2013 Group Buy for Fall Bulbs :-)

Ok!

"Hyacinthoides hispanica Excelsior"--

Is the same as "Spanish Bluebells"---is the same as "Wood Hyacinths"....

I have had these for eons--and i do love them. The pink has almost petered out--but I found a small clump.
Tagged it. The blues and whites--I have about 4-5 patches of them.

The bulbs are easy to tell apart from others you may dig up accidentally--
as they are almost white--and, perfectly round.

Gita

Oh, I thought you guys were going on a road trip north. Heehee. Yes, I am her bulb transporter.

Pixie didn't want the Muscari - she is happy with her current river. I'll put the 50 excelsior in my back hosta bed to keep Gita and RRR's hostas company - so 25 to Critter and 25 to Catbird. Only remaining issue is what peonies to get. I'll address that on the other thread, and will place the order tomorrow.

Hi. I have only just joined the forum. I live in Montgomery County and would love to participate in the bulk buy for fall planting--what a terrific idea! If any are still available, then I would be interested in:

N. 'Suada' and/or N. 'February Gold'
Tulip kaufmanii 'Heart's Delight'
Allium 'Purple Sensation'
Iris ret. 'Harmony'
Leucojum G's. Giant
Amaryllis 'Double Dream'

Please let me know what is still available from the quantities planned!

thanks so much,
Robin

Welcome, Robin!

The list at the top (3rd post down) should give you an idea of interest & availability. Anything marked with an asterisk has been placed on order (and sometimes there will still be bulbs available in those bags). I'll be adding to our order tomorrow, so you'll see more asterisks soon. I'll also be ordering again in a few weeks, so let me know what bulbs you'd like and how many even if you think it might be "sold out." I'll keep adding bags to the list and purchasing them as those additional quantities sell.

All of which means -- just let me know how many of the above bulbs you want to buy. Please order in multiples of whatever quantity they're priced in (usually 5 bulbs or 25 bulbs, not 3 or 14).

And mark October 12 on your calendar! That's the planned date for the "Bulb Sorting Party" here.

Welcome -- you probably live close to me and to ssgardener!

Thanks, Critter! :-)

Muscari ‘Blue Spike’--25
N. 'February Gold'--20
N. 'Suada'--25
T. Darwin hybrid ‘Gudoshnik’--20
T. kaufmanniana ‘Heart’s Delight’--25
Allium christophii -- 10
Iris reticulata 'Harmony' --25
Leucojum 'Gravetye Giant'--10
Amaryllis 'Double Dream'--1

I'd also love some of the Hyacinth Skyline (10), if any becomes available.

I've marked Oct 12 down on my calendar!

thanks, Happy! I'm so happy to have found this forum. :-) Yes, I am probably close to both of you! I'm relatively new to this world, but am looking forward to learning a lot.

Wait, is this the Robin that picked up the pots from my place last week? If so, hi again! If not, hello for the first time!

I don't know if we'll fill another bag of 50 Skyline... but you might try "nominating" another oriental hyacinth for consideration. We can probably manage to juggle 3 'Skyline' your way so you have a little clump of them to try, even if we don't end up getting 2 bags.... we're all pretty good at helping make the numbers work out. :-)

Speaking of making the numbers work out, Happy... If there's more interest, we can try for another 10 'Double Dream' Amaryllis, but since you were wanting extras for gifts I have you down now for 3 'DD' and 1 'Flamenco Queen' (also a JUMBO bulb, and you will be sad if you don't get one for yourself too)... that way gpmd can have one of the 'DD' bulbs.

hi, SS--nice to meet you! I think we Robins are crawling out of the woodwork these days--must have been another Robin. :-)

Critter, for the Hyacinth, is anyone else interested in 'Woodstock'? Lovely color! If not, I'm open to other suggestions!

Well, I think I need a different handle--GP is a mouthful...

Hi, GP and welcome!

Our "Catbird" is also named Robin. We've got 2 Sally's and 3 Terris, too!

"Critterologist" is a mouthful, too, so I generally go by "Critter." At swaps, it's actually hard to get my attention by hollering "Jill" -- but "hey Critter" works right away, LOL.

Hmmm... we could have a "name that Robin" contest... whomever comes up with a new DG name that you like gets an extra prize at the bulb party. It has to be something not already taken on the memberlist (and not just by adding a number at the end), so it will take some creativity. Are you in?

First suggestion: SpringBird (from "Robin" and "SilverSpring" -- "Silverbird" is taken)

As for Hyacinth 'Woodstock', it's one of my favorites, and mine have started petering out again... it's a fabulous beetroot color. The photo below was taken in full sun, giving it pinkish highlights... look at the center of the blooms... very nice, and it picks up those red/purple colors like Japanese painted fern stems, "purple" stemmed salvias, etc. I like it with 'Little Beauty' tulips (which I haven't found at a great price yet this year).







This message was edited Jun 3, 2013 9:24 AM

Jill--

And------as of another new MAF (Veggie Thread) joiner--"JB_in_Rhinebeck"--we now, also, have
TWO JB's.
We could do "JB in PA"--------and then, "JB in NY".....Getting complicated-----

BUT! There is ALWAYS just ONE Gita! Advantage to the foreigner.......;o)

Just started pouring rain here--again! Everything is soaked already!
Haven't even set foot in garden today.....

Gita

hi, Jan23! hi, Gita! Thanks to you all for your warm welcome!

< First suggestion: SpringBird (from "Robin" and "SilverSpring" -- "Silverbird" is taken)>>

What a great idea, Critter--I'm in! :-) SpringBird is a great suggestion!

Love the 'Woodstock'. It looks like it comes in a box of 50, if others are interested. Also, I'm happy to help if there is an order that needs some extra takers to fill it out.

Thanks so much to all!
Robin/SpringBird?




This message was edited Jun 3, 2013 8:35 PM

PHASE 1 IS NOW CLOSED

Please continue to use this thread to chat about our group buy -- and to help "gpmd" find a DG name she loves!

I will get invoices out toward the end of June.

We will re-open our group buy for new orders and additions in July.

THANK YOU to all who have joined in. :-)

Robin/Springbird/GP - welcome! I would be interested in 'Woodstock'. Critter and I have seen it in several exhibits at the Philadelphia Flower Show and I know she loves it in her own gardens - I've been meaning to get it ever since. I'm pretty sure we could get to the 50 qty minimum - I'll take up to 30 or work with less to add up to 50 if others want it too. By the way, I'm one of the three Terris. SSgardener and I are Terri and Roses are Red is Teri... Again, glad to have you join us.

Jill--
Just need to clarify---The Alliums were not in this Phase One order--right? wrong?

Gita

Gita, I don't think anybody else expressed interest (yet) in those giant ones you wanted. We can certainly try again in July! There's been some interest in Allium schubertii, and I've ordered 100 each of A. christophii and A. 'Purple Sensation'.

We'll put Hyacinth 'Woodstock' (and other colors if there's interest) in Phase II, along with the second bag of 'Skyline' (half sold now, so I didn't order yet).

Jill--It is NOT a must have....

Maybe i will take some of the others you have ordered....
Need to see pictures-again....
Gita

thanks for the welcome, Aspen/Terri!

I am so excited about all these beautiful bulbs for fall planting! It's so nice that you all do this. :-)

Robin

Robin: Critter is amazing, and we all are the beneficiaries of her incredible generosity and energy. We try to behave, but I know we step over the line! She is about the nicest person you could hope to meet. Well, so is everyone in the MAG.

Gita: What was the allium you were interested in? Funny thing -- I was planting in the back hill of my yard and there was an iris I had forgotten about -- with a tag that it was from you! It was holding up some dirt (it was on the hillside), so I scraped the dirt away to let it breathe a bit.

This message was edited Jun 4, 2013 9:36 PM

Happy---

Hmmmmmm.....I don't remember giving you an Iris---but there are many things that escape my
recollections.....seems you are in the same boat....Do you know how long ago it would have been?

What color blooms did it have? I only have a couple....solid purple--and the "snow cap"...

Maybe now that you found it--you can let it bloom next spring and let me know....

Which one? G.

My guess it was in 2007 at Hart's spring swap -- my notes are from that period. Or maybe at Critter's fall swap that same year: I found a dmail you posted on 9/1/2007 saying: "Also dug up my regular light blue iris. Had to go."

<>

I can already tell! :-) Critter, thanks so much! It is truly amazing how you're able to keep this all straight, and so kind of you to keep track of all this and put the orders in for us!

Robin

This message was edited Jun 4, 2013 10:04 PM

Happy, I think Gita was interested in either Globemaster or Giganteum. They're priced at $4 and $3 per bulb, respectively, in bags of 15, size 20+. The similar 'Gladiator' is about $2 per bulb. I think A.schubertii ($1 each) and A. christophii (10 bulbs for $4) are better deals, but they do have much looser flower formations as Gita noted... to me they look like fireworks!

This message was edited Jun 4, 2013 10:35 PM

Oh, ok; I got those or similar a few years ago and they were fun, but now I think I prefer the more delicate smaller ones. $3 a bulb is a lot, since you'd want to get enough to make a statement...

edited above post with size info and added pricing for 2 other tall alliums we'd mentioned.

Okay, for my new handle, in addition to SpringBird suggested by Critter (thanks, Critter!), I'm also thinking of Catmint. Speaks to two things I love (cats and flowering plants), and also I've been nursing a catmint in my back yard that's been struggling to find the right niche and flourish--finally seems to be winning the struggle after I moved it!

Allium Globemaster huge and long lasting.

gpmd--

In the long run--a "handle' has to be something that defines YOU--to YOURSELF....

happy,
WOW! You went back that long to dog up this info?????
I DO thank you for mentioning the year of hart's Swap. It was our first one--and i was not sure
when it was. Was thinking, maybe, 2008???
i SO want to have her VA Clustered Bluebells--as mine are all gone... Anyone have any???
Any of you living near thew mountains of VA???

Jill--
I will be happy with a few Alliums that have a more tight bloom--not the ones with "loser formations"...
If the Gladiator looks similar--that is OK. Let me know when you are, actually, going to order these...
Need to find a picture if these again....there WAS a link above...somewhere....

I was smitten with these when my Pakistani neighbor 's bloomed. Don't know which kind hers are???
Picture is from May, 2012. They came back this year and bloomed again, but not as spectacular.

Gita

Thanks, Holly---we cross-posted again...

My neighbor's sure looks like yours......I would say her blooms were as big as a softball....
Could be a "Globemaster"????
G.

Gita: My clustered bellflowers from Hart didn't make it through the first year, sadly; I miss hearing from Hart.

Mine made it well until 2009.

I then planted a New England Aster in that area--seems it was right on top of it--and I think it
killed it, as you do not see them in the fall.

Last year--there was ONE Blue bell showing its little head among this monster aster.
I tried to dig it our and plant it a bit further away from the aster--but it never made it.

On top of all that--these are/were all in my "YUK" bed.

--1 and 2--From 2009
--3--from 2011--still hanging in...

Can't find the picture of the ONE blue flower amid the NE Aster. Gita

I like "Catmint!" There's a username "catmint" in the member listing already, but not a subscriber, local time listed as 4 hours later than us... so basically, no conflict or confusion, just add a number or whatnot to the end.

I should have added... if you come up with your own favorite new DG name, the prize goes to you! I just wanted to open the door if anybody felt like being creative with suggestions.

I think you do get what you pay for with those alliums... 20+cm bulbs, and yes, blooms like softballs. Look at the height, too... often 4 to 5 feet tall! 1 bloom would be striking, but maybe a little lonely... 3 would make a statement... 5 would be "wow."

Ok, ok, maybe I'll succumb.

Was that gpmd succumbing?

LOL, Happy! Yes, I am now Catmint! :-)

Well, I went to check on my young weeping cherry (planted just last month), and it has *sap* coming out of its trunk, about 4 feet up, with what looks like a bruised area under where the sap is coming out. :-( I wonder what could cause this? I am concerned about it--it's had trouble with leaves wilting and dying ever since planted. I've been using a water bag on it twice a week. And now sap coming out of the trunk...