Fall-flowering bulbs

Now is the time for the fall-flowering bulbas to start...cyclamen, colchicum, autumn crocus and others. My fall-blooming season starts with Cyclamen purpurascens...well in reaility, this one starts in August but does continue into October.

I guess Acis autumnalis, the autumn snowflake is the first true fall-bloomer.

Allium cyaneum is also a normal September-bloomer in my area.

Wow beautiful, Todd. Gotta look for that allium!

Nice C. hederifolium! Mine are just about to bloom.

I really need to take a pic of the leaf-so pretty!

Nice blooms Todd. Boojum I have C. hederifolium blooming right now but the scene is nowhere near as beautiful as yours!!

I'm beginning to think we might actually have a winter down here this year--I'm seeing some really strange things this year. Mind you high today is expected to be 90F and Thursday they are predicting 96F; but the days are noticably shorter. Two of the Lycoris species have bloomed in August--I've never seen it before the end of Sept. (3 have still not bloomed though), Sternbergia lutea has been up for a month. I just went out to look at winter growing, summer dormant Cape bulbs mainly to see how many Oxalis pots I need to buy (believe it or not I'm all out of very small clay pots) and more than 3/4 of them are up and growing in absolute bone dry pots--never seen that before the end of October. So that prompted me to go unstack all the other pots, that's how I store winter growing summer dormant Cape bulbs. Some of them are in pots too big or too odd sized to stack. All of the odd sized pots are growing; Glad tristus is 12" high in bone dry soil. Glad carneus and Glad alatus are up and growing--these are never up before mid to late October. I have Hesperantha coccinea in 5 colors--and I never let them get completely dry. The mature rhizomes are not up yet--but all the bulbils I planted in April are up and growing. I also planted some seeds of them in April--knowing full well it was too late but thinking I might not have time this fall (and I was right) so I just let them sit there and now they have all germinated. Who knows how with night-time temps at about 70F.

I guess I better get out there and start my normal late October seeds?!!

Debbie it is funny you said that because I have a few bulbs that need to be summer dormant. I have a small bed outside that I keep them in and when summer hit I dug them all up and threw them into a pot, I took them out on Sunday to start replanting them and about half of them had sprouts? None were in soil just all stacked on top of each other in a old flower pot. I was think it seemed like the days got shorter earlier too. Seems to me that usually starts happening in September not August?

I bet G tristus was one of them that was sprouted Marie. I don't know how its going to handle what will be another hot 30 days when obviously I'm going to have to start watering it.

By the way, are those native Oxalis drummondii up yet? Mine are all still in a small box on my desk staring me in the face. I guess I better get them all planted TODAY.

This really throws a monkey wrench in the works--got all these LA Iris dug and sitting in pots of water. Have all these Freesia's to replant and Ipheions and native Allium bulbs to plant as well as hundreds of species of seeds......It has not rained a drop here in at least 30 days, I saw nothing from Gustov and about a 20-30 minute shower from Eduard. Maybe we'll get some rain this weekend from Ike (supposed to go into south TX) since we will be on the dirty side.

I told a friend I would start bartending part-time on the 17th at night to help pay what I know is going to be an outrageous electric bill for this and next month, the upcoming property taxes (we are blessed with 3 different ones for the house), and Robin always seems to need more and yet more college money, and Christmas will be here before you know it. Still filling a lot of orders too.

Well, I guess I won't be able to complain about nothing to do; or even have any spare time to complain. Ain't life grand? Something tells me I'm going to have to start setting my alarm and get up before 10 in the morning. ;)
=)

My G tristus was left in the ground. I forgot to dig that one up. I sure hope it shows itself.
I do not remember where i planted the native oxalis. I guess I need to get more from you and some of the native allium too. Now I have to make a sticky note to check on that tristus!!

Marie--go look on the Glad forum. That's where your picture is and I think you had enough background stuff there to give you a fix on its location. Seems like, if I remember correctly, you could see a porch or patio or cement driveway near by.

Lovely C.purpurascens, Todd, I also like the Acis autumnalis, specially the combination with the purple-red stem that makes a nice contrast with the white flowers.
What a gorgeous blue flowers on the Allium cyaneum!


I also love C.hederifolium Boojum, it is so reliable and not picky at all. Mine come back year after year. They come in different shades of pink, I have the light pink one with a red throat like yours, it's blooming right now under a cover of B.grandis that had spread itself, and doesn't seem to mind.

These ones are growing at the foot of a Birch tree, where it's getting quite dry in Summer time and where no other plants seem to thrive.

Begonia grandis is also a bulb plant, so here is its bloom with a small hover fly, they seem to be very fond of it.
Later on this plant gets gorgeous autumn colours, a true feast for the eye during weeks, specially in combination with the deep-red underside of the leaves.

I have no idea what kind of Cyclamen this is, I bought it a couple of weeks ago on a local flower market without label, I bought 4 different ones . There was a salesmen who seems to be specialised in Cyclamen, unfortunately without labels, probably all grown from seed as non of them is exactly like the other, what makes it so interesting but also hard to choose. But all of them are having a very strong lovely scent.

Probably not a true fall-blooming bulb, but mine is still blooming; Acidanthera bicolor var.murielae

I count them as fall blooming cuz they bloom in the fall in my zone bonitin ^_^ Luvly, thanks for sharing.

Oh that is so true Dahlia! Thanks for reminding me that seasons are so relative! :-)

No kiddin! Just was sharing with an Australian who is in iris season (spring there)! and some southern US gardeners are celebrating fall (end of season for moi) and seeding spring flowers. C'est la vie dans la garden mon ami/amie.

My Cyclamen hederifolium Album is open but the regular pink is still a while off yet.

I always wanted to try a Begonia grandis...not sure if it would be fully hardy in my area though. Bonitin, your mystery Cyclamen are lovely!

My first Colchicum is open...about 2 weeks early. It's C. autumnale Album...wonder why the alba forms are blooming before the regular coloured form?

Wow Todd! My pink crocuses are just starting here, too. I'm surpised we are on the same schedule. I adore that alba cyclamen-so clean and pretty. I guess I'll haveto get one.

sigh from Zone 3a. Keep the pics coming my friends. I luv it even though I can't grow it. Thanks muchly.

Bonitin - that unknown species cyclamen is just adorable! I love the leaves & flower color. Very
nice find.

Todd - that allium is a must-have too. I'm off to find it.

Tam

edited to say: Todd - plantfiles says that Allium cyaneum is a spring bloomer. Maybe you should post
a correction?

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 5:55 PM

Changed! Don't know how I entered this one as spring blooming!

I guess that's the power of being an Uber user 'eh?

According to Plant Files Begonia grandis is hardy until zone 6a Todd. I certainly would try it if I were you, sometimes one can raise the zone significantly by planting close to a wall or protected from the wind etc.. I think its biggest enemy in winter is excess of wetness. I had a few pots with young plants in my little shed and a couple of nights the pots were solidly frozen, but they came back in spring.

Zone 3 is beyond my imagination Dahlia! But you must get compensated by living in a white fairy-tale land big part of the year..

Thanks Tammy!

I took another pic of the hederifolium so you can see the leaves. I love the leaves.

Shoot they are blurry but you get the idea.

Lousy picture but exciting to see some fall bloom in my garden. Sternbergia Lutea

I love the silver patterned leaves too, boojum they're a precious presence in the dark months of the year, shining like jewels after the rain..but these are particular beautiful!

A sunny colour Tammy, I wonder if it blooms long enough to join the symphony of autumn colours...

Alas Sterbergia is not hardy in my area :(

Yes, Kathy, your leaves are quite decorative. Strangely, my Cyclamen bloom before the leaves appear!

Here too, Todd.

I started with about 6 sternbergia and only have the 1 now so I think they are only marginally
hardy here. I have them near a lot of masonary - the one that's still coming back is closest
to the stone barn.

Tam

Sternbergia lutea

I planted 25 Sternbergia a couple of years ago. They bloomed great the first year, no blooms only leaves in Oct/Nov the 2nd year and now I am getting blooms again. Is this type of alternate blooming usual? This spring it looked like I had some critter tunnelling along the edge of their bed. I know they are supposed to be critter resistant, but it doesn't seem like I have 25 sprouts this year, however there are new ones appearing in the last few days since I watered the area so I will be patient. Maybe more will pop up. I just planted 25 little blue Crocus medius in front of the Sternbergia. Bloom time is reputed to be early winter so I think the green Sternbergia leaves will be a nice background.

Chris

Colchium 'Tenorii'

I have had such fun with spring blooming bulbs that this year I decided to experiment with several of the autumn bloomers. These are from the Mediterranean area (introduced from S Italy in 1858) so they should do well here. They arrived with big white shoots and it took me a few days to get them in the ground, so one already had white buds when I planted it. But after a few days in the the sun they changed to this rosy purple color.

Chris

Nice ones Chris...I have never heard of that Colchicum cultivar. Only autumnale album is open so far in my collection but C. agrippinum should be open by the weekend.

Schizostylis coccinea. I bought it unlabelled but I think it could be 'Sunrise'

Chris I just ordered some Sternbergia lutea thanks to your picture!! Bonitin that is a beautiful flower!!