December 2024

[Too Many Plants!]

Hi @Robin Jangle , @CG100 , @Carlos ,

Here are some follow-up close-up different angle shots, and with a US penny for scale for the G. Linearis ? bulb in question.

Needless to say, I believe this is a baby bulb.

[Anonymized User]

@Too Many Plants! The discussion between myself and an other became somewhat heated and derailed your OP.

@Martin Bohnet & others that read it, my apologies.

@Too Many Plants! Yes for our Spring flowering Iridaceae I've noticed that on occasions the flowers have bleached streaks on the tepals. In habitat that happens when it is hot and dry (both air and soil).
It is worth remembering that in the hot dry areas plants flower early. In the Tanqua Karoo most flowering is over by mid winter before it starts to warm up.
Some shade - from distant trees or even directly overhead (no more than 40%) is beneficial. Even here I have planted trees on the western side of the growing area to provide some coolness in the afternoon.

You're doing a great job growing what are considered difficult plants.

[Too Many Plants!]

Here's another SA bulb that I really enjoy, making its Winter stage entrance....

Tritonia Deusta https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Tritonia

And a few shots showing how Moraea PolyStachya is naturalizing in many areas all over our Garden. In one pic you see they are engulfing a rare baby E. Ghellinckii cycad. Talk about a SLOW plant!😣 These M. Polystachya can be around bringing nice purple flowers (that the bees 🐝 Love) throughout our Garden from July through February.

[Too Many Plants!]

I was looking to add more Holiday cheer here to the Christmas time end of the December thread. So here goes...

Update pics of my Veltheimia Capensis in flower. Pictured properly planted with a SA cousin Aloe Peglerae in the background, with flower buds emerging.

[Too Many Plants!]

Here's a first for me...hopefully, I don't get a spanking for breaking the rules. As I said...I was looking around to add more Holiday cheer to the Christmas-time end of our December thread. As most of my bulbs are emerging right now, I don't yet have many in flower. But looking around our Garden for flowers, I thought I'll bet some folks might get a kick out of this.

Not a geophyte, this is a "new world" drought-tolerant genus that spans areas in and around Mexico. Many know the commonly named plant in the genus native to northern Mexico, the Desert areas of California including the Palm Springs Valley, and Arizona. Ocotillo. The correct name is Fouquieria Splendens. Our plant pictured below is in the Fouquieria genus, F. Macdougalii, one common name for it is the "Mexican Ocotillo". It's said to eventually make a small tree. You'll see that I have it staked and tethered attempting to "train" its shape/habit. Flowering right now, and as it has gotten larger more branches flower together.

Oh, and how did I forget to mention...Hummingbirds LOVE these flowers! And I haven't noticed bees going to them.

[CG100]

Horses for courses @Too Many Plants  

Our UK gardens have a few strains of Hellebore and a very, very few flowering shrubs flowering now and over the winter (although a few have fabulous scent to make up for restrained flowers), plus snowdrops if you pick the right species/strains/hybrids, plus one or two other bulbs, all depending on where you draw the line for "winter".

On the other hand, we can grow most roses outdoors in the ground and most will be rampant, so long as you avoid the martyrs to things like blackspot.

[Too Many Plants!]

Here's another exciting new addition emerging for the first time, from a recent BX...

Gethyllis Ciliaris !

Once again...a BIG Thank YOU! To the PBS Folks that share the Love!!

[Too Many Plants!]

I'm gunna break the rules again...to do more Christmas cheer. Not bulbs, but South African cousins of my many SA bulbs, bringing Winter cheer to our Garden!

First Aloe is A. Hahnii, part of the Maculate  spotted Aloe group. While generally not coveted, it really has Flowers rivaling some of the "considered" best Aloe flowers! These are just coming in, so they don't yet show just how good they will be...

Second Aloe is a rare SA Dwarf Aloe. A. Krapohliana, with very large flowers in relation to the plant size.

[Too Many Plants!]

Here's some proper PBS forum paraphernalia...

First bulb is Boophone Disticha.

Second n third bulbs are Haemanthoides, with one I suspect is splitting heads.

[Too Many Plants!]

Watsonia Meriana Var. Bulbillifera makes its entrance onto the winter stage.

[Too Many Plants!]

Here's some Christmas Flower cheer...

Not bulbs, but South African cousins to my SA bulb Garden.

First- Aloe Elegans, yellow flower form which is very rare. (And I might add, a Very Nice yellow, as Yellow Aloe flowers go IMHO) You can see last seasons dead Watsonia Meriana leaves on the ground around it...

Second- Aloe Fosterii. Flowers are still coming in so not to their full spectacular show.

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁✨ to the PBS family!

[Too Many Plants!]

Here's another one I'm excited about...

Gladiolus Equitans. Emerging for the first time! 1 fm a recent BX, and two fm another source all planted fall of 2023. 

[Carlos]

I wonder 'how many plants' do you have...

G. equitans is really cool! I spent a little fortune on small portions of about 25 species from Seeds and all, they took three months to arrive and nothing sprouted, so I was quite deceived, specially by the seller. I am about to be equally deceived by Julian Slade in Australia. I mean, I am good at making seeds sprout. And I send good seeds, usually for free or against other seeds. 

Seeds and small bulbs from SX are doing quite well, but more uncommon species are hard to come by. 

[Robert_Parks]

I wonder 'how many plants' do you have...

G. equitans is really cool! I spent a little fortune on small portions of about 25 species from Seeds and all, they took three months to arrive and nothing sprouted, so I was quite deceived, specially by the seller. I am about to be equally deceived by Julian Slade in Australia. I mean, I am good at making seeds sprout. And I send good seeds, usually for free or against other seeds.

Seeds and small bulbs from SX are doing quite well, but more uncommon species are hard to come by.

I try not to look at the number of rows in the spreadsheet...and even that only indicates how many accessions I have. And with some, like some of the Gladiolus and Amorphophallus the number of individuals is liable to be vastly higher.

IIRC, G. equitans produced enough divisions that some went to the BX. Oddly small amount of leaf for the inflorescence and corm.

Robert

[Too Many Plants!]

I wonder 'how many plants' do you have...

LOL ! That's a Good, well, maybe not Good, but a question for sure. And I wouldn't have an answer for you. 

We've been collecting rare plants since maybe 2005. First for our second home, then that landscape plan fell through with the 2009 housing crash. We moved, WITH two 26' Uhaul loads of plants, rented, then bought and moved again...with EVEN MORE rare plants. Finally having a place to start our little slice of private Botanical Garden Landscape. It's STILL in the works, with a LONG way to go. LOTS more plants, finish work, IE- boulders, rock work, finished walking paths, large pots, Landscape design/plans, removing more existing large trees and queen & Mexican palms, etc., all still in the works, and to come. For us with a lot of our collection, it's been like an investment: what's most important was/is to get small slow-growing plants in the ground, established and growing so they will be big and enjoyable in our lifetime.