Blooming this week
Mary Sue Ittner (Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:13:02 PDT)

Hi,

I didn't get a chance to report what is blooming this week. More
Cyclamen are in bloom (now C. africanum as well as C. coum, C.
hederifolium, C. cilicum.) There are more Cyrtanthus mackenii in
bloom and C. loddigisanus. The latter was a first bloom from seed a
couple of weeks ago, but the flowers only lasted a few days. This
flower looked like it came from a different bulb in the same pot so
I'll have to wait to see if there are any others.

I have three Nerine sarniensis hybrids I grew from seed in bloom. The
first one to bloom this year was from an early BX (2004) and Hamish
Sloan. He could only report on the female parent. I requested it
because of the name: Maria, described as "dark salmon stripe on
salmon pink flower, a wide petalled flower, a reliable flowering
bulb." I only ended up with one bulb from that lot of seed, but the
flower is really beautiful so I don't mind. I've lots of Nerine buds
on my other pots which is very promising.

Others in bloom are Strumaria karooica and Romulea macowanni (with
the yellow flowers just on the surface of the soil of the pot).
Oxalis perdicaria (one of my favorites from South America with bright
yellow flowers) is blooming. I also have the ones in bloom that Mike
Mace reported in bloom for him and more and more pots with leaves
coming up. For the second year I have Rhodophiala bifida blooming. I
planted a bunch of these in the ground from a couple of sources, but
they are history. No doubt it's just too dry in my garden in summer.
But I planted two in a deep pot on my deck with a couple of other
things that weren't blooming and have been rewarded with blooms the
last two years.

I'm not sure what name to use for the next one I'm reporting. I don't
think it bloomed last year, but is blooming well this year. I see the
Plant list is referring to it as Barnardia japonica, syn. Scilla
japonica, Scilla scilloides. I'd love to know what name most people
are using for this plant. It seems that some of the Scilla proposed
changes have been accepted and some have not.

Also blooming is Pelargonium sidoides. Today I saw my first Crocus
too. I find fall just as exciting as spring in some ways as plants
that were dormant start coming up (and you realize you haven't lost
them.) And since it is so wet and so humid during my winters, the
fall flowers (and leaves) often look better.

Mary Sue

Mary Sue Ittner
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers