South African bulbose plants 2009

[Mike Ireland]

Thanks Leslie.
David, I sometimes just move the whole tangled mass of bulbs and roots into a larger pot without disturbing to much.  If the whole lot becomes to large I will gently pull apart and move to a couple of pots. It seems to thrive on a certain amount of neglect.

Mike

[Paul T]

Robin,

I haven't checked on scent to be honest.  Never occured to me.  Obviously not strongly, as I would have noticed while pollinating them.

[Paul T]

Mike,

It just occurred to me.... is your 'Ken Aslett' in flower now?  Mine has just had a few flowers here in recent weeks (I always get a few), but I've only ever had it flower in autumn, never spring?

[Mike Ireland]

Paul
My Ken Aslet is only just starting into growth.  Usually in flower September time.

Mike

[Paul T]

Ah, that is more like it.  I just wasn't sure given that you posted pics of it in flower now. 

[BULBISSIME]

Paul, Gorgeous massonia !!! pure jewels !
Mike, I like the purpurea color of this Oxalis 

[David Nicholson]

I have had some garden centre bought Ixia hybrids in the garden for a few years now and although they come up every year, regardless of the kind of winter we have, they don't seem to multiply. Normally the flowers don't open fully and as I never get round to supporting them properly the wind plays havock with them. This year though a couple of sprays have opened.

[fermi de Sousa]

I have had some garden centre bought Ixia hybrids in the garden for a few years now and although they come up every year, regardless of the kind of winter we have, they don't seem to multiply.

David,
we should be so lucky!  Ixias are one of the "garden escapees" that invade open spaces though not as aggressively as some others suh as Watsonia bulbifera. I find them delightful and have been known to do my civic duty by digging up some of these invaders....and replanting them in our garden!
The cerise one you've shown is often seen here but I don't know the name for it.
To get them to multiply you could try planting it shallowly ( 2.5 to 5.0 cm) in a well-drained, gritty soil which is kept dry over summer.
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for that Fermi, the words 'dry' and 'summer' are not ones I usually use together in the same sentence!

[David Nicholson]

A few more Ixia hybrids from a second clump. Having seen the wind damaged first clump in the garden I now find them in a vase in the front window-who could have done that? 

Ixia yellow
Ixia red
Ixia pink

[Lesley Cox]

Ixia crateroides is a big, tall cerise but there are so many hybrids nowadays that David's cerise could be anything.

[Hristo]

Four SA bulbs flowering now;
Ornithogalum dubium ( is this still in Ornithogalum? )
Stenoglottis woodii ( Orchid )
Resonova megaphylla
Ledeboria sp. x Paul Christian 1999

[David Nicholson]

Lovely Chris, I have the Ornithogalum? too but mine is a few days away from opening yet. By the way I note you are a 'Fast Show' fan!

[Paul T]

Chris,

Lovely.  I loved the orange O. dubium when I used to grow it, but found I could never get it to break dormancy after the year I bought it in flower.  The yellow form on the other hand grows prolifically for me, seeding well and offsetting like mad.  I wish I could find an orange form that grew as well as it.    And you have that Stenoglottis in flower for you, whereas here S. longifiolia is in flower at the moment out in the garden. 

[Hristo]

Hi David and Paul,
Yes David, I used to love the fast show, not all the sketches, but it was pretty inventive and rarely offensive!
Paul, you have the yellow dubium? Oh my, can we seed swap for something?
I am trying to imagine S.longifolia in the open, mine are indoors and will flower around Spetember to December.
Do you have new Stenoglottis from seed or only from division?