Dear All,

The topic for this week is bulbs that can be converted to another cycle.
I couldn't quite figure out how to phrase this so it would be shorter
and clearer. I am hoping that all of you will share your experiences
trying to grow bulbs a different way than the would be found in nature.
Have any of you in cold climates been able to grow tender bulbs in the
summer that would not survive your climates otherwise? Have any of you
with harsh hot summers been able to grow plants that would like it
cooler at another time, say spring? I know that Lisa Flaum has been
trying to turn winter growers into summer growers and I hope she will
share how it is going. Some plants must respond to light and temperature
one would think.

A number of years ago a man from Seattle told that he could grow
Ferraria in summer there and found it just wasn't happy in his long wet
cool winter, but grew quite happily in his cool dryer summers when there
was more light. I am wondering what other things could be treated this way.

Andrew Wilson sent me a piece of a Pelargonium. I'm not sure if is one
that counts as a geophyte, but he was definitely able to send this piece
to me that looked like a dry stick. Although it had gone dormant for the
summer already, when I watered it, it sprung to life and even starting
blooming late summer.

A friend told me of buying Sandersonia at the local farmer's market as a
late harvest flower in fall. This one obviously can be grown at
different times of the year.

Slightly related to this, has anyone found that when they buy a bulb
from another hemisphere that starts to grow at the wrong time that they
can keep it growing at this time. I got two bulbs of Boophone from Rhoda
and Cameron and I am wondering if I can keep them winter growing.

No one responded about Peter's Daubenya. Have others found that Daubenya
aurea is fall blooming for them instead of spring?

So please share your experiences everyone. I know there are some people
really eager to hear about this.

Mary Sue

PBS List Administrator, Wiki Worker, TOW Coordinator (Whew!)

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