[BULBS-L] [pbs] Bulbs over winter
Jane McGary (Thu, 15 May 2003 10:05:48 PDT)

Jim SHields wrote,

Another good one to try is G. antakiensis (seed available from the
Archibalds). I finally have some blooming and they are a wonderful deep,
rich purple.

Jane McGary's bulbs by and large survived and bloomed. Muscari bourgaei

It isn't "mine"--it's one of two good flowering clones that I obtained from
Holland and sell through my list. One is called 'Reliant', and the other is
under a JRJK collector's number (I believe "JR" here is Janis Ruksans). The
commercial clone of C. kotschyanus multiplies rapidly but rarely flowers,
so it is beloved by bulb growers but not by gardeners. This is a not
uncommon tradeoff in the bulb world. Of the two flowering clones, "JRJK"
multiplies faster.

I think there is something similar going on with Bellevalia pycnantha; the
bulbs I bought wholesale under that name last fall seem to be something
different from what I grew from the Archibalds' seed. I'm pretty confident
that the plant I have distributed as B. pycnantha is correctly identified,
but the wholesale bulbs have lax foliage and a bicolored inflorescence
rather than erect leaves and an almost uniformly dark blue inflorescence.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA