I just want to confirm that the Scilla natalensis (which we have now renamed to the new nomenclature Merwilla plumbea) have bloomed reliably in the ground for many years in the UC Botanical Garden where they also produce large clumps of bulbs. They are planted high with much of the bulb exposed so they take the full impact of our winters (although mild, we do go down to mid-20's occassionally). I also grow them in well draining soil in my home nearby where they flower and have started to multiply. Neither garden gets much summer water (in fact, very little) and the plants are in full sun; I think the sun is important. I have a good crop of young bulbs coming along that we offer at our sales. Paul Licht, Director Univ. California Botanical Garden 200 Centennial Drive Berkeley, CA 94720 (510)-643-8999 http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/ pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote: > Send pbs mailing list submissions to > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > pbs-owner@lists.ibiblio.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of pbs digest..." > > > List-Post:<mailto:pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > List-Archive:<http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Paramongaia, lapageria (pelarg@aol.com) > 2. Scilla natalensis in flower (Boyce Tankersley) > 3. Re: Scilla natalensis in flower (Jim McKenney) > 4. Re: Bagging the big five; was RE: Gladiolus tristis (Lee Poulsen) > 5. Re: Paramongaia (Lee Poulsen) > 6. Where to order large roll of copper tape (Theladygardens@aol.com) > 7. Re: Scilla natalensis in flower (Mary Sue Ittner) > 8. Re: Paramongaia (Alberto Castillo) > 9. Re: Paramongaia, Scilla (pelarg@aol.com) > 10. Re : Scilla natalensis in flower (lucgbulot@aol.com) > 11. Re: Where to order large roll of copper tape > (MARK MAZER AND FREDRIKA MAZER) > 12. Re: Scilla natalensis in flower (Tony Avent) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 16:42:39 -0400 > From: pelarg@aol.com > Subject: Re: [pbs] Paramongaia, lapageria > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Message-ID: <8CBA86BD0DF3E63-D00-1E74@webmail-mh22.sysops.aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I? have some Paramongaia grown from seed, though they are still too young to flower. This plant is a strict winter grower, when I worked at the NYBG I grew it with Cape bulbs in a cool greenhouse.? It will not remain green over summer, allow seedlings to go dormant, they will reemerge in the fall.? It is not a fussy plant, surprisingly, just think of it as a daffodil on steroids.? It appreciates good soil and fertilizer when in growth, but wants to be bone dry during its dormancy.? Bulbs offset fairly readily, I managed to get several pots of it it from one underpotted starving plant at NYBG in my?6?years?I?was there. ?I suggest refrigerating seed, it will stay viable for some years, and DO NOT start seedlings now, unless you are in the southern hemisphere.? My home plants grow under lights for the winter, and do fairly well, though I am sure they would grow much faster in a cool greenhouse. > Lapageria is also not hard to grow and flower, I have had two plants and a number of seedlings I sprouted for almost 2 years.? I got two flowering sized plants at Sonoma horticultural nursery in CA, north of SF, two summers ago.? I barerooted them for the flight home with a hose, bagged the roots in a ziplock plus wet paper towel, and repotted them the next day.? They have grown well since, flowering off and on, though oddly the two plants rarely flower at the same time.? I keep the plants in my classroom?for the winter, where they get north light (large windows) plus flourescent light , and set them in a shaded position in my backyard for the summer. So far so good. Only seeds that havent dried out seem to grow for me, they must need to be fresh or nearly so--mine came from a source that sent them with a moist towel in a plastic bag. Those from other sources, ones that arrived dried, never came up.? The seedlings are slow to germinate and grow.? I started mine on paper towel > s in ziplock bags in the fridge and transplanted them into soil once they began to germinate.? Pics of flowers are in my blog. > Ernie DeMarie Z6/7?? plantblog: http://geraniosgarden.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 16:11:30 -0500 > From: "Boyce Tankersley" <btankers@chicagobotanic.org> > Subject: [pbs] Scilla natalensis in flower > To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: > <52857FDB394B7E45BA1F2E60D7313E2A0FCC1D70@cbgmail.chicagobotanic.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > It was a very pleasant surprise to find flowering outdoors in USDA zone > 5b, just northwest of Chicago, Illinois, a Scilla natalensis (Merwilla > plumbea) grown from seed obtained through the PBS seed exchange 10 years > ago. > > For years I coddled the Scilla in containers indoors in anticipation of > spikes with dozens of flowers; then a post came through PBS that > mentioned that they never bloomed in containers. Uggh, 7 years of > misspent effort. Given that my collection of non-hardy plants had > exceeded the available space in our home, the Scilla and a number of > other 'probably not hardy' bulbs were planted in a south facing flower > bed that receives reflected heat from the aluminum siding. > > It is a good foot away from the house foundation in an area where Canna > freeze out. > > I kept 1 container indoors - and indeed it still has not flowered. > > For those not familiar with the Chicago winter of 2008-2009, we spent > most of the winter with temperatures well below freezing and dipped for > almost a week into temperatures in the -10 to -16 degree F range. > > Not hot enough for hallucinations yet; am I just lucky or have others > had it survive outdoors in continental climates? > > Boyce Tankersley > Director of Living Plant Documentation > Chicago Botanic Garden > 1000 Lake Cook Road > Glencoe, IL 60022 > tel: 847-835-6841 > fax: 847-835-1635 > email: btankers@chicagobotanic.org > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 17:54:27 -0400 > From: "Jim McKenney" <jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Scilla natalensis in flower > To: "'Pacific Bulb Society'" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <000001c9da5e$bb0c8270$2f01a8c0@Library> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > That?s good, encouraging news, Boyce. > > My plant has been outside for several years and is slowly bulking up. But it > has yet to bloom. It grows near a house wall on the SSW side of the house. > It?s not in a cold frame, but the site is by nature very sheltered. This > site does not get full sun during the summer, and that might be one thing > holding my plant back. Perhaps a move out into the sun might help; the plant > seems to be fully winter dormant here, so it would be easy to protect with a > heap of leaves. > > Boyce, how tall is the inflorescence of your plant? > > Jim McKenney > jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com > Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871? North, 77.09829? West, USDA zone > 7 > My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ > BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ > > Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS > Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ > > Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 15:01:54 -0700 > From: Lee Poulsen <wpoulsen@pacbell.net> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Bagging the big five; was RE: Gladiolus tristis > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <4A15CF52.2010909@pacbell.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > I like Rogan's Big Five (including Jim's addition). (9 years ago on my > only trip to South Africa, we spent 4 days in Kruger National Park, and > managed to see all the Big 5 animals. What a fantastic country you have.) > > And just like him, after years and many many attempts at trying, not > only did I managed to get 2 or 3 seedlings that have actually continued > growing all season, but one of them surprised me by opening a bunch of > the small blue flowers for me a week ago! It was great. > > Now those other four (Tecophilaea, Worsleya, Lapageria, and Paramongaia) > simply have to be seen in person, whether you grow and bloom them > yourself or someone else does. > > --Lee Poulsen > Pasadena, California, USDA Zone 10a > > > >> >> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 15:34:29 -0700 > From: Lee Poulsen <wpoulsen@pacbell.net> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Paramongaia > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <4A15D6F5.1020404@pacbell.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > pelarg@aol.com wrote: > >> I? have some Paramongaia grown from seed, though they are still too young to flower. This plant is a strict winter grower, when I worked at the NYBG I grew it with Cape bulbs in a cool greenhouse.? It will not remain green over summer, allow seedlings to go dormant, they will reemerge in the fall.? It is not a fussy plant, surprisingly, just think of it as a daffodil on steroids.? It appreciates good soil and fertilizer when in growth, but wants to be bone dry during its dormancy. >> >> >> > > There are two strains of Paramongaia weberbaueri. The one from the > coast, which is the type I have, is just as Ernie describes. I grow it > just like my Cape bulbs and treat it the same way. It does very well in > this climate. (However, I have to warn people that if you grow it > outside during the winter in mild climates, it does not like any frost > on its leaves, so I grow mine near the house or under some protection > against night time radiation freezes.) > > The other strain is from the Andes (I think around 10,000ft/3000 m > elev.) and its growing season is shifted from the coastal strain. I have > been told that it doesn't leaf out until late winter/early spring and > doesn't go dormant until the latter half of the summer, and that it > doesn't like winter rains while it is still dormant and the temperatures > are chilly. > > > --Lee Poulsen > Pasadena, California, USDA Zone 10a > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 19:05:26 EDT > From: Theladygardens@aol.com > Subject: [pbs] Where to order large roll of copper tape > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Message-ID: <cab.46e8831b.37473836@aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > Some time ago someone told us where to purchase a large roll of copper > tape to repel snails and slugs. I lost this information. If someone knows > please post it again. > Thanks, Carolyn > **************Huge savings on HDTVs from Dell.com! > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/… > t%2Fclk%3B215073686%3B37034322%3Bb) > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 16:07:10 -0700 > From: Mary Sue Ittner <msittner@mcn.org> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Scilla natalensis in flower > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <5.2.0.9.2.20090521155600.033e4cf0@mail.mcn.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed > > Sir Peter Smithers used to grow and flower this plant in containers. I have > one expanded to many growing in a container that has bloomed for a number > of years now and a couple planted in the ground that have yet to bloom. I > know they flower them well at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley in the > ground. I tend to garden on the dry side in summer however when we don't > have any rainfall and it is a summer rainfall plant. So it's possible that > it is happier growing in a container where there is better attention to its > needs than in the dry ground. And it probably would be happier still in > the ground with regular summer water. > > So Boyce you still may have luck with your container grown plants. Mine > stay outside year round, but somewhat sheltered from our rain. Maybe your > inside one wants cooler temperatures or a range of temperatures? Still if > you can grow it in the ground, it's certainly easier. > > Mary Sue > > >> For years I coddled the Scilla in containers indoors in anticipation of >> spikes with dozens of flowers; then a post came through PBS that >> mentioned that they never bloomed in containers. >> > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 23:29:29 +0000 > From: Alberto Castillo <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Paramongaia > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <BLU104-W364BA66C1A1C1BE49DFAD4AE590@phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Hi: > > > > Yes there are two strains, the winter grower I saw in flower in February at the UC Irvine Arboretum. > > > > I have grown the winter dormant form and also a supposed additonal species, P. superba, that was also a winter dormant plant. What Lee says about these Andean plants (only some of which are alpine) is true, many receive rainfall in late spring lasting to early to late fall. > > > > Both Paramongaias were very easy plants in drained mix and the glaucuous pruinose erect foliage was very elegant and attractive on its own. They obviously enjoyed warm conditions and full sun. In the wild they grow in fully exposed slopes in rubble. The bulb is found deeply in the ground. > > > > > > Best > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > ?Invit? a todos tus amigos de una sola vez! Probalo ahora > http://microsoft.com/argentina/windows/… > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 9 > Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 21:13:30 -0400 > From: pelarg@aol.com > Subject: Re: [pbs] Paramongaia, Scilla > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Message-ID: <8CBA891A7372B1B-D00-2817@webmail-mh22.sysops.aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > > Wow, learn something new every day.? I did not know there was a summer growing form of Paramongaia, for whatever its worth, the plant at NYBG came from Longwood, I remember checking the accession records.? A summer growing form might be easier to grow as a summer outdoor bulb, dug up (or potted) and brought in, over most of the US, although I wonder if it might want cool night temps in view of its habitat. Hope it becomes more available some day. > Didn't think Scilla natalensis would like really cold winters, since the bulb does not go deep, but now I will put some of my bulbs (also unflowered) near the wall at school.? Gladiolus "Atom" has no problems wintering there,and are coming up strong right now. > Ernie > Tuckahoe NY z6/7?? plantblog:? http://geraniosgarden.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 10 > Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 06:35:24 -0400 > From: lucgbulot@aol.com > Subject: [pbs] Re : Scilla natalensis in flower > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Message-ID: <8CBA8E02676484C-934-1436@mblk-d42.sysops.aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hello all, > > A long time since I posted something on the forum. > > I?purchased my?S. natalensis?in April?2007. The plant was?transfered from container to its actual spot, a south facing mixed bed were I also grow botanic species of Iris, Tulipa and Allium, Scilla, Sedum and Dianthus, in May 2007. The soil is well drained. The plant bloomed for the first time this year and the inflorescence is about 50 centimeters high. Compared to last year I must say we have had a much milder and wet fall, winter and spring. It should also be noted that the plant was fully covered by snow for a full week in January. > > Luc, zone 8b, South East France > > > -----E-mail d'origine----- > De : Mary Sue Ittner <msittner@mcn.org> > A : Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Envoy? le : Vendredi, 22 Mai 2009 1:07 > Sujet : Re: [pbs] Scilla natalensis in flower > > > > Sir Peter Smithers used to grow and flower this plant in containers. I have > ne expanded to many growing in a container that has bloomed for a number > f years now and a couple planted in the ground that have yet to bloom. I > now they flower them well at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley in the > round. I tend to garden on the dry side in summer however when we don't > ave any rainfall and it is a summer rainfall plant. So it's possible that > t is happier growing in a container where there is better attention to its > eeds than in the dry ground. And it probably would be happier still in > he ground with re > gular summer water. > So Boyce you still may have luck with your container grown plants. Mine > tay outside year round, but somewhat sheltered from our rain. Maybe your > nside one wants cooler temperatures or a range of temperatures? Still if > ou can grow it in the ground, it's certainly easier. > Mary Sue > >> For years I coddled the Scilla in containers indoors in anticipation of >> > spikes with dozens of flowers; then a post came through PBS that > mentioned that they never bloomed in containers. > _______________________________________________ > bs mailing list > bs@lists.ibiblio.org > ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > ttp://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > Re?evez AOL Mail sur votre t?l?phone. Vos e-mails accessibles ? tout moment! Cr?ez un e-mail gratuit aujourd?hui. > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 11 > Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 07:41:23 -0400 > From: "MARK MAZER AND FREDRIKA MAZER" <markmazerandfm13@earthlink.net> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Where to order large roll of copper tape > To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <410-220095522114123656@earthlink.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > McMaster-Carr > > http://www.mcmaster.com/#copper-foil-tape/=1zedl3 > > > Mark Mazer > Hertford, North Carolina US > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 12 > Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 11:02:01 -0400 > From: Tony Avent <tony@plantdelights.com> > Subject: Re: [pbs] Scilla natalensis in flower > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Message-ID: <4A16BE69.7070303@plantdelights.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Boyce: > > We're certainly far south of Chicago, but Scilla natalensis flowers > great here every year, with a low in 2008/9 of 9F. > > Tony Avent > Plant Delights Nursery @ > Juniper Level Botanic Garden > 9241 Sauls Road > Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA > Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F > Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F > USDA Hardiness Zone 7b > email tony@plantdelights.com > website http://www.plantdelights.com/ > phone 919 772-4794 > fax 919 772-4752 > "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent > > > > Boyce Tankersley wrote: > >> It was a very pleasant surprise to find flowering outdoors in USDA zone >> 5b, just northwest of Chicago, Illinois, a Scilla natalensis (Merwilla >> plumbea) grown from seed obtained through the PBS seed exchange 10 years >> ago. >> >> For years I coddled the Scilla in containers indoors in anticipation of >> spikes with dozens of flowers; then a post came through PBS that >> mentioned that they never bloomed in containers. Uggh, 7 years of >> misspent effort. Given that my collection of non-hardy plants had >> exceeded the available space in our home, the Scilla and a number of >> other 'probably not hardy' bulbs were planted in a south facing flower >> bed that receives reflected heat from the aluminum siding. >> >> It is a good foot away from the house foundation in an area where Canna >> freeze out. >> >> I kept 1 container indoors - and indeed it still has not flowered. >> >> For those not familiar with the Chicago winter of 2008-2009, we spent >> most of the winter with temperatures well below freezing and dipped for >> almost a week into temperatures in the -10 to -16 degree F range. >> >> Not hot enough for hallucinations yet; am I just lucky or have others >> had it survive outdoors in continental climates? >> >> Boyce Tankersley >> Director of Living Plant Documentation >> Chicago Botanic Garden >> 1000 Lake Cook Road >> Glencoe, IL 60022 >> tel: 847-835-6841 >> fax: 847-835-1635 >> email: btankers@chicagobotanic.org >> _______________________________________________ >> pbs mailing list >> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >> >> >> > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > > End of pbs Digest, Vol 76, Issue 23 > *********************************** > >