Acis roseum

When I first grew this plant it was still Leucojium roseum. For some reason it didn't flower for the first five years but since then it has flowered reliably every year (for the last 20 years). It never increased much or set seed so I got some seed a few years back and they flowered quite quickly.

It's generally regarded as an autumn flowering bulb but usually starts flowering for me in August. This year it's out in July. The leaves are thread lke and generally prostrate. The flower stems are only about 2-3 inches high so overall it is a tiny plant.

Slugs will travel for yards over sand and chippings to get to it.

Oxalis Ione Hecker

I’ve always admired the South American Oxalis. I remember wanting to buy O. laciniata on sight just for the curious crinkled leaves. Generally I think it’s probably too hot here for them but I have a number in pots. This year they were in flower very early, but I now have a few in flower again. Oxalis Ione Hecker seems to be one of the most reliable of the O. laciniata x O. enneaphylla. It was probably also one of the first, there certainly are a lot around these days, perhaps too many! (and yes, I have many of them).

 

Tulbaghia leucantha H+B 11996

Until last year I'd not paid the Tulbaghias much attention. I was aware of T.violacea and that was about it. Last year I found some plants for sale at a Rare Plant Fair and bought a couple. One was Tulbaghia leucantha H+B 11996. The leaves are grey green grass like, the flowers are tiny and night scented. I managed to lose the first plant I bought so this is a replacement. Not sure what happened, it was kept dry in the greenhouse in the same way I treat Rhodohypoxis. By spring time I found while the roots appeared to be alive the crowns were gone. This year I will keep an eye on them. Maybe it was slugs in the autumn? Generally I'm treating them like Rhodohypoxis, sheltered and dry in the winter and then the pots go out after the frosts have passed to a spot with as much sun as we have. I also have T. cariad and T. montanum. T.cariad is more or less over and T.montana well over.One thing that did surpise me was the sheer amount of root they have. They have huge root systems!

Campanula asperuloides

This is an old favourite of mine. I first grew it back in the 70s and then when I started growing things again in the 90s it was one of the first alpine house plants I bought. When I bought it originally it was Diosphaera and before that I think it was Trachelium.

Part of me says it can't be a Campanula because every other Campanula in the alpine house has been a martyr to red spider mite and rust.

My plants are looking a bit tatty now, they need cutting back hard after flowering and I'm thinking that I probably didn't cut them back enough over the years. That and they have been in the same pots for perhaps 20 years while the greenhouse has become gradually more shaded.

These pictures are from a few years back when they were still at their peak. Having said that at least one plant at the front of the bench is still quite impressive. Maybe there is scope for better flowering in the future.

 

Rhodohypoxis

Rhodohypoxis have been around for a while but I'm seeing them increasingly around in Garden Centres, Plant Fairs etc. I think I started building a collection of them in the mid 90s and had been steadily building up since. Unfortunately a couple of years ago, during the very cold weather, mice moved into the garage where I kept the resting bulbs and in the space of two days 2/3rds of the collection was gone. Some varities were lost completely and large pots of others were reduced to a few bulbs. Since then I've kept the resting bulbs in propogators or in the greenhouse.

There have been alot of confusion over the naming of plants so that many in cultivation are misnamed, plus I lost labels from pots so for the remaining older plants I'm very wary of giving them a definative name.

I've now bought some of the newer varieties and building up the remaining older stock so I'm getting back to the sort of displays I had in years gone by.

There is an excellent article by Chris and Lorraine Birchall who used to run Tale Valley Plants http://www.rareplantfair.co.uk/news-and-articles/rhodohypoxis/

Rhodohypoxis Fred Broome (one of the paler imposters) and unknown, possibly Pictus

Rhodohypoxis Origami

Rhodoypoxis Mars

Lewisia "Pinkie"

Lewisia Pinkie is one of the older Lewisia hybrids, it used to be quite common in the 70s but seems less available these days, presumably superceded by the various "Little" and "Carousel" hybrids/ cultivars.

But I still think it has a place with it's clear pink flowers. Looking good in the greenhouse right now.

Delosperma Jewel of the Desert Peridot

Delosperma have become more popular/ available generally I think. Partly a reflection of climate change and general trends.

They come from Southern & Eastern Africa and like a number of plants from the drier regions can be reasonably hardy if they are kept fairly dry. I got a number last summer and kept them under a giant cloche over winter. Apart from slugs having a go at one of them they came through well, but it was a very mild winter.

They are supposed to be selections of D.cooperi but as far as I can tell the naming of these plants in horticulture are often suspect and the genus is still in flux from the naming perspective.

I'm not sure "Peridot" is particularly apt as the gemstone is a olive green tone but I suppose there is a hint of yellow in there. "Citrine" might have been a better name.

Whatever after a bit of an underwhelming start last year this has done quite well in a pot in full sun. The foliage remains tight and the flowering has been quite good. I hope there will be further flowers throughout the season.

They seem easy to propagate by simply pulling the plants apart.

So far, so good!