South African bulbose plants 2009

[Calvin Becker]

I'll have a couple of vervets trained by Calvin then. (even our (Australian ) possums don't behave so badly as that. I saw something yesterday ineffably sad. A possum mother had been hit by a car and lay dead on the road. Her baby, about 6 inches long, had either crawled or been knocked from her pouch and it too was dead, a couple of metres away. I have no love for possums; they do so much garden damage and to the native bush, but I hate that many drivers, especially those of the country/farming community, deliberately aim for them on the roads.

Just seen this now Lesley. I stay on the opposite side of Pietermaritzburg to Rogan and luckily for me the vervets are still quite wild as I border a large nature reserve. Three labradors,a jack russel terrier and a crazy person throwing sand clods in their direction ( ) also keep them in the trees so I never see them on the ground except when raiding the bird feeder or some birds' nests. So with proper training, they can be peaceful garden visitors.

[Lesley Cox]

Perhaps it's just as well I have no monkeys here. Our Teddy, also a Jack Russell is little monkey enough and wild enough for me.

[fermi de Sousa]

Super selection Fermi, I see many of these are growing in the open garden, great to see as all our winter SA bulbs are of course indoor post plants!

Hi Hristo,
I have to grow a few SA bulbs in pots due to other problems such as invasiveness and the opposite problem of being too likely to be overpowered by their neighbours! New plants are often kept in pots till I decide which side of the fence they sit!
This somber flower is the ubiquitous "Sad Glad", Gladiolus tristis, which can be invasive but hasn't been outrageous yet!


cheers
fermi

[vanozzi]

I rather like  sparaxis grandiflora ssp. acutiloba and on the weekend, much to my surprise there was what I think is sparaxis grandiflora ssp. grandiflora (?) on the plant stall at the horticultural society, which I gladly bought.I took a poor picture that doesn't show the incredible hue of purple, or brilliant red-magenta that Richard Doutt speaks of.Next year, planted in the garden, it will make a remarkable show.I used to have Sparaxis elegans and thought I had a picture of it stored, but no! Anyway a macro shot will show the beautiful coiled anthers to perfection.Must grow it again.

[cohan]

Hi all. Just at this time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere Eriospermum start blooming. I think it is a genus that should be deserved to be more in cultivation for a lot of reasons. It is easy to care for them (at least the 4-5 species available), they have a fine foliage, sometimes really strange as in E. dregei (I'll post later), the spikes are rich in very strongly scented flowers....
There is anyone that have this genus in cultivation to share experiences, and maybe seeds!

Alberto
Eriospermum brevipes

hi alberto--just got over here to take a look.... i am trying to have some Erios--- seed of three species from 2 different SA suppliers did nothing at all one small E paradoxum from the u.s. i killed with drought, i think
 i have one E dregei, originally from Eden Nursery in Germany; it has been doing fairly well, still small (no enations yet)-- i just got it last summer, and it made one leaf from late august which survived til july this year; after a short dormancy, it started another leaf in mid-august as it did last year; this time, though, it aborted the leaf... hopefully it will make another soon; i am growing it with the tuber raised, and its very healthy and firm..

[Rogan]

I came across this charming little Cyrtanthus species last week while hiking on the hillsides near my home - can anybody suggest a name? It resembles C. contractus superficially, but there are some differences in the shape and colour of the flowers. I'll have to get back for some of the seeds in a few weeks time...  

[Hristo]

This somber flower is the ubiquitous "Sad Glad", Gladiolus tristis, which can be invasive but hasn't been outrageous yet!

Hi Fermi,. I understand, G.tristis actualy grows outside here, the top of the leaves get 'frozen' off in the winter, but leaves in the snow are fine! Increases slowly, 1 bulb to 5 in three seasons!
Flowering on a windowsill, Oxalis purpurea 'Kens Aslet', not a relaible flowerer for us but shaping up for a good display this year!

[cohan]

I came across this charming little Cyrtanthus species last week while hiking on the hillsides near my home - can anybody suggest a name? It resembles C. contractus superficially, but there are some differences in the shape and colour of the flowers. I'll have to get back for some of the seeds in a few weeks time...  

no idea of a name, of course, but it is nice--very aloe-ish flowers... what are leaves like, or do they come at a different time?

[fermi de Sousa]

As it's late spring even more SA bulbs are in flower:
Gladiolus pritzeliae


Babiana vanzyliae


A lachenalia which maybe L.pallida,


Geissorhiza splendidissa again,


Lachenalia mediana


A purple form of Sparaxis (? grandiflora)


cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

This is a lachenalia I grew from NZAGS Seedex 2007 as L. splendida


Althgough only one grew, I was impressed that it only took 2 years to flower! Sown on 20.04.2008, the first seedling appeared on 31.05.2008, and 1st flower around 20.09-2009!
cheers
fermi

[Ragged Robin]

Love your shot of Lachenalia mediana rising out of the pea gravel, Fermi - aren't bulbs full of surprises 

[David Nicholson]

Here is one I'm very pleased with although it's quite small and doesn't look a lot to shout about. From a very small bulb obtained last year from Terry Smart-Polyxena longituba

[Ragged Robin]

David, it's really pretty and delicate with another bud showing, congratulations 

[BULBISSIME]

Really pretty miniature !
thank's for posting and well captured.

[David Nicholson]

Thank you Robin and Fred.