What's blooming week of Sep. 26
Michael Mace (Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:59:01 PDT)

Colchicum agrippinum is just past its peak. I've had it in a pot for many
years, and as long as I divide it every couple of years, it blooms very
reliably in fall. Its flowers are purple-pink from a distance, but up close
they're covered in a distinctive faint checkmark pattern. It's very
interesting.

But the star of the moment is Brunsvigia marginata. Picture a basketball
painted in the most eye-popping shade of scarlet you've ever seen. When the
first European plant explorers saw this thing in South Africa, they must
have been amazed. I would love to see it in the wild sometime.

This flower is self-sterile, so if anyone else has one in bloom and wants to
share pollen, let me know. And by the way, I promised pollen to a couple of
people. I harvested that today.

Mike

San Jose, CA