When I first started this blog, having scrapped any that had gone before, it was mainly as a brain exercise, plus, not a little, nostalgia. I came across the Six on Saturday meme run by Jim Stephens at Garden Ruminations and, through that, organically increased my presence on the web. This has prompted me to re-publish some of my old material some of which is updated. These posts are purely about the plants that I have grown and photographed, mainly in my previous garden, unless otherwise stated.
Tulips Part 2.
Another picture post, dealing with the remaining tulips I have grown and also have pictures of.
Double Earlies
Tulipa ‘Mondial’ Tulipa ‘Monte Orange’
Tulipa ‘Silk Road’
Tulipa ‘Peach Blossom’
Flowering early to mid spring some of these tulips such as T.’Peach Blossom’ have the extra benefit of being scented which, along with the exquisite double flowers really enhances the early part of the year.
Following on from the earlies some of the Late Doubles such as T. ‘Angelique’ are also scented.
Miscellaneous.
Parrot Tulip ‘Rococo’
Tulipa ‘Flaming Parrot’
Lily flowered Tulipa ‘Red Shine’
Unusual Lily Flowered Tulipa ‘Virichic’. These are known as Viridiflora Tulips.Late Single Tulipa ‘Queen of the Night’Bit of an oddity, can’t find it listed anymore Tulipa ‘Pirvilla Lady’ a Fringed Tulip.
The main pests and actually my nemesis are grey squirrels, they take absolute delight in rooting out the bulbs, whether in containers or in the ground. One memorable Christmas Day, I spent some time moving my pots into groups and spreading netting over them. The assault of the squirrel army had begun, eventually this led me to stop growing the Dutch tulips. I later hit upon the idea of putting a piece of heavy metal netting about an inch under the surface of the compost until this in turn was dragged out. I don’t find it worthwhile to keep the bulbs for another year, but use tulips like bedding plants, in the past I have kept the bulbs for replanting, but have found the results to be inconsistent. One advantage of using fresh bulbs each year is that it avoids the diseases to which tulips are prone.
Botanicals
Just a quick footnote regarding the botanicals or specie tulips, these are generally the dwarf spring flowering tulips, usually found in a rock garden setting or container, with which everyone is familiar. I have grown many of these such as Tulips kaufmanniana, greigii, praestans and their hybrids and also Tulipa tarda although I don’t have many pictures.
When I first started this blog, having scrapped any that had gone before, it was mainly as a brain exercise, plus, not a little, nostalgia. I came across the Six on Saturday meme run by Jim Stephens at Garden Ruminations and, through that, organically increased my presence on the web. This has prompted me to re-publish some of my old material some of which is updated. These posts are purely about the plants that I have grown and photographed, mainly in my previous garden, unless otherwise stated.
Tulips Part 1
This is going to be more of a “pretty picture” post which is, after all, what tulips are about. There are two main groups, first the cultivated tulips which, although the original species hailed from the Near East, were developed by the Dutch plant breeders several hundred years ago. This has continued until the present day. Holland is still the tulip capital of the world, the tulip fields visited by thousands every year. Vast resources were put into developing new colours and combinations. This resulted in inflated prices which caused tulips to become almost a form of currency leading to Tulip Mania and the first ever investment crash. The second group in general cultivation are the specie tulips or botanicals which are generally the dwarf, early flowering types seen in most rock gardens and containers. Please remember the pictures, as always, are of plants I have grown and this is by no means a definitive list.
Triumph Tulips
Tulipa ‘Carnaval de Rio‘Tulipa ‘Don Quichotte’Tulipa ‘Dynasty‘
Tulipa ‘Jan Reus‘
Tulipa ‘Jan Reus‘
Tulipa ‘Jimmy‘Tulipa ‘Leen van der Mark’Tulipa ‘Princess Irene‘Tulipa ‘Ronaldo‘Tulipa ‘Washington’
Flowering mid to late spring Triumph tulips are the largest group, and the goblet-shaped flowers are the ones everybody is familiar with. Some gardeners may not like the use of plastic containers from an aesthetical point of view. I had many plants in a variety of containers, so the factors of cost and weight came into consideration. The other factor to take into account is that I am more interested in the plants themselves hence the garden had a semi-wild look at best.
The “Rembrandt” tulips such as T.Washington and Princess Irene are created by careful selective breeding. At the time of Tulip Mania these colourations were caused by viruses, and there were many crazy methods employed to try and induce these effects. The export of virus infected stock was banned many years ago by the Dutch.
When I first started this blog, having scrapped any that had gone before, it was mainly as a brain exercise. I came across the Six on Saturday meme run by Jim Stephens at Garden Ruminations and, through that, organically increased my presence on the web. This has prompted me to re-publish some of my old material some of which is updated. These posts are purely about the plants that I have grown and photographed, mainly in my previous garden, unless otherwise stated.
Erythronium
Fifty years ago these true forest floor plants which flower early before the canopy forms, were to my mind, an exotic rarity, the only one generally available was the European native Erythronium dens-canis however the myriad of species and cultivars that have been introduced over the years has now made bulbs of this beautiful genus more accessible.
Erythronium californicum ‘Harvington Snowgoose’Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ (E. tuolumense hybrid)
Unfortunately these are the only pictures I have and don’t do justice to these plants however there are plenty more to be seen on the web. Both are quite vigorous hybrids and are ideal for the average garden where they will perform well. There are a diverse range of species available to the more specialist grower some of which can lend themselves to pot culture in an alpine house such as E. hendersonii.
The common name Dog’s Tooth Violet comes from the shape of the bulbs which should be planted in an open soil which has plenty of humus, preferably incorporating leafmould if available, under deciduous trees or shrubs to give dappled shade. Erythroniums are found in both Europe and Asia but the largest influx has been from the USA where there are two distinct groups one from the east and the other from the west. they are members of the lily family and quite closely related to tulips.
Fritillaria
Fritillaria is a massive and complex genus with only a handful of species in general cultivation although there has been a significant number of hybrids introduced. Fritillaria meleagris (Snake’s head fritillary) is the best known being of European origin.
Fritillaria meleagris
Fritillaria meleagris White form
Fritillaria meleagris is basically a meadow plant and as such benefits from being allowed to naturalise however it can be grown in any rich moist but well drained soil preferably in dappled shade. I hate the term “moist but well drained” as it sounds like an oxymoron however it is difficult to think of other ways of describing it, basically think not waterlogged at any time! Some other species require exactly the opposite coming from much drier climes.
Fritillaria persica
Fritillaria persica has become popular in recent years and can be found in most catalogues. A surprisingly hardy bulb it does need a well drained gritty soil and a position in full sun to do its best. The most popular and impressive specie that is widely grown is Fritillaria imperialis known as the crown imperial and its many varieties. They are big and showy but unfortunately I have no pictures as I have never really felt the urge to acquire it, perhaps a bit too rich for my taste!
A word of warning Fritillaria meleagris is a member of the lily family and the first place to spot lily beetle before it moves onto the lilies a little later in the year.
Iris
The Iris genus is both large and complex, there are about half a dozen sub-genera and some of these are further sub-divided into sections. I did study some botany but, for the sake of simplicity, I think in terms of four main groups, there are the early spring flowering dwarf types, the “Dutch” iris, the large bearded iris and the non-bearded iris which are the ones I have grown the most of.
The most popular irises that are known as Reticulate-bulbed, bulbous irises are Iris danfordiae, Iris histrioides and Iris reticulata, and their many cultivars as shown above. They are all early flowering which adds to their appeal and also make good subjects for the alpine house. A sunny position in an open gritty soil suits them although I.reticulata is less fussy. As they die back during the summer, always try to be aware of where they are planted. The Juno irises also make good alpine house subjects and are extremely beautiful but not very widely grown as they are not easy. Juno irises are known as Smooth-bulbed, bulbous irises and I can only assume that means that they don’t have the striations of the reticulate species.
My garden was very shady so I never grew the big showy bearded iris despite them being very popular because of the wide range of varieties available. Unfortunately they only grow well when the rhizomes, which sit on the surface, get a good baking during the summer months which just wasn’t possible. Likewise the bulbous iris known as Dutch Iris, which you see advertised in the catalogues, is principally a plant which is best container grown and doesn’t lend itself to shady borders. Growing a plant that you already know isn’t suited to your conditions can only lead to disappointment. Incidentally Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica cultivars) are used to supply the cut flower industry.
The irises that thrive in damp shady conditions come from Eastern Europe, China, Japan and even the UK.
Iris ‘Blauewiesmotte’ Sino-siberian type.
Iris chrysographes ‘Black Gold’
Both of the above are Siberia or Sino-siberian irises, to anyone used to seeing the large bearded Iris they look like any fibrous-rooted plant but are in fact rhizomatous. Although I.chrysographes is very distinctive and the specie being found in the wild. The likes of Iris ‘Blauewiesmotte’ is one of many cultivars originating from such as I.sibirica whose origins could be lost in the mists of time. They all thrive in damp cool conditions in any reasonable soil.
My favourite iris is the Japanese Water Iris, Iris ensata (formerly I. kaempferi) it has very similar requirements to the Sino-siberians but, although it prefers more boggy conditions, I wouldn’t be inclined to use it as a pond marginal like our own Yellow Flag. The flowers are enormous and carried on sturdy stems on a fairly compact plant.
Iris ensata The Japanese Water Iris
Finally one of our very own. Along with Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Flag), The Stinking Iris, Iris foetidissima is one of the only two species to be found wild in the UK. A bit of a curiosity and not everyone’s cup of tea, I have never noticed the “stinking” bit, it sits in its own section of the iris taxonomy. Along with the others it likes a damp spot and although the flowers are fairly insignificant its crowning glory are the seed heads which are used in flower arrangements.
Just a little point, if you are tidying up iris plants when they have died back make sure to have a pair of scissors handy as the unsightly dead leaves cling tenaciously to the crown.
When I first started this blog, having scrapped any that had gone before, it was mainly as a brain exercise. I came across the Six on Saturday meme run by Jim Stephens at Garden Ruminations and, through that, organically increased my presence on the web. This has prompted me to re-publish some of my old material some of which is updated. These posts are purely about the plants that I have grown and photographed, mainly in my previous garden, unless otherwise stated.
With the early spring flowers coming mainly from plants which aren’t fibrous rooted I thought a description of some of the genera would be topical. I don’t claim this to be a comprehensive list as the variety of plants and their preferences is too wide a subject to cover and many books have been written about them. In the case of where to plant, this in itself is impossible to generalise as even a single genus can have originated from diverse locations and climatic conditions. This is then an overview of those plants that I have grown and my own experience. Many plants which are actually, though not obviously, rhizomatous are included in the Hardy Perennial posts.
Alliums are no longer thought of as glorified onions but as a useful addition to any border. They have benefited from being marketed well by the bulb companies and are relatively easy to produce. Beware of advertisements offering allium collections at cheap prices as they very often include such as A.sphaerocephalon which in itself is attractive but the bulbs are tiny and the flowers are very small so check the varieties before you buy. The received advice is to plant the bulbs in a sunny border at least 6″ deep, although this doesn’t apply to the smaller bulbs and should be treated as a guide only. Personally I have successfully grown them in a quite shaded mixed border in proximity to deciduous shrubs, they benefit by being left alone where they will quite happily multiply forming attractive clumps. Many of the early ones poke through the ground with, or just after, the spring flowering bulbs but it is best to be aware that the large strapped shaped leaves can become very unsightly after flowering so planting amongst herbaceous perennials that will hide them is a good idea.
Nectaroscordum siculum or the Sicilian Honey Garlic is an unusual relative with beautiful pendant flowers, this one definitely needs a sunny spot, in shade it will contort its stems trying to reach the sun which I found out to my cost.
Anemone species.
Several species of anemone are grown from rhizomatous rootstocks, the best known of these are A.blanda and A.nemorosa the best known species to be grown from corms is Anemone coronaria often known as the Florists Anemone being used widely as cut flowers, the ‘De Caen Group’ are particularly noteworthy.
Anemone blandaAnemone nemerosa. Wood anemone
I have always treated A.nemerosa as it’s name suggests as a woodlander, cool dappled shade suiting it best. Remember as a forest dweller it flowers early before the forest canopy develops and does need sun for the flowers to open. Anemone blanda is quite versatile but again needs the sun to open fully. Anemone coronaria I have never had any success with and to be frank I don’t particularly like, I always visualise it growing in orderly rows as part of a commercial enterprise in the Channel Islands where I think it is best suited and should remain.
Chionodoxa luciliae
Chionodoxa luciliae and Chionodoxa luciliae alba. Glory of the Snow.
Chionodoxas or Glory of the Snow, as their common name implies, are early spring flowering bulbs from such places as Greece and Turkey and now classified as Scilla. Easy to grow and if left to their own devices will multiply by bulblets and seed. Looks well naturalizing in grassland where they are quite at home.
Colchicum
Known as the Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) and not to be confused with Crocus sativus which also goes by the same name but is actually the Saffron Crocus. The flowers emerge at the end of summer on naked stems, hence another common name of Naked Ladies, the leaves developing after flowering.
Colchicum autumnale.
Easy to grow in any decent deep soil the main problem being remembering where they are during the summer dormancy so it is another bulb (strictly a corm) that lends itself to being naturalized in grass. Used in medicine to produce a strong anti-inflammatory best known as Colchicine which is used in the treatment of gout. Colchicum autumnale is one of several species that come from Europe and the Mediterranean so will grow in the UK, there are others that are native to Africa. Unlike crocuses they belong to the lily family. This photograph was not taken in my garden.
Crocus
Crocus is a very large and diverse genus and one which I have little experience with, easy to grow from corms, plants range from the much hybridized larger late flowering “Dutch” types (Crocus vernus), like those pictured above, to the smaller early hybrids raised from such as C. chrysanthus like those below.
Crocus chrysanthus ‘Zwanenburg Bronze’
Crocus ‘Snow Bunting’
Crocuses are members of the Iris family and can be found from hot arid areas to arctic tundra although many come from the Eastern Mediterranean, probably best grown under some ground cover or in grass to make sure they are not disturbed when dormant.
The next post will feature erythroniums amongst others.
Some more photos of plants I missed earlier from the old garden and some from the new.
Oenothera
Oenothera biennis
Introduced from America, the evening primrose grows wild in the UK but is a useful although unreliable addition to the garden. Basically a biennial it has a habit of self seeding into the garden and popping up in unexpected places. The clump in the picture actually appeared several years earlier, died off after flowering and didn’t return immediately. The evening primrose gets its name from the fact the flowers open at dusk and can actually be observed doing so, it was once very popular in gardens but not so much now.
Rosa glauca
Rosa glauca is one of the few roses I have actually grown, it has small rather insignificant single flowers followed by worthwhile hips. The grey foliage is really its outstanding feature arching up to around 6′ which also makes it an ideal plant for a mixed hedge. Apparently it has become a proscribed species now, “irresponsible” planting subject to a fine.
Saxifraga fortunei
Not really a common garden plant, although it has many cultivars, Saxifraga fortunei is tolerant of even deep shade. It has attractive leaves and the distinction of being late flowering so can light up a dark corner of the garden until the frosts take it down. I think most of its cultivars originate from Japan, some of which plus the specie plant have been awarded the RHS AGM.
This was a major mistake and why you should always research a plant that you are unfamiliar with! My sister gave me a small plant of this, “T Rex” as she called it as she couldn’t remember the name, from her holiday home in Shropshire, I should have been alerted when she told me it had lots of babies! I had it confined in a larger pot for a year before moving it with me to the new garden. Once planted out in the front garden it drew attention as it grew to around 5′ displaying its striking tropical looking leaves until it was devastated by a sever frost which killed off the main stems completely. Then the trouble started, a crop of new shoots appeared around the original site but also new shoots started to appear at as much as 15′ away from the parent which in the end took me two seasons to eradicate as the monster nearly took over my tiny front garden, its thick fleshy roots getting everywhere. If you have plenty of space and want a tropical look, ideal.
I have only photographed pansies in views of bedding or baskets but here are a few violas I have grown. It is impossible to cover the subject here, as it is so far wide ranging, including some delightfully scented specimens. Basically easy to grow, versatile and rightfully popular.
The unseasonal weather continues although it is beginning to cool down now with the possibility of frost on Monday night. Still no rain so regular watering of containers continues. We have had a very bad moorland fire the smoke from which was visible from where I live. It almost engulfed the site of the famous Cat and Fiddle, which is now a distillery, and we had the unusual sight of a helicopter water bombing the fire. The garden is coming on very quickly and, although there is not a great deal of flower to be seen, I have managed to scrape together a six.
Geranium himalayense
The first of my geraniums to flower. I would like to apologise in advance as I think I will be relying on them rather a lot this year to fill the Six on Saturday slot.
Galium odoratum
British native, Sweet woodruff, has proved useful for ground cover, along with Euphorbia characias, in a rather difficult corner. I’ll have to be careful as they are both invasive, but I think the hostile conditions should limit their ambition. I always think woodruff looks very tatty going into winter, it’s a pity it isn’t evergreen.
Chrysogonum virginianum
My first time with this rather neat, buttercup-like, little creeping plant from the eastern United States. It appears to be, at the very least, semi-evergreen, as it has kept the majority of its leaves over the, albeit mild, winter.
Spanish or English? Is it a hybrid? This clump of bluebells has a very faint scent and the stems are “nodding” rather than upright, typical of the English bluebell. The flowers are light coloured more like the Spanish species. I also have a clump of more robust plants which are not yet in flower, as soon as they are I am going to try a direct comparison. Until then I rather think these are Spanish, Hyacinthoides hispanica or are they a hybrid…………..?
Clematis montana ‘Morning Yellow’Clematis montana
I think Clematis montana ‘Morning Yellow’ is a rather neat cultivar, it is definitely more cream than yellow, fading to white as they age. It doesn’t appear to be as rampant and flower as prolifically as montana, but nevertheless gives a good show. Both have that nice delicate vanilla scent.
Aquilegia vulgaris
A rather nice self-seeded common aquilegia that has appeared in a crack in the paving. I had too many aquilegias appearing in the garden so I ripped out a fair number as they came into flower, leaving only those of interest. This one must have escaped my notice!
This meme is hosted by Jim Stevens who is to be found with all the details and links to plenty of other blogs to enjoy at Garden Ruminations.
We have had very little rain here in High Peak having avoided the downpours which have affected other areas and I am now having to water all my containers and pots on a regular basis. The forecast is currently showing an overcast day today (Saturday) but then temperatures are set to go into the twenties throughout next week. I am still very wary of a late frost even though it seems unlikely at the moment. I won’t be happy until we get to the last week of May.
Acer
I love this time of the year, the acers are now fully out and everywhere you look trees are bursting into life and the landscape is greening up. A gardener’s week is never done it seems, with the stronger sun and possibility of a late frost the acers stand to be scorched by either one whilst the leaves are so tender.
Tulipa clusiana var chrysantha
Specie tulip, Tulipa clusiana var chrysantha on a sunny day and not.
I no longer have cold glass so have to resort to outdoor sowing, of mainly hardy perennials, outside in a sheltered spot. These were sown in early February, as I would do normally under cover, using fresh society seed. Despite this two lots have been pricked out three weeks ago and are almost ready to go into the open ground. I get great pleasure in raising plants from seed and to be honest I don’t know where I am going to put them all. I do sow a good number of seeds, even though I may only keep a few plants of each, because in some cases poor germination is a factor. I am a great believer in raising them hard to get good strong plants.
Euphorbia characias
I am making a bit of an assumption here that this is actually characias but it is filling up an awkward damp corner very nicely so I won’t complain.
Narcissus ‘February Gold’
These were planted very late and consequently we have February Gold flowering at the end of April. I find I can get away with planting tulips late, but narcissi, not so much.
Clematis montana
How did that get there? This montana has appeared around the central heating exhaust after travelling under the tiles from the gutter level. It will be short-lived as I will be taking it down to almost ground level after it flowers in order to paint the woodwork behind it.
This meme is hosted by Jim Stevens who is to be found with all the details and links to plenty of other blogs to enjoy at Garden Ruminations.
The warmer weather continues but, much as I am enjoying it, I feel it has come far too early and would be welcome in about a month’s time as I have a feeling of trepidation about what is round the corner. Many plants are thrusting up new tender growth and I have already noticed some damage caused by the light overnight frosts and possibly the cold winds. We can’t put out bedding with confidence until the end of the third week in May. The local NT gardens don’t start planting until the second week of June, mind you, they have thousands of plants at risk. On the 2nd June 1975 snow stopped play in Buxton, only a few miles from me, between Derbyshire and Lancashire cricket clubs. Play was resumed the following day in beautiful sunshine and the following year, 1976, was one of the hottest summers on record. Buxton Cricket Club are celebrating the 25th anniversary with a special event this year. We gardeners are very much at the mercy of the weather, but spare a thought for the poor farmers and growers who have to make a living.
Spirea japonica ‘Golden Princess’
This is one of my favourite small shrubs, I look forward every year to the emergence of the colourful foliage. I had one in my last garden which was quite a bit larger, it could be that the drier, less fertile soil this one is in is limiting its growth, but I think it’s a little gem nevertheless.
Narcissus ‘Pink Wonder’
One of the remaining two flowers this year from a clump I planted about four years ago. I never seem to get longevity from my bulbs, tulips I can understand, as they need a good baking during the summer, but daffodils I tend to plant and forget about so probably my fault.
Meconopsis ‘Crarae’
I used to grow numerous meconopsis as they are one of my favourite genera. This year is the first in my new garden that I am hoping to get some decent flowers. Crarae can only be raised vegetatively and I have never grown it before so fingers crossed! Crarae was raised at Crarae Gardens, Argyle, Scotland. If you are interested in meconopsis you might like to visit my page.
Berberis thunbergii ‘Diabolicum’
This berberis is another welcome splash of spring colour, it loses its reddish tinge as the year progresses. Like most berberis, it thrives here taking anything that the weather can throw at it.
Arabis alpina ssp. caucasica ‘Snowcap’
I grew the common or garden Rock Cress, or at least an improved form of it, from seed. It makes a useful early splash of white every year.
Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’
Currently growing in a pot until I find somewhere to put it, I bought this pulmonaria as a bare-root plant which is why it is flowering slightly later than normal. I have taken a real liking to pulmonarias over the last few years, as there are so many cultivars now, and can’t wait to increase my collection.
This meme is hosted by Jim Stevens who is to be found with all the details and links to plenty of other blogs to enjoy at Garden Ruminations.
Here are some photos of plants I missed earlier from the old garden and some from the new.
Dahlias
Dahlia ‘Mel’s Orange Marmalade’Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’Dahlia ‘Café au Lait’
Everybody is familiar with dahlias, so no more needs writing. Probably the camera but the colour of ‘Mel’s Orange Marmalade’ looks decidedly off and ‘Cafe au Lait’ is looking definitely droopy. I used to raise ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and his children from seed and they were the only dahlias I actually engaged with, dahlias are not really a favourite. My father used to love his dahlias as well as growing giant delphiniums, every year the tubers were lifted carefully, cleaned, dusted with sulphur and stored in the cellar in tomato boxes and every year half of them rotted off. I was hoping that one year everything would be perfect but it never was.
A couple of new Geraniums
Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’Geranium var. pratense. f. albiflorum. ‘Galactic’
‘Ingwersen’s Variety’ was grown from seed last year whilst ‘Galactic’ has been in the garden for a few years now, but I lost the label and have only recently been able to re-identify it by chance.
Canna ‘Cannova’
Canna lilies from tropical America, have been in cultivation for many years and consequently there are many cultivars in a range of vibrant colours available. I grew several in pots for a couple of years but ceased when I decided to no longer have winter heat in my tunnel. Note the use of plastic containers, I had so many that it would have cost a fortune to do otherwise, plus the weight factor when moving them around, although I did buy a sack-truck in later years.
Heptacodium miconioides
I have no recollection of taking this photograph, although Heptacodium miconioides is certainly a worthy subject. A vigorous tall shrub from China with peeling bark, its scented flowers appear late in the year lasting well into October, which makes it an ideal subject for the woodland garden. There is also the benefit that it sets plenty of seed. Sometimes known as ‘Seven son flower of Zhejiang’
I bought this when T&M were advertising this new ‘Incrediball’ hydrangea and it is still going strong in a very large container in my new garden. Flowers reliably every year although they are not attaining the size that they should which is probably down to me. I am going to hard prune it this winter to see what happens.
Nicandra physalodes ‘Violacea’
The shoo-fly plant or apple of Peru used to be quite widely grown for bedding schemes but seems to have gone out of favour. It is an extremely fast growing large annual rapidly attaining anything from 3 to 6 feet. The purple flowers die leaving a lantern shaped calyx which can be used in dried flower arrangements. It has a habit of appearing out of the blue, which is exactly what the pictured plant did.
This is the rest of the plants in this section I can cover based on the photos that I have available.
Narcissi
Narcissi or daffodils are meadow plants and as such prefer a moist soil and will tolerate some shade, dwarf narcissi however are more suited to a well drained position in the sun and also make excellent early flowering subjects under cold glass. No matter how ugly the leaves look after flowering don’t cut them off but feed a high potash feed such as tomato fertilizer as they die down also make sure that the dead flower heads are removed immediately to stop any attempt to manufacture seeds. Failure to do this will result in the bulbs deteriorating over time.
There are several hundred species of Oxalis (sorrels) varying from weeds to pot plants the example below is fairly typical. The “shamrock” leaf varies from almost brown, through red to green and is usually augmented by yellow, white or pink flowers. Cultivation varies, pot varieties are grown in a cold greenhouse and treated as you would any early spring bulbs, whereas many of the “weedier” varieties enjoy more woodland situations. Oxalis is one of those plants that used to be passed from gardener to gardener as despite their invasive habit they are extremely pretty and will brighten up a dull corner.
Pleione
The hardy orchid Pleione formosana, the single leaf and flower develops from a pseudobulb. A native of Taiwan, P. formosana is a member of a small genera which hail from S.E. Asia. Only really hardy in very mild areas of the UK, it is best grown in shallow alpine pans containing a gritty compost under cold glass. A container full of these plants in flower is a really spectacular sight.
Pleione formosana
Zantedeschia aethiopica
The Arum Lily, sometimes known as the Calla Lily, prefers a damp soil such as at a pondside or by a stream. A rhizomatous perennial originating from S.Africa it can be extremely invasive in warmer climes however in the UK a winter mulch is often recommended to protect the root.
Zantedeschia aethiopica
The lily pictured above is the “base” species traditionally known as the Arum Lily which can even be grown in water at the pondside. As happens with many plants these days various colour forms have been developed mainly for the cut-flower industry. Colours include various pinks, yellow and orange and are generally known and sold as Calla Lilies, as far as the UK is concerned these are usually grown in containers for the garden.
Zephyranthes primulina
This beautiful little plant is quite rare and I only came across it in a “lucky dip” selection of seeds from one of the specialist societies I belong to. Part of the amaryllis family Zephyranthes (Rain Lilies) come from S.America and the Southern United States. Z.primulina is from Mexico and I would not attempt to grow it other than in a container under cold glass. Incidentally the seed was easy to germinate and the plant flowered in the second year which leads me to think that it spreads quite freely in its natural habitat.
This concludes the series, I know that it does not cover everything but is limited by the photos that I have available. I think the main thing to remember is that many larger bulbs, such as narcissi and those related to the lily family, are from natural grassland areas which tend to be damp, whereas most of the smaller bulbs, such as dwarf narcissus and iris are more suited to well drained soils in the sun. Remember if you don’t want to throw your tulips out every year that they need feeding and a good baking in the sun to develop.
Next post Meconopsis one of my two favourite genera.
Book reviewer and garden enthusiast. Updates from my Hampshire garden. Usually talking about books and plants. People do not forget books or flowers that touch them or excite them—they recommend them.
A Plantsman's World 