Variable Texas weather

Rodney Barton rbartontx@yahoo.com
Sun, 26 Jan 2014 13:01:06 PST
Yes I know College Station. Your list sounds about like what will grow here in the ground. I'm no expert but would think winter growing bulbs might have trouble there because of summer moisture and lack of chill more than the wild winter swings. In my experience the summer growers aren't bothered much by the wild swings unless it's so warm they are growing when they shouldn't. A frost can set them back then. 

Luckily you should be able to grow the native Irids - Alophia, Herbertia and Nemostylis. Hymenocallis would also be good. Do you know Scott Ogden's book "Garden Bulbs for the South"? It's a must have in my opinion.

Rodney




________________________________
 From: Cynthia Mueller <cynthiasbulbs@hotmail.com>
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> 
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2014 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: [pbs] Variable Texas weather
 

College Station is between Houston and Austin, roughly speaking. Thought to be within the 100 mile or so distance from thr Texas coast that discourages bearded iris cultuvars from thriving, altho Iris x albicans, thought to have come here through the Spanish, who probably originally received it from North Africa. It's reported to traditionally have been planted in cemeteries, giving rise to one of its common names, the Cemetary iris (or, White Flag). Sterile, but can be found almost everywhere in Central Texas, sometimes in pastures where there is no longer any hint of a house. -Cynthia Mueller
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 26, 2014, at 12:24 PM, "Rodney Barton" <rbartontx@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> Cynthia,
> 
> Which part of the state are you in?
> 
> Rodney - near Dallas
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Cynthia Mueller <cynthiasbulbs@hotmail.com>
> To: Society' 'Pacific Bulb <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> 
> Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2014 10:33 AM
> Subject: [pbs] Variable Texas weather
> 
> 
> Two days ago, we had dark and heavy skies and snow. Yesterday morning, some snow was gone but icicles draped the roofs and garden plants. Today, at ten in the morning, I am outside in my short-sleeved shirt in brilliant light - in a totally cloudless sky.  In the shade the temperature is over 50F already.
> 
> My question: how do "winter growing" bulbs respond to this turmoil? How do the "summer growing" bulbs respond? Birds are beginning to sound like spring, roses' vegetative buds are swelling up. But temperatures in the lower 20s F are forecasted for two days from now.....last frost day is usually March 10th.
> 
> Easy-keeping crinums, many times hybrids with bulbispermum ancestry, leucojum aestivum, heat resistant old varieties of narcissus, Roman hyacinths, Ipheion, byzantine and dalenii hybrid gladiolus, Lilium longiflorum, L. formosanum, a few Hippeastrum such as Johnsonii and old garden varieties, cannas, Iris ochroleuca, I. Louisiana and I. pseudacorus, Lycorus radiata and aurea, are able to adapt to these mixed signals here. Habranthus and Zephyranthes can adapt to our growing conditions if they have sufficient cold resistance. Usually right on the borderline is Z. grandiflora. Sprekelia grows but does not bloom well. I wonder if they should be taken up in the winter? -Cynthia Mueller
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
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