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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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An Unusual flower bed.
About 10 years ago I purchased my first oxbane bulb (Boophone disticha), it was about 5 years old and it took 5 years more to get to flower.
I had to plant 2 more bulbs in order to get my own seeds. After artificial pollination, I got my first seeds in the end of 2012 and then many plantlets. I made a raised-bed from them in September 2016 (15 young bulbs). Have a lok at them 2 months after planting in the end of 2016
Now they are settled and I'm so happy with their leaves I've just planted a dozen more. Here is the flower bed this Autumn : I have to wait about 5 years more to see them in flower. But the 25 plants with they curly leaves are already worth growing ; I usually tell my friends "Boophone is a mainly a leaves-bulb", I'm enjoying them the whole cold season.
Last edited by Pierre on Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:21 am |
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KeithG
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:07 am Posts: 171 Location: Oxford UK
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Very nice Pierre but the stuff of dreams in my location.
How much cold do you think that they might survive?
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:20 am |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
These bulbs grow during the cold wet season from the begining of september to the end of April, so they cann't stand heavy freezes. For South-Africans they are rather hardy bulbs. Mine withstood my harsher Winter down to minus 7°C, 25 freezing nights, 40 cm of snow, with minor damages of the leaves, but... we are in a rather dry and sunny area. More challenging for you would be finding an absolutly dry spot from June to August. I think they are easy to grow in a mediterranean zone 9 climate.
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:46 pm |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
One Boophane is an extravagance.. a gathering of them is fantastic. They never fail to impress.
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:17 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Quite remarkable - like seaweed rippling on an ocean bed.
I wonder if I might possibly get away with these?
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:22 pm |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 4:45 am |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
What do you mean with this Paul ? You wrote "I wonder if I might possibly get away with these?" In my experience every Boophone coming from my mother plant have wavy leaves even at early stage, provided they are grown in full Sun. You can see on the picture below young sponteneous seedlings which already have curly leaves (mother plant at background).
When grown in partial Sun, leaves are more erect and less curly. In the shade they aren(t curly at all.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 5:28 am |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Pierre - in plainer English - I wonder if Boophone might be hardy enough to grow in my conditions. I will have to try, I think, because they look totally spectacular. In a group, like you have planted, they are MORE than spectacular.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:24 am |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Sorry I misunderstood your sentence. Answering your real concern. Maybe a bulb from the Summer rainfall area ?
The ones I grow really need a Summer rest with no rain : any Summer rain (or wtatering mistake heavier than 10 to 15 mm in June or July makes them starting their cycle and weaken them. they don't like warmth and water together. (During Summer, normal temperatures here are between 28°C and35°C in the day and 18°C/ 23°C at night, so there is no cool air at night). On a trial basis, I bought 2 Boophone bulbs from the Summer rainfall area and grew them in pots. They hate my climate, even I tried to force them resting during Summers (with no water), and growing during the cold season and then trying growing them oppotite to my climate (like in their country) ,watering them during Summers and putting them away from rain during the cold season. They languish and only make short weak leaves at any time of the year. I gave one of them to one of our member gardening in mild Britany : apparently this bulb thrive better in her climate. I'll tell you if it really becomes strong and nice.
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Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:45 am |
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ArtV
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2017 3:46 pm Posts: 151 Location: Middlesex, UK
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Pierre, Very nice I have grown Boophane in the past from seed. They are very slow, and take a long time to form the characteristic fan shape. Paul, I believe there are two species One from the summer rainfall areas of SA ; B disticha, the easier species to get hold of and grow. And I would imagine it would need around 5°C in winter D haemanthiodes is from the western part of SA - predominantly winter rainfall. Though the northern populations will prefer it much drier than the average UK winter. And this species is much harder to get hold of.
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Mon Nov 06, 2017 11:29 am |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
I'd like trying Boophone haemanthoides ! If some of you wanted to try B.disticha (in pots) I can send some seeds next Fall (no seeds this year because bulbs did'nt flower together.
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Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:03 pm |
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Charles Wychgel
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:09 pm Posts: 757 Location: Algarve/Portugal
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
_________________ 37º 04' 16 71" N
8º 50' 13 59" W
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Mon Nov 06, 2017 9:40 pm |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Thanks a lot Charles. Many difficulties with labels ! Did you report the mistake to her ? I never saw any B.haemathoides for sale from Brigitte Issa, I'll ask her.
Next year we are publishing an article about Boophone in our newsletter "Plantaexotica", unfortunatly I only have "plain"pink Boophone flowers (I hope within the large number I planted, one is going to flower with an unusual colour, but I'll have to wait about 5 years !), Patrick Bouraine who visited your garden, will provide a picture of a dark red flower he is fortunate enough to grow. Could you consider providing us with a good picture of your yellow flower ? We hope so. Cheers. Pierre
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Tue Nov 07, 2017 7:03 am |
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Charles Wychgel
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:09 pm Posts: 757 Location: Algarve/Portugal
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Pierre I have to go to my records to confirm it was Brigitte; my brain is not functioning well lately.......wear and tear; high mileage etc.
You also have a PM
_________________ 37º 04' 16 71" N
8º 50' 13 59" W
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Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:45 pm |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: An Unusual flower bed.
Thanks a lot.
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Tue Nov 07, 2017 8:18 pm |
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