The Bulb Maven

Arum

Although the season for Arums is past, I am currently repotting my collection and realized I had never posted on this wonderful genus.  I realize it takes a special kind of person to appreciate them, since many have scents that are akin to manure or rotting flesh (the rotting flesh category, though, belongs mostly to Amorphophallus).   They are pollinated by flies, and must, therefore, use whatever means they can to attract suitable pollinators.  Most are not that strongly scented, and since I keep my collection outside exposed to the weather, I do not notice the scent that much.  Indoors it is another matter.  The 'flower' or, more correctly, the inflorescence, is composed of a spathe which usually stands upright, but may curl back as it matures, and a spadix, a very curious structure that sticks up from the spathe and is the source of the scent.  Low down on the spadix the actual flowers are arranged, and when pollinated these give rise to the spike of red berries characteristic of Arums.

My favorite Arum is Arum creticum, with butter yellow spathes (seen above).  I have two different clones, and one (the one offered in the catalogue) has a faint sweetish scent, but the other smells of urine (I don't sell that one).   It is a lovely plant, and with its arrow shaped leaves a very attractive addition to the garden.  Another favorite is Arum dioscoridis, seen here to the right.  It is variably marked on the spathe with purple.

Arum pictum (seen to the left) has short tubby spathes, and extremely attractive shiny leaves that are heavily veined.  It is another great garden plant and blooms in the autumn, unlike other Arums.

Many years ago, I was walking my dog in a suburban neighborhood, and stopped to admire a charming little greenhouse, obviously a one-of-a-kind design.  It was filled with junk, and had several panes broken, and I was thinking how I would love a little greenhouse like that and how I would take care of it and fill it with treasures.  I glanced down at my feet, and there was a patch of Arum palaestinum that spread about ten feet in all directions, all in bloom with hundreds of beautiful deep purple velvety 'flowers'.   I knocked on the door and asked the tenant if I could dig some up, and would give him some flowering bulbs for his garden in return.  He, of course, had nothing to do with the Arums, and said I could take as many as I wanted, so I returned when they were dormant and dug a dozen or so.  Here, to the right, is one of the descendants. 

Arum dioscoridis v. philistaeum is a real beauty, with velvety purple spathes that have contrasting deeper purple patches.  It is slower to reproduce than the others, so I don't have it available every year.

I have only selected my personal favorites for the blog, but there are many more on the web site: www.telosrarebulbs.com.  Arums are wonderful additions to the garden, and most are fairly hardy.  They are from the Mediterranean, and are often found on the many islands there.  They grow at some considerable depth, so even in frosty areas they survive.  Arums produce their handsome leaves in the winter and are dormant by late spring.  Don't be put off by their reputed smell -- you really have to stick your nose right into the spathe, and their unusual beauty makes up for it.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

Chlidanthus fragrans - Peruvian Daffodil

The common name of this delightful Peruvian bulb can be forgiven.  It is only distantly related to daffodils, being in the same Family Amaryllidaceae, but the flower is somewhat daffodil like having a central cup or corona and a ring of outer petals, plus it is bright yellow.  This lovely little bulb produces its leaves in the summer, unlike the daffodil, with the blooms appearing in mid to late summer (for me).  It has the reputation of being hard to bring to bloom, and some seasons it does take a break, but it has not proved difficult for me.  The blooms are quite large for the plant, and the scent is heavenly.  Deep planting is needed otherwise the bulbs tend to split up into many smaller non-blooming ones.  This is a delightful addition to the garden in milder climates, and should be planted more often.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

Habranthus

Many of my Habranthus are blooming now, so it seems appropriate to post something on this beautiful genus from Central and South America.  There is even one member from the southern United States, H. tubispathus (called H. texensis by some).  The genus is closely related to Hippeasrum, and even closer to Zephyranthes, the main difference with Zephyranthes being the stamens and the angle of the flowers. 

Most Zephyranthes flowers point upwards, while Habranthus are at a slight angle to the stem.  The stamens of Habranthus are unequal in lenght, while Zephyranthes are equal.  Here is H. tubispathus above, with the pink version, H. tubispathus v. roseus to the right.

I have a number in my collection, and I like them all.  The most dramatic must be H. brachyandrus with very large flowers that are pink with a deep purple throat. 

Another favorite, although smaller, is H. martinezii, with pale pink flowers and a purple to burgundy throat.  Here it is to the right.  A pot full of these sweet little bulbs is very charming.

Habranthus coeruleus

, seen here to the left, is from Argentina, and is quite rare.  It isn't really blue, but a lavender blue color.

Probably the most commonly grown Habranthus is H. robustus. 

There are a number of different forms and also some hybrids.  H. Russell Manning is a hybrid, with very large funnel shaped flowers that are slightly ruffled.  It is vigorous and very attractive.  Here it is to the right.  Two different color forms of the species are seen below, one with pale narrow petals, another with deep pink petals.

 

Another charmer is Habranthus magnoi, with lovely white petals tipped with pink.  Here it is to the left. 

These lovely bulbs grow well in the southern United States, but can also be grown elsewhere if winters are not too severe.  They make excellent container plants if they can't be planted in the ground, and the pots can be stored over winter in a frost free place.  They are often called Rain Lilies, since they tend to bloom in flushes after rain.

www.telosrarebulbs.com  

The Morning Walkabout

We (the dogs and I) have been away a great deal for the past three weeks at two dog trials, with more coming up.  Here we are on the beautiful Smith River on our way home from Oregon.

Coming home, my first task is to catch up on e-mail and orders, then take care of the bulbs.  I am having a difficult time tearing myself away from my garden these days, since I am trying to renovate parts of my front yard and it is all starting to look the way I would like it.  I had, mistakenly, planted an escallonia hedge along the front of my yard, wanting privacy from the road and wind protection.  My house faces west, and you can almost see the ocean from the upstairs of my house.  You can actually see it during storms when waves can reach 18ft high, and the surf line is visible across the flat fields.  My property is about a mile and a half from the Pacific Ocean with nothing to break the force of the wind, so the hedge seemed a good idea.  It wasn't.  I bought what was supposed to be a dwarf form of escallonia, but in eighteen months they had grown from six inches to seven feet, with no sign of stopping.  With one very large and very long hedge to trim already, and with the escallonias suckering into my small flower borders, I decided they had to go, so I have been slowly digging them out.  It is no easy task, but I have half of them removed, and I am replacing them with a loose mixture of better behaved shrubs.

With most of the catch up work behind me, I can now take my customary strolls around the nursery.  The beautiful Arum creticum is in full bloom.   It has a faint sweetish scent, unlike most Arums, although I do have a clone that I grew from seed that is most definitely not sweetly scented.  Nearby are pots of the hybrid Erythronium 'Pagoda', seen here to the left, and I am thinking that if I can solve the gopher problem I must definitely plant these two in my garden.  They look beautiful together, need similar conditions, and bloom at the same time.  Arums don't seem bothered by slugs, snails or deer, so possibly they wouldn't taste good to gophers, but I am sure they would love the Erythroniums.  Another lovely little Erythronium in bloom now is E. howellii, seen here below. 

Zephyra elegans, seen here to the right, is from Chile, where it grows in very dry conditions.   The usual color is blue, but I have a white flowered one grown from seed.  It has taken five years or more to bloom, and has been difficult to keep happy, so I doubt I will ever be able to offer it on the web site. 

Also from Chile are the Leucocorynes, all in bloom now.  I have posted previously on this genus, but here is the beautiful L. macropetalum.  

I have a small collection of native Alliums, and I am becoming more fond of them as time goes on.  I only grow a few in sufficient quantities to list on the web site, but I do have others that are just for my own enjoyment.  Here is Allium yosemitense, in bloom for me for the first time.   

Yesterday, in my Mediterranean greenhouse, I was amazed to find a small swarm of butterflies.  I am not sure if they hatched in there or all flew in through the opened door.  When I moved to this property I was rather dismayed to find that bees and butterflies were scarce here, but since I have planted my garden this has changed considerably.  Before, there was little here for shelter or nourishment.  I felt pretty certain that my greenhouse wasn't a good environment for a butterfly to prosper, so I spent a large part of the morning capturing them and releasing them outside.

Spring is well established.  The swallows are back, and are swirling around the barn.  The first ones back were the tree swallows, with small flocks arriving a good month ago.  Soon after the barn swallows followed, and they are already investigating nesting places on the house and barn.  I am astonished when people tell me that I should knock their nests down because the 'make a mess'.  Not as bad a mess as we humans, I say.  The geese have mostly departed, with a few stragglers still here, although as I write this I am conscious that I can't hear them, so maybe they have gone too.

www.telosrarebulbs.com 

Crocus

Most of California has such mild winters that Crocus are not that successful here, since many species come from the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean countries where they experience freezing temperatures in winter.  Bulbs that come from cold winter regions generally need that winter chill, and don't do well where there is little frost, as in coastal California.  You can buy the beautiful large-flowered hybrids from your garden center, and they may survive for a winter or two, but often die out after blooming once. 

The exceptions to this very broad generalization are the autumn blooming species, but these are not often seen in garden centers.  They are very well suited to California gardens.  I have only a few in my collection, not because I am not interested, but I have neither the space nor the time to grow all the bulbs I would like.  One of my favorites, seen here to the left, is C. pulchellus, from Turkey and Bulgaria, where it grows in damp forests.  Crocus goulimyi, seen below and to the right, from Greece, is a lovely Crocus that is often available from specialists.  Another beautiful autumn blooming species is C. kotschyanus, below and to the left.    It is also from Turkey, Syria and Lebanon.   Although all these species are from dry summer regions, they can tolerate some summer water if drainage is good.  There are many other species, and writing this post reminds me that I should try to squeeze a few more in.  I haven't tried them in the garden, since I am plagued with gophers, but just recently I am experimenting with planters scattered in the perennial beds where I can grow bulbs safe from predation.  Fortunately, with few trees in this windswept valley, we don't have squirrels, the bane of crocus lovers.

We are, of course, past the time of bloom for the autumn species.  I have been experimenting with other spring-blooming species to see which ones will do well in this mild climate.  The species from the Mediterranean islands, predictably, have done well, since they do not experience a very cold winter in their homeland.  C. minimus is a delightful one from Sardinia and Corsica.  It is seen here to the right.  Another species from Corsica is C. corsicus, and is stunningly beautiful with large deep lavender flowers that are strongly scented.  One wonders if the first Napoleon appreciated these lovely flowers.  Here it is to the left.  Crocus sieberi 'Bowles White' is from Crete, and is also doing very well, with very large pristine white flowers and egg-yolk centers.  Here it is.  

I am also growing some other spring-flowering species that are doing well, in spite of the fact that they come from regions that have snowy winters, although others that I have tried have rapidly disappeared.  One vigorous species from Turkey is C. ancyrensis (also known as C. susianus) with brilliant yellow flowers produced in abundance.  It is seen here below.   

Crocus tommasinianus is very well known, and comes in a range of color forms, all more or less purple, but still distinctly different from each other.  It comes from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia, where it experiences cold winters, but it does well here.  It is the classic crocus to grow in lawns where it will seed itself and scatter beautiful purple and lavender stars throughout the grass.   Here, below, is the pinkish form called C. t. roseus , and to the left is C. t. pictus.

These are only a very few species, for to talk in depth about Crocus would require a PhD-like thesis, but for those who wish to delve more into this wonderful genus I would recommend the web site: http://www.thealpinehouse.fsnet.co.uk/crocus%20pages/.  You can happily browse through all the species and look at their wonderful photographs.

www.telosrarebulbs.com  

Leucocoryne

South America is home to many wonderful bulbs, few of which have made their way into our gardens.  This is a pity, since there are many wonderful genera that are ideally suited to garden conditions, especially in the western states of America.  Leucocoryne is one such genus, coming from the Mediterranean climate of central Chile, where winters are mild and rainy, and summers dry.  They grow in conditions similar to those of our native Brodiaeas, often occurring in grasslands at relatively low elevations.  They are ideally suited, therefore, to California and the southwestern states of American, but can certainly be grown elsewhere, either as annuals, or by lifting the bulbs after they bloom and storing them, since they need a warm, dry summer rest.  Seen above is Leucocoryne purpurea, probably the best know species, with a sweet almond scent.

Leucocorynes are, indeed, distantly related to the Brodiaea group, and resemble them somewhat.  They have tall wiry stems, topped with an umbel of beautiful flowers.  The range of color, though is much greater than that of the Brodiaea group, and Leucocorynes have the advantage of being strongly scented.  They are grown in the Netherlands for the cut flower industry, since, as well as being beautiful, they last a very long time in water.  Here is L. ixioides to the right, pure white with a scent of freesias.

There are about twelve species all told, and all are beautiful.  Here to the left is one color form of L. coquimbensis, and another color form to the right, below   As you can see from the picture to the right, Leucocorynes have modified stamens called staminodes that can add to the beauty of the flower (Brodiaeas also have staminodes). 

Given the right conditions, these are bulbs that are easy to grow, and, with today's emphasis on xeriscaping, they would make a beautiful addition to any dry garden.  Here is L. vittatum to the left, and L. macropetalum to the right.

I am currently in the middle of repotting this section in the greenhouses, and stocks look good.  It's not too late to order L. purpurea or L. ixioides, and I hope to be able to add more species next year.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

Calostemma

There are not that many true bulbs native to Australia.  Mother Nature must have got bored by the time she got to that continent, deciding, from an evolutionary standpoint, to try something different.  The Duck Billed Platypus was her masterpiece, and kangaroos and wallabies are close seconds.

The enormous deserts of Australia needed plants that could withstand severe drought, so in their own independent Australian way, they developed a myriad of storage organs below ground that could store water, and get them through the hard times.  They take many forms, and I do grow just a few, but  since I mostly stick to bulbs, I will talk about one true bulb that is native to Australia, Calostemma purpureum.

This lovely bulb is widespread in Australia, and is usually purple, as seen above.  It is very easy to grow and flower, blooming at the end of summer, then producing its leaves throughout the winter, and going dormant in summer.  It can, I am told, tolerate summer water, although I let it go dry at that time.  I grow mine in five gallon pots, since they need to be planted deep.  They can take temperatures down to 24F, and could probably go lower if planted in the ground.  At one time my bulb collection was outside and unprotected, at which time I had problems with bulb fly in some members of the Family Amaryllidaceae, but Calostemma went through that period completely unscathed, maybe due to the depth of the bulbs.  They are vigorous and disease free, so I would strongly recommend them for California gardens, although I have never seen them growing anywhere.  Apparently, there are other colors in its native land, and I do have the yellow one, C. luteum (which some people think is just a color variation of C. purpureum), but after nine years since sowing the seed, I still haven't had a flower.  I was told they were slow from seed, but this is glacial.

The seeds themselves are interesting, since it is thought that they are not actually seeds at all but bulbils formed without the need of fertilization which are, therefore, genetically identical to the parent plant (this process, for the botanically minded, is called apomixis).  They are produced abundantly, and you can sow them, but then you wait, and wait, and wait some more.  Fortunately, the mature bulbs do offset.

I am really looking forward to the day when my yellow flowered Calostemmas will surprise me with a bud or two.  I know it will happen one day, and, when it does you will hear about it, rest assured.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

Telos Bargains

Inspired by Ferndale's Bargain Lover's Weekend, I have decided to take stock of what I have on hand, and offer some price reductions before winter sets in.  So far, I haven't had the time to go carefully through my stocks of bulbs to make many decisions, but below are a few.  I need room in the greenhouses for the big seed-sowing season which will start in October.  At that time I sow seeds of all the California native bulbs, as well as seed of South African bulbs.

Bomarea caldasii, seen to the left, is offered at a reduced price, as are all the other Bomareas.  See the web site:  www.telosrarebulbs.com for details.

Leucocoryne purpurea, seen here to the right, is now offered at the reduced price of $2 per bulb. This gorgeous South American bulbs has beautiful showy flowers that are scented like sweet almonds.  They are excellent garden plants in California.

As my customer base grows, and with very little help in the nursery, I am finding it hard to meet customer demand for certain species.  I have been growing all my bulbs from seed, and have not been purchasing bulbs for resale, other than occasionally buying bulbs from small growers to establish my own stocks. 

This year I have changed that, and will offer a few (very few) species grown by other small growers, whose quality and reliability I can depend on.  I have, therefore, just added some species to the web site, seen below.     

From left to right:  Arum creticum, the fabulous primrose yellow Arum from the Mediterranean, that has (unlike most Arums!) a very sweet scent; Crocus pulchellus, a lovely Crocus; Erythronium revolutum, the pink flowered Erythronium that grows in the mountains close to my home.

I have, of course, been growing all these species, so I am familiar with their needs, but have never had the quantities I needed to list on the web site.  Hopefully, the relationships I have developed with other small growers will help with that, and I hope to add more species in the future, but, rest assured, Telos will still continue to grow the vast majority of the bulbs here on the nursery, and from seed, to assure my customers the quality and variety of bulbs they are accustomed to.

For pricing and further details, consult the web site:  www.telosrarebulbs.com

Nerine Part 3

Summer Growing Nerines

The majority of Nerines that I grow are hybrids of N. sarniensis and are winter-growing, producing their beautiful flowers in late summer and autumn, their leaves following soon after.  N. sarniensis is from the Cape Province of South Africa, where the climate is Mediterranean with cool rainy winters that are mild, and dry summers.  Other Nerines are summer-growing, since that region has good sized mountain ranges, and species such as N. bowdenii, coming from high altitude, will grow in summer and be dormant during the cold winters.  Above to the left is N. bowdenii v. wellsii, with petals that are even more frilled than the species.

As you move across the Cape Province from west to east, you leave the Mediterranean climate region, and come to a central region that has rain in summer and winter.  In the most eastern part of the region, there are rainy summers, and dry winters (I hope this is not confusing!).  I found it very confusing when I first started growing Nerines, not knowing whether they needed water year-round, in winter or in summer, so you really do need to know where each species originates.  This, to me, is part of the fun of growing bulbs from other parts of the world.  You start to understand somewhat the geography and climate of each region, and even if you never go there, you can travel there in your imagination and feel connected to more than just a beautiful flower.

Nerine huttoniae comes from the western part of the eastern Cape, so it receives summer rain and is dormant in winter.  It blooms now (August 30) and has large umbels of deep reddish flowers.  I have found it easy to grow and flower.  Here it is to the left.  To me it looks like a scaled down Brunsvigia josephinae with its widely spaced flowers.

Very similar in appearance  is Nerine laticoma.  It comes from drier regions, and has very large umbels of pink to red flowers.  It needs a dry winter dormancy to grow and flower well, and although it is said to be difficult to flower, it seems happy in my conditions.  Here it is to the right.  It is also in bloom now.

Also summer-growing is Nerine krigei, seen here to the left, reputed to be the easiest of these three species (although I haven't really had any difficulty with any of them).  It can tolerate winter moisture if it is in a very well drained situation.  The leaves are twisted, and the flowers deep pink to red. 

Winter Growing Species

The winter-growing species include N. sarniensis.  I wish I had the pure species, but it is difficult to obtain, and I only grow N. sarniensis v. corusca major.  N. sarniensis comes from the slopes of Table Mountain where it can be bathed in fog in summer, similar to the conditions found in coastal California.  It is noted for the gold sparkle of its petals, looking as though someone had sprinkled gold dust all over it.  I should mention that all Nerines have this sparkle, and in the light colored species or in white ones it is silvery.  Here it is to the right.  You can see a little of the gold on its petals.

Nerine humilis is a small species, and is very charming.  A pot full in bloom is very beautiful.

There are many other species of Nerine, and one day I hope to add some to my collection.  They are very rewarding plants, easy to grow, free of disease, and reliably blooming.  They are excellent additions to the garden in suitable climates, and you can find a species that will grow for you whether you are in California, England or Texas.  They are fantastic plants for container culture, multiplying well, and making a wonderful display in late summer.  If you can bring yourself to pick the flowers, they are a dramatic addition to a bouquet, being a bouquet all in themselves.

www.telosrarebulbs.com

Nerine Part 2

There are a number of Nerines that are small and mostly evergreen, so I'll talk about those today.  In my mild climate they keep their leaves all year, although some will die back in winter (their normal behavior in their home environment).  Most have leaves that are very fine and grassy in appearance, and some are extremely easy to grow, blooming and multiplying profusely.  Seen here is N. angustifolia.

N. filifolia, seen here to the right is a very dainty species, and is sometimes available commercially, since it is attractive and easy to grow.

Nerine masonorum is a very easy species, and will multiply well and bloom very readily, rapidly filling a pot and producing a mass of frilly pink flowers.  It is seen here to the left.

A more unusual Nerine is N. platypetala with wider flat petals.  It is very rare in cultivation, but not at all difficult to grow, and it prefers to be moist in summer.  Here it is to the right:

Nerine undulata has tall stems topped with umbels of very frilly flowers, and it also has larger leaves.  Here it is to the left.  A very beautiful Nerine, previously called N. flexuosa alba, is now included as a white form of N. undulata.  Here it is to the right.

All of these small Nerines make excellent container plants, and can also be included in the garden in mild regions.  None are difficult, and most will multiply well, filling a pot with a mass of bloom.

www.telosrarebulbs.com