Digging up crinums
Kathleen Sayce (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:44:41 PDT)

As for grubbing hoes, I have two--a small one-handed Japanese hoe and
a full sized, two-handed hoe. Between the two of them, they serve to
dig up most plants in my garden, and far more easily than a shovel of
any description. I recommend them to all gardeners. Also excellent
for getting out woody roots of just about anything.

Forgot to mention earlier that despite a foggy summer on the PNW
coast, Crinum xpowellii has been been blooming for several weeks.
Also two young C. bulbispermum from James Waddick, have settled in
nicely, though years from flowering, and am growing more from seed,
from Ken Hixson, in a pot that is outside for what remains of summer.

I planted xpowellii among lady ferns to hide the foliage and general
slug depredation (I do bait for slugs too), and the pink flowers
popping up among fern foliage is quite nice. There are also a few
lilies among the ferns, so the general effect mid to late summer is
lush and floriferous.

Not quite a bulb, Dierama pulcherrimum is setting seed this year.
First time I've seen more than one or two pods, this after moving it
twice, and ending up in a slightly sunnier spot near bird baths, so
the plants get a bit more water than the rest of the flower bed, and
were visited regularly by humming birds during flowering.

Kathleen
PNW coast, cool foggy summer.