October 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Brian Ellis]

...is the scent worse than stapelia?

[Tecophilaea King]

...is the scent worse than stapelia?

Brian, some species have an unpleasant scent similar to rotting meat and are pollinated by flies, while others have a pleasant scent.

[TheOnionMan]

This stunning Allium shubertii is one of the most popular Alliums in the garden with a volleyball sized, loose, spidery, rose/purple flower filled with star shaped florets-each on stalks unequal in length; looks a bit like a bizarre spaceship with many antennas.

Bill, I wish I could grow A. schubertii, such an amazing species, but it is not winter hardy here.  Your photo, with black background and water droplets along the pedicels, is perhaps the most artistic view of this plant I've ever seen.

Loved the Ferraria too, wonderfully weird colorful flowers.

[Lori S.]

Mark, it's surprising that Allium schubertii would not be hardy for you, as it is hardy here.

[TheOnionMan]

Mark, it's surprising that Allium schubertii would not be hardy for you, as it is hardy here.

Are we truly talking about A. schubertii, or  A. cristophii (sometimes spelled incorrectly as christophii)?  The latter is perfectly hardy, whereas I have tried A. schubertii many times, and it will not over-winter for me.  A quick search on the species (schubertii) give zone ranges all over the map, this garden chat link from someone in Massachusetts suggests others have had difficulty overwintering them too.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/allium/msg0315420829948.html

I wonder if there are different clones in cultivation, possibly the species from Israel would be more tender than those from places like Central Asia.  Maybe I'll give it a try again sometime, it's been years since I last tried, but I was getting tire of wasting money on them.

[Lori S.]

I do actually mean A. schubertii, Mark.  I don't have any at present, but I and people I know have grown them here in Calgary, zone 3, and had them winter over successfully and last at least a few years.  (I used to correspond on a different forum than the one you linked to, that was specifically for cold zone growers, and if memory serves, I seem to recollect that people were successful even in zone 2... that's a shakey point though, my memory being what it is these days.  )
The bulbs are sold locally at the garden centers here in fall, and as well, here is the supplier I used to get bulbs from (and still occasionally do), to show you what they are selling as A. schubertii:
http://www.botanus.com/products/Allium-schubertii.html

If you agree that it is indeed A. schubertii, then perhaps the problem is not cold hardiness, per se, but some other condition... winter wet, maybe?

[TheOnionMan]

Lori, I believe you, regarding A. schubertii.  It's the only species of melanocrommyum allium that has repeatedly given me difficulty and not once made it through winter, after trying 5 or 6 times, but I haven't tried in the last 10 years or so.  The same is true of several common Mediterranean types; roseum, neapolitanum, and sadly, the beautiful yellow A. scorzonerifolium var. xericiense, the latter never overwintering, the others barely persisting but not living more than 2 year in a row.

But you've given me renewed inspiration to try it again, maybe the stocks now being grown come from hardier C. Asian stock.  And if I do try it again, I'll be sure to give it extra extra good drainage, instead of just extra good drainage.

[Lori S.]

Hmm, very interesting... I also grow what is supposed to be A. roseum, and have had no trouble overwintering it.  I wish I could "vet" its ID with you, but I just went looking for photos of it and found I don't have any of it in flower, oddly enough.  I've never been able to overwinter A. neapolitanum.
 

[Otto Fauser]

Fermi , a late flowering tulip to dazzle you -from Ruksans and not to my taste .but the others growing and flowering at the the moment in semishade in my garden give me much joy .

     Looking forward to welcome Ian Christie and wife here in 2 week's time .
         
            Otto.
       

[TheOnionMan]

Otto, is that a Nothoscordum in back of the Tulip?  One of the little yellow ones like N. montevidense, minarum, ostenii perhaps?

Good healthy flower show on the Anemonella.

[Lesley Cox]

Ferraria crispa
Ferraria foliosa
Ferraria uncinata

Are you fond of tarantulas Bill?

[Lesley Cox]

Best wishes for your time with the Christies Otto. I know they'll be most interested by all your collection. But don't overcook the fennel!

[Tecophilaea King]

Ferraria crispa
Ferraria foliosa
Ferraria uncinata
Are you fond of tarantulas Bill?

Lesley, I suppose you're referring to the smell of the flowers? Can't be much worse than a dead, smelly possum in a watertank 

[Tecophilaea King]

Just another picture of Allium schubertii, and Allium dichlamydeum I think. Not 100% sure, lost the label.

[Tecophilaea King]

A few nicely shaped and subtly different selected seedlings out of a batch of Herbertia pulchella flowers.