Bulbs from South Africa - 2010

[Lesley Cox]

Perhaps I should think of a name?

Don't think of a name. Don't even THINK of it.

[Hristo]

Well if that ain't just a red rag to a bull!!

1) Freesia laxa 'Michael's Gift'
2) Freesia laxa 'Lesley's Challenge' 

 

[Michael J Campbell]

 

[Lesley Cox]

Well I guess you'll think of a name and then double it, add 6, grow from seed then take away the name you first thought of. And the answer will be..... another variation on a well known theme.
I'm surprised you are sending me a kiss Chris. Thought it would more likely be "silly old cow."

[pel1]

Here are a couple of nice lachenalia in flower at Kew yesterday............

lach. pustulata
lach. unicolor

[fermi de Sousa]

It's late summer/early autumn bulb time here and that means South African bulbs especially!
Last Friday I thought only two Crossyne flava were going to flower this year,


But on closer inspection I found two more just emerging




Three days later and they're also in flower, and they're the "pinker" form.


cheers
fermi

[BULBISSIME]

Superb fermi !!!
how lucky you are growing this bulbs in the ground.... they looks gorgeous !

[angie]

Superb fermi !!!
how lucky you are growing this bulbs in the ground.... they looks gorgeous !

I second that you are so lucky.
Angie

[cohan]

just a little seedling update, from the replacement order from SA mentioned before--all the seedlings previously reported are doing well:

the first ornithogalum, O sp nova (from a place i can't read the name of on the packet, and can't find in the  catalogue...lol) is still going strong, with thin oniony leaves,several inches long, at least 2 per plant; all they said on the packet is 'beautiful leaves' so i have no idea what it should look like, but i'd think more than plain green grass..
Bulbine favosa likewise has skinny oniony leaves, 2 each, now--after so long from the original order, i couldn't remember what this plant was supposed to look like, but i finally looked it up in the catalogue: these are the final leaves, or near to it! it is supposed to have dense clusters of thin wiry leaves over a caudex, tall spikes of typical yellow bulbine flrs; i have form B, the dwarf, but no indication of how dwarf that will be....
Ledebouria galpinii and luteola each have 2-3 leaves, no sign of spotting yet on luteola (supposed to be a heavily spotted form from devon), some of the galpinii have texture already..
eeriospermum did not germinate, as expected; lachenalia still has not;
the second ornitho had not either, so i took it and the lach and put them on the floor in the  back hallway, where there is a draft from an unused back door, and little heat from the stove reaches; i left them a day or two, then brought them back out, meaning to put them there at night, but didn't for a couple of days--then i noticed the ornitho had germination! it may be unrelated, but it seems possible the cold stimulated the germination..i put the lach back over there;
this ornitho is supposed to be one of the forms of unifoliatum with a single flat greenblack leaf--of course so far its just more onion sprouts!

i did take pics of everything a while back, but didn't finish editing, and now they are outdated...lol need a new round..

[Miriam]

They look like fireworks, very beautiful show Fermi!

Here is Geissorhiza splendidissima with its special metallic shine.

[BULBISSIME]

Well captured Miriam !
Fantastic blue !

[Maggi Young]

Here is Geissorhiza splendidissima with its special metallic shine.

That acid yellow deep in the throat against the dark purple is terrific.

[Alessandro.marinello]

Bulbine alba in flower syn. B.triebneri

[Sinchets]

...and I thought Bulbine were all yellow- there's always one that likes to be different (or maybe there are more?)!
Flowering here on a windowsill is Cyrtanthus falcatus. The original was bought as a very small bulb maybe 10 years ago and it took some time to reach flowering size.

[johnw]

What a beauty Simon. Well done.

I am still waiting for the Cyrtanthus contractus seedlings of last year to emerge.  Seems they have been dormant a bit too long, maybe they are awaiting a bit of steady warmth in the greenhouse.

johnw