September 2009 - Southern Hemisphere- Spring

[Tecophilaea King]

very cool to see them en masse! are these all natural variations, or are there cultivars? are you producing these commercially, or just for fun?

Cohan, The Tecophilaea cyanocrocus's are the true species, whereas T.leichtlinii and violacea are varieties, and with hand-polination they usualy come true to colour from seed.
Yes I do sell them commercially in quantity, mainy to bigger bulb merchants in Holandor the USA.
How many thousands do want?

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, those 'Snipe' x cyclamineus hybrids are exquisite. I especially love the really spikey ones. Will you have some for sale in the reasonably near future? I'm now a paid up member of the oldies/wrinklies society and realize that time is flying rather quickly.

Lesley, I wil send you a price-list when I get some more printed for the coming season, but the really spikey cyclamineus seedlings are very scarce, often only a very few, try me again perhaps next eason or in a couple of years.

[Tecophilaea King]

The first picture is a small seedling of N.Rufus X N.cyclamineus.
Not quite a miniature, but have crossed it again with a nicely shaped N.cyclamineus.
I believe the seedlings to be fertile, which look promising so far, and have produced seed last season.
Anyway, hopefully it's a good start towards a nicely coloured yellow/orange miniature?
The second picture is just another nicely formed cross between N.jonquilla and N.triandrus albus.

[Tecophilaea King]

Daffy Duck: ( N.henriquesii X N.cyclamineus) this is one of our most recent and delightful introductons.
This beautiful multi-headed cylamineus type minature is vigorous and very floriferous.
Two often three lemon-yellow dainty shaped flowers and nicely scalloped corona, makes this a treaure for the rock garden, pots or showbench.
You may have already seen this picture on the daffnet or PBS, but will show it again for the members that have not  seen it before..
Enjoy

[tonyg]

Bill - many of us barely have time to log in to one forum.  I am sure that many of the viewers of your pics here will not have seen them before.  Thanks for sharing them!

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely photos Bill, especially like N.jonquilla and N.triandrus albus one - if you keep posting at this rate you will soon collect more gold stars - from the viewing ratings you emotions are proving amazingly popular - have you tried crossing them 

[David Nicholson]

I love 'em all Bill but your jonquilla triandrus albus cross is a real stormer.

[Lesley Cox]

It's Rufus x cyclamineus for me please. Love that strong colour. Are you going to name it Bill?

Otto, I have the perfect name for Don's white cyclamineus, depending on whether those swept back ears are usually a bit lopsided as in your picture. I'd want them to be perfect, then I'll suggest to him, 'Bonnie Lesley.' He and I both are of Scottish ancestry after all.

[Maggi Young]

David, you have just given me a brilliant idea.
I just keep on posting smiley's to boost my tally of postings and more stars.
I am on to it now.
Hey presto, another posting down the drain
Cheers

That's cheating, Bill.....much more of this and there'll be a chocolate fine......

[cohan]

very cool to see them en masse! are these all natural variations, or are there cultivars? are you producing these commercially, or just for fun?

Cohan, The Tecophilaea cyanocrocus's are the true species, whereas T.leichtlinii and violacea are varieties, and with hand-polination they usualy come true to colour from seed.
Yes I do sell them commercially in quantity, mainy to bigger bulb merchants in Holandor the USA.
How many thousands do want?

thousands?...lol..thanks for the info--very handy that the varieties come true from seed...

[Lesley Cox]

This odd little daff has opened in a large pot of Oxalis triangularis. Must have been there for 2 or 3 years but I've not noticed it before. One perant is very obviously N. bulb. citrinus, judging from the foliage and the shape of the corona but the other parent must be a little trumpet of some kind. I like it and will rescue it later and try to bulk it up a little for a patch in the garden.


These two frits are out today, first, the second of my 2 F. aurea but I think it could be a hybrid. The colour is pale yellow, the petal tips curve outwards and there is almost no chequering at all. Very pretty though.


Frit tubiformis moggridgei seedling, which is less yellow than I expected but not so red as straight tubiformis. Two flowering stems from a single bulb is surely rare?

[Tecophilaea King]

These 3 flowers are more than I've had before on Trillium nivale. There would have been a fourth as well but it was misshapen and didn't develop properly. It has taken 12 years from the original bought plant to achieve this much.

Lesley, that is a nice picture of Trillium nivale, I am jalous and peeved off that I can't grow it, tried it for years with no luck, not an easy species to grow I believe. Try to collect some seed will ye, wouldn't mind having another go if you have a few seeds to spare, we could perhaps organise a little swap.
I have plenty of Trillium rivale, easily grown from seed (even old and dried up seed) but still a lovely little trllium.
Also flowering at the moment is another little treasure: T.pusillum var.ozarkanum.

[Tecophilaea King]

For a bit of a change, here are a couple of nicely coloured pink split-corona standard daffodils, photographed at the local Spring show. These butterfly daffies are very popular with the ladies for their floral art classes. 

[Paddy Tobin]

Quote: "These butterfly daffies are very popular with the ladies for their floral art classes."

Bill, so perfectly damned!

You worried above about posting photographs which you had already posted elsewhere. I think we would hate to lose these photographs and are delighted to see such beauties. I'm with David above: the jonquilla x triandrus hybrid above is outstanding, a really beautiful bloom.

Paddy

[Tecophilaea King]

A while ago Lesley mentioned Iris reticulata variety Katharine Hodgkin.
Just wondering through the garden, I found these little beauties in flower
Again when planted in big patches like that they make a magnifecient display.

Alas, I'll have to be honest and confess that I don't possess any of these charming little treasures .
These pictures were taken at a popular bulb garden show called "De Lentetuin" (Spring Garden), in Holland, when we went back home to the old country for a holiday last year.
This indoor garden show is organised by well known professional (mainly) bulb growers, to show of their produce and latest introductions, all beautifully displayed, an early forerunner of the famous Keukenhof gardens.
Has anyone been to te Keukenhof yet?
Perhaps, some of our dutch members, could tell us more about this colourful well organised show??
If anyone is interested in more pictures from this show, just let me know.