Amaryllis belladonna.

totototo@telus.net totototo@telus.net
Wed, 06 Sep 2006 11:21:14 PDT
On 5 Sep 06, at 17:24, rdjenkins wrote:

> ...The post I was referring to was from Rodger
> Whitlock dated 8-16-2006, wherein he stated that winters in Victoria,
> British Columbia "hover around 42F (5-6 C)" (not 45F as I stated.) and
> A. belladonna blooms reliably. 
> 
> Is there anything you can add, Rodger?

That's air temperature as noted on my north-facing front porch. Under 
normal circumstances, the winter air temperature is usually close to 
42F day and night, barring spells of mild warm weather arriving from 
the south ("pineapple express") or very cold air pouring out from the 
interior of the continent ("arctic outflow").

The thermometer is within the boundary layer of the house, so this 
figure may a tad higher than out in the open garden.

My A.b. are planted up next to the house on the east side. It's a 
moderately shady location thanks to an enormous balsam poplar to the 
southeast on an adjoining property, plus other shrubs south & east. 
My foundations are not insulated.

A clump of Iris unguicularis close by performs only modestly.

So my comments can be amplified:

1. Being close to the house, my A.b. probably experience higher 
winter soil temperatures than they would out in the wilds of the 
garden, rarely below freezing even during arctic cold spells.

2. Full sun doesn't seem to be essential.

3. Drainage is *very* good, and a wide eave some 12' above reduces 
the amount of rainfall reaching the bulbs.

IOW, they are sited so they experience conditions not in full 
conformity with the usual climate here: drier and warmer in winter, 
at the very least.


-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


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