The stunning bulb from Peru, Pamianthe peruviana, is in bloom now. This incredibly beautiful bulb is from Peru, where it grows as an epiphyte on tree branches. The flowering tube is about 25cm long, and is so strongly scented that I can smell the perfume even before I open the greenhouse door in the morning. They are pollinated by moths, I believe.
My bulbs don't bloom every year, and in recent years I have only had one bulb bloom at a time, but this year two are currently in bloom, and (oh joy!), this morning I saw another fat bud emerging from a third bulb. I think the production of these enormous flowers drains the bulb of so much energy, they just can't do a repeat performance every year, so I am very thrilled that I will have three bulbs blooming and the possibility of seed this year. I have only once had seed from one of my plants, after which it took a couple of years to recover and start blooming regularly. The seed takes 15 months to mature. I didn't believe that, it seemed so strange, but that is exactly what happened with my plant. I think plants from equatorial regions just make their own rules about blooming and setting seed, not having distinct seasons to tell them what to do.
I will save the pollen from my three plants and freeze it so that if I have one bulb blooming in the future I can pollinate it. I have read that they will accept their own pollen, but this hasn't been the case with my plants. Unfortunately, right now I don't have any for sale, although I do have a tray of immature bulbs, but separating them is going to be a big job, and I am not ready to do that yet.
There are so many species blooming in the greenhouses right now that it is difficult to choose what to post on, but this little gem certainly deserves a mention. Hippeastrum idimae comes from Brazil, in the state of Rio de Janiero. It is a recently described species, only being discovered or recognized in 2017. This is a tiny Hippeastrum, the flower is only about 1" on a stem (in my plants) of 6". I thought when the flower emerged it would be more like a Rhodophiala, but it is definitely looks like a tiny Hippeastrum, although it may be closely related to Griffinia. This is a tropical plant that needs warmth, and it is safely ensconced on one of my heated benches. I have little experience with this species, only having acquired it last year, so I don't know how difficult it will be to propagate, and it might be a while before I have any to share.
The Telos Rare Bulbs web site has been updated for 2018. A very big job that I have been working on for the last two months. There are new pages for Babiana, Sparaxis, Geissorhiza, Ixia and Lapeirousia, but they are not complete, I am waiting to get pictures. Many haven't bloomed yet, and I am not sure yet of the quantities I will have, so please be patient and I will add availability and pictures as time goes on.
Lapeirousia is a genus of about 40 species from sub-Saharan Africa. They are small dainty plants with bright showy flowers, some are even scented. I only have a small collection, but I am growing more as space allows, and, as usual, I have become quite captivated by them. This is a common affliction I suffer from, in the fall I was stricken with Crocus fever when my tiny collection of fall blooming Crocus came into bloom. I keep extending my greenhouses, or having new ones built, so I currently have a little more room than in the past, so I can indulge myself somewhat. The one pictured above is Lapeirousia oreogena, a favorite.
The genus was named after the botanist Philippe-Isidore Picotde Lapeyrouse, explaining the rather cumbersome name. The plants grow from a small corm and the ones I grow are rarely more than 10cm tall, usually smaller, but they usually bloom prolifically and would be very suitable for a small greenhouse or sun porch. They could probably be grown in the ground in suitable climates, but I think would be better appreciated as a container plant. Above is Lapeirousia jacquinii, pictured below is Lapeirousia silenoides.
I have poted before on sowing seeds, and one post can be seen here: http://thebulbmaven.typepad.com/the_bulb_maven/2008/12/sowing-seeds.html I think, however, it is worth a recap, since winter is the time that most seed sowing goes on at Telos.
All seed of species native to the western USA is sown in the fall. I used to direct sow the seed into pots, but found a much better way of doing it. All seeds are put in plastic ziplock bags in damp vermiculite, then put in the refrigerator. I usually do this in late October, and definitely want it all done by the end of November, earlier is better. In this way, in just one day I can have all the seed bagged up and refrigerated instead of mixing mountains of potting soil, washing pots and filling them, then carrying them all out to the greenhouses. Seed will vary in the amount of time it takes for them to germinate, so I check the bags weekly and pull any that show any sign of germination. Some Calochortus seed germinates in two to three weeks, other species (especially from high altitude) can take as long as four months, so the actual sowing is spread out over the entire winter. By the end of winter, I discard any bags that haven't shown germination. Usually, if the seed is non-viable, it goes moldy. Above is a bag of Calochortus seeds ready to sow.
Seed of South African species are also sown at the same time of year than the natives, but these seeds need a diurnal swing of at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit. If you refrigerate them, they don't germinate, so these ones are sown directly into the pots in which they will grow. South African Amaryllids, such as Brunsvigia, are sown as soon as the seed is ripe. If I am receiving seed from South Africa, that means as soon as I get it, even though that means the seed is germinating at the 'wrong' time of year as far as our seasons are concerned. It doesn't seem to matter, they do fine, and will grow continuously without going dormant for the first year. Such seed can't be stored, they are like small peas and will even germinate on the plant.
Seed of South American Amaryllid species are also sown when ripe. They are not like the South African seeds, having a papery shell, and can usually be stored for fairly short periods. Up to three months is perfectly safe. These species I also bag in vermiculite and keep at room temperature. There are other ways of germinating these seeds, such as floating them on water, but I don't find I have better results that way. I have also tried folding seeds in damp paper towels, but you really have to keep an eye on them, if you let them go too long the radicle will penetrate the paper towels, and you have a mess on your hands. Other South American species that are winter growers, such as Leucocoryne behave like our native bulbs, and are treated the same way.
As soon as any germination is seen, the seeds are sown in pots or large trays. I live in a valley with high humidity in the winter, not the best conditions for seed survival. It is extremely important to have good air circulation for the developing seedlings, or you can lose the lot to damping off fungus. I have overhead fans in the greenhouses, but, more important, are the fans that blow air directly across the seed flats 24 hours a day. The trays are topped with pumice to keep the surface dry.
Here, at Telos, seed sowing is the major task for early winter, but even for hobbyists it can be very challenging and fun. I lost so many precious batches of seeds early in my career as a bulb grower and still occasionally have failures, usually due to severe weather.
Two or three years ago I was contacted and asked if I would be interested in exchanging some bulbs for bulbs of Hippeastrum nelsonii. Well, I didn't hesitate for one second and the bulbs arrived in very good condition. They were not mature, and this year they have bloomed for the first time, each bulb sending up one or two beautiful flowers.
This lovely species is native to Bolivia, as are many very desirable bulbs. It is known from only three locales, all at low elevation, and is evergreen, said to bloom in the spring, but mine are in bloom now in January. I have been growing it in my standard Hippeastrum mix and keeping the bulbs on my heated benches. The benches are kept at about 63F and can be seen here: http://thebulbmaven.typepad.com/the_bulb_maven/greenhouse-tips/page/2/ I should add that I am no longer using perlite in my mix, and use horticultural pumice and peat, about 65% pumice to 35% peat. In the past I could not get pumice in bulk, but now I can and I buy it by the pallet. I can't recommend it too highly for growing bulbs.
While there are a number of flowering plants that have green flowers, there are few that have a true turquoise color. The genus Lachenalia has more than 100 species, most of which are found in the Cape Province of South Africa, but only Lachenalia viridiflora has the exquisite true turquoise color. It blooms earlier than most of the other species, coming into bloom here at Telos before Christmas, and continuing into January.
Lachenalias are in the Family Hyacinthaceae, and are easy to grow. Like most other South Africans they come into growth in the fall when the rains arrive, grow throughout the winter and go dormant in the summer when they must be kept dry. There is an amazing range of color, and many are also scented. They do need good light, but can be grown on a windowsill in bright light but they must have cool temperatures. A porch or unheated sunroom is ideal.
Hippeastrum calyptratum is one of my favorites. The flowers are so unusual, a beautiful jade green, and the form is very orchid-like. I have two different forms, one which is a beautiful clear green and has no scent that I can detect. The other has larger flowers with pink anthers and streaks of red on the outer petals and has a very strong scent. It is in bloom now, and as soon as I enter the greenhouse it makes its presence known. The scent is not wonderful, more like something an arum would produce, and that makes me think about its pollinator, for usually these kinds of scents are there to attract flies, but H. calyptratum is said to attract bats. H. calyptratum is from Brazil, from the Organ mountains and grows as an epiphyte on trees and rocks. I haven't found it difficult to grow and it seems to enjoy our cool and humid climate. The pictures show the plain green one above, the one with pink anthers below.
Apparently, 2018 is the Chinese Year of the Dog, which is supposed to mean that it will be a good year in all respects, albeit an exhausting one. Reportedly we will be happy, frustrated, rested, yet tired, cheerful, yet dull. Well, most years here at Telos are years of the dog, since my three dogs keep me happy, exhuasted, very frustrated at times and usually cheerful, although there were some terrible times during last year.
After the death of my terrier, Willie, I decided I wanted another Wire Fox Terrier and acquired a new puppy. His name is Jester, and by now he is thirteen months old. He has been a delight, everything I could want in a new puppy, with a happy personality, loving, affectionate, and very smart. I had expected many years of care free happiness with my new puppy, but in October he was suddenly taken very ill and was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia, where his red blood cells were being destroyed. I was given only a 25% chance that he would survive, so I took him to a wonderful specialist in the San Francisco Bay Area, who put him on some rather nasty drugs, but felt he had a good chance of survival. He is going strong, two months later, still on the drugs, but behaving totally normally, and now she feels he has a better than 80% chance of total recovery. He gets his daily training session, which he loves, and I hope one day he too will be an agility champion. Here he is, above, with his best pal, Arlo.
My little mini Aussie, Arlo, competed in the CPE Nationals in May and had eight perfect runs out of nine and completed his second Championship title. I was so very proud of him, especially since the temperatures were in the mid-90's, but he took it all in his stride. It was such a wonderful experience, and probably the only time I will compete in a National event, since this past year it was in California, and I am not going to fly my dogs across the country.
My older dog, Hannah, is very frail at 13 years old. I almost lost her in August, but she is toddling along and is comfortable and happy, doing a few agility obstacles here at home and able to go for short hikes. I know I will lose her soon, and I think back on all the wonderful times we had together. Here she is in better days.
So, let's hope the Year of the Dog will bring all the dog lovers joy and happiness.
To all my faithful customers, a very Happy New Year for 2018. My own personal New Year resolution is to resurrect the blog, since I haven't been posting for about a year or more. There are various reasons for this, this last year being fairly disastrous on many fronts, but since posting on my cardiac problems some people have assumed that I am dead (I am not) or that I have gone out of business (far from it), I thought I should make the effort to put things right.
So, for now, let us all hope for a better year in 2018. One of my clones of Hippeastrum yungacense is blooming right now, and it certainly gives me hope.
There is a lot happening in the greenhouses right now, but the most exciting event for me (other than the blooming of Leontochirovallei) is the blooming for the first time of Placea ornata. I have grown these bulbs for some years, but since I have the annoying habit of selling my mature bulbs, I haven't had a flower until now. I am getting much more stingy about letting mature bulbs go, since several sources of seed have disappeared, so now I have to depend on my own bulbs to produce the seed I need.
Placea is a genus native to northern Chile. There are six species, and I have only grown one other, P. arzae, which, unfortunately, I lost. All grow in very dry conditions, and I found them very prone to fungal diseases if not grown dry. I now grow them in pure pumice with careful attention to watering. I have only one flowering stem so far, and I have pollinated it, hoping it will accept its own pollen and produce seeds. The flowers are deep cream with crimson stripes in the center and if you look carefully you can see there is a coronal cup that is deep crimson or purple. My plant produced an umbel of four flowers.