Early Summer bulbs

Hymenocallis or Ismeme, sometimes called Peruvian Daffodil or Spiderflower

Zephyranthes

Camassia

Ixiolirion

Hosta

Fantastic photos!

thanks peckhaus

Does the plants die off once they have bloomed or are they continuous bloomers? They are all beautiful!

Also does the Zephyranthes also go by the name Rain Lily? If so, I am surprised there is no foliage. Beautiful!!!

beckyg,
the Camassia and Ixiolirion have just about called it a season, their foliage will persist but a while then disappear till next spring. The Hosta is a big leafed variety usually grown for it's foliage anyway; it'll flower for a while but the foliage will persist till frost cuts it down till next season. The Peruvian Daff is in a large box with multiple siblings, they'll bloom through June. The foliage will be allowed to persist till fall to build reserves for next year's flowering. The box will be stored overwinter in basement. Zephyranthes or Rain lily will bloom periodically through the summer. After this initial bloom burst the foliage will appear. They too are over-wintered in the basement.

beckyg --- That picture is breathtaking! Magnificent flower. I must grow them but will they survive outside in zone 10? Please confirm the name of the plant? Just beautiful.....

Thanks, jmorth! All your info is very helpful! I am growing Rain Lilies and the Peruvian Daff for the first time this year. I am hoping to see some blooms. I have had only foliage on the Rain Lilies since last Fall.

Tplant - You are addressing the wrong person. The Peruvian Lilies should grow in your zone because mine is growing and I am only a zone cooler than you!

This message was edited Jun 5, 2007 11:02 AM

jmorth--your photos are wonderful. Thanks for posting them!

Do you get a pretty good return bloom on your white cammasia?

Tabasco,
Not sure what you mean, but I suspect the answer is in the affirmative. Behind the white camassia is a stand of the blue which bloomed earlier and their presentation was ok but not exactly stellar. The white were planted last fall and I'd actually forgotten about them when one day last month I happened upon them opening those white stars...I did a double take... as such I got a good wow! return on them. Conversely I'd have to say that their longevity about matched their blue cousins in that it too was too transitory.

Some more:
Calla Lily

Blood Lilies - Scadoxus

jmorth - Your calla lily are gorgeous, as all the other flowers! Love the dark background photos! Makes the flowers pop out of the pictures! :-)

Foxtail Lilies from eariler this year.

Last of the Alliums - 'Drumstick'

Love your little alliums and early summer bulbs. They are so fun to have in the garden!

When I asked about the white camassia I meant do they come back year after year for you? I planted about 30 white semi-plena camassia two years ago and did not have many come back. They were so pretty with the clematis and peonies, too. sob. My blue ones seem to like their placement better. Or maybe they are hardier?

I'm assuming the whites succumbed to too much summer watering--or maybe the moles/voles/squirrels?

tabasco,
This was the white camassia's first spring to bloom so I've naught to compare to till next year. I'd definately agree on the blues, they seem very reliable year to year.
J

Those are great pictures.

Another Blood Lily (in same pot as first ones illustrated on this thread).

Lovely and new bulbs to me! Thanks for posting photos. Do you have any white trumpt lilies? I had some before that were about 3 feet tall that bloomed with multiple trumpets per plant (large 6-7 inch trumpets) in June that were fragrant, I think. Not sure what they were called. I don't think they were Easter lilies. They were prerennial for a few years and then disappeared.

Here's a pic of a white trumpet lily that was grown in a pot last year then transplanted in the fall to then bloom this year on the 14th of June.
The trumpet was 6 or 7" long, however the plant was less than 12" tall.

WOW! Thanks for the pic! jmorth--you must be the Bulbmeister for DG. That looks like my lost treasures, but what are they?? Do you know? Are they fragrant? Not sure if mine actually were--it's been a while and I had other stuff around them.

Ornithogalum arabicum http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/64492/

Another blood lily

Dale- what size do ornithogalum get down there? Nice one Marie.

Thanks jmorth. Any idea what this one is? I was expecting it to be a rain lily and when I got home last night I discovered it definitley was not a rain lily.

Looks similar to the Peruvian Daffodil photographed in the first picture of this thread. Pretty!

Jmorth,

Foilage about a foot, flowers around 3 feet. I am quite pleased with O. arabicum, it is a summer growing species of a genus that is usually winter growing. I have tried the winter species-big disappointment.

All the bulbs that have come to the USA from S.Africa, the winter growers like Ixia, Freesia etc do terrible here. The summer growers, from the eastern part of S.Aftrica do really well here in Florida. A pleasant surprise. Here is one I just started from seed this spring, I can't wait to show off the flowers next year> http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1684/

Here is Sandersonia aurantiaca blooming after being potted on April 24, 2007 , Sweet, bright, little bells. Known as Chinese Lantern Lilies, Patti

Nice Sandersonia Patti. They're like 1st cousins to Gloriosas. The tubers of Sandersonia are minatures of Gloriosas. They're so similar I apparently mixed a small Gloriosa in with my Sandersonias as a long stem emerged from the pot labeled Sandersonia that brought forth Gloriosas (pictured). The shorter level Sandersonias haven't bloomed yet.

Marie, I think yours might be a Sea Daffodil (Pancratium).

This message was edited Jul 11, 2007 12:46 AM

It's no longer early summer, but here's a relatively rare bulb's first bloom in mid-summer. This is Chocolate Cosmos -

Jmorth,

It is still early summer in Zone 2 :-)

Ismeme from a roadside swamp-

My chocolate cosmo died when it got really hot here. I planted it from a quart size pot and did not realize it comes from a tuber. Maybe it will come back??

Continuing Summer Bulbs:
Galtonia viridiflora.

Pineapple Lily - Eucomis

Chocolate Cosmos - flower eye.