[pbs] carefree garden bulbs
Mary Sue Ittner
msittner at mcn.org
Mon Apr 28 22:36:06 EDT 2008
Hi,
I love Diane's format and her descriptions so here are mine modified
slightly. Also I found it excruciatingly painful eliminating a number of
things that bring me pleasure without any attention every year. I'm
remember people's best movie lists and how they mention some almost made
the list so I have that too.
September to December
Gladiolus carmineus -- This delightful Gladious starts popping up without
leaves even before it starts to rain reminding me that the whole new flower
season is coming. I've let it seed itself about so am always pleased to
find some new ones in bloom
Iris unguicularis -- This one blooms for me a very long time between rains.
It sometimes looks a bit bedraggled, but there is nothing like taking a
walk around your garden in winter and spying it in bloom
March to May
Although I have a lot of wonderful things growing in pots and blooming in
January and February those things in the ground really start to take off in
March
Freesia alba -- This is definitely weedy in my garden, but it is so
delightfully fragrant that it makes the list since it makes walking through
the garden delightful
Moraea aristata -- This species is almost extinct in the wild, but is
naturalizing all over my garden and for the last several years I have quite
a display for a week or two. I don't see seed pods so am not sure how it
expands to new spots, but it also produces a lot of cormlets so each
display gets better every year
Sparaxis hybrids -- I once tried to dig these all out, but I've given up.
They are delightful colors and combinations.
Delphinium nudicaule -- I've planted this out, but some of those spots are
gone now, but since it reseeds, it has found new areas it is happy
including in the middle of gravel pathways
Babiana ssp -- Long ago I had seed of mixed species and planted it without
ever trying to figure out what they were. Could be hybrids. Definitely too
happy in my garden, but when they are in bloom, I have to confess they are
very colorful and charming
Moraea (Homeria subgroup) -- Very weedy in my coastal garden, but they
bloom for months in wonderful combinations of orange, yellow, and gold,
mixing nicely with many of my shrubs and other plants
Iris douglasiana -- Native to this area and never planted in my garden.
Mine are a nice rich purple
June, sometimes earlier or later
Three more native to where I live
Lilium maritimum -- a rare and protected plant that I am encouraging, such
a nice red exterior
Zigadenus fremontii -- long blooming and very pretty I think
Chlorogalum pomeridianum -- nice wavy interesting leaves and lovely white
starry flowers opening in late afternoon in time for a walk before dinner
Dierama pendulum I think. Planted by previous owner in my garden. Has
reseeded to new areas of the garden finding sun as some of the other areas
get too shady and is very dramatic in bloom and seed
Almost making the cut: Amaryllis belladonna,Crocus imperati, Dichelostemma
capitatum,Gladiolus carneus, Ixia dubia, Leucojum aestivum, Lilium
pardalinum, Orthrosanthus chimboracensis, Nerine pudica, Triteleia
ixioides, Tritonia deusta
Mary Sue
Mary Sue Ittner
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers
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