First Blooms

Tamara - Your link above took me to an empty page. (Just thought I'd let you know.) I love your photo of the ice and budding Snowdrops! How pretty! I can't imagine any plant coming up when there is still ice on the ground! Brrrrr .... Of course, I haven't seen snow in over 40 years (since I was a wee little girl). What else are you expecting to pop up soon in your garden?

Steve - I will certainly check into the tazetta daffodils. Are there in red tulips that would do well in warm climates? I noticed the ones listed from the web links that Wallaby posted show white and red flowering tulips. I didn't see any solid red ones that were good to grow in a warm zone. I am so enjoying my solid bright red tulips!!!

becky Electra is bright red, and double and strongly scented of honey and beeswax. It's a dwarf so could be successful.

Mine are just showing now, but this older pic shows them in th hosta bed, some are better than others but they are slowly increasing. They also last a long time.

Oh poop! If you go to my journal, and look under "Bulbs" in the 2007 journal, that is what I was trying to show you. Isn't it awesome how things can grow in seemingly impossible circumstances?! Those snowdrops are always such a nice sight because it marks the beginning of the growing season for me. :-) Tamara

Wallaby1 - Ooooh .... love the look of those red dwarf tulips! Lovely!!!! You are in zone 8a, so they would probably grow okay for me in zone 9b, do you suppose? Electra Tulip - Is that the name they go by? Was this variety listed in the web links you listed? I don't remember seeing this one.

Tamara - So are your Snowdrops better judges of the coming of Spring than the Groundhog? I am wondering how much longer until Spring is officially here? Must make your heart flutter a little to see them popping up through the ground and snow.

It's worth a try becky! Electra is mentioned in the two links I posted but I don't see it around for sale much, I got mine at the local Garden centre.

In division 2

http://www.elegant-tulip-bulbs.com/tulip-garden.html

John Scheepers has it listed in Heirloom bulbs so they may have it

http://www.johnscheepers.com/tips_b.html

Becky, I trust my plants over Phil anyday! ;-) Tamara

Wallaby1 - I checked the websites and their links to find the Tulip - "Electra" and no one has it currently. Probably sold out for this year.

Tamara - How soon after you see the Snowdrops does Spring arrive?

Well, I'd say about a month or so. Of course, with the weather being so screwy these days, who knows? However, it must not be too far away since I noticed that I have some crocus peeking up and some daffodils as well. TAmara

becky, you might not find Electra, but autumn catalogues won't be out for a while.

My snowdrops haven't lasted very long this year, last year it was very cold and they went on forever, I don't really want colder weather though!

Tamara, if your crocus are peeking now they shouldn't take long.

The sun shone today, the crocus were wide open and lots of them, I keep thinking they must deteriorate as some of the species have done but they must be in a better place. With increasing so much and setting seed eventually I will have to split them, for now I just enjoy! The Tete-a-tete behind the purple crocus are looking better this year too, I have a bunch in a drier spot which have grown very well.

The primroses, my own natural cross I grew from seed off P x beesiana, are doing really well. The flowers are all different shades, I can see where the crosses came from, but these flowers are huge.

The bright red primrose with yellow throat at the back looks to be from a Polyanthus I have, which has taller stems with multiple flowers, same colour flowers

Some of them have a little picotee edging, I have a bright pink one elsewhere which has that, a bought plant which has returned for a few years but is never robust. It seems to have characteristics from about 3 different plants, don't know if that's possible. I have an old type which has large leaves and taller flower in shades of dark to light old fashioned pink, it is fairly robust but not as early as these. The plant is quite large.

The purple ones are all along the edge of one of the large curved beds, a mix of white, purple/blues and striped along the other. They are directly visible from the kitchen window.

Some on the other side

Oh, those are just gorgeous!!!! You've made me drool for spring even more! ;-) Tamara

I've been so enjoying everyone's spring flowers!
Wallaby: Your garden is so wonderful. I plantede Tete-a-tete for the first time this season. Mine are only showing about 3" of green at the moment. So far I have a couple of daffs and narcissus, some spring snowflakes, and grape hyacinths. Oh - and one little bearded iris.

Here's narcissus "avalanche", not quite in full cascade mode, but getting there. :)

Deb

I think my grape hyacinths are much later, that's strange, I have pics of some in flower in late April.

Tete-a-tete is normally early, but yours may need to get established first. Is Avalanche scented?

These Tete-a-tete are around a foot tall, and have multiplied well, I think they like their spot which is drier in the summer.

Wallaby: My grape hyacinths are normally later, too. I should've said, there are only a couple actually blooming now. A couple of mavericks!
And yes, Avalanche does have a nice fragrance.

Here's the other narcissus blooming now for me: "Little Gem". So cute. Only about 6" tall.

Deb

Avalanche is not really scented down here Janet. They bloom for me in late Jan--the 1st narcissus to bloom. In fact, they are going dormant already but are very reliable repeat bloomers and since they bloom so early it makes them worth growing. My other species have just started blooming in the last week to two weeks. Avalanche is a real old variety more often referred to as "17 sisters" down here. This is from last week in Jan. Bloomed unfazed thru 2 hard freezes. They are predicting another freeze tonight (with high winds earlier today)--I shall be busy hauling in all those bulb seedlings as soon as the sun gets up prior to the wind. Also need to pull in some rain lilies for orders so I don't have to freeze my hands off early tomorrow morning. Then maybe I can go back to sleep....

DeninSC that's a real cutie! Reliable rebloomer out your way? There's only about 6 or 7 species that do really well here. Others work for a few years but eventually die out for me. Avalance, bulbocodium sbsp bulbocodium and any bulbocodium hybrids, Gran Primo, and one called 'Texas Star' probably being amongst the best. I have one given to me by my mom about 14 years ago that is a very reliable rebloomer but I'll be darned if I know what variety it is. Looks like yours but is full sized. Daff's I'm not real up on identifying except the ones that do well here. A few of the jonquils are also reliable here too. Now I do have about 60 LA Iris I can show you in a few weeks--lol--with all our El Nino rain this winter, they should be fabulous.

This message was edited Mar 3, 2007 5:51 AM

Avalanche certainly has great form, and strong looking leaves too. Little Gem I have seen for sale here but as yet haven't got any, larger flowers than Tete-a-tete on short stems.

Someone posted a Narcissus for ID not long ago, in TX, it looked like N. jonquilla minor, reed-like foliage. I found an article about how they have naturalised there.

http://www.plantanswers.com/arcadia_pages/Narcissus%20jonquilla.htm

The species crocus were opening nicely in the sun too, C sieberi tricolor

That article has been around for a long while. They all do well around here but they have some of their nomenclature wrong or rather its been updated since that article was posted.

Dmj: I'm defnitely waiting to see your La. iris!

This is the first year I've planted Avalanche and Little Gem, but if they do this well every year, I'll be very happy. They do seem very hardy, as you say, survived some nasty freezing in Feb. The only Daff I can say returns reliable for me is 'Ice Follies", but I've tried this year for the first time "Einstein" and "Carlton" which - I had read - supposedly do well in the south. We'll see!

Wallaby: You have the proverbial green fingers! :)

Deb
(Pic is Ice Follies)

I see Avalanche being offered here for spring planting, flowering in 8 weeks, Erlicheer is another, they call them summer flowering. Latest developments in horticulture, but I imagine the bulb will revert to the proper time if it lives.

http://www.spaldingbulb.co.uk/Catalog/Productdetail.aspx?parentcategoryname=6&selectedcategoryname=13&productid=0223

Debin you should be able to grow daffs in your zone to return, they are mostly quite hardy and should be planted deep. Try some of the varieties that have been around for years and proven, some of the newer ones may not do so well, I think a lot are subject to disease. Ice follies always looks good, and lasts well.

N. triandrus Thalia increases well for me, Jetfire is also doing well.

http://www.tulipworld.com/tulip.asp?contentloc=/product/productcard.asp%3Fproductid%3D902

N Jetfire

http://www.tulipworld.com/tulip.asp?contentloc=/product/productcard.asp%3Fproductid%3D800

My blue Hyacinth is opening as skinny as it is, the Pink Queen is getting there and also making a lot more offsets, I took some small offsets off and planted them in a pot to grow on, and they made more! This is going to be a prolific Hyacinth!

Wallaby1, I so love primula, and I can see a few leaves emerging. I grow the yellow cowslip ones along the banks of my brook in Vt as well as a tall dark red one. They are splendid. Here on Nantucket, I grow poker and planted last fall a hose in hose blue and green lace. I see a new splashy blue called Tie dye in some not so reputable catalogs, but I will wait to see it in person. There is a speciality grower in New Hampshire that I hope to visit this spring. I also have some that were given to us as house plants that I then planted out, a pale yellows and several blue/violet ones. They have survived but not thrived. I have started seeds for gold lace. I love your bright red one and so admire you for doing your own crosses. My snow drops have been very long lasting this year. Could you take a look at my post http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/698381/ and tell me which it is. No crocus yet. I just have a couple of Kathryn Hodgkin at my spring party so far.

Deb, I planted last fall narcissus "avalanche", and, now, seeing your picture, I am so glad I did. It has a wonderful form. Cute as a button! Zone envy here.
Patti

Patti, my primrose was pollinated by the bees, I expected a candelabra as the seeds came from one, it was P x beesiana, who knows what parentage is in that but it obviously crossed with others I have, it was bronze on yellow! I just grew the seeds, that isn't always very successful but I got a few, and to great success!

The Tie Die one I have seen seeds for sale, I am wary of buying seeds as I have done that and they don't grow, my guess is they are old seed, fresh seed I have grown myself from primulas always grows. It's an old fashioned one, I think T&M have had it. I looked in their catalogue, they have a mix of striped colours calling them Discovering Stripes mixed'.

Wallaby: That Thalia is beautiful! Just added it and Jetfire to my list. :) Thanks for the info.

My Tete a Tete's are shooting up and a few now have buds. Maybe I'll have flowers by the weekend!
I've also got Iris Cristata for the first time. They're up but a ways from bloom yet.
My blue hyacinths is very "skinny" this year, too. Not sure why - but it's still pretty and smells wonderfull.

Deb

Wallaby1, is this what you call a candelabra? This was taken last May 9th in Vermont. I have a dark red with a yellow eye which is similar, but no photo. They have spread into nice big patches. I hope you are right about the seed being easy, but I doubt mine are very fresh. I am still plowing through the snowdrop sites. Judy's snowdrops has a very close match, http://www.judyssnowdrops.co.uk/Plant_Profiles/plicatus/patricia_ann/patricia_ann.htm plicatus , but maybe I want it to be that one as that is my name. My plant only puts up one stalk, it was a bad photo. Thank you for all your help. I love these little guys, but must admit I never really studied one and I certainly didn't know that they were so many. Patti

Wow! I gotta tell ya ..... all your photographed flowers are just stunning! Makes me drool! I bet many of those I couldn't grow here because of the heat. Lucky y'all! Thanks for getting me ready to do the Spring sowing. (Which is now in my area.)

Patti, Candelabra Primulas have more than one 'ring' of flowers up the stem, mine was actually P. x bulleesiana,

http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/image?query=%27primula+x+bullesiana%27&isinit=true

so you see how funny it is to get what I got! Yours looks very happy, pretty daff too! Did you see the pic I posted later of the snowdrop, Fred's Giant?

beck, we have zone envy too!

Deb, my Thalia is growing now but here is a shot from last year, I planted them in groups of three and they have now taken off. I think I started with 10 bulbs.

Wallaby: They're beautiful. Delicate - like orchids. I want some! :)
Deb

Becky, like you I live in a warm-winter zone (San Francisco Bay Area, with 3-7 frost days/yr) and here are the spring bulbs that I've used that you can leave in the ground and they will return reliably:

Freesias
Squill
Bearded iris
Daffodils
Narcissus
Callas (here they are evergreen in a cool spot and bloom year round, which they probably do for you as well)

I've never gotten tulips or reticulated iris to return, although I have tried several times.

They are best treated as annuals in our climates, and planted in pots. If you dig up your tulips and chill them, make sure you keep them away from produce such as onions, which will make them rot. Most people don't consider it worth the trouble, particularly since you have to chill them around the holidays, when the frig is usually way too full anyway!

My first tulips. This is the first year we've planted them, and did so in pots. it's great to go out in the day and see who's coming up next.

Why thank you, jkom51! I appreciate your list of bulbs that you have successfully left in the ground from year to year in your area! I have Freesias, Callas, and Narcissus along with Crocosmia that have come back 2 years in a row. And a couple of them have been sitting in the same container that I bought them in originally. I bet they would love to be set "free" into the ground somewhere to spread and probably bloom even more. Thanks for the suggestions. I really appreciate it!

Do you have any luck with Gladiolus?

SacValley - Your yellow tulips are beautiful! :-)

SacValley: Your tulips are at the perfect stage to be squirrel food if they were in my yard! :) Of course, I can't get tulips to come back here either. I'm considering getting one of those little fridges to keep in the garage for chilling bulbs. I haven't had much luck yet with many iris returning either, other than Lousiana's which seem to love it here.

Jkom/Becky: My freesias have buds now. Their 3rd year. They always die out totally as soon as it warms up. Is that the same for you?

Becky: Where do you have your crocosmia? Mine have come up for 2 years but only one of about 20 has bloomed. Hoping this year will be different. Any tips?

Deb

DebinSC - Advice for growing Freesia? LOL!

Honestly? Abuse. Severe abuse.
I bought the plant in a typical 1 gallon nursery container over a year ago. It bloomed beautifully and then died back from the summer heat. I did NOTHING to it. Put it aside in a partially shaded area. Forgot about it. And then found it again two months ago. Moved it to a full sun location. Watered it and SURPRISE! It is blooming like crazy again. Go figure. I think I may have thrown in some Osmocote fertilizer. Same soil which I am sure is pretty depleted from last year when I originally purchased this plant. I guess I need to plant it in my garden bed somewhere after the blooms stop. I figured it was dead and was going to reuse the pot. Set it out to re-use and the rain probably started the growth in the pot, so decided to see whether it would bloom again. Sure enough! Great plant!!!! Definitely a keeper for my garden. Obviously hardy! Don't fuss over this one! LOL!

Deb, Crocosmia will grow one corm on top of another, and should be lifted, the new top corm taken off, and replanted every 2 to 3 years. Yours haven't been in that long, are they deep enough? 4 or 5" deep, soil should be rich and light, moist but not wet. No food is necessary unless the soil is poor, organic matter usually is good.

Nice tulips Sac!

Wallaby: The 'rich and light' soil thing may be my problem with Crocosmia. I have clay soil, although I did mix in some organic stuff when I planted them originally, it was probably not enough. Thanks for the info about lifting the top corms, because I've read so many times that they "hate to be disturbed". Perhaps mine need to be disturbed and put in better soil if they don't bloom this year. :>

Deb

Deb, Glad I don't have a squirrel, I'd be mighty upset. Your ice follies are wonderful.
i'm in total agreement w/becky; I put my fressia in my rock garden. I got'em from the "dead plant" rack at HD; figured for .50 it could worth the investment! They've been loyal ever since.
Our Home Depot doesn't water plants after they arrive; management says it's not worth the wage.
All the flower photos are so beautiful; thank you everyone.

Deb, add some sand too, that will help drainage.

My Jetfire are starting to open, I have 3 so far, the purple crocus in front of them would still be in full bloom if the hail hadn't knocked them flat!. They were slow to develop but once they took off they have done well. The cup starts a little deeper yellow than the petals, then gradually turns an orange colour, they are long lasting too.

Here's one from last year, you must grow this one!

Wallaby: Beautiful! Jetfire is on my want list.
Came across the first Tete a Tete bloom this evening. Too dark to get a picture tho. Maybe tomorrow. :)
Deb

I grow a lot of freesia's; laxa's (blue, white, red, 'Joan Evan's) leichtlini, fucata, and refracta. The freesia laxa blue, red, and leichtlini all have buds now. I even winter sowed some and they are up and doing great (despite 5 freezes and almost total neglect).

Here's a native CA Triteleia laxa--blooming now. Much appreciated as only Ipheions and narcissus are blooming now.