First Blooms

if triteleia laxa aka brodiaea? I just planted some bulbs of this. Hope it's not too late.

This particular strain is not--it is a Triteleia, Vossner. Here is a link to the differences (at the top). :)
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Brodiaea


They are winter growers and spring bloomers here. Diane's (Telos) has the best varieties, in my opinion. I've also got some in a north exposure that's still in complete shade. They are growing well, but they won't bloom probably until the sun starts hitting them in a week or two. I think this is a slightly larger pic--I've had trouble capturing the true color in a pic--they are really purplish not light blue like many of the Triteleia's. Well maybe its not much bigger. I'm definitely getting more next fall; I really like them and I love the early bloom. They have been blooming now for 2 weeks. I have some in another location (same strain) and they have been blooming longer. I also have another variety, but like I said, they are in the shade and not blooming yet.

Not too many people in southeast Texas try these, but obviously they have survived a lot of rain and 5 hard freezes here.

This message was edited Mar 7, 2007 8:00 PM

If only the daffs in this bed were blooming now. My blue;s are lonely for yellows!
Deb

ooooh, those are a pretty color, DebinSC! That's the one color I don't have very much of in my garden. I have mostly red, yellow, and purple flowering plants. So pretty!

Beautiful flowers everyone - I have had to work tons of hours so no time to post here! Wallaby, love your crocuses as usual......

Here are some blue hyacinths....

And some "Popeye" narcissus from WFF - my gardenia bush is dying though :-(

More hyacinths

Some tulips

Thanks Steve. I can almost smell the Hyancinths from here!
Deb

And St Keverne narcissus

Thanks Deb - I like your "Ice Follies" - that is a good variety for the south as well, as is St Keverne. I got those from OHG and they supposedly do very well in our climates. I planted St Keverne last year (fall 2005) at my old house and hope they're doing well....I sold it though and got a new place! I drove by a week or two ago and there were lots of daffs blooming....I'll have to see how it looks this week.

Oooh are those tulips 'Ollioules' ? I planted those and now I can't wait until mine come up, because yours are so beautiful!

I really enjoyed seeing all of your wonderful spring bulb pictures. Isn't quite spring here. Got up to 60 degrees for one day a couple of days ago. Today in mid-40s and very windy.

I do have one photo to share. Late last summer I planted a few forced bulbs outside. And lo and behold some are beginning to bloom. Usually I don't bother to plant most bulbs that have been forced. Here is the first Iris reticulata.

DonnaS

I have 2 Crocus heuffelianus' open, their first year. They don't have the strong blue tips but are nice, I discovered on a site here there is a named form that has the dark blue tips Dark Eyes, I want blue tips!!!!!!!!

I really must order from this guy some time, I bought a plant off ebay from him once, he has some great stuff.

http://www.adhocplants.com/page28.html

DebinSC that is a lovely deep blue Muscari, and Steve you have some nice blue Hyacinths, dmj you have blue, rutholive a lovely deep purple, they always surprise don't they, and I have blue! Popular colour!

This one will be red, Fritillaria imperialis rubra. First one I have grown, it hasn't been up for long and it's racing!

Wallaby: I have an obsession with blue for the garden. This year I decided to indulge and organize this madness and I'm planting a "blue bed". If all goes as planned, I should O.D. on blue by mid June! :->

Love your little crocus. I've never had luck with them for some reason - our winter may be too short.
And Ruth: the color of that iris. Wowie.

Deb

A few of the bulbs that are blooming

next

Just one more.There are loads of snow drops (rescued) from empty lots before building started.Also lots of varieties of daffs blooming from the end of Jan until April.

Those look like the tulip Lady Jane which I didn't buy last year. Darn. Patti

Downscale: Do your tulips return for you? Do you chill them? They're very pretty!
Deb

wallaby, do you always grow Fritillaria in pots. I planted a lot of them a few years ago from B & B but most did not grow, don't know what i did wrong.

Donna

Wallaby_1 and Donna, I too ordered a lot of different frits last fall. I have always loved them though I do recall a foul odor from some of them when I visited a beautiful garden years ago. When the order came in Oct, we were in Switzerland and our dog sitter put the box in an empty guest rm closet. When I returned, I thought there was a skunk in that room (no skunks on Nantucket) until I opened the door and realized it was the bulbs. I planted them a good ways away from any door. I can't wait. Here is what I ordered. I have always had meleagis but added more this fall.
Fritillaria elwesii Fritillaria pallidiflora Fritillaria meleagris Fritillaria raddeana Fritillaria ponica Fritillaria persica
Fritillaria acmopetala Fritillaria Lutea Maxima Patti

Frits can be difficult, some need very exact growing conditions. I have had one before, F. persica, which grew one year with no flowers then disappeared. I think I have heard in the past that F.imperialis is best grown next to a fence, maybe where it is sheltered from too much water.

I decided to start it in a pot, as anything that is 'iffy' generally does very well in my compost in a greenhouse. Once it has renewed itself, and perhaps made offsets, I will try some outside with plenty of compost in the hole. That pot is a large one, I don't use added food, just my own compost. I smell an onion scent when I go anywhere near it, I'm not sure if it is that, but don't know what what else it can be. Today I can see the bells between the leaves.

I have a few F. persica I grew from seed, only 5 out of a dozen have reappeared but they look good so they may be more successfull, I left them in their original seed pot outside for the winter!

I also have a F. acmopetala, I thought it had disappeared but is growing lots of offsets, it didn't grow last year! It's still in a pot in the greenhouse. This year I'm waiting on F. recurva from seed, I hope it grows, it is gorgeous! There are so many I would love to try, but they are expensive and I need to do it slowly, preferably by seed or ones. Good luck with yours Patti!

Today I have a new to me Narcissus Sealing Wax, and I have grown these in a pot too but outside under the tree. When they start to deteriorate in pots, or have increased, and when I get around to it, I plant them in the ground. I think some that would disappear if put in the ground for a start will renew themselves in good compost and grow on when placed in the ground.

I have a couple of clumps of melaegis, but no sign of them yet.

Here is a photo I just took of a clump of pretty yellow crocus. The darn bunnies have eaten many of the other crocus buds.

Donna

Deb

These are species tulips and they do return.This year I ordered from the Columbia SC garden sale and from some others at the very end of the season.I imagine that they were chilled until shipping.

Other tulips do not come back for me.Try the species.You will be happy.

Nancy

Those are painted lady, aren't they?

The tulips look like T clusiana, one I don't have yet but have my eye on, I like them.

http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/image?query=%27tulipa+clusiana%27

Nice bunch of crocus rutholive, I didn't know bunnies ate them, perhaps they like certain colours, yellow not included!

Calla's are blooming.

Says she casually! I'm about to plant my new ones, in the greenhouse! The others haven't even started to grow yet, but I have a couple inside which are growing.

OK, you have warm weather, and they look great! Any name?

Rubylite Rose--one of Pacific Calla's wholesale varieties. They are the only ones anywhere near flowering--I think its because they are so short. I started them in quarts but put them out next to the LA Iris' about 3 weeks ago because it looks like green Iris fields forever out there--couple of weeks off for them to start blooming. But they should do really well this year, all this El Nino rain. Really need some rain now, haven't had a drop in 2 weeks; but supposed to thunderstorm tonight.

Thanks, Nancy. I'll start looking for them!
Dmj: 'Bout your callas, one word: Ooooohh! :)

Here's my first freesia bloom..and just barely open.

Deb

Nice Freesia! I love them...I have buds on Freesia laxa and F leichtlini--but should be maybe tomorrow or Tuesday before they open.

Daffodil "Sweet Sue", also just barely open. Should be really nice once it's a bit further along.

D: I don't even know what variety of freesia mine are. I got 'em as a gift in a tiny pot. They never bloomed 'til I put them out doors in a big old pot with under a Meyer lemon. When the two bloom together, the freesia scent gets lost in the lemon's. I really need to move them.

Deb

Wow, Callas already - mine haven't even been delivered yet!! Love those yellow crocus Donna - I am going to have to plant some crocus next fall.

Nancy, I agree with Wallaby those do look like Clusianas - I think I will try some of them as well. Large varieties of species tulips can be hard to find at most of the major sites.

Here are some Vuurbaak hyacinths I got from my old trusty OHG.

And some narcissus...wish I had some green grass as a backdrop but this stuff does not come out of dormancy until April!!

Steve, love your hyacinths. i can just see the noses of mine poking through.

Donna

T Clusiana is right wallaby and steve

I bought most of the species tulips at a garden sale in Columbia SC.They are the only ones that will come back for us in the heat and humidity.Other varieties have not bloomed yet.I will post pics when they do.

Forsythia in bloom and beautiful now!

Street name (or the name you will often find the tulip sold under) is Painted Lady.

Wow Janet! That is yellow and beautiful.

Something else blue; a native Sisyrinchium from Florida, nearly quadrupled in size over the winter with all our rains. Happily growing amongst the weeds--where it shall remain amongst the weeds for a while longer. That bed is full of Lycoris and Narcissus in the process of going to sleep. Much easier to weed in a couple of weeks.

This message was edited Mar 11, 2007 4:54 PM