Bulbs from South Africa - 2010

[t00lie]

First flowering from AGS seed sown Jan 2007 ---Geissorhiza monanthos.
Very short bloom period --here today --gone tomorrow.

Cheers dave

[bulborum]

Better one day a beauty
as one month an ugly

Roland

[David Nicholson]

Nice one Dave.

[BULBISSIME]

Superb !
Is it really that blue ??

[Paul T]

Dave,

Mine has lasted a couple of weeks at least in flower.  I don't recall it having done so in the past as long as this, but we are cooler and wetter than usual I guess as well.  Yes Fred, it is that sort of intensity.  Very strong colour, with shimmering highlights on the dark ring in the centre.  A beautiful thing, and something that has lasted with complete neglect in a pot for YEARS here, unlike so many of the Geissorhiza that flower and you never see them again.

[bulborum]

Hello Paul

Does this mean you have to pollinate them
and grow them every time new from seed

Roland

[Lesley Cox]

I guess you mean Dave, that the FLOWER is here today, gone tomorrow and Paul, do you mean that your POTFUL lasts a couple of weeks? Surely not individual flowers? Really incredible colour. If Paul hadn't confirmed, I'd be accusing Dave of playing with Photoshop.

[Paul T]

Geissorhiza radians for example is a stunning purple with red centre, yet every time I have flowered a potful they all die out.  Apparently this is quite common as if not in the right conditions they flower and die.  Some people can keep them going, but it is certainly commonplace to have them die off.  Some just sow seed each year, as if ideal conditions they can flower in a year or two from seed (more like 3 or 4 years unfortunately for me).

Lesley,

I had 3 flowers on mine this year at least, and each flower lasted at least a week, perhaps more.  I'm not even game to disturb the pot by weeding...... the same weeds in there now for the last few years, although if anything particularly large tries growing in there I carefully remove it.  I'm afraid if I repot it then the corms will die.    I'll find my pics from a week or two ago, that I think show the iridescence in the centre of the flower and post here when I get the chance.

[Paul T]

Howdy again.....

This probably came out a bit purpler because it was in the sun.... the blue shades would have been stronger in shaded pics I think.  It still shows the colour intensity.  I just love it!!

Enjoy.

[Lesley Cox]

That's where beginner's luck comes in handy Paul. If you know too much about them, they disappoint but a friend of mine grows them and flowers them and has them go on from year to year. She's not a gardener at all really, just liked the colour in someone else's garden. A little learning really IS a dangerous thing. (Please note, a little LEARNING, not a little knowledge.)

[Darren]

I echo Paul's comments - I usually get at least a week from individual Geissorhiza flowers, including monanthos. Hight temps or pollination make them go over faster.

[massonia]

Lachenalia viridiflora, flowering for the first time - what a strange colour!

[Lesley Cox]

Strange but beautiful.

[Hristo]

Sadly never had much joy with Geissorhiza radians, but then not everything will grow on a bathroom wiindowsill!!
Flowering has started now throughout the house, Lachenalia viridiflora and bulbifera are flowering, a few more Lachs are showing their spikes.
Other species flowering;
Massonia echinata
Massonia jasminiflora
Polyxena longituba
Haemanthus montanus

[Paul T]

It really is amazing what you can grow on a windowsill, Chris.  Brilliant!!