My first Rhodophialia bifida bloom opened a week ago on the day the rains from Gustav started. It has opened another spike today. This is a bulb I planted last fall and it kept it's leaves all summer and started growing leaves again in early August. The early blooming one was planted shallowly in a moist bed next to Crinum bulbispermum jumbo that is mulched in summer and doing well in zone 5. All the others were planted as deep as I could plant. Not that we really have winter anymore. In two other locations they have sent up spikes in the last couple of days with a third one with old leaf still dormant, This is under the overhang on the south but somewhat shaded where few things will grow. Right in front of it I have one in the moist zone sending up a spike. Much of the shade is from a large Magnolia grandiflora Edith Bogue that I have to prune back due to lack of space. I am hoping the rhodophilia patch will creep back toward the shadier area where the were is little but Lycoris sqamigera. Next to it I have a Tropaeolum polyphyllum that I have hopes for One of the was deciduous being in a drier area but all others kept their leaves this summer both they are still going to bloom for their second year. My potted ones have yet to grow but I kept them too dry all summer as in forgot about it. I do like having them in a pot so I can actually view the up close. Now that I have a cold greenhouse I am finding it more useful that the heated one. I try to keep the minimum at about 18 in there. It is a good place for Rhododendrons, bulbs, delsopsermas, palms, hydrangeas and seed growing. Now that I am retiring in a month I will be able to do a lot more and keep up with things better. Frank Cooper Urbana, Illinois zone 5b ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Waddick" <jwaddick@kc.rr.com> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:02 AM Subject: [pbs] Rhodophiala > Dear All, > This is a slow time in the garden. A sudden cold front, rains > from a lagging Gustav and lower temps have slowed things down a lot. > > Lycoris caldwellii is still going strong and my optimism is > for bloom on the later L. radiata and relatives. > > A small patch of color is provided by a pot of Rhodophiala > bifida in a gallon pot. On the one hand it really isn't much, but the > color is great and the amount of care is minimal so it is getting > more attention -at least admiration- for a few days now. Mine is from > the Texas 'form' which I have tried in the garden, but without > success. just pushing it a bit too much. > > Anyone else blooming it now? > > Best Jim W. > > ps. I meant to comment earlier about Judy G's note on 'Friendly > INvaders'. You mean it isn't all black & White and there are shades > of grey? Whoda Knew? Thanks for the link. > -- > Dr. James W. Waddick > 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. > Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 > USA > Ph. 816-746-1949 > Zone 5 Record low -23F > Summer 100F + > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >