Almost everything here is potted, for all the reasons above plus gopher issues and being a renter. I do have some sections where there are intentional mixes of bulbs that can tolerate year round water...so Zephyranthes, Ixia, Leucocoryne, a low Oxalis, and something else so there is something flowering most of the year, but no labels, just something pretty for the sidewalk edging. I've planted the street median, but that is absolutely sink or swim, may the most persistent plant win...and some of that is double planted with low/groundcover and tall plants and bulbs. Most of the potted bulbs are in similarly sized square pots (larger or smaller), so beds get made up of arrays of pots (changing between summer bulbs and mostly winter bulbs). The back yard is mostly larger scale plants in individual pots with a few non-geophytes planted around the edges. At a certain point, I've decided that plants that need a large amount of extra care to be successful, can go to other homes and I can enjoy the ones that are left, like the Nerine filifolia that has dozens of spikes just starting the show. Robert [image: width=] <http://avg.com/email-signature/…> Virus-free.http://www.avg.com/ <http://avg.com/email-signature/…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> On Sun, Aug 28, 2022 at 3:50 PM James Shao via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > What about cutting the bottom off of 5-15 gallon nursery cans and sinking > them into the bed to the rim and planting within those? That's a barrier a > good 12-15" underground with an open bottom for drainage. > > James > > On Sun, Aug 28, 2022, 3:34 PM Jane McGary via pbs < > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > > > 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 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 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 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://…