OK, time to confess! what bulbs did you order this fall?!

Well, bulbmeisters, if you still want to shop, Easy to Grow Bulbs is having a 30% off sale off the Web Specials. I posted the information on the Van Engelen Sale thread here...

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/558241/

I love Easy to Grow Bulbs. Especially for gardeners in the Southwest--Jon at EZ to Grow can answer lots of questions about the best bulbs for California and Texas, etc., those touchy bulb growing areas.

The 30% off sale is only on the Website Specials and you have to use VIP as the discount code when you check out.

I am sure all the DGers are VIPs in EZ to Grows eyes. If not, they should be!

Have fun. t.

Have fun. t.

(close eyes) (close ears)

....LA LA LA LA LA.....

...Not seeing that message....

....Not hearing that message.....

;-)

I saw it. Can Calla lilies be grown as a houseplant?

Calla Aethiopica for sure...the others may become a little too leggy.

This is the one I want........ http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=204

I bought some white calla lilies from Van Engelen a number of years
ago (during their fall sale of course!) I planted one out by the pond
where its never dry. It overwintered and was absolutely gorgeous.
Here in zone6. Must be the spring kept it warm enough. I planted a
second one out and am leaving both to see if they survive a second
winter.
Tam

Childsiana is the miniature Aethiopica and is excellent for pot or container growing. It grows to be between 1.5 and 2 feet tall.

T, I want to thank you again for this tip. I bought from them earlier and was absolutely delighted with the items and the service. Jon is a super nice guy indeed. What I like best is that they carry a lot of bulbs for warmer climates. In fact, they are THE source for the Houston Garden Club's annual "bulbmart". Big, not-to-be-missed event in this city.

Well, yay! I'm going to try it then! Thanks!!

Four things:

I've been told that the giant white calla can take it very cold, as long as the rhizome doesn't actually freeze hard. A lot of plants are that way, they say. Cannas, colocaia, etc...

After seeing the pictures, I must have Hip. papilio now. (I've eyed the bloody thing for years .)

I have some spring bulbs coming up. (Even this year's new ones.) A friend of mine has Narc. as tall as 18". We had a long cool fall (unusual) and I think they were tricked. What the heck are they going to do when winter sets in?

I've been waiting for Brent and Becky's sale. I think they will be sold out of everything before it happens. It serves me right.

(Hey Vossner- I just cleaned and stored my Zants. They look good, but I think I've mixed my favorite one into the main bag! (that's Purple Haze) 'Picasso' bulb might just bloom next year. And I think that big white I remember was, in fact, Hercules.)

K. James

Top of the morning, Bulb enthusiasts (I'm in a very happy mode, so I won't use the word nut, lol).

JamesCo, Hercules, the holy grail! I've been watching Hercules on ebay and cannot talk myself into spending the bucks. Did we have this discussion already? I though P Haze and Picasso were two different ones. I just bought 3 Picassos from Hortus Botanicals in Ca. Also an excellent vendor.

I have one outdoor amaryllis that has put a bloom, not very pretty. I forgot to tag it so I don't know what it is. Watsonia has shot up greens so have glads and acidanthera.

Kbaume: buying from ETGB--good decision. I'm going over there to buy some stuff right now. ta ta

I hadn't checked the Brent & Becky's site until just now (couldn't resist any longer). They have a 25% off sale banner across the top of their home page.... Is this the famous sale, or do they further reduce their prices?

I found a kind of bulb I'd never seen before, and I'm really tempted! Calochortus looks like a gorgoues flower, and it blooms during that hard-to-fill early summer time. I may have to place an order despite swearing that I was done planting bulbs for the year! Hmmm.... should I restrain myself and order 10 just to try, or should I order the 50 that I think I have space for? We'll see if prudence wins out!

Calochortus are actually wild in the deserts here. Drained soil is a must, and they take a great deal of drought and salt (obviously). Full-full sun too. About 2" wide tulip-like cups, and long lasting. Strappy blue-green leaves... they do not take much room, and they should be pampered if planted this late. (You can do that, surely) Go for venustus. I think it is bigger, and it has a very fine patternig inside that mesmerizes. I actually saved one of that species from falling off of a cliff. There is one species that I've seen out Mountainbiking that is white, but changes purple in Bentonite soil.

B & B sometimes go down to 50% (Oh yeah.) Thanks for the heads up, Critter, as I have quite a list I'm "not going to buy." Dang, I forgot that the banner shows up not on the main page, but the catalogue page.

Vossner: "Purple Wizard" is "Picasso." "Purple Haze" is the king of Zants! I think that Z. aet. 'Herculues' was available from Plant Delights, If you don't fancy fighting for one on Ebay.

Thanks for the additional info on the Calochortus, James! I have mental image of you dangling from a cliff, plant in hand.... :-D

They do sound really delightful, especially the venustus. I'm even willing to pay full price for them, LOL. I have a narrow landscape bed by my side patio that is raised & amended, so drains far better then the surrounding clay and rarely gets watered in the summer... I think these would fit in very well with what I already have there (a trio of 'Skypencil' hollies, Bergenia 'Winterglow', Geranium 'Biokovo', several different Salvia varieties). I'm thinking of using Iris 'Eye of the Tiger' and "feather hyacinths" there also.

I think I may wait and make a note of them for next fall. I'd really like them to succeed, so planting earlier next fall makes more sense.... DH is reminding me that the ground may not thaw again any time soon, and the last time I tried holding bulbs until a February thaw the results were not so hot. Maybe I really am done -- at least until next year!

DH asked, had I not planted enough bulbs already this fall?? I did a quick tally -- fewer than last year, but still about 850 bulbs! Most of them were small (species tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, etc), so it didn't seem like all that many when I was putting them in. It *is* tempting to head back to the Brent & Becky's site and bring that number up to an even thousand... but maybe it's time for me to change gears and finish mulching what I've already planted. DH has been patient, but I know he's waiting for holiday baking to commence also, LOL!

I know I'm in the wrong place if I think anyone here is going to agree that I don't need to order more bulbs! ;-)

LOL Baking is fine, but bulbs don't put on weight! Go ahead and order some more--you are so close to a thousand, it would be a shame not to make the mark!

Don't tell your husband I said so, though! Happy thanksgiving. t.

happy Thanksgiving
If you eat to much you will look like this tomorrow
LOL

Too funny, tazzy, but so right!

Happy thanksgiving. t.

Awww. I'd love to look like that right about NOW!

May the eating AND belated planting begin!

Happy Thanksgiving all.

K. James

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Well, I gave in to temptation and ordered 170 bulbs for that side bed from Brent & Becky's, so now my official total is at 1000 bulbs planted this fall, including about 130 replacement bulbs. :-)

I got 10 Calochortus venustus, 10 gregii tulips 'Donna Bella', 50 Dutch Iris 'Eye of the Tiger', 50 Muscari cumosum 'Plumosum' (feathery lavender blooms), and 50 Crocus tommasinianus 'Whitewell Purple'.

I also ordered 14 Amaryllis bulbs, most of which will be given away. Oh, and some paperwhites & miniature tanzetta daffs for forcing. All this for about $100 with shipping -- what a deal!

JamesCO mentioned that the Calochortus might not like to be planted this late, so I'll pot them up in a container in the garage and transplant them in spring. I wonder if I should do the same with any of the others? I may end up potting them by default, depending on how frozen the ground gets, although James also said he has planted daffs by peeling away several inches of frozen ground with a sharp shovel and setting the bulbs into unfrozen soil, then watering them in well & putting the frozen stuff back on top. But I'm not sure I'm that ambitious!

Way to go! Critter! You are a committed bulb gardener (or 'should be committed' bulb gardener!) LOL What a deal you got!

BTW, last year when we planted so late, we got a bag of planting mix and just laid out the bulbs on a thin layer of planting mix and piled more planting mix on top. Not ideal but it worked for camassia, some actea narcissi and a few others...

ooohhh.... and here I had staunchly resisted those Camassia, figuring it would be hard to plant them where I wanted them to go..... I am *not* going to put in a second order, however, truly I am not! After all, there is always next year! :-)

You may have a point about my being a "should be committed bulb gardener," LOL! DH says, if only it were just about the bulbs! I tend to go a little overboard with multiple garden projects.... I'm already lobbying for more light shelves in the basement, as African violets & leaf pots (75 and counting) have taken over 2 of the shelves. He says I should just cut back on my seedling starts for spring.... !! MmmmHMM.

Hey critter! I think if you can dig, the rest will be fine to go in the ground. And of course I've gone and done it to! Found 40 red and 50 yellow Darwin hybrid tulips for a steal (33cents each including shipping!) from bulbmart on ebay. And being so easily seduced by any lily, I have 3 Orientals on the way (2 Arabian Red, and 1 Oscar) and an Aurelian hybrid called Golden Sunburst. Oh, and almost forgot 10 heirloom daffs 'Red Devon' are on the way.

And now you've made me curious enough to actually count (I had thought I just did'nt want to know! LOL) , and my head started to blow up at 850. But this is it! It's practically December, so I have to stop myself. It's been too easy to pick up a few here a few there (and not feel like I'm really spending much). I've stayed caught up on planting thank goodness, but then that's also made it easier to rationalize aquiring more. Happy wrapping it up ya'll! Neal.

Lets see - I bought 275 more (should arrive shortly) after my initial 965.
The 50 I got from a friend who couldn't plant all the ones she ordered
don't count - right? LOL.

You can definitely plant bulbs til the ground is frozen. And forcing them is
really fun (I bought a cheapo-extra refridgerator for bulbs & seed starting).
And you CAN plant them out next spring and they do fine.

Tam

I feel so sane among you guys :)

grrrrrrr. note to self: wait for the 50% off sale. over half of the stuff I bought this summer (which was delivered recently) is presently at half price.

I was tempted to get some dbl white amaryllis now, but with just a few items + postage, not as good a deal. I need to CONTROL myself and go on a buying frenzy during the half off sale.

Neal - ditto! I keep telling my friends & family who think I'm nuts that
indeed, I am a member of a very well adjusted and sane group of
people. Nothing wrong with this obsession. No siree.
Tam

vossner, don't kick yourself too hard. I'm still kicking myself for waiting for the sales on Apricot and Salmon Impression tulips, and everybody sold out. Danged if ya do, danged if ya don't!

Tammy, when I get that look from friends and family, I always reply " Hey, at least it's not crack!"
Neal.

I guess my immediate family actually has very little to be
self-righteous about. An obsessive nature seems to run in
this family. My mother & sister are whacky about fiber. They
shear the sheep, block & spin the wool and knit up incredibly
beautiful items. They are always searching for causes to donate
their knitware. My dad's another gardener. My brother
just is into everything - remodelling & electronic toys right now.

Its my in-laws and relations out a bit that don't quite get it.

Tam

Your family sound sooo coooool!!

aaawwww... basking in the warm glow of fellowship over here!

This is a Public Service Announcement

B & B IS ON SALE NOW, 50% OFF

This is definitely the only place I feel normal. I do a great many odd looks unloading horse dung in the front yard all the time.

My mother is an accountant, and she is on the brink of fritz after peeking at my finances and seeing a bulb order for more than what my account has. What she doesn't understand is the comfortable lifestyle of living by the bulb-bulged pockets of your pants. She does not realize that a couple gardening clients owe me money and I've a cash stash for "bulb emergencies."

I've never grown camassia, but I ordered the variegated type.

Critter: I should clarify: You should plant the Calochortus en situ, just that they are sometimes weak the first season when planted late (just bulb diminution.)
And what's wrong with more plant shelves? Fill the necessity! At least you haven't bought lights and left them unused, eh?

I use the "At least it's not marijuana," defense regularly. Works every time.
K. James

I found that the variegated camassias have beautiful folliage and
nice dark blue flowers but were very droopy. After 3-4 yrs, this
past summer they were looking sturdier. Perhap they just took longer
to establish? And I love camassias. Nice blue flowers and you can
grow them in moist situations ( some of mine are in a constantly moist boggy
soil and they do well too).

Tam

Tammy:
Thanks for the Camassia info.
Do they bloom in that gap between traditional summer and traditional spring bulbs? June, say?
And, since pictures do no justice to tell, are they a medium (purple-based) blue, or a true cerulean blue?

Hmmmm.... here's a shot from May 7 '05 -> you can see the
Camassia's behind the primroses. I don't think these are the
variegated ones though...let me look a bit more after I post this.
Tam

Here's shot I blew up (similar to above) that show the variegated ones in
the back. I think they look like the same color. I'll search futher. (I love seeing
these spring photos!!!)
Tam

OK - I don't think any of these shots have the variegated ones in them.
Sorry. But here's a picture of the camassias just starting to bloom last
year (May 1, 2004). I had one that showed the camassias were done
blooming on 5/19.
Tam

I love seeing your spring photos, too. What a first-rate garden, Tammy. I love your rock. Fancy.
Pictures are certainly worth more than a thousand words.
I envy your Matteuccia. They dry up or blow over in CO.

What are the yellow jobs in the back, towards the wood?
Kenton (James)

-and: Is that a natural creek (pronounced 'crik' in Colordoan) or a pump's doing?

Tammy what is the pale pink flower in front of fern? what is the round leaf plant? some kind of ligularia?

all lovely