Pacific Coast Iris

A lovely collection of Pacific Coast Iris grown in a Melbourne garden.

Gladiolus orchidiflorus

Gladiolus orchidiflorus: There are about 255 species of gladioli, most coming from Africa, some winter growing from the Western Cape and others  growing in summer rainfall areas. Orchidiflorus is winter growing and spring flowering, the flower colour varying from greenish cream to purple, with dark purple markings. It is summer dormant. Most gladioli grow readily enough from seed, with the winter growing types planted in autumn. 

Dwarf iris Raspberry Jam

Iris (dwarf) Raspberry Jam:  This attractively coloured   dwarf bearded iris was introduced in 1981. This kind of iris likes a cold winter, and grows with minimal water in summer. It would look good in a large pot, though best re-potted each year after flowering and given some general purpose fertiliser. Bearded iris  prefer slightly alkaline soil. 

Albuca spiralis

Albuca spiralis: This comes from a large genus of South African bulbs, which are generally easy to grow in a well-drained position in full sun. They are summer dormant. The species shown comes from the Western Cape, and plants grown in full sun would normally have very twisted leaves, as suggested by the name. 

Pamianthe

Pamianthe is a small genus in the Amaryllidaceae family of two species from
Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Wurmbea stricta, Lachenailia bulbifera & Cyclamen

Wurmbea stricta (syn. Onixotis stricta) small flowers on a small plant which grows in the winter rainfall area of South Africa in marshes and pools, but needs a dry summer. Flowers emerge from a bulge in the plant stem.

Lachenalia bulbifera (tbc) the less common form of bulbifera from Still Bay on the south coast of South Africa, as mentioned in G D Duncan’s THE LACHENALIA HANDBOOK, p.47. The more widespread and common form is distinctly red flowered.

A double form of the florists’ cyclamen, picked out from a batch of single-flowered plants by the member. Whether one prefers species (always single-flowered) or cultivars is, of course, a matter of taste.

Our next meetings - 28th August 2019 (Bulbs of South America) & 25th September 2019 (Lachenalias)

Please come and join us at our next meetings:

28^th August 2019 – Bulbs of South America

25^th September 2019 - Lachenalias

Lachenalia congesta

Lachenalia congesta - dwarf species.  Grows on stony ground
flowering late winter.  Perfumed.

Cylcamen on the Bench

Members cyclamen on the bench - mainly coum

Cylcamen elegans, Cyclamen hederifolium, Massonia pustulata

Cyclamen elegans (syn. C. coum ssp. elegans) from northern Iran where it grows in forests as low elevations. Uncommon in cultivation.

Cyclamen hederifolium comes from southern Europe, growing mostly in dappled shade. Wide variety of leaves, flower colour and blooming time, though late summer & autumn most common.

Massonia pustulata Napier form,  comes from dry areas in southern Africa, 2 prostrate/spreading leaves. Winter growing. Easily raised from seed.

H deformis

H deformis has similar flowers to h albiflos but shorter flatter leaves

Upcoming meetings - 26th June and 24th July 2019

Please join us at our planned meetings in June and July:

June 26^th - Tim Drewitt – All About  Bulbs

July 24^th – AGM – Bulbs in Members Gardens that don’t make it to the Bench

An autumn flowering bulb - Haemanthus Albiflos

Next Meeting: March 27th 2019 – European Rock and Crevice Gardens

Come and join us at our next meeting when we will be discussing European Rock and Crevice Gardens - from a member who has attended several such meetings in Prague and toured gardens.

Whitehorse Horticultural Centre

82 Jolimont Road

Vermont, Victoria

Show Bench 7:30 pm & Meeting starts 8pm