I thought I'd give Polianthes Tuberosa "The Pear" a try this year.
They need rich soil with good drainage and a sheltered sunny spot. They will only flower once though, so once they are lifted in the autumn the offsets should be stored for planting in the spring. ;D
Once I am back with my newest computer, I must post photos of the outdoor Hyacinths I bought from Parkers. They are really good, and I expect they were cheap. Will be ordering them again.
I used to grow Galtonia candicans (the summer hyacinth). They were beautiful flowers and grew very well on the clay my Mum gardened on then. They didn't like my poor sandy soil tho' so eventually gave up. Mum moved nearer to me and didn't bring hers with her! May try them again one day. I have Alliums of course and also some of the species Gladioli. I've got Eucomis (I hope) and the Autumn flowering Nerine and Amaryllis belladonna. I also still grow Lilies but the beetle has arrived in Norfolk so it may not be for much longer.....
Galtonia candicans did alright in my clay. I think perhaps it likes a bit of moisture. My neighbour bought me one last year, and I decapitated it as it was pushing through the soil I'm hoping it appears this year, it is one of my favourites.
Hows everyones summer bulbs / corms doing? Most of mine seem to be up, or poking through, apart from the gladioli types.
A few of my Tigridia have started to come up, for those who are growing them for the first time this is what they look like when they start to emerge (cream sheath around the growing point), the 'white' flower is a blue ipheion
x Tig
Twixt optimist and pessimist the difference is droll, the optimist sees the doughnut whilst the pessimist sees the hole
Thanks Tig - I went and had a look and I have 3 coming through already.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
The Crinum Powellii - yes well as you say it doesn't seem to be doing a great deal - I ended up putting it in the ground as I didn't have a tub deep enough except a 50 litre one and that seemed a little large. I was really looking forward to seeing all the lush leaves......I will take a pic later.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Here is a pic Tig - something tells me that it is being nibbled and I haven't put in deep enough.
BTW - did you know that you are supposed to plant it on it's side - well I didn't - but that is what it says on my instructions.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Well as I said I didn't plant it on it's side although it is a well known trick if you don't know which way up a bulb should go. I have done it a couple of times when I wasn't sure.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
They are looking good Tig - I have the white Eucomis - 3 together in a tub.
Everything seems to be coming although the Crinum Powellii is a complete mystery to me - it isn't doing anything. I water it and have fed it and nothing - it is still as it was. I can't say that I am very impressed.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Glad I'm not the only one waiting (3rd year now) for a Crinum to do something spectacular
Actually I whinged to the GC cos it just came as a bare bulb with no instructions, and they said they need a lot of feeding and the base of the bulb must be 12" deep. I've put it in a huge mixed tub now and banked the compost up around it so fingers crossed.
No mention of laying it on its side. Isn't that for lilies and Crown Imperial Frits, cos of the scales on the bulbs holding water and rotting?
3 years and 12 inches deep NO - blimey - think it might find its way into the bin at the end of summer if it doesn't get its act together.
As far as bulbs being planted on their sides, it was just a trick that a gardener told me many moons ago in case you can't make out which way to plant it. I have used it now and again will all types of bulbs and it seems to work.
As far as the Crinum is concerned it clearly says in German to plant it on it's side.....then it is 12 inches wide I suppose!!
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Well it has taken a while to get going, but it is definitely on the grow now (crinum powellii), it is in the centre of this lot (all in a large pot) mine was planted with the neck of the bulb above soil level It is over 1 foot tall now
x Tig
Twixt optimist and pessimist the difference is droll, the optimist sees the doughnut whilst the pessimist sees the hole
Lovely Tig - lucky you - mine is till the same as it was - it isn't doing anything. It is definitely on the way to being binned if it doesn't pull itself together. My garden isn't big enough to have things that can't be bothered to grow.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
My first acidanthera is blooming today, the crinum is growing (although a recent book purchased said they can take up to 4 years to flower!), the ginger had had a spurt of growth and there are buds on my tigridia ;D
How is everyone else doing?
x Tig
Twixt optimist and pessimist the difference is droll, the optimist sees the doughnut whilst the pessimist sees the hole
The Pineapple Lillies I planted early on this year have been a great disappointment there has been no signs of growth--It just seems as though I have never 'put them in'- How are yours coming along Susie?
Mine aren't growing as well as normal Biggles, I have 2 pots withe them in and they were a bit slow showing this year and are a bit on the short side compared to previous years.
Are yours in the garden or pots, maybe worth having a gentle root about to see whats happening. Could they have become water logged and maybe rotted or have they become vine weevil fodder they like them I'm afraid. Fingers crossed for you that they are just a bit slow coming up.
"The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of birds for mirth; one is nearer god's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth."
The Green 'thingy' just had a few petals on it --and the Brown (dead one) looks as though it has just rotted. There are no more signs of Pineapple Lillies-- Oh well --I had bought them cheaply in the Pound Shop and Susie (if I remember rightly) bought hers at the GC and paid double the price-- So the old saying goes--"You only get what you pay for"-No more cheap bargains for me!! I will have to have another try next year!
about your Eucomis Bigs, have to agree they do look like Lillies to me too did you have a gentle root in the ground to see if you could find any signs of them.
I spotted this yesterday and thought it look lovely, anyone got one
"The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of birds for mirth; one is nearer god's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth."
I had a good 'root around' among the plants and look at this--- Whoopie---I have-- One Pineapple Lilly!!There must be some more growing because I planted quite a few of these- In fact I am sure that there are one or two growing in a container with some other bulbs. Lesson to be learnt--"Put Labels in to remind me where I have planted Bulbs" BTW--That is not some strange object growing in the bottom left-hand corner of the photograph--it is my hand--
Well I am not so happy with my bulb buys to be honest - the crinum powellii has sprouted one leaf and if it does take 4 years to flower I am not sure whether I can be bothered. My red begonias - well the storm ripped all the stems off. My tigridia's are doing fairly well but the Crocosmia Lucifer are not flowering and as far as I can see and feel they aren't going to.
The Leucocoryne bulbs - yes well - I know the leaves disappear and then they flower but methinks that everything has disappeared - I had a poke around and I can't even find the bulbs.
The white Iris Ensata never emerged and my two white Spider Lilies (forgotten the name) have rotted. From the 20 anemone's that I had 2 have emerged.
My white pineapple lily was lovely though.
RF
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
I'm hoping it appears this year, it is one of my favourites.
