Late Winter Flowers.
Every morning out with a cup of tea and it is freezing, but I can't wait to see what has come up, and is coming into flower, it is just the most exciting time when you love bulbs as much as I do. Narcissus Mondieu bred by Glenbrook bulbs a gift from Fermi in 2006 but this year it has come into its own, large wide flared cups gorgeous only about 3inches, 8cm high. Click on pictures to see full size.
Another Glenbrook bulbacodium Narcissus kholmes Rod says "A very nice sibling to the more famous Smarple and Spoirot, goblet shaped petticoats on reasonable tall stems. Easy grower good for shows and garden." 18cm for me and has multiplied beautifully.
I can not seem to get a photo to scale this is only 7cm in height and the smallest Narcissus asturiensis I have ever grown with a twist to the petals. It is from Brian Duncan seed from Ireland and it was collected in 2012 in Gouveia, Portugul coll. No 8N232 the best yet. There is always so much variety from wild collected seed.
Crocus tommasinianus Pictus purple tip, you can say what you like about C. tommasinianus but they are relatively easy to grow, put on the best display, everyone admires them, they are just beautiful. Friends and husband just have to stop and admire them.
These are the buds of Crocus tommasinianus Pictus the out side markings are just as lovely. This lot are from Otto.
Crocus heuffelianus Lilac Wonder from Otto an import from Ruksans.
Bulbous Iris are another plant that we can grow relatively easily in Australia, in a well drained soil and quite a bit of sunshine. The first is Iris histrioides ssp aintabensis. I find they grow better for me in the garden, but Jon grows his beautifully in pots and has grown a lot of the new ones from seed from the Canadian breeder Alan Mc Murtrie. Palmero and Verity were the first people to bring to my attention Alan McMurtrie from the Plantsman magazine of his startling new coloured varieties. I think many years ago Fermi and I had bought seed from him but I had not seen any pictures, we are talking before the internet. I did not have a great deal of success then, but I think we know a lot more about seed raising now and have a higher success rate amongst our members.
Iris reticulata Alida is widely available in Victoria, easy to grow and multiplies well.
Iris reticulata Cantab.
Iris reticulata George.
This photo I took in Otto's garden, this one is from Lamley Nursery, David Glen, Iris histrioides Lady Stanley.
Iris Katharine Hodgkin this Iris grows extremely well for me in with Cyclamen graecum, but it does not need such a baking as Cyclamen graecum the leaves protect it from the worst of the summer heat and sun. A hybrid between I. danfordiae x I. histrioides bred by E B Anderson who was one of the founding members of the AGS UK he was president in 1948 -1953, he launched the seed exchange.
Bertrum Anderson never had enough spare cash to buy the plants he wanted, so he propagated a few choice plants to sell. Sound familiar. He named the Iris after the wife of his great friend Eliot Hodgkin.
Iris reticulata Springtime.
Iris reticulata Violet Beauty when Jon was repotting his Iris he kindly bought in the remaining Iris for our group.
Iris danfordiae coll. Sivas Gurum, Turkey Archibald seed grown by Otto. I. danfordiae is not the easiest bulbous Iris to grow but Otto say's this is a better grower for him, it is smaller but vigorous and flowers each year. Alan McMurtrie talks about "this poor performance is characteristic of the sterile, triploid commercial form of I. danfordiae, It was presumably selected because of its larger flowers than diploid forms." But in 1985 Alan was fortunate to collect I. danfordiae in Turkey near Darbogaz he found it to be a fertile diploid form of the species. It produces numerous bulblets but is vigorous enough to flower every year. Which aides in his breading program. I wonder if Otto's form is the same as Alans.
Iris reticulata Pixie from Glenbrook Nursery.
Iris reticulata Joyce from Mr Bob Nelson when he grew a large selection of these bulbous Iris. Very similar to I. reticulata Harmony but has a narrower fall, but the markings are very similar.
Iris reticulata Harmony is readily available in Australia.
Iris reticulata Purple Gem also from Glenbrook Nursery.
A hardy little shrub for full sun Chaenomeles japonica Chojubai used in Bonsai, Craig from Gentiana Nursery.
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