OK, time to confess! Bulb orders PART II.

Kenton, the world of muscari and sciliods is much bigger than I had realized, and there are so many I want to try. Golden Fragrance muscari intrigues me, and is one of those specialty things I want to concentrate on next year. I should finally be in good shape on masses of color for spring, so next year I hope to dedicate to more unusual things. Have you grown Jack in the Pulpit? The flowers range from green to mahogany-brown with stripes; I have plenty of those growing around here so let me know if you'd like to try them.

kbaumle, La Paz is really cool! We've got them at the flower shop cut now and I love the spidery flowers and the soft green striping.
Neal.

I dug up a Jack-in-the-Pulpit last spring, from a woods near us and transplanted it to my garden. I seriously doubt if it will come up next spring. It didn't do well, and I think I read somewhere that they don't transplant well. :-( But maybe I'll get lucky!

I got one from a friend and it did seem to take. I also have
a batch of seedlings (this will be their third year). I planted
two outside last year and they did come back this year. And
three more are still in the greenhouse. I'll plant them out next
spring if they survive. These are: Arisaema sikokianum. I got
the seed from the NARGS Seed Exchange.

A very beautiful asian variety. I just hope they survive and thrive.

I think they're SO neat.

I have a handful of Arisaema triphyllum. I am one of those who will dig them out of a foerst under certain cercumstances. I decided that I had to be able to see a certain number of them in one area before I dug one out. I brought back some from Illinois a few years ago, and They are still around. I didn't water them well enough last spring, so they did not bloom, but the spring before was good. Later, Lowe's had a little rack full of them for a dollar apeice (no joke, Trillium, too!) So now I have a few more... I have a bag of old seeds that I should have just direct-sown, but oh, well.
They seem to take our alkaline soils when a bunch of midwestern woodland flowers will not. (Still not sure about trillium...)

Oh, no here I feel the tug of Arum discussion...
How about Arum italicum (and cv marmoratum) ? I planted a bunch of them last fall, never tried'em. There is also Arisarum proboscidium (I'll edit for spelling...) and Dracunculus. I've not tried the mousetail plant, but I' have a few Drac.

Kaylee, I think yours will come back a bit smaller the first year as it establishes.
(I just found an old thread in the FL forum with tons of pictures of glass garden art.)

Kenton

This message was edited Dec 23, 2005 11:00 AM

One

Two

and Three. Spring of 2003. They bloomed with the scilla.

This message was edited Dec 23, 2005 11:12 AM

Great pics, Kenton! Mine looked like your first picture.

I have trillium that I dug from a different woods just down the road. I'd never seen them before (this was last spring) and the whole woods floor was covered with them!

Glass art in gardens............mmmmmmmmmmm!!! :-)

Kylee

Oh rats! I sent an email to Country Road DL and Amaryllis and Vonda responded they're not shipping amaryllis this year. too bad, she carried a great selection last year.

Oh sorry. I knew Vonda wasn't shipping amarylli in Nov, but forgot the name of her business or I would have posted that. Oops. I got 2 papilios from her last year. What did you get?

I've never actually seen a Trillium. How sad is that? Who else has grown them? Any luck and what species?

I wonder if this thread will be going in spring when more things are blooming...
Part three or something? We've had a warm week or so and I've three galanthus with buds. Spring isn't too far, I think we will live through this winter. I just wish Select seeds would send out their catalogue so that I could plan better. B&Bs Catalogue will be out in February...

Anyone else waiting for bulb catalogues? Or orders even? And what do you hope most hopefully will be in those catalogues that you so direly need?

I grow trillium. Here's Wake Robin.

Trillium luteum.

Trillium cuneatum. Hope to get more next year from the New England Wildflower Society.

There are some really cool Arismaema species, especially some of the Japanese varieties, that I'm really wanting to play with. The native ones pop up all over (and trillium to), so I'm constantly moving them so they don't get mowed. I've had great luck moving them, especially in fall or early spring. They do come back a little smaller the first year after moving, but seem fine after that. There are a couple of big ones (3' tall!) that I put a garden around and left in place; I'm wondering how big they will get.

Have any of you ever had a reaction after handling freesia bulbs? Last week I removed all the header cards and bags from the bulbs to save space and my arms and neck started burning and itching. I'd handled several types of bulbs that night, so I did'nt know what caused it. A couple of benodryl cleared it up. Then a few days ago I bagged some more up, touched my face, and was on fire! This time I only handled freesia. Just curious if the bulbs may be treated with a chemical or if they're known to cause skin irritation. I handle cut freesia a lot but have never noticed a reaction.
Neal.

boojum, that third one looks like my trillium.

Neal- so sorry to hear about your reaction. I do have some issues with allergies but no reaction to
those Freesias! I did handle them a bit too. Might be you've developed a sensitivity to them (or something
on them). I keep a big box of disposable gloves on hand. I use them to weed or plant when I need
great dexterity but don't want to get dirty hands. You might try them before handling those freesias again.

Kenton - I have a great picture of Trillium Grandiflorum(sp?) at home. I'm at my brother's place for the
holidays but I'll post when I get home in a few days. Really pretty.

Merry Christmas to all my friends !!
Neal !! WOW, that is an incredible box of surprises !! We really love all of them. I can't wait until tomrrow to start planting !! I am going to put some of the gazillions of freesia you sent into a brick garbage rack that we filled with dirt and potting soil last year. Last year it had a few glaminis (mini glads), Mediterranean bells, daffies and a few paperwhites. A couple dozen freezias there will be perfect. What a great assortment Thank you again !!
I have to tell ya'll I have gotten an education from this Thread. I did not know the botanical names for so many bulbs, but after "hearing" certain posts and seeing those great pictures I have become very well acquainted with Plantfiles, lol. This is a wonderful new Winter project for me, to learn their formal names. thanks for the pictures Boojum and Kenton.
I just can't wait to return to Biltmore in early May. Maybe we all ought to plan a trip to meet ? There are lots of other hotels close by and another arboretum.
The trillium are beautiful and very interesting plants. Wonder how they would do in Zone 8? I have 3 different varieties of Dranunculas from a trade earlier this year. I am anxiuous to get them started.
God bless everyone, Margo

Did you have Hyacinths in the same box with the Freesia's?

I did'nt have any hyacinths in the same box, but have had them around with the rest of the bulbs. The first time I had handled all kinds, so I had no idea the cause. But the next time freesia was the only thing I handled. I'm thinking they may have been treated with something. The reaction was immediate and short lived, thank goodness.

Margo, you are so welcome! I'm so glad you like the assortment. Thalia is my favorite daffodil-white, 3 blooms to a stem, and wonderfully fragrant. They have a grace not found in many other daffs, and remind me of butterflies in a breeze.
Neal.

Neal - I just love thalia too! And hawera are also another of my favorites.

Neal, sorry to hear about that. Glad you can avoid it now. I sometimes get itchy when handling late bulbs, and when this happens I always find tiny bugs starting on the bulbs.

Boojum, is the first Trillium T erectum? Those are perfect specimens. Do you know what makes T. sessile different from T. cuneatum?

Margo! Threee kinds of Drac!? I thought that there were only two species ot the genus, and only one cultivated at that! Wow.

I say that we should start a new thread at the blooming of someone's first galanthus, eh?
Kenton

Kenton, my error ! These are the three I was referring to but it appears one is not a Drac. They were a gift from a DG friend for some cuttings of Brugmansias. So sorry for the confusion. Perhaps related in some way. If you would like the name of person that provided these or pictures they forwarded me in an DMail, dmail me and I send them to you. God bless, Margo

Amorphophallus Konjak
Amorphophallus Bulbifer
Typhonium Bulbifer

A quote from the generous trader that sent me my bulbs. I can't wait to grow them out.

"Amorphophallus Bulbifer... This is a neat plant. Most voodoo lilies produce offsets from the growing bulb under the soil. This one, however, produces little bulbs on top of the leaves
I also put in some Typhonium venosum tubers... These are a relative of A. konjac .. another smaller stinky flower.. very pretty"

Thanks, Margo. I know those fellas. You will enjoy them. Typhonium underwent a name change to Sauromatum guttatum
(http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2055/index.html)

You may have been asked before; but what, pray, is the meaning of the alphabet soup that is your screen-name?

Kenton (James) Seth

This message was edited Dec 28, 2005 12:26 AM

Kenton,
I think my red trillium is t. cernuum (nodding). I don't have any pics looking erect.

I found this info on t. cuneatum vs t. sessile:
There are two Trilliums known as Toadshade or Toad Trillium. Both have molted, stalkless leaves and maroon or sometimes greenish petals and are usually less than 30cm (1') high. The flowers are not stalked. T. sessile is the smaller of the two with leaves only to about 7.5cm (3") long and flowers to 4cm (1.5"). It is common in the midwest and as far east as western New York and as far south as Georgia.
T. cuneatum has leaves to 15cm (6") long and petals to 7.5cm (3") long. It is common from Kentucky and North Carolina south to Florida.
Similar Species: T. luteum is very much like T. cuneatum except for having bright yellow or green petals and more molted leaves.

Kenton, I am not very creative. jlmmkm is my DH and my initials. This is the same nic I use on EBay, I try to keep things simple, lol. I had thought about a name change but I think it might provide too much confusion.
Thanks for the update on the new name. These are the only unusual bulbs I have at the moment. I would love to expand that part of my garden more this Spring. I didn't know there were so many varieties of Jack in the pulpit.. Are they "easy" plants or do they need a lot of attention? This thread has been a wealth of information. Thanks so much :))
The pictures on the thread you led me to on plantfiles are great. Thank you for that. These bulbs appear to need very little soil and from the comments, they must multiply quickly ? This is going to be a fun Summer !
God bless, Margo

Thanks for the concise info, Boojum.

Margo, They (those three spp.) are fairly easy if you have the right spot for them. I think that they might overwinter where you are. (I'm testing Sauromatum outside here) They like a bright, well-drained spot with gobs of humus. The drainage is essential (as you might have noticed the amorphophallus corms have a 'dip' in the middle that is prone to catching water, so plant them sideways!). They benefit from a stupid amount of fertilizer. That seems to be the trick to their fast growth. I think that they will ike your SC humidity.

They come up late in the spring/summer, each bulb has one leaf, (usually) and they will bloom once every few years.

Araceae (Jack-in-the-pulpit) family is huge as far as species. It has the elegant Zantedeschia (calla lilies) and the gargantuan world-record Amorphophallus titanum. The family does have it's few commonly pretty things, but it is very rich with plants that are beautiful in design, plants that are certainly not that knock-em-down effect of mass plantings of petunias, but of a more attention-holding intellectually stimulating sensibility.

Did anyone else get Wayside and Park's Catalogues. They got pricy this year. I have been hovering over that Zant. 'Captain Chelsea.'..

(http://www.waysidegardens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10151&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=8508&PrevMainPage=advsearchresults&scChannel=Popular%20Search%20Main&SearchText=p16.v223;p24.v269&OfferCode=S3H)

There is a trend in Zant. breeding for bicolors, particularly purple-on-gold.
What do you think about that?

Kenton

Kenton, I recently read (on DG I think) that the colored calla lilies will not bloom after the first year. Do you know anything about that?

Simply not true.

They may not bloom if a person mistreats them, of course!
I have had certain Zant. bulbs for years. They divide themselves and when they are a certain size, them bloom every year afterward.

That's good to know. Thanks!

NoH2O, I had read that too and was concerned since I recently got some flame and some pink from Flowersareforme on ebay. Wonder if I will see flowers this spring.

Vossner, have you grown callas previously? I have a real hard time getting mine to bloom in our climate, yet I have a neighbor (not one I know!) who gets huge blooms all the time. They are the full size not the minis.

Any ideas??

I've heard they need bog conditions most of the winter and a dry summer but I don't know!!

Thanks!

I have calla lilies I bought at the end of season sale from Van Engelens.
Simple white ones. I've had them for years (maybe 4-5). I left a huge
clump outside fall '04 and they thrived this past summer. Zone 6! They
love it in that very very boggy spot.

Tam

Tammy, that is such exciting news! Yours sound like Z. aethiopica-tall white with arrowhead shaped, glossy, solid green leaves. I ended up with 25 of those from the Lowes booty, so with this enlightenment, I think I will use those at the base of the "hill of my discontent", where it's always boggy from the springs. Elephant ears loved it there, so the callas should be equally happy.

Kenton, I've been eyeing Captain Chelsea to, and the jury is still out on it. I still like Naomi Campbell much better and need to aquire that first. Just wish I could find it for a better price.

almcfarla, I thought it was opposite; boggy in summer and dry in winter, but that's for my zone. If they're more of a winter/spring bloomer for you, that may indeed be the case. Mine bloomed in early summer, and when the drought and heat hit started going dormant, even though I was watering a lot. Then I had a lot of rot issues, so maybe dryer would have been better. Hmmmm.
Neal.

Kenton - here's a trio of trilliums! Trillium Grandiflora.

My mom ordered a bunch of bulbs from Brecks. They shipped on
Nov 17 (she ordered them months earlier). She emailed them
on Nov 15 to tell them don't bother - but they "had already shipped".
I left her the anemone's thinking they'd survive but took the galathus
and fritilaria with me. I'm hoping its warm enough here to plant them
tomorrow. I told her if she couldn't get a refund, I'd buy her new ones
next year.

Oh - it might just be possible to plant tomorrow. It was 52F when I
got home this afternoon & no snow on my south-facing rocky hillside.
And NO WAY to plant at mom's - she's only 170mi west but in the
mountains and lots colder there!

That is grand, Tammy. Have you added that story to PlantFiles?

It is my understinding that the white Calla needs cooler weather (generally) to bloom. (thus the name "Winter Calla.") It is always too hot here just as they are ripe for flowers. A friend is getting buds on hers grown in the window sill (cool) this time of year. A dry (hot) winter is what they often experience in South Africa, but the same has been acheived with cold, wet, winters. (Thanks, Brits.) Now they grow in Oregon during spring until mid summer, blooming is a cool spring/early summer. A hot late summer will put them dormant.

So, I use "Summer Callas." (Not Z. aethiopica.)
Neal, it is my humble opinion that Naomi stinks. Pretty weak grower, I think. I have grown too many others that were better to spend any more time on it. Just for kicks, I think I will get Captain Chelsea. The captain series was designed ot have big flowers on small plants, which may or may not be the case. I'll D-mail you.

Kenton

-Thanks for that classy picture, Tammy. I hope mine grows! Good luck on the winter planting. I happen not to like Brecks.

Yeah, Breck's does have trouble like that with shipping dates from time to time. They messed me up with a big order of daffs a couple of years ago... They sent 60 more replacement bulbs (for the ones that almost survived Feb trench planting followed by transplanting after they'd bloomed) this fall, so they made good on their guarantee, but it's been a nuissance, not to mention how odd the half-filled daffy bed looked.

I know I've said I'm done.... but I haven't gone around yet to see if there are any bargain amaryllis bulbs that desperately want to come home with me! I'm going to have a bunch of late winter amaryllis blooms, I think!