East Texas Bulbs and Such
Joe Shaw (Sat, 08 Jul 2006 19:37:08 PDT)

Hi Gang,

I will cross-post this message on the Pacific Bulb Society and the Int. Bulb
Society.

Cynthia M. and I drove to Vidor, TX today to visit with Marcelle Sheppard
and Margie and Lanny B. Margie and Lanny B. have imported interesting bulbs
from Asia over the years and grow many of Marcelle's Crinum hybrids.

Along the way, near Sour Lake, TX (near the home of Dr. Dave Crinum Guy), we
stopped to dig some Zephyranthes chlorosolen. This plant has a list of
confusing names, so I always refer to it as the "plant with the long floral
tube and the thin green leaves." It seems to be terminally confused with
the very different Drummond rain lily.

LINK: Z. chlorosolen (Flora of North America Online)

http://efloras.org/object_page.aspx/…

LINK: Z. drummondii (sometimes C. drummondii, etc.)

http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx/…

Anyway, we visited with Marcelle and had a very nice time, heat and humidity
be darned. Marcelle continues to attend her Crinum even though she must use
a walker can't do digging the past year. She has many hybrids coming along
from the Burgundy series, the Jumbo series, the Champange series, and more.
Later, Cynthia and I visited with Margie and Lanny, nearby residents of
Vidor, TX. Margie's garden, as usual, was in perfect condition and full of
flower and attractive foliage. I like the dayliles a lot, but the very
special display are the 20-30 different red-leaved Crinum types that Margie
grows--impressive and tropical.

Margie sent me home with several Canna hybrids for my front yard (now that I
have discovered imidacloprid insecticide), and she also gave me various
Amaryllis types (Hippeastrum hybrids) for general use along the Zone 8b and
warmer Texas Gulf Coast. As is her custom with visitors, Margie even found
a plant that Cynthia M. did not have (a wonderfully vigorous and fragrant
Amarcrinum (I think from Les Hannibal) and she sent that home with Cynthia.

Margie and Marcelle both gave me Crinum plants, seeds, and seedlings from my
favorite Crinums (e.g., 'Bride's Bouquet' and Crinum Jumbo "best dark
red-pink," etc.). I think that I will surely run out of growing space as
all of the bounty matures.

Cordially,

Joe

Conroe, TX