The Bulb Maven

The Morning Walkabout

It is a shock to realize that we are almost half way through August, and that summer is edging towards autumn.  In my previous post I commented that there wasn't a lot happening in the greenhouses, but yesterday I noticed buds emerging from the pink Rhodophiala bifida (left), and also Calostemma purpureum (right), Amaryllids that bloom in late summer, heralding the onset of the autumn display of most members of the Family Amaryllidaceae, such as Nerine and many other South African members.  Hymenocallis have been blooming off an on for some time, with the dainty umbels of H. leavenworthii seen here, a very rare member of the genus from Mexico, where it grows at some elevation.  Here it is to the right.

 Summer's progress is also marked by the birds' activities.  Their songs no longer awaken me at dawn, they are probably too busy to spend much time singing, frantically feeding the gaping mouths of their babies.  The swallows have already reared one brood, and are on their second, but the parents are still pestered by their adolescent babies that badger them for food.  They are a constact source of entertainment.

In the pasture next door there is an ever changing population of horses, apparently the owners rotating horses from their other ranch.  About a month ago there was a pure white one and an ebony black one, and watching them race each other around the five acres was delightful.  Now we have a mother and her baby.  She is not at all afraid of the dogs, and seems to want to play with them.

I have been having some work done on the garden.  I had put in a small informal herb garden, and wanted a focal point, so I had the basin of a fountain put in on a stone base.  I will plant a miniature water lily in it, since I would never run a fountain, and don't actually like the movement.  Here is the full work crew, the dogs having played a supervisory role, testing the mortar to make sure it was just right. 

We are having a very wonderful summer here in the Ferndale valley.  Although other parts of the state are parched, with our morning fog, things stay lush and green all year.  The fog clears by about 10:00am, rolling back in at night, keeping the temperatures pleasantly cool.  Last summer it was very cold and foggy, but there are no complaints this year.  The County Fair opens in a couple of days, and I can see the ferris wheel from my window.  My favorite agility trial is this coming weekend, and we have been training every day, hoping to bring back ribbons.  Even if we don't win, we always have a wonderful time, for, after all, the dogs know nothing of winning or ribbons, they do it for the joy of it.  And ... for the treats, of course!!

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The Morning Walkabout

This is the time of year when we are away at dog trials on some weekends, having just returned from Oregon, where we did respectably well.  As soon as we are back, we slip into our routine of an early morning walk around the nursery, usually at sunrise. 

This morning gauzy, low-lying mists enveloped the fields, and as the sun rose they all turned to a brilliant orange hue.  The effect only lasted a few minutes, then the sun rose above the low banks of mist when they changed to opalescent colors before disappearing completely.

Yesterday it was so windy it was hard to work outside, so we all went off to gather seeds about an hour south of here.  There is a steep cliff by the road covered in Calochortus amabilis, and now is the time the seed is ripe.  Here they are to the left, in bloom about six weeks ago. It was a beautiful drive through the redwoods and we found a trail for the dogs to run, chasing each other happily through the poison oak (bath time when we got home).  It takes all my old rock climbing skills to get a few pods of this Calochortus, but I don't have to feel guilty about collecting them, since the seeds would undoubtedly fall on the road below where they would be doomed.

Walking around the nursery a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a little white crowned sparrow dart out from one of my Bomareas.  Usually I trim all the old stems off the Bomareas in about April or May, making room for new growth, but I had left four or five, since seed was still ripening on them.  It happened again the next day, so I investigated, and found the most perfect nest snuggled in the stems.  The eggs soon hatched, but the babies disappeared a couple of days after hatching, probably victims of the raccoons.

In the greenhouse where I grow my tender subtropical bulbs, a few things are blooming.  Bulbs from equatorial regions seem to bloom whenever they feel like it, also going dormant erratically, so my pots of Eucrosias have some dormant bulbs, some with leaves and some in bloom.  Here is Eucrosia aurantiaca, one of the more spectacular bulbs from Ecuador.  Also in bloom is the rather strange Sprekelia formosissima from Mexico, seen here to the right.  There are, I believe, two Sprekelia species, both from Mexico, S. formosissima and S. howardii, a recently described species that I have finally got my hands on, although they haven't bloomed yet.

The powder-puff blossoms of the South African Haemanthus humilis ssp. hirsutus is in bloom, white with pink bracts and very attractive.

I was very thrilled to see emerging buds on my Hymenocallis hawkesii (probably more correctly named as Ismene hawkesii).  I had obtained seedling bulbs some time ago, and now they have matured to bloom size.  This is an extremely rare species from Peru, where it grows at about 6000'. Here it is to the right.  

Work in the nursery continues with seed gathering and unpotting the dormant bulbs.  The native bulbs are the last to go dormant, and can't be harvested until their seed has ripened, so this will continue well into July.  The South African bulbs have mostly been lifted by now, with Oxalis being the first batch to be unpotted, and Oxalis orders already being shipped. 

Summer is upon us, with sunny days preceded by morning fog in our area.  The fields are being mown for hay, the cows all glossy, fat and contented.  The solstice has already passed.  I always feel a touch of sadness at the summer solstice that they days are incrementally shortening, although we will still have daylight beyond 9pm for a while.  I love these long days.  I can work in my garden until dusk or take the dogs to the beach at sunset.  I wish it would last forever. 

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Milla magnifica

I have waited a long time to see my Milla magnifica bloom, and that day has finally arrived.  It was well worth waiting for.  The umbel is huge -- about ten to twelve inches across, and hosts 22 flower buds.  The flowers are a little smaller than those of M. biflora, but they are produced in great quantity, held on stems about two feet tall.  The scent is wonderful. 

Milla biflora (a misnomer, by the way, since my bulbs produce umbels with around six to eight buds) has long ceased blooming.  Here is a picture (to the right) for comparison.   

There are other members of this Mexican genus, some are tinted blue or pink, and I would dearly love to have them, but the two I have are so rarely available, I have doubts that I will ever get that lucky.

Thank you Dylan Hannon for this wonderful bulb!

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Autumn

It is officially autumn now, and the trees are starting to show their fall tints, although in this mild coastal region we get very little compared to the splendor of the eastern forests.  I lived in Washington, D.C for four years, while in medical school, and autumn there is a magnificent affair.  At that time my love was rock-climbing, and I would go to West Virginia to climb, or to upstate New York, where the land seemed to radiate color during the autumn season.  Here it is muted, but still, the passing of the seasons has always seemed significant to me, and I welcome the change.  The swallows are still here, but massing in great flocks, swirling around the barn, getting ready for their departure south.  In their place will come the geese from the north, and all during winter the air will be filled with their cries.  This is a very soggy valley in winter, perfect for the hundreds of thousands of geese and swans that visit us.

This morning the dawn was clear, without the fog blanket that often envelopes everything in early morning.  The sky was rosy to the east, and the thin sickle of the waning moon floated above.  In the morning the stars seem to glow, quite unlike the sparkle of the evening stars (I am sure there is a scientific explanation for this), and it was a special treat this morning to see them unclouded by fog.

Although I don't grow the usual autumn blooming bulbs, like Colchicum, I have the Nerines, mentioned before, to look forward to, as well as the occasional Lycoris, some autumn blooming Crocus, Bessera, and many others.  Here is the lovely Crocus kotschyanus. 

The Bomareas are now at their peak, having to make their growth during the summer with the flower buds forming on the end of the shoots.  On the Pacific Bulb Society forum it is very interesting to hear reports from all over the country of fall-blooming bulbs, Lycoris in the midwest and southern states, Colchicum, autumn Crocus, etc.  Above is the orange Bessera elegans that I had not been able to post before, finding I hadn't kept a photograph of it.  This is the color that is most commonly available in commerce.  Below is Bomarea patacoensis (to the right), and to the left is a Bomarea that I have called B. sp. MG0478. 

A few Crinums are blooming, although by now I am starting to dry them off in preparation for winter.  The one pictured at the left of the first paragraph is Crinum moorei.

Bulb shipping is still going on at a brisk pace.  It seems I get a big rush of orders at this time, although I have been shipping since June.  All of a sudden people start to think 'bulbs', since this is when you would normally be thinking of daffodils and tulips, and they come in from the Netherlands, arriving in the fall for planting.  By the end of October it will be too late to order many bulbs from Telos, since they will start sprouting in storage in response to the cool nights.  I have tried storing them with a little heat to delay them sprouting, but felt it dried them out too much, and decided to just let nature dictate when it is too late to ship.  When shipping is almost over, then the big seed sowing takes place, all the native bulbs and South African bulbs needing to be sown around the time it starts raining here -- October.  The change of pace and change of focus is welcome, giving my work life a rhythm that is synchronous with Nature's cycles.  It is a good feeling.

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Hymenocallis

Hymenocallis is a large genus, with species that come from the southeastern part of the United States, Mexico, Central America, and a few in South America.  They are mostly from regions that get year-round rain, although the Mexican species are from drier habitats.  I have quite a few species, some of which I have not been able to identify.  Their lovely spidery flowers appear for me from June onwards.

To the left is H. eucharidifolia, with broad green leaves and substantial flowers.  It is from Mexico, and grows about 12-18" tall.  It is easy to grow, and can be treated as a houseplant given bright light indoors.  Here, below is a close up of the flower.  I am growing these, and most of the moisture-loving species in plastic wading pools that I fill to about six inches with water, then allow to dry a little between refilling them.

Hymenocallis maximiliani, seen to the left, is a much larger plant, very suitable for the garden in warm climates, where it will form large clumps.  It is from the Mexican state of Guerrero. The flowers are sweetly fragrant, and are produced freely throughout the summer.

There are much smaller versions of Hymenocallis.  H. palmeri, seen to the left, only grows a few inches tall.  These bulbs are growing in a two gallon pot.  The flowers, however, are very large, the petals (tepals) being green and spreading to about five or six inches.  It is commonly known as the 'Alligator Lily', since it is from Florida and grows where alligators are found!  I wouldn't want to try to collect this one.

Another large clumping Hymenocallis is H. littoralis, with elegant spidery flowers.  It is seen here to the left, and comes from Mexico and Guatemala.  It loves heat and moisture, and does well in my greenhouses.

H. harrisiana also comes from Mexico, where it grows in grasslands at elevations up to 6000' .  While the species from Florida and the southeast like wet conditions, usually growing in swamplands or along slowly moving streams, those from Mexico prefer drier conditions.  This is a medium sized plant, with very delicate fragrant flowers.  It is seen here to the right.

H. sonorensis, comes, as you might imagine, from the Mexican state of Sonora.  It has grey leaves that are only about six inches in height, with a flowering stem that is short.  Again the flowers are large, and this species also prefers somewhat drier conditions.  It is seen here to the left.

And last, but not least, is a tiny Hymenocallis that remains unidentified.  It has grey narrow leaves and a rather unique profile, with the cup held above the tepals which are very narrow.  Here it is to the left.

I have about twenty other species, some of which have not yet bloomed.  These are lovely plants, not difficult to grow, with some suited for the garden, others as container plants, and some even suitable as houseplants.  The leaves are attractive, and they are very trouble free as far as pests and disease are concerned.

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Mexican Bulbs

I said I would post a picture of the purple flowered Bessera elegans when the buds opened, and here it is.  I have wanted this lovely bulb for a long time, so acquiring it was a real thrill.  It is far more beautiful than I could have imagined.  The dainty flowers are in an umbel, and hang down like little parasols.  Here is another picture that shows the inner markings.  You can see from my hand the scale.  My red Besseras increase slowly, but the orange ones make a fair number of offsets.  Usually I get seed from both, so we will see if my single bulb of the purple form will be self-compatible and produce seed.

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Mexican Bulbs

I don't have very many Mexican bulbs in my collection, and I wish I had more.  Mexico is rich in bulbs, but they are extremely hard to obtain.  Many would make excellent container plants or additions to the garden in similar climates.  Most are summer growers, and some are extremely rare, like the beautiful Petronymphe decora, seen to the left.  The dangling bells are about 2-3" in length, and are a beautiful primrose yellow.  It is found growing on cliffs in an extremely restricted area, and it isn't difficult to grow.

More available than Petronymphe is Bessera elegans, seen here to the right.  The usual color that is available commercially is orange, and I found, to my surprise, that I didn't have a photograph of it.  This is the red form.  I also have a purple form, newly acquired, and am anxiously awaiting its flowering.  It is in bud now, and I'll post a picture when the buds open.  The flowers are in an umbel, and look like dainty little parasols.

Tigridias are one of my favorite genera.  The commonly available Tigridia pavonia is well-known, but there are several other members of the genus.  The ones I have are tiny, usually about three or four inches in height, with flowers about an inch across.

Left to right:  T. durangense; T. chrysantha; T. angusta. 

Here is T. multiflora and T. dugesii:  

There are also several species of Calochortus found in Mexico, but they are very different in form from those found north of the border.  They are summer-growers, and in general are not as showy as their northern cousins.   I only have a few species.  Seen below are C. barbatus; C. marcellae and C. pringlei:

Another wonderful genus is Milla.  I have two species, the most common being Milla biflora, seen here to the left.  The flowers are large, and despite its name, this umbel holds five or six buds.  They are sweetly fragrant.  There are other species that are blue tinted, or pink, and I have the exciting Milla magnifica which is even larger than M. biflora.  Mine haven't bloomed yet, but things look promising for this year.

None of the bulbs mentioned have proved hard to grow.  I grow them in containers in my greenhouses, and I do keep them bone dry in winter when they are dormant.  They do multiply, but not very vigorously, so increase is slow, but most set some seed.  Milla is very slow to mature from seed, at least for me.  These lovely bulbs should be better known.

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