Arum pictum

 

This is my Arum pictum grown from AGS seed, I think it's 4-5 years old now. It's the first Arum I've grown (I thought it was about time to give them a go). A.pictum is from the Balearics and is an autumn flowering species. It comes in various forms, the most usual has a dark spathe and spadix so this is one of the less usual forms. The flower doesn't last long, about a week, which can be a good thing if it decides to emit it's foul smelling "perfume". Some years it does, some it doesn't.

Oxalis lobata

 

The Oxalis are a big and varied family, from pernicious weeds to alpine treasures from Chile and colourful South African low landers. Oxais lobata is from Chile but I think from low altitudes. Bright green lush looking leaves and golden yellow flowers. It's supposed to be autumnal but I find it starts flowering late summer. 

I now have a couple of large pots in the greenhouse and an escape in a trough. In the trough it is a bit neater, in the greenhouse the flower stems tend to draw a bit. It's survived in the trough for several years now but has only grown quite slowly.

In old books people are warned that this has an odd habit of having two dormancies, in the summer and the winter. Apparently people used to complain that the plant had died to the nurseries. Seeing as it wasn't exactly easy to get except from specialists even then I'm suprised a prospective buyer would be unaware of this. Having said that, for me it only dies back in summer, it remains in leaf from late August until the late spring.

Cyclamen purpurascens

The Cyclamen species are probably my foavourite plants and I grew most of the species and subspecies. 

Right now Cyclamen purpurascens and Cyclamen colchicum are in flower. Cyclamen purpurascens is variable in the quality of the flowers. It can be dumpy and with washed out looking flowers, it can be a graceful shape and a full cyclamen pink flowers. The leaves also vary from nothing special to very attractive.

Although Cyclamen purpurascens is widely distributed and grows generally in subalpine woodland, where it is more or less evergreen, but I’ve never found it very easy to grow in the UK. I have had some great plants in the greenhouse in full sun (!) and some outside. I'm now trying it in shade in the greenhouse because the newer plants I am growing don't seem to like the sun. I also have some in a frame and one pot in a shady sand bed. So far I have found Cyclamen colchicum much easier, better germination, better general growth and flowering.

 

Allium cyaneum & Allium sikkimense

Allium cyaneum and sikkimense seem to be frequently mixed up. I originally got my A.sikkimense from seed labelled A.cyaneum and my A.cyaneum from seed labelled A.sikkimense. For me, sikkimense is more robust and starts flowering a little earlier, but right now both are out. The key difference is that in cyaneum the stamens and style stick out and give it a whiskery appearance. They are more hidden for sikkimense.

Both are fairly straightforward from seed and would be fine in a well managed rock garden (which I don't have) or trough. Pots are a bit more of a stretch here as I don't think they like the relatively hot summers we have had here recently.

There is a third species, Allium beesianum which flowers later and is larger. I've only had it this season and it definately didn't like the heat, but hopefully it will recover.

Allium sikkimense

Allium cyaneum

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!