PBS Forum

Saffron seems to be extra delicious to slugs, of all my crocus that's the one they shredder the most consistently... The only Crocoideae I have in flower now are Hesperantha coccinea

- and like last year , the last set of flowers of this usually pink cultivar end up being bright red - ah, the magic of color-temperature effects. The next three dahlia pics are actually the same plant - the almost completely white picture was taken days before first frost two weeks ago, the other two are from end of August.

Talking about colors, the first Nerine is classified a bowdenii, Cultivar "Pearl of Cherry" - with a bit of sun and good will you'll see the red, but surely not the catalogue version... On the other hand, the sarniensis from Wylie's EX09 donation (yes I kept the one that already grew a flower stalk, didn't want to risk another transport, sorry) on the other hand lacks the red of the species, but the pink anthers are adorable.

Last but not least: enough talk about colors, the very first Greencap of the season has opened up - don't worry, it wasn't outside when that snow fell.

probably Oxalis hirta

. more than likely that it had slipped in between somewhere, especially if one tends to reuse potting medium.

Welcome on Board, Vicky. 

I'm not really sure why you want them to be dark, all I'd expect from that treatment is to give them overly long stalks and floppy leaves. Dormancy in Hybrid Hippeastrum is mostly moisture controlled as far as I'm aware. I'm not exactly sure about the time frames, but after a minimum duration dry dormancy it will take a rather predictable time to flower after staring to water. as for the precise numbers I'm also curious as I got myself a cybister Hippeastrum bulb this year as "by-catch" on another order...

Beautiful black Nerine - my Exburys frum Uli's donation still are not flowering, bulking up is hard for sarniensis in my cold and dark winters, still I bought another set from Wylies donation, one of which already sported a stalk - too dangerous to send that one out to recipients, how altruistic of me . But that flower is from my old and very first (and very basic) non exbury sarniensis

Meanwhile, the crocus keep coming, this time the cute little Crocus goulimyi

. Staying on crocoideae, there is a also cute & little Gladiolus first time flowering, grown from seed as Gladiolus elliotti, but I doubt that - I might open a Mystery Plant topic with a few more images.

I rarely have guests for dinner, but when I do it's the perfect time for the stinker to open up: Arum pictum

is in flower, and obviously the trap works...on the other hand i'm hopeful that next spring the crown will be passed to someone else: my mother bulb of Amorphophallus konjac

Flower Colors:	black
Flower Season:	mid spring
Special:	edible storage organ
Life form:	tuber

has reached 2.3 kg - that HAS to be enough for flowering size (was 800 g last fall)

all the Packages are on the road. As always: dropping me a line on arrival is very welcome.


That was a big one: 370 items went out to 27 recipients. And a few heavy surprises. Some of you will see what I mean 

And once again I dropped something - sorry @Kasbek / Roland

Additions EX09_602-621 see above in RED

A few commentaries on this list:

• We have a very special "new" donor on board, as  @Antoine Hoog  gave us a wonderfull selection of nursery grade bulbs, with a special focus on Scilloideae - new of course just on board the pbs, as the name will not likely be unknown to anyone remotely into geophytes.
• especially in the seed department, some none-geophytic species became (not for the first time) part of the list - that's totally ok if the seeds in question are unusual or interesting in any other way. I've done it myself this time with Ipomopsis rubra, which I find to be a completely underused wonderful biannual. We will watch this not to get out of hand, though. Focus still has to be on geophytes!
• Grab-Bag type donations and some well stocked species from Antoine allow for a second serving - please refer to the extra listed species between EX09b and EX09 leftovers section
• With the hybrid iris I tried to follow the advice from recent SIGNA-Journal to NOT give binominals lightly to things that likely are hybrids, hope that reduces possible irritations.

This obviously is closed now. Find the offered list here

Dear Members living in the EU!

The second and final round of this year's EU fall exchange (EX09b) is now open for orders. The time window for ordering will close on October 13th at 24:00 Central European Time.
Every fully paid member of the PBS with a postal address in the EU can order from the seeds and bulbs on offer. You do not need to be a donor to be entitled to order. There is no limit of how many positions from the list you can request, but you are only allocated one portion of each item - exceptions to that rule are listed in a special list below. Please refrain from ordering "one of each" of the offerings. You can still join the PBS if you are tempted..

Please send your request by e-mail directly to Martin Bohnet, who is the director of the EU Bulb and Seed Exchange. Please do NOT send your request to the forum or the email list, these requests cannot be served. Please make sure you do not use the reply button when sending your request.

Martin's e-mail: garak@code-garak.de
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS WITH YOUR ORDER; IT SAVES MARTIN A LOT OF CORRESPONDENCE IF YOU DO.......
Orders will be accepted during the three day time window after the list went online, closure will be announced in the forum. Distribution will then be at random so that everybody has the same chance to get the rare items in short supply.


Each portion of seed will be charged 2 US $, each portion of bulbs will be 3 US $. For very big/heavy/rare bulbs this may be doubled. Postage will be added at cost, converted into US $. Leftovers from the last two exchanges are also offered at a reduced price of 1 $ per package. As we had trouble with postal services before, we now offer to add tracking, which will add 3$ to the postage cost. Just ask for it in your ordering mail.


Payment for items from the EU-BX can only be made by PayPal in US Dollars to the PayPal account of the Pacific Bulb Society. Please make sure that the PBS receives the amount due in US Dollars. Please go to the bottom of the Bulb Exchange page and fill in the details and continue. It guides you directly on to your PayPal account. No cheques or credit cards can be accepted. Enclosed in the order, every recipient will receive a payment slip showing the details, please wait with any payment until you have received your order.

The donation window for the spring exchange will be announced around the mid of February, please do not send any material before this announcement.

Again, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Uli Urban: johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de
Happy growing!

*Additions from Thursday, 11pm in Red!*

Uli and Martin

Here is our list:

From Gianni Benetti, all bulbs:
EX09_495 Allium oreophilum

EX09_496 Allium roseum

Height:	30-45 cm (1-1.5 ft)
Flower Colors:	pink
Flower Season:	late spring to early summer

EX09_497 Galanthus woronowii

From Martin Bohnet: bulbs...
EX09_498 Allium obliquum

Height:	60-100 cm (2-3.3 ft)
Flower Colors:	yellow
Flower Season:	late spring to early summer

EX09_499 Iris fulva

EX09_500 Iris spuria

-Group orange (Imperial Bronze?)
EX09_501 Iris spuria

-Group red (Cinnabar red?)
EX09_502 Iris spuria

-Group yellow
EX09_503 Roscoea xBeesiana

and seed:
EX09_504 Codonopsis pilosula

EX09_505 Freesia leichtlinii

ssp alba
EX09_506 Ipomopsis rubra (not a geophyte)
EX09_507 Liatris spicata

Height:	60-100 cm (2-3.3 ft)
Flower Colors:	purple
Flower Season:	mid summer
Life form:	corm

floristean white OP
EX09_508 Paeonia delavayi

(parent yellow with red eye)
EX09_509 Platycodon grandiflorus

(white and blue parents)

From Peter Dinges: Bulbs...
EX09_510 Albuca bracteata

EX09_511 Chasmanthe bicolor

(small)
EX09_512 Ferraria crispa

Flower Colors:	white, green, yellow, brown, patterned
Life form:	deciduous corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

(small)
EX09_513 Ferraria divaricata

Height:	30-45 cm (1-1.5 ft)
Flower Colors:	yellow, green
Life form:	deciduous corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

(small)
EX09_514 Oxalis luteola

and seeds:
EX09_515 Haemanthus albiflos

From Antione Hoog - all bulbs:
EX09_516 Bellevalia koeiei
EX09_517 Bellevalia mauritanica SL255 Tunisia
EX09_518 Bellevalia pieridis OP28062 Cyprus: Pafos
EX09_519 Bellevalia trifoliata

Crete 600 m
EX09_520 Brodiaea purdyi

EX09_521 Colchicum davisii non-flowering size
EX09_522 Crocus seed-raised from Crocus exiguus, multi-colored
EX09_523 Fritillaria meleagris

'Eros' violet, seed-raised from white clone
EX09_524 Geranium transversale

f. laciniata
EX09_525 Geranium transversale

'Rose Foundling'
EX09_526 Hyacinthoides hispanica

coll. S. Spain
EX09_527 Hyacinthoides paivae Portugal: Argo de Baixo
EX09_528 Hyacinthoides vicentina VH.702
EX09_529 Iris hoogiana
EX09_530 Iris lusitanica
EX09_531 Iris tingitana

EX09_532 Muscari armeniacum

white form Armenia: nr Goris
EX09_533 Muscari azureum X pallens
EX09_534 Muscari coeruleum N. Caucasus, Adygeya
EX09_535 Muscari commutatum

GR: Peloponnese
EX09_536 Muscari commutatum

'Album' GR: Peloponnese
EX09_537 Muscari heldreichii GR: Mt Chelmos
EX09_538 Muscari pallens

early form Coll. Armenia
EX09_539 Muscari parviflorum

EX09_540 Muscari pinardi TR: Cilician Taurus
EX09_541 Muscari pulchellum ssp. pulchellum
EX09_542 Muscari spreitzenhoferi Crete 600m
EX09_543 Muscari weissii Crete, 250 m
EX09_544 Muscari 'Rosy Sunrise'
EX09_545 Narcissus poeticus

var. physaloides FR: Var 850 m
EX09_546 Narcissus pseudonarcissus

ssp. nobilis
EX09_547 Romulea bulbocodium

ssp. crocea JP.87-81
EX09_548 Scilla cilicica

AS.55910
EX09_549 Scilla monophylla P: nr. Lisbon
EX09_550 Scilla morrisii

Cyprus 700 m
EX09_551 Scilla ingridae
EX09_552 Scilla taurica RS.156/83 Crimea: 800 m
EX09_553 Tritonia securigera

   

From Carlos Jimenéz: bulbs...
EX09_554 Acis valentina

Flower Colors:	white
Flower Season:	early autumn
Life form:	bulb

EX09_555 Albuca spec
EX09_556 Narcissus bulbocodium

subsp quintanilhae ex ororn perry

and seeds:
EX09_557 Artemisia assoana
EX09_558 Asphodelus ayardii
EX09_559 Eucrosia aurantiaca

ex R. deVries BX405
EX09_560 Fritillaria pyrenaica

EX09_561 Gadoria falukei
EX09_562 Hesperocallis undulata
EX09_563 Moraea sisyrinchium

ex Engomi, Cyprus
EX09_564 Muscari massayanum

ex Aladaglar Seisums 012-039
EX09_565 Plantago subulata
EX09_566 Romulea spec. Azrou, Morocco
EX09_567 Tulipa cypria

EX09_568 Zephyranthes katheriniae
EX09_569 Zephyranthes tubispatha rosea ex vivaio Corazza

From Sabine Kämpfe: bulbs...
EX09_570 Iris barbata elatior group apricot
EX09_571 Iris barbata elatior group light blue
EX09_572 Iris barbata elatior group surprise color
EX09_573 Iris barbata nana group almost black
EX09_574 Iris barbata nana group brownish and purple
EX09_575 Iris barbata nana group ,Hot' (sunny yellow & dark brown, can rebloom)
EX09_576 Tulipa linifolia

and seeds:
EX09_577 Iris crocea OP
EX09_578 Iris spuria

-group 'Imperial Bronze' OP

From Randy Linke: seeds
EX09_579 Zephyranthes tubispatha syn Habranthus tubispathus

From Angelika Neitzert: bulbs...
EX09_580 Gladiolus oligophlebius (summer grower)
EX09_581 Oxalis ,,Golden cape"

and seeds:
EX09_582 Nerine masoniorum

EX09_583 Zephyranthes minima

From Uli Urban: bulbs...
EX09_584 Allium sativum

(?) Elephant's garlic, edible
EX09_585 Brunsvigia josefinae, 2 year old seedlings from Lauw de Jager
EX09_586 Lilium sulphureum

bulbili

and seeds:
EX09_587 Aristolochia gigantea
EX09_588 Cyclamen persicum

white
EX09_589 Gladiolus alatus

Flower Colors:	orange, white, yellow
Life form:	corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

EX09_590 Gladiolus aureus

Flower Colors:	yellow
Climate:	winter rain climate

EX09_591 Gladiolus carneus

Flower Colors:	pink
Flower Season:	late spring
Life form:	corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

EX09_592 Gladiolus priorii

Flower Colors:	red
Life form:	corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

EX09_593 Gladiolus virescens

Flower Colors:	yellow, pink
Flower Season:	early spring

var virescens
EX09_594 Iris creticus
EX09_595 Iris orientalis

white heirloom
EX09_596 Iris spuria

brown cultivar
EX09_597 Scilla hyacinthoides

tall form
EX09_598 Veltheimia bracteata

pink
EX09_599 Veltheimia deasii (?) intense pink, early capensis type

from Wylie Young (all bulbs):
EX09_600 Amaryllis belladonna

'Fred Meyer White'
EX09_601 Nerine sarniensis

hybrids from Exbury collection unlabeled


From Roland Ludwig: bulbs...

EX09_602 Begonia grandis

ssp. evansiana Bulbils
EX09_603 Cyanella aquatica

, winter-growing ex SABG
EX09_604 Cyrtanthus montanus

, more or less evergreen
EX09_605 Ledebouria socialis

, ex Botanical Garden Sollér (Mallorca)
EX09_606 Odontostomum hartwegii ex SABG
EX09_607 Oxalis brasiliensis

, ex Speciosus
EX09_608 Oxalis corymbosa ,Aureo-Reticulata'
EX09_609 Oxalis eckloniana 

and seeds...

EX09_610 Albuca virens

Flower Colors:	white, green
Life form:	bulb

ex Bert Zaalberg
EX09_611 Arisaema flavum ,Kashmir'
EX09_612 Galtonia sp. aff. viridiflora
EX09_613 Talinum paniculatum
EX09_614 Tritonia disticha

ssp. rubrolucens Tall Pink Form ex De Hessenhof
EX09_615 Tulipa bifloriformis

ex Augis Bulbs
EX09_616 Tulipa binutans ex Augis Bulbs
EX09_617 Zephyranthes ,Cookie Cutter Moon' possibly not true from seed
EX09_618 Zephyranthes filifolia ex Hans Joschko
EX09_619 Zephyranthes mesochloa

ex Bert Zaalberg
EX09_620 Zephyranthes minuta = syn. Z. grandiflora

and cuttings: (Parent plant was recent victim to a storm, charged as bulbs):

EX09_621  Hatiora (formerly Rhipsalidopsis, now included in Schlumbergera?)

*** Special notice: The following items from the above list can optionally be ordered in double amount as they are either surprise colors or highly availlable. The second serving will only be fulfilled and charged if the overall amount for one portion still is fair for the price!! ***

EX09_519 Bellevalia trifoliata
EX09_521 Colchicum davisii
EX09_522 Crocus seed-raised from Crocus exiguus
EX09_523 Fritillaria meleagris 'Eros' violet
EX09_524 Geranium transversale f. laciniata
EX09_525 Geranium transversale 'Rose Foundling'
EX09_527 Hyacinthoides paivae
EX09_528 Hyacinthoides vicentina
EX09_536 Muscari commutatum 'Album'
EX09_539 Muscari parviflorum
EX09_541 Muscari pulchellum ssp. pulchellum
EX09_545 Narcissus poeticus var. physaloides
EX09_546 Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. nobilis
EX09_547 Romulea bulbocodium ssp. crocea
EX09_548 Scilla cilicica
EX09_549 Scilla monophylla
EX09_552 Scilla taurica
EX09_553 Tritonia securigera
EX09_572 Iris barbata elatior group surprise color 
EX09_601 Nerine sarniensis hybrids from Exbury collection unlabeled


Leftovers from EX09 in September, still at full price, sorted by type. Please check the EX09 list for the donors:

Bulbs from EX09:
EX09_004 Allium flavum

EX09_005 Gladiolus splendens

Flower Colors:	red
Climate:	winter rain climate

EX09_019 Allium roseum

Height:	30-45 cm (1-1.5 ft)
Flower Colors:	pink
Flower Season:	late spring to early summer

EX09_020 Allium subvillosum

EX09_021 Allium trifoliatum

EX09_030 Drimia maritima

EX09_043 Chasmanthe floribunda

EX09_044 Ornithogalum arabicum

EX09_047 Babiana ambigua

EX09_048 Babiana stricta

EX09_056 Lachenalia pussila
EX09_057 Lachenalia pygmaea

EX09_060 Lachenalia viridiflora

EX09_094 Babiana angustifolia

deep blue
EX09_095 Babiana melanops

ex Silverhill mid blue
EX09_096 Babiana odorata

EX09_099 Dichelostemma ida-maia

EX09_101 Freesia ,Kent's Strain'
EX09_112 Lachenalia bulbifera

  ,Bredasdopp form'
EX09_113 Lachenalia multifolia

late flowering
EX09_115 Lachenalia suaevolens, fragrant
EX09_117 Narcissus gaditanus

Seeds from EX09:
EX09_003 Gladiolus imbricatus

Flower Colors:

purple

EX09_007 Allium karataviense

Life form:

bulb

EX09_008 Freesia laxa

EX09_010 Hesperantha coccinea

pink form
EX09_012 Ipomoea pubescens

Height:	150-250 cm (4.9-8.2 ft)
Flower Colors:	purple
Special:	climber
Life form:	tuber

EX09_013 Moraea ochroleuca

aurantica
EX09_014 Moraea simulans

EX09_015 Moraea vegeta

EX09_016 Ramonda myconi
EX09_022 Allium crenulatum

EX09_023 Allium unifolium

EX09_025 Drimia uniflora

EX09_038 Allium nevskianum

Flower Colors:

purple

,ex Augis Bulbs
EX09_040 Gladiolus dalenii

Flower Colors:	red, yellow, green, patterned
Climate:	summer rain climate

,Boone'
EX09_042 Zephyranthes morrisclintii ex Nymphaion
EX09_045 Chasmanthe floribunda

EX09_073 Acis nicaeensis

Height:	10-20 cm (3.9-7.9 inch)
Flower Colors:	white
Flower Season:	mid spring

 
EX09_074 Allium shelkovnikovii 
EX09_077 Crocus ibrahimii 
EX09_083 Leopoldia caucasica JJA 688.600
EX09_084 Narcissus obesus

MS 451
EX09_085 Narcissus romanensis
EX09_086 Pseudomuscari chalusicum

JJA 690.700
EX09_087 Scilla madeirensis

EX09_089 Albuca rupestris
EX09_090 Albuca shawii

Flower Colors:

yellow

EX09_091 Drimia platyphylla

EX09_135 Gladiolus imbricatus

Flower Colors:

purple

EX09_495 Pelargonium quinquelobatum

Leftovers from the Spring Exchange EX08, all seeds at 1$:
EX08_008 Arisaema consanguineum

EX08_009 Barnardia japonica

EX08_010 Bomarea edulis

EX08_012 Eucomis zambesiaca

EX08_016 Albuca setosa

Flower Colors:	white, green, brown, yellow
Life form:	bulb

EX08_017 Allium cernuum

Flower Colors:	pink, white
Flower Season:	early summer to mid summer

EX08_019 Allium nutans

EX08_020 Barnardia japonica

EX08_021 Galtonia viridiflora

EX08_023 Hesperantha baurii

EX08_025 Iris domestica
EX08_027 Sisyrinchium angustifolium
EX08_034 Crocosmia mix of ,Anna Marie' and ,Yellow Emberglow
EX08_039 Albuca aurea

Flower Colors:

yellow, green

EX08_040 Albuca pulchra

EX08_041 Albuca spec Grahamstown
EX08_047 Dahlia excelsa
EX08_048 Datura wrightii
EX08_049 Ennealophus fimbriatus

EX08_051 Iris laevigata

dark purple
EX08_052 Lilium longiflorum

Hyb. ,,white triumphator"
EX08_053 Lilium philippinense

EX08_054 Lilium pumilum

EX08_058 Habranthus robustus

EX08_060 Silene undulata (syn. capensis)
EX08_061 Zephyranthes primulina

EX08_303 Freesia laxa

EX08_304 Gladiolus x hortulanus cultivar mix incl. ,,Espresso"

From 2023 fall exchange EX07 - last time offered!
EX07_006 Camassia leichtlinii

EX07_007 Commelina tuberosa

EX07_008 Delphinium semibarbatum
EX07_009 Gladiolus palustris

Height:	30-60 cm (1-2 ft)
Flower Colors:	purple, white
Flower Season:	early summer
Life form:	deciduous corm

EX07_011 Melaspherula gramineum
EX07_013 Paradisea lusitannica
EX07_015 Iris sicula

EX07_022 Fritillaria sewerzowii

,,green eyes"
EX07_023 Lilium pumilum

EX07_068 Smilax aspera balearicum
EX07_142 Albuca nelsonii

Flower Colors:	white, green
Life form:	bulb

EX07_143 Albuca fragrans
EX07_144 Albuca spec,  Grahamstown, bright yellow upright flow. 50cm From microwaved pollen
EX07_147 Calochortus spec.  Santa Monica Range, King Gilette Rd
EX07_151 Ferraria divaricata

Height:	30-45 cm (1-1.5 ft)
Flower Colors:	yellow, green
Life form:	deciduous corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

araneosa
EX07_152 Freesia Hybr. Ex Red Passion, open pollinated
EX07_157 Iris sicula

EX07_158 Ixia viridiflora

EX07_159 Lachenalia matthewsii open pollinated
EX07_160 Manfreda maculata

EX07_161 Narcissus triandrus

EX07_162 Ornithogalum ceresianum

black centre
EX07_163 Ornithogalum fimbrimarginatum

EX07_164 Ornithogalum pruinosum

EX07_166 Primula hendersonii

(was Dodecatheon)
EX07_167 Ranunculus cortusifolius
EX07_168 Romulea clusiana

, ex Oron Peri
EX07_170 Sparaxis tricolor

, open pollinated
EX07_172 Veltheimia bracteata

EX07_173 Watsonia marginata

EX07_179 Allium triquetrum

EX07_180 Chasmanthe aethiopica

EX07_181 Gladiolus italicus

Flower Colors:

purple, white

EX07_511 Iris tingitans
EX07_513 Iris xanthospuria
EX07_517 Iris spuria

reds & oranges
EX07_518 Vincetoxicum hirundinaria
EX07_530 Colchicum lusitanum

EX07_532 Narcissus coronatus (ex pallidulus) (syn of N. hispanicus?)
EX07_533 Narcissus dubius

Molina de Segura – Spain
EX07_534 Narcissus gaditanus

  - Casabermeja, Málaga, Spain
EX07_552 Crocosmia ,Yellow Emberglow'
EX07_554 Mirabilis jalapa

Height:	60-100 cm (2-3.3 ft)
Flower Colors:	white, red, yellow, pink, patterned
Flower Season:	mid summer to late summer
Special:	flowers first year from seed
Life form:	deciduous thick roots

, flower pinkish red
EX07_559 Albuca spec ex Koehres
EX07_562 Tulipa batalinii

Charm op
EX07_563 Tulipa dubia Beldersai op
EX07_567 Tulipa tarda dasystemon op
EX07_568 Tulipa tarda

Little Star op
EX07_569 Tulipa tarda

op
EX07_570 Tulipa tarda Tity's Star op
EX07_571 Tulipa urumiensis

op
EX07_572 Tulipa vvedenskyi Leonora op
EX07_577 Aristea ecklonii

EX07_580 Hymenosporum flavum



This completes the selection for EX09b.

Ascleps is short for Asclepioideae, though most of the time people actually mean either Ceropegieae or even more specialized the Subtribe of Stapeliinae, a set of stem succulent but open flowered genera. As always, lumpers try to go all in, there are papers trying to throw nearly all genera in Ceropegieae into Ceropegia - and in some respect they have been successful, like Brachystelma which has been sunken into Ceropegia on genetic evidence despite the flowers being flat and open. While Ceropegia contains some geophytes (hence the wiki page), the Stapeliineae do not, but still are a fascinating collection object.


Some are easy from seed, almost all are easy from cuttings. Easiest of all for me is Huernia - first image is possibly a hybrid and the first one i have grown from seed - a bycatch when ordering some other seeds out of pure curiosity. But of course I couldn't stop there - next one is Huernia stapeliformis, a small deep red gem. Uli then treated me to Huernia zebrina, or as I call it the chocolate donut flower, for obvious reasons. All of them are free flowering, as is the small but always multi-flowered Apteranthes europaea (former Caralluma).

A very special plant is the Tromotriche pendula, which I almost lost last winter - yes it is far more challenging then the others. Not as critical but also not easy to flower for me is Orbea hardyi.

The star of the collection is without any doubt Stapelia gigantea, which is in flower right now at a whopping 35 cm flower diameter - and it is actually one of the easier species. It even took relocation to indoors last fall without abandoning its bud - though last years flower then wasn't as big and noteably paler than this one - there are buds on the plant so maybe there's still more to come.

All of those plants are sometimes called carrion flower, but I personally don't smell a thing, even though the Stapelia did attract some flies - on the other hand I don't run from Tigridia vanhouttei

Height:	45-60 cm (1.5-2 ft)
Flower Colors:	purple, green, patterned
Life form:	deciduous bulb

or Eucomis bicolor

either, which some find offensive.

So i can't deny: the virus got me, and I have a set of other candidates already potted to hopefully flower next year. Are there any other victims of ascleps fever around?

@Uli that's a brilliant color - actually, I'd call it worth being professionally cloned. very, very beautiful.

I guess my stuff pales in comparison, but fall in Germany is a completely different world... Actually, we had lot's of rain, and Crocus "autumn fantasy" has visibly suffered, Crocus pulchellus

seems to cope far better.

Also, the nights are getting colder, the FOFF level (fear of first freezing) is slowly rising, yet Kohleria "Strawberry fields" from spring exchange has the first flower after repeatedly being attacked by slugs. It already seems to suffer from non-freezing nights, I'll bring it to a safer place soon.

My two Bomarea types that actually have flowered for me are in very different states now: the orange-ish likely edulis-containing hybrid has a late set of flowers, while the true Bomarea edulis

graces the sitting place with attractive fruits. The hybrid also has set fruit for the first time (due to an unusually timed flower stalk in spring), too, so I might be able to offer seeds of that one in spring exchange - no idea how true to the parent those will end up. The orange form as shown here is the "final" state of those flowers, they open up closer to the edulis color scheme with greenish inner petals and reach the orange form a few days later.

So let's wrap up September...

my crocus are suffering from lots of rain, but Crocus banaticus

and Crocus kotschyanus

manage to cope with it. Sternbergia lutea

Height:	10-20 cm (3.9-7.9 inch)
Flower Colors:	yellow
Flower Season:	mid autumn
Climate:	USDA Zone 7-9

starts as well, though the main show will be delivered in october.

The Nerines are disappointing this year, guess they didn't like the very wet phase from last November to June - the Nerine bowdenii

"Flügel" cultivar is the only exception.

Last one is Impatiens arguta - I'll have to dig up one of the seedlings to find out if it qualifies as a geophyte, I bought both the purple and the white parent plant potted...

actually, size and shape scream ×Amarine for me.

Thanks for pointing out that leaf scheme with the Barnardia @Carlos - I'm hopelessly lost with flower characteristics on Scilla sensu lato...

Talking about unusual late stalks: good year for those I guess - I had no idea that Sinningia "Bananas Foster" could again produce flowers on stalks that had their main flower 2 months ago. Weldenia candida

was another late flowering surprise. not a timing- but a local surprise: Ennealophus euryandrus

appearing in yet another pot - starts to be a serious competitor for Freesia laxa as a pot weed - but I love it.

But of course the signs of fall get more and more, though the "prophet of doom" in this image of Hedychium deceptum

Height:	80-120 cm (2.6-3.9 ft)
Flower Colors:	red
Flower Season:	late summer to mid autumn
Climate:	USDA Zone 8-9

is the Actinidia arguta, which actually had its very first 4 fruits after what must have been 6 years at least. Another fall prophet is Crocus hadriaticus

, which was "slugged" the night after this image - you can already see the traces of those monsters on the colchicum buds to the right in the same picture.

Not looking like fall at all is Oxalis bowiei

which is a massive spring green leaf mass with some of the biggest oxalis flowers I've seen.

Last one is a Begonia somewhat unexpectedly appearing in the open garden (discarded potting soil?) - IDs welcome. I know there are a few somewhat hardy begonias, but is this one of those?

Minor update: all packages are on their way now - took a bit longer than usual due to overlap with another volunteer work I'm running. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Please remember we're still open for donations for part 2