carefree garden bulbs

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:36:06 PDT
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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