The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Bulbs (including other geophytes with corms, tubers, rhizomes etc) => Topic started by: John on September 23, 2011, 08:03:56 PM
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It's that time of year again. Though I am not a Nerine fanatic like some people I know I do have a couple. I acquired this one from Harry Hay and thought I should accept it as it is almost certainly the original clone. Harry was given this by E.B. Anderson and it is the clone that goes under this name. Harry had a lovely big clump of it at the base of a wall where despite a bit of protection it would have had to endure quite cold conditions of at least -15ºC. I assume it is either a selection or hybrid of N. bowdenii.
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Most people seem to agree that 'E. B. Anderson' is his selection from Nerine bowdenii.
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Time to revive this thread ;D
Autumn in southern Australia used to be high-lighted by nerines in flower, especially as long borders leading to the front door - sadly no longer fashionable ::)
Where we are in Central Victoria the frost levels are just enough to burn off the foliage of some varieties, especially the colourful hybrids raised from Nerine sarniensis, leading to smaller bulbs which never get to flowering size. However a few species seem impervious to the cold and Nerine rosea is particularly good in our garden
cheers
fermi
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Beautiful colour Fermi especially against the backdrop of rocks and the underlying grey foliage plant.
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Thanks, Carole,
Nerine rosea is very adaptable and grows wonderfully in dry rocky parts of the garden as well as in shaded areas under Washington Thorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) as in the last pic. The grey leaf ground cover is an artemesia, possibly Artemesia genipi (although called A. schmidtiana nana for a long time but it is not an herbaceous perennial).
Here is another frost hardy species known here as Nerine fothergilla 'Major' though I'm told it has been lumped into N. sarniensis - which is not as hardy!
cheers
fermi
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Back in the 1990s I crossed the above two species, Nerine rosea and Nerine fothergilla 'Major', getting a few seedlings which were sadly neglected in a small pot of many years, though a single flower stem arose in 2005 producing a flower the size and shape of N. rosea but an orangey colour. The bulbs were liberated into the garden 2 years ago and a second stem has arisen 13 years after the first!
Probably won't make my fortune with this one but as it's hardy in our garden I'll keep growing it and keep repeating the cross and crossing the three with other nerines to hopefully increase the range of hybrids.
I believe a similar range were raised in NZ years ago but not sure of their provenance,
cheers
fermi
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An old hybrid which is a similar colour is 'Ariel' which has wider petals and is possibly derived from Nerine sarniensis.
I got it back in the 1980s and it still is hard to get to flower consistently - from over a dozen bulbs only 2 flowers this year
cheers
fermi
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Your patience and application is amazing Fermi and so interesting to see your results. A neighbour of mine in the U.K. many years ago had a stand of Nerines that were new to me at the time. They were pale pink and she gave me some but I had no success with them and never tried again. Certainly did not know they come in beautiful shades of orange that I find more attractive. As always thanks for sharing your enthusiasm with us supported by lovely photographs.
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Thanks, Carole,
I think it may be stubbornness and forgetfulness rather than patience, though!
Here is a species I got as Nerine filifolia (dark form) a couple of years ago.
Flowering well but leaning a bit as it has been grown in shade,
cheers
fermi
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Very elegant flowers on that one, Fermi! Very stylish.
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Nerine masoniorum flowering at the end of March
cheers
fermi
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Nerine masoniorum now in fruit but still has a couple of flowers open
cheers
fermi
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Nerine angulatum started to flower in late March and the last florets opened at the beginning of April.
It's very similar to Nerine filifolia but apparently has been re-assigned as a form of Nerine angustifolia
cheers
fermi
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I have made a mental note to let my Nerines dry out totally from June through to the beginning of September. This year I WILL have some flowers. I have had pink, white and red flowered varieties of N bowdenii and N sarniensis for over 5 years and they have not flowered for me yet. I am evidently doing something wrong so this year's experiment is to withhold all water over the summer. Watch this space early autumn time :-)
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Hi David,
sounds like a good idea! Do you get frosts? Protecting the foliage from winter cold is needed where I am, but we don't get rain in summer (usually) which I think suits the nerines - except the summer growing ones like Nerine filifolia. Looking forward to seeing your flowers
cheers
fermi
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First flower on a new hybrid using pollen of Nerine rosea on a red Hybrid.
It has the form closer to N. rosea than the N. sarniensis hybrid
cheers
fermi
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How lovely Fermi. Superb colour and delicate shape. Congratulations on your patience.
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How lovely Fermi. Superb colour and delicate shape. Congratulations on your patience.
Thank you, Charithea. It's got the form of N. rosea and the colour of the seed parent.
Here's another hybrid. This time one I got a few years ago from someone at our garden club.
It's a pale pink hybrid, probably from N. sarniensis,
cheers
fermi
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Nerine filifolia is doing very well this year, nearly a dozen stems!
cheers
fermi
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This is a fairly common nerine and is very popular as it usually is in flower on Mother's Day. It has been known as Nerine flexuosa 'Alba' but apparently it's now included in Nerine undulata.
We moved this clump here 20 years ago from my partner's mum's place after the family home was sold. It was in flower when she died and we each placed a stem of it in her coffin.
cheers
fermi
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This pink nerine has flowered for the first time since it was planted many years ago - I'd planted in the shelter of a lavender bush to protect it from frost but it was only when the lavender was removed that it sent up a flower spike!
cheers
fermi
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Very pretty - worth waiting for :)
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You took the very words out of my mouth, Carole! ;)
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Nerine 'Ariel' is doing much better this year,
cheers
fermi
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Nerine 'Ariel seedling #2' was raised in 1999 and probably from a cross with Nerine rosea.
I'm calling it 'Riversdale Red' because we lived on Riversdale Road when I raised it!
cheers
fermi
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Well done Fermi, that is a particularly lovely soft colour😊
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Well done Fermi, that is a particularly lovely soft colour😊
Thanks, I'm happy that it's a distinct colour change. The funny story is that I had 2 seedlings from 'Ariel' raised in 1999 this one was labelled "Seedling #2" but I never found the first seedling until last week. Years ago I'd given what I thought was a pot of 'Ariel' to a friend and when we visited her she showed me a potful of what was obviously "Seedling #1"! It's a softer coral colour and so I've told her to re-name her pots 'Riversdale Coral' ;D
cheers
fermi
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Glad I'm not the only one who loses labels or gets them mixed up. Salvia cuttings are my downfall and I have been known to pass on wrongly labelled plants sometimes annoying recipients rather than pleasing them 🙄
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How could anybody complain about receiving any kind of salvia? Talking of bad/wrong labelling, remember, the one I gave you a few years back labelled only as "purple" is purple-leaved and has pale pink/white flowers. I couldn't recall the name at the time but it is Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout'. I think it ended up in a friend's garden but I am sure it would look lovely along the edge of your raised garden where the leaves would contrast nicely with the stone colour. I have some more if you need them. :)
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Always happy to accommodate Salvias David and hopefully it won't be too long before we can be doing some exchanges.......😊
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... The funny story is that I had 2 seedlings from 'Ariel' raised in 1999 this one was labelled "Seedling #2" but I never found the first seedling until last week. Years ago I'd given what I thought was a pot of 'Ariel' to a friend and when we visited her she showed me a potful of what was obviously "Seedling #1"! It's a softer coral colour and so I've told her to re-name her pots 'Riversdale Coral' ;D
cheers
fermi
I asked Cathy to send me some pics of her pots so here are her pics of 'Riversdale Coral' - slightly softer colour than 'Riversdale Red'
cheers
fermi
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This interesting story highlights the joys of sharing plants with fellow enthusiasts.
When we downsized a few years ago I tried to take divisions or cuttings of my favourite/difficult to find plants to place in my new garden. Any I overlooked or lost in the process can usually be recovered from friends who had been recipients of plants from me over the years 😊