February

[Arnold]

Veltheimia bracteata.

[Diane Whitehead]

Whiteheadia bifolia, now Massonia bifolia

This was the only plant named for a Whitehead, but now it has been changed to Massonia.

I saw it growing under an overhanging rock in Namaqualand, South Africa, blooming in early spring.

It blooms in winter in my unheated greenhouse, and seeds itself, despite not having any mice to pollinate it.

[David Pilling]

Probly proof you have mice.

[Uli]

Impressions from my collection

[David Pilling]

Hi Uli - very nice - Lachenalia I guess.

[Martin Bohnet]

To me, February means early "snow melt" species, though there actually was no snow to melt this year, not longer than a few hours maybe.

That Iris actually wasn't the first, just the first that wasn't munched away - I have some very active slugs for this time of the year... I can't really postpone the use of iron phosphate much longer....

[David Pilling]

Please name your photos (yay first!).

Nice photos. Here, snowdrops have been out for a while, crocus just appearing. I have seen a reticulata iris, Katherine Hodgkin, but it was washed away by rain. That leaves me wondering what the photo in the middle is...

[Martin Bohnet]

oh, my katherines are only a few rays of sun away. really one of the most reliable hybrids.

The plant you're wondering about is Gymnospermium albertii.

[David Pilling]

Thanks Martin, seems there are more early flowering plants than I know about. I was admiring a pot of this recently: Saxifraga "Alpino Early Pink"

[Arnold]

Lachenalia namaquensis

[David Pilling]

Hi Arnold - nice - better photos than the ones on the wiki - I never got into lachenalia.

[Arnold]

David

I've been corrected by a fellow on Facebook. I think he's right.  It is Lachenalia pallida 'Pink Form'  How do I change the name or remove the image and replace with correct name.

[David Pilling]

Arnold - use the Quick Edit button, or the More... -> Modify button.
(I am assuming, I have those buttons probly you do for your posts).

They appear just below your post.

I have just found that Quick edit does not work.

So worthwhile exercise

[Martin Bohnet]

I'd say Lachenalia never got into me - I find them frustratingly difficult under artificial lights - and impossible without. and I'm still further south than you are, David, so your dark winters are worse than mine.

That said: Katherine still is reliable, even though she's attacked by an ever expanding Kniphofia northii. Meanwhile, he other reticulatas got some support from Crocus yalovensis, and the shadows got warm enough for C. coum to start flowering.

[David Pilling]

Iris's put mine to shame - those cyclamen have been flowering here since January.