Flowering on Christmas day

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Tue, 31 Dec 2013 07:34:54 PST

>   Which species are  in the ground outside?
My bulbs are in a combination of ground, pots outside on my deck or 
benches exposed to the elements, pots in an unheated greenhouse, pots 
in a section sheltered from the rain we aren't getting, pots outside 
unsheltered in pots in raised beds surrounded by a gravel/sand mix. 
Of my long list of plants in bloom on Christmas day the only ones 
planted directly in the ground blooming were Cyclamen coum, Iris 
unguicularis, and Orthrosanthus chimboracensis. Post Christmas I was 
thrilled to have Lapeirousia oreogena (in a pot on a bench) open. 
I've had terrible luck growing this, with poor germination and 
seedlings not returning, but finally had one batch of seed grow to 
blooming size. The following years none came up, but this year there 
are two plants. Would they have come up anyway or is it the dry fall 
with more light (even though with all my trees this is a bit limited 
even when it isn't raining)? Whatever the reason I will enjoy the 
blooms while I can because this may be it.

Mary Sue






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