Bulb Log 20/04/07

[Maggi Young]

John, Ian  is tucked up in bed, being a Bulb Despot is tiring work and he enjoys his sleep.... but he will be delighted by your comments when he reads them tomorrow. What a coincidence, as Martin Walsh, in Irleand, was asking Ian about that very erythronium, E.Harvington Snowgoose the other day/ We do not have the plant but it seems a handsome thing. Ian will be interested in your photos, have you had it long? Is it a robust plant which increases well?

I know it is a form or hybrid of E. californicum and I understand it has been fairly recently introduced. Don't know much more than that Harvey's Plants introduced it.Not sure if Ian knows more than this or not!

[Ian Y]

John
Keep going with the erythroniums and you will soon have them seeding everywhere.
Thanks for the detailed pictures of E.Harvington Snowgoose - I only heard of it the other day and was not sure what its parentage was.
From your pictures it looks for all the world like a form of E. oregonum all be it with pale anthers.
I would love to know more of its origin and parentage. If it does increase well this is very unusual for E. oregonum and very very desirable.

[johngennard]

Maggie & Ian'
Many thanks for your comments.I can't believe that there is an erythronium that Ian hasn't got.My experience with it is only in pots at the moment but it has certainly performed very well up to now and appears to be a strong grower.I can't comment on it's power to increase as I have'nt yet examined below.I have about six bulbs and will take a picture of the group to give you some idea of it's performance.If you are interested I would be happy to swap one for one of your specials.

[Ian Y]

John, this can be arranged!

[Lesley Cox]

Still catching up  (faint but persuing) on the many "new topics" posted while I was away and have yet to look at the last couple of bulb logs but obviously there's a treat in store for me. All the comments about erythroniums are most welcome and interesting. It's true that when there is a reasonably sized and well established planting, new seedlings appear that have great merit. Our very own `Ruapuna Dawn,' (from Joan Whillans) is a case in point.

Paddy, not only the Irish and the Brits have experienced Helen Dillon's generosity. There are several plants in my own patch whose lables say "ex H D."

[johngennard]

Thanks for that Ian.I took a few more pics. albeit not in the best conditions but it may give you a better idea of the plant than the previous pics.

[Maggi Young]

I have turned your pix the right way up, john! Ian will see them in the morning. Can you give an idea of the height of the flowering stems and size of the leaves?

[johngennard]

Thanks Maggie,I will measure them in the morning.

[johngennard]

Ian, these are my pots of seedlings.The earliest were sown in 04.Should I plant out the whole pot or separate them to plant in the open ground?

[johngennard]

Ian, this transformation was inspired from something I read on one of your bulb logs.You talked about recovering ground from beneath you rhodos.for planting erythroniums.These weren't rhodos of course but three massive osmanthus that had dominated an island bed created thirty-five years ago.What a transformation,I can't wait to get planting.Guess what?

[Ian Y]

I would wait another year before you disturb your pots of Erythronium seedlings, plenty feeding with potassium will help them grow. If you do want to plant them into your newly recovered space then wait until the leaves die back tip the pot out seperate the small bulbs and dot them around singly - be sure to plant them nice and deep.
I was like a dog with two tails when I cut back the rhodos and rediscovered all that planting space - we have another similar area that is due for that treatment this year.

[Maggi Young]

John, what a super new space you have created by "raising" the Osmanthus.... how exciting to have a new spot to plant up! We'll enjoy seeing how it progresses, I just know you'll be pleased with it.

[mark smyth]

I would love a garden that small!

I'm looking for ideas for a shade garden on a small scale. Measurements later

[alant]

I have noticed erythronium revolutum with multiheads in my Edinburgh garden.  My revolutum johnstoni have been single headed as normal

Alan

[johngennard]

Ian, I have just come accross a catalogue listing of Harvington Snowgoose and it is apparently a form of Californicum.Maggie was right.Did you pick the measurements up on the rhodo.thread ?