Bulbs from South Africa - 2010

[fermi de Sousa]

Alessandro,
that's one of my favourite lachenalias - I must try it again soon; the foliage is so amazing!

Oxalis lobata is making a bit of a show where it can squeeze through the teucrium!


cheers
fermi

edit by maggi: Oxalis lobata is from South America!!

Whoops! Re-posted to the other thread!
cheers
fermi

[cohan]

Lachenalia trichophylla, details the leaves to hook

i have exactly two seedlings several weeks old-just a half inch or so of green shoot... i'm hoping and waiting....

[Alessandro.marinello]

Thanks David, Lesley and Fermi
Cohan, the bulbs of this species are little , a centimeter dimension flower

[Hristo]

Ordered my frst seed from Silverill Seed back in 2000, nearly 10 years after sowing, Ferarria undulata flowers for the first time. Probably should have gone to flower much much faster than this, but it has moved alot!

[Ragged Robin]

Wow, what an extraordinary, exceptional looking flower Hristo - congratulations on its flowering after a decade - what patience you have..and therefore rewards 

[Gail]

Ordered my frst seed from Silverill Seed back in 2000, nearly 10 years after sowing, Ferarria undulata flowers for the first time. Probably should have gone to flower much much faster than this, but it has moved alot!

Wonderful Ferarria Chris - does it smell?  Some of them are meant to have an unpleasant odour??

[Maggi Young]

Ordered my frst seed from Silverill Seed back in 2000, nearly 10 years after sowing, Ferarria undulata flowers for the first time. Probably should have gone to flower much much faster than this, but it has moved alot!

Wonderful Ferarria Chris - does it smell?  Some of them are meant to have an unpleasant odour??

I think this glamorous flower looks more like a sea creature from the blue lagoon, so I'd be expecting a strong smell of the sea!

[Hristo]

Thanks RR,Gail and Maggi,
Yes, I'd heard that Ferraria smell like manure, but to me they smell strongly of Savlon, so medicanal rather than agricultural I suppose.
I see what you mean Maggi, some kind of exotic perfume combining Pancratium maratimum with jasmine and seafresh ozone, sort of perfume for Aziz maybe?

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I'd heard that Ferraria smell like manure, but to me they smell strongly of Savlon, so medicanal rather than agricultural I suppose.
I see what you mean Maggi, some kind of exotic perfume combining Pancratium maratimum with jasmine and seafresh ozone, sort of perfume for Aziz maybe?

I am sure that Aziz has exactly that sort of perfume handmade for him and incorporated in massage oils, too!


I would not be surprised if the Ferraria did smell bad, because flowers with those brown/green shades and "lumpy bits" are often fly pollinated and so pong rather than scent the air!

[cohan]

Ordered my frst seed from Silverill Seed back in 2000, nearly 10 years after sowing, Ferarria undulata flowers for the first time. Probably should have gone to flower much much faster than this, but it has moved alot!

stunning flower! is that its foliage we see behind?--basic grassy green bulb stuff?

[Lesley Cox]

Ferrarias make me think of tarantulas!

[Hristo]

Maggi, Aziz and massage oils, my mind refuses to go there!!
Cohan, more 'sword' like as in Gladioloi leaves maybe, I'll post a pic of the form on Sunday.
Lesley, I'm afraid to go iin the kitchen to make tea now............

[Lesley Cox]

Tarantulas are OK really as long as you don't frighten them or poke with a stick. They can be stroked quite safely - if you have a mind to. They're big enough to think of as small animals rather than large creepy crawlies, though I suppose Maggi would take some convincing of that.

[Maggi Young]

Tarantulas are OK really as long as you don't frighten them or poke with a stick. They can be stroked quite safely - if you have a mind to. They're big enough to think of as small animals rather than large creepy crawlies, though I suppose Maggi would take some convincing of that.

Lesley: have you any idea how difficult it is for me to perform my Forum duties while clinging perilously to the light fitting on the ceiling? For a start, having a stick long enough to reach the keyboard is a trial............

[Darren]

Congrats on getting that ferraria to flower from seed Chris. My own from seed bought the same year are still not there and i have to rely on corms i bought once from monocot nursery, these flower each year. Ferraria seem painfully slow to get to any size from seed! I'd love to grow some of the more colourful species like F.densepunctulata.

I note with interest your comment on their smell. I can't detect much at all myself but the flies certainly can. I have noticed that this is not constant either - some days they crawl with flies but on other days they don't. unless they are like arums and the smell only lasts a short time after the flower opens? maybe the flies are not evident on the days I only get to the greenhouse after work and the smell has already gone?!

BTW - I love spiders! and reptiles & amphibians of all sorts. I was one of THOSE little boys whose pockets were places nobody dared go....

The only wildlife that gives me the creeps are earwigs.