Oxalis enneaphylla x laciniata hybrid

Many years ago I bought a number of South American "alpine" Oxalis, O. enneaphylla, O. patogonica, O. laciniata and a number of hybrids between the two. 

Unfortunately they did poorly in the greenhouse and so I planted them out in various troughs, moved them around but never a flower and they dwindled over the years. This year I've just dug them up (totally the wrong time of year as they are in growth) and potted them in a last ditch attempt.

All have done poorly save one. It was labelled "superstar". It's not and it does not look the same as my reference picture - but I remember sowing seed from "Superstar". For probably five or more years it's lived ignored on the greenhouse floor and flowered really well. This year I repotted it and although it only has a few flowers it does look rather nice.

Of course I will now lose it proving conclusively that Oxalis need to be grown in a dark corner and watered just when you remember it.

Cyclamen balearicum

Above a rather nice form of Cyclamen balearicum. Still young corms but they look promising. This one has the blue green leaves and silver washing that was the typical form in the trade decades ago. I tend to keep these under the greenhouse benching as the sun causes the leaves to roll up. It has a wonderful fragrance!

I only grow one Rhodendron (Rhododendron cephalanthum var crebreflorum)

Only about 6 inches tall, I took a bit of a gamble on trying this as it's supposed to not be so easy in the south of England but so far it's done really well and unlike the plant I had many years ago that I kept in a frame it flowers really well.

Cyclamen rhodium ssp. peloponnesiacum

Top, Cyclamen rhodium ssp. peloponnesiacum in the greenhouse.

Middle, a plant I tried out in the garden. It's been there for several years now and survived which was a bit of a surprise.

Bottom,  the appropriately named "vividum".

Cyclamen pseudo-ibericum

Cyclamen pseudo-ibericum is deservedly popular plant - mainly grown in Alpine houses in the UK though it might be ok outside.

It's also variable and I wanted to show on this post just how variable it is. The first one is probably the one we most often see.

it's Tecophilaea time!

Above the three classic forms of Tecophilaea, the first the type plant T.cyanocrocus, middle var Leichtlinii and finally var Violacea. I had to do a colour adjustment on the latter because my camera shows it alot bluer than it actually is. Still not got it quite right I think.

I've built these up over 20 years from single bulbs and their flowering is a brief highpoint in the greenhouse. Obviously I've managed to increase them but so far despite seting a far amount of seed I've failed to get any raised from seed.

New Frit - Fritillaria hermonis

 

It's  taken a while to get it but here's Fritillaria hermonis. From memory there was a much commoner plant, F. hermonis amana which was widespread in nature and cultivation but the type plant was much more restricted which is the reverse of the usual. The "amana" plant is now I think F.amana so sanity is restored. For now.

I've tried to get this a number of times since it became more common in cultivation but I lost one before flowering and seed hasn't done much. So this is my first flowering.

Looking at the pics it seems to be true but probably more importantly I like it and it's a bit different from the other Frits I have.