Tropical bulbs/Zephyranthes and Habranthus
Narad (Richard Eggenberger) (Sat, 17 May 2008 11:36:17 PDT)

Dear Debbie,

What a strange and beautiful world we inhabit with beauty and wonder
at every turn. Mary Helen and I lived in Houston from 1981 to 1995
and became friends with many gardening folk. We built the Plumeria
People which Mary Helen ran with my help on long weekends and I
managed 'Nature's Window' Garden Center in Alief, then became manager
of Teas Nursery in Bellaire and finally started Living Earth
Technology with two partners. So, it is a delight to be able to write
you about my love of rain lilies. Merrill O'Neal helped acquire some
bulbs for me from the good people at YuccaDo and friends around
Houston and Austin. These, along with Z. sulphurea (very self-
fertile), Z. rosea, Z. robusta ( I believe) and Z. candida, which are
grown extensively in northern India, were the stock for our humble
beginning. Many of the introduced plants are doing quite well and
wind pollination has given us a few new shades but I have a man who is
willing to take up the hybridizing this fall when I return to India.
I had asked Fadjar if he would donate some of his hybrids but he
refused saying that he was under contract (with Plant Delight's
obviously) so I was unsuccessful in acquiring any reds.

Mary Helen passed away of ovarian cancer in 2002 and since that time I
have devoted myself to volunteering at some of the Auroville centers
in America and spend about 4-5 months in India from October to March,
the optimum growing season.

I wish I could remember all the kind people who helped me get started
in so many areas such as plumerias from Dr. Criley in Hawaii and
botanical gardens throughout Asia, and other flowering trees and
fragrant shrubs from growers in Florida. You may remember Margaret a
very kind and knowledgeable gardener from San Antonio (quite elderly
when I knew her twenty years ago) who also collected rain lilies and
discovered a method for getting them to flower without waiting for
rain, Steve Lowe who is a great source of knowledge, and, of course,
Merrill.

I do have Habranthus robustus and it flowers magnificently in
Auroville as does Z. Labuffarosa. So, we are at the very beginning of
a new chapter in our horticultural life and it will be nice to
correspond with you and learn. I also hope that you will be able to
spare a bulb or two for the Matrimandir Gardens occasionally.

Thank you so much for writing and for your welcome to me and your love
of rain lilies.

Richard (Narad)

On 16, May 2008, at 2:38 PM, Deborah Jordan wrote: