When I moved to a new home about 11 years ago, I put my formerly potted bulb collection into raised beds in a "Mediterranean house" (overhead protection, wire mesh sides). I thought it would be, as John says, freeing to just enjoy them as if they were in a garden or wild setting. Having been through this, I can tell you that it is not easy to keep them identified, because the labels go astray during weeding and cleanup and added topdressing. Moreover, some of the species die, leaving their gravestones, and I can't tell which of the labels refers to the one genus member in that vicinity, although I numbered the bricks supporting the raised beds and noted the locations of things. Worst of all, certain plants became quite invasive by both seed and vegetative increase,making maintenance difficult and choking out smaller items. The most invasive were California themids (Brodiaea, etc.) and Spanish "hoop petticoat" Narcissus species. It was also more difficult to manage moisture, because groundwater came up in some parts of the beds and caused some rot. About 4 years ago I lifted everything in one of the beds (which are 40 feet long by 8 feet wide) and moved them to plunged pots. Last summer I repotted them all, horrible job in intense heat. This summer I've just finished lifting half of the other bed, a space 20x8 feet, sifting the soil to remove the invasive species, replanting in a sensible way, and topping up the soil. Robert Parks in California kindly offered to take the themids for a public planting. A narcissi mix will appear in the BX. I hope to have the time and energy to move the other species to the bulb lawn or shrubbery; have already put Tulipa montana (stoloniferous; some in BX) into an open raised bed. In the revised bulb-house bed, there are 2 or 3 rows of plunged pots in the front for small, rare plants, a row of taller miscellany behind that, a few rows of Calochortus species behind that, and at the rear some vigorous summer-dormant irises. It is not interesting, much less pretty, in August. Exactly one species (Alstroemeria diluta) is flowering today. In my experience, many kinds of bulbs do best with direct planting, particularly Calochortus (which descend more deeply every year, leaving a "neck" as a route to the surface). Plants with vigorous annual feeder roots, such as many dryland irises, do best here too, or I sometimes put them in mesh pots which are plunged. Many tulips make "droppers" to get deeper. Erythroniums also have structures that pull the bulbs deeper. There are big Fritillaria species that are not suitable for pots, though they don't seem to "drop." So today half the bulb house looks civilized, and the other half (almost all potted) just needs the straw removed. When the weather cools and fall rains arrive, I'll water everything, and about 6 weeks later give it all some soluble fertilizer. The "soil" for direct planting is the coarsest builder's sand I can find, so artificial feeding is necessary; the potting soil has some organic content. And that is how I spend my retirement years. Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA On 8/28/2022 3:00 PM, Michael Loos via pbs wrote: > I think your last statement is telling..."it might be freeing to just not > worry about such matters any more and enjoy them as they succeed or fail in > their new environment." However, I would place them far apart enough to > separate and identify, when needed. Can you create a pleasant picture when > everything is dormant? A rocky terrain with a dry riverbed or interesting > view? Does that even matter? > > Your other issue may be creating hybrids where you want > identifiable species. As you said, and I agree with, keeping some in pots > and then, most definitely, placing some in the ground - all sound > judgement. Regardless of beauty, too many plants like to romp a little too > vigorously. It does sound like a fun project! > > Michael > Interlaken, NY Z6 or so > > On Sun, Aug 28, 2022 at 5:26 PM John Wickham via pbs < > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > >> This idea freaks me out, but I need to consider it...I built a raised bed >> for my bulb collection and am ready to plant. A friend recommend that I >> should plant my bulb collection Free Range instead of in pots. They would >> be grouped by type and requirements, but they would be free to wander as >> they need and especially go as deep as they need. Highly productive bulbs >> would still be in pots (I'm looking at you, Moraea polystachya). The >> collection consists of California and South African bulbs. No Amaryllids, >> all on the small side. >> >> So as a collector, this is freaking me out a little. I'd lose control over >> identification in a dormant state. On the other hand, it might be freeing >> to just not worry about such matters any more and enjoy them as they >> succeed or fail in their new environment. >> >> Thoughts? >> John WickhamLos Angeles, cA >> _______________________________________________ >> pbs mailing list >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… >> Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >> PBS Forum latest: >> https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > PBS Forum https://… _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…