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#21
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by Arnold - March 24, 2024, 02:55:46 PM
Lachenalia liliiflora a bit further along and a close-up.
#22
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by Judy Glattstein - March 23, 2024, 08:02:23 AM
My bad. I shall try again, as suggested

Aha! That worked. Thank you David.
#23
Mystery Bulbs / Re: The mystery of Tigridia co...
Last post by CG100 - March 23, 2024, 05:16:34 AM
The production and selling of seed as certain cultivars is probably less of a problem in many bulbs as growth from seed is often slow or very slow, although crossing of plants to produce seed in the search for new garden-worthy cultivars and hybrids, is obviously still very important.
Garden-produced seed in particular, being sold named as the parent (even assuming the parent is what it is thought to be), is often mightily misleading in many plants, not least herbaceous species - 3 years after sowing - "hmmmmmmmm, that should have a red flower, not orange".

In the case of tete a tete, it is sterile, so changes have occured through vegetative propagation.
#24
Mystery Bulbs / Re: The mystery of Tigridia co...
Last post by David Pilling - March 23, 2024, 04:42:18 AM
Steff - good project, very interesting story. Martin's reference to 'Molseed' goes back to the PBS wiki page on Tigridia:

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Tigridia

The gardening world has managed to lose lots of things over the years, holly with white berries for example. Vendors will fill demand with whatever they have. Stuff drifts, I have pots of cultivars which are not what they were, because they have generated seed which has grown and replaced the original.

Look at it another way, sometimes it is where the plant is grown that counts, quality of the soil and climate. Some plants in some places do well and produce lots of variation.

The old thing that keeping your own seed will produce plants better adapted to your garden.
#25
Mystery Bulbs / Re: The mystery of Tigridia co...
Last post by CG100 - March 23, 2024, 01:41:05 AM
I would echo Martin's comment about longevity of cultivars/hybrids.

To take a very simple, common example - Narcisuss tete a tete, a complicated hybrid containing a lot of N. cyclamineus.

I first came across this plant around 20-25 years ago, (although it was bred in the 1940's), when it was/became an expensive and desirable curiosity, still sold in small numbers only, as dry bulbs or potted and in flower, not by the (10's)kg as they are today.

All of those plants back then had a wonderful scent and were very small. Neither applies to what is sold as the plant today (or at least so in the UK).
#26
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by David Pilling - March 22, 2024, 08:20:04 PM
Hi @Judy Glattstein - are you attaching the image or inserting it in the text (bad likely to give a text too long error) - you need to use the "click or drag files here to attach them" area at the bottom of the 'reply' box.
#27
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by Judy Glattstein - March 22, 2024, 08:02:45 PM

I don't exactly remember so will try to send Bulbocodium vernum image again and see what happens. Image is 396 X 391 121KB Here goes . . .

Yes. Error is as follows

The message has the following error or errors that must be corrected before continuing:
The message exceeds the maximum allowed length (65000 characters).

Have deleted image. Will try to post text / no image
#28
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by David Pilling - March 22, 2024, 06:50:09 PM
Hi @Judy - what was the error message?
#29
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by Judy Glattstein - March 22, 2024, 05:21:23 PM
With the weather flip-flopping from pleasantly mild before the calendar flipped over to spring on March 19, and now back to winter-y chill (I've again been making fires in the wood burning stove) I wanted to post a picture of Bulbocodium vernum that's nicely flowering in my garden. But I keep getting an error message so you'll just have to take my word for it.
#30
Current Photographs / Re: March 2024
Last post by Too Many Plants! - March 22, 2024, 04:59:59 PM
Quote from: Uli on March 17, 2024, 04:35:08 PMIs it really four-petalled?


Well Uli, I guess now I see why you asked...
the second M. Aristata flower appeared today.

IMG_3850.jpg IMG_3852.jpg

IMG_3849.jpg IMG_3851.jpg