paddy

[Paul T]

Paddy,

You've recently posted some of the most awesome photos.  These Frits are just another example.  Superior pics!!!!  Thanks so much for taking the time to post them, particularly as I think I read you are unwell.  Your efforts are definitely being appreciated down here in Australia where the spring things are such a long way off!! 

Thanks again!!

[Mark Griffiths]

I went to go and have a look at F. meleagris growing "wild" here in Oxford. There are several localities around here including Christchurch meadows (just next to the college). I don't know whether anyone has finally decided if these are truly wild or introduced, and if introduced, by whom. Anyway for this location which is on the map in the centre bit of Oxford but in actuality part of the big marsh that runs through the city there are now about 65,000. Sorry, for some reason the whites and interesting pale ones are blurred. The pics were from last year and it was raining..but anyway, they are lovely.

[annew]

Just lovely , Mark. Because it's so common (in gardens), I think people don't appreciate that F. meleagris is one of the most beautiful of the Frits. If it were rare we'd be clamouring for it.

[DaveM]

I agree Anne, meleagris is such an under-rated species. It's wonderful to see these plants Mark. Some of us were only talking of meleagris today at the Edinburgh show where some fine pot fulls were exhibited: so many pix we'd seen from this locality have never showed the range of colours, particularly the whites, that we know come from a packet of seed of this species. Thanks for sharing these pix.

[Maggi Young]

I understand that the English sites for Frit. meleagris are dampish places, water meadows and such; they have no absolute requirement for that sort of situation, as can bee seen from these ones flowering from seed scattered in our drive way. The ground is as hard as concrete and gets very hot and sunny. Later in the season the main display is of dwarf Geranium species, but the bulbs are holding sway at the moment, especially the Fritillaria melagris and some erythroniums! Amazing what will grow in a fairly ghastly position,  isn't it! I wonder what would happen if we tried seed of real sun-lovers?!!

[Casalima]

Truly dedicated, I drove off the ferry yesterday and went straight to Plant World, where I took this photo of fritillaries against an interesting background of fallen camellia blossom and more distant rhododendrons. In my excitement at driving out of Plymouth , I managed to forget to stop at a cash machine, but the people at Plant World were kind enough to accept my euros! No wonderful view I'm afraid as it was very hazy and trying to rain.

Chloë, in Kew

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Chloë, glad you are safely across. Plant World looks a nice place!

[ranunculus]

A few more images of Fritillaria meleagris, etc.......I love this time of year!

[derekb]

Maggi, I am not sure if this is the right place for this question but I will ask you as you seem to know everything that has been said and I think I am getting senile as I can not remember if Ian has ever said what he feeds Frit seedlings on and if he keeps them growing as long as poss: I have never grown Frit from seed before so all the experts will have to excuse me for asking a silly question, one person said high nitrogen then when they die back the leaf feeds the bulb another says even NPK.  Help Please.

[Maggi Young]

http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2005/160205/log.html is the link you need to read about Ian's feeding regime, Derek. He mentions his "way" with seedlings there, too, of course.

[Maggi Young]

This Bulb Log gives an up to date review of Ian's bulb feeding, taking account of his move to plastic pots:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2007/040407/log.html

[derekb]

Thank you Maggi, I was sure inbetween the Dusting you would have time to find it for me

[Maggi Young]

"Dusting"... don't you use that kind of language to me, I'll take offence!

[Ed Alverson]

Thanks Mark for posting photos of the Fritillaria meleagris in Oxford.  I've been fascinated by its story (and the long history of connections between humans and the local flora) ever since I read about it in Richard Mabey's book "The Florwering of Britain".

Here in Eugene, Oregon we have our own "Fritillaria meadow" of sorts, with our native species, Fritillaria affinis.  There is a population in a meadow (or "prairie") in Alton Baker Park, which is located along the Willamette River in the center of Eugene.  Though not really endangered, F. affinis is somewhat of a rarity locally because some 99% of its original prairie and savanna habitat has been destroyed or altered for farming, livestock grazing, development, etc.  So it really is fascinating to see this native population still surviving in the center of the city.  Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii also grows in this meadow (but is not yet flowering), and various forest and savanna remnants elsewehre in the park support a nice diversity of native wildflowers.

Another interesting thing about this population is how healthy and robust the plants are.  Most plants have 3 or 4 flowers, some have five.  Unlike the Oxford F. meleagris, there is little variation in the flower coloring, just the typical mottling of green and purplish chocolate brown.  Actually the plants are pretty inconspicous amongst the grass, so I visited the site just before sunset to have better light to take these photos.