We now have been shifting vegetation inside the backyard to supply extra supportive environments, create a simpler show, and free area for different vegetation. At the moment, we’ll evaluation the relocation of two vegetation, specializing in their annual cycles and the timing of the transfer.
These two vegetation from very totally different areas of the world are each hysteranthous geophytes, which means that their leaves emerge after the flowers have pale. They're referred to as “leafless autumnal-flowering geophytes.” This adaptation helps to stop main water loss, as a result of each the leaves and inflorescence lose substantial quantities of moisture.
By comparability, vegetation that flower on the identical time that the leaves are current are referred to as synanthous.
The Big White Sea Squill (Drimia maritima)
This bulbous plant is extensively distributed all through the shores and islands of the Mediterranean Sea and is well-suited to the Monterey Bay space local weather. Within the late summer season, round August, the leaves fade away and the plant generates a 3- to 4-foot tall stalk topped with a placing inflorescence of star-shaped white flowers with yellow facilities. The flowers fade by the tip of October, from November to August, the plant develops 4-inch by 18-inch glaucus blue-green leaves in a gorgeous clump.
As an alternative of propagating by forming bulbils as basal offsets, this plant’s bulbs cut up dichotomously, forming two bulbs for each, and finally making a big clump. These bulbs will be lifted and divided to relocate inside the backyard or to share with different gardeners. The best time to maneuver the bulbs is the temporary interval after the flower fades and earlier than the brand new leaves type a clump.
A number of vegetation had developed in my backyard, however a close-by olive tree had grown to restrict the solar publicity they wanted to blossom. My undertaking was to raise the bulbs and relocate them to full solar publicity. We created area inside the Mediterranean-themed backyard mattress by lifting and shifting a rising assortment of the tall bearded Iris ‘That’s All Of us” (the final undertaking of a retiring hybridizer).
The Big Squill’s bulbs can develop to a powerful measurement, as much as 12 inches throughout, and will be so shut collectively that separating them may trigger harm. When divided as particular person blubs or tight clumps, they need to be spaced two ft aside to permit rising room.
We relocated a number of giant bulbs and are within the technique of sharing further bulbs with buddies. We are going to replant their previous area after discovering shade-tolerant vegetation native to the Mediterranean basin.
The Blood Lily (Haemanthus coccineas)
Every of those South African bulbs develops simply two strap-shaped leaves that may be 8 inches large and as much as 27 inches lengthy. In our local weather, the blossoms emerge in September or October, with every brief stalk (pedicel) displaying an inflorescence (umbel) of many small pink flowers surrounded by six showy scarlet bracts. Yellow anthers make a spectacular pink and gold impact. The leaves emerge in March and fade in October.
These vegetation have been spreading inside a small part of my South Africa-themed mattress, needing more room for the unfold of their giant enticing leaves. We made a shady area for them underneath a Mock Orange (Pittosporum tobira) by eradicating a number of sq. ft of the spreading groundcover Pig Squeak (Bergenia cordifolia ‘Apple Blossom’), a very good plant for sharing with different gardeners.
The area the Blood Lilies left behind will accommodate new South African succulent vegetation.
Advance your gardening data
The Cactus & Succulent Society of America will current the webinar, “Succulessense: Hints to Capturing the Plant’s Character In Your Pictures,” at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The Cactus & Succulent Society of America’s description: “On this day of sensible telephones and digital cameras, its solely pure that all of us are photographers. In spite of everything, lengthy earlier than the times of written language, our ancestors painted in caves to protect data and talk with others. Create photographs with better visible influence that reinforce the bonds we've with the vegetation we love, whereas extra successfully utilizing imagery to share your observations. Get useful hints for visually capturing the essence of cacti and succulents in footage.”
The presenter, Irwin Lightstone, closed his regulation apply of 29 years to turn into a full-time photographer, specializing in extremely detailed, creative photographs of cacti and succulents. His images have been extensively printed, and his workshops and talks have been sponsored by many nationwide organizations. Along with his different volunteer actions, he's a Cactus & Succulent Society of America board member.
Our digital pocket cameras are highly effective instruments for documenting our gardens and sharing their photographs with buddies. The cameras automate the technical elements of pictures, i.e., publicity, focus, storage, data of time, date, and placement, and much more. The aesthetic aspect of the picture is the photographer’s problem. This presentation will assist you to to supply pleasing footage of your vegetation.
To realize extra info and register for this free on-line occasion, browse to cactusandsucculentsociety.org/ and mark your calendar.
Get pleasure from your backyard!
Tom Karwin is previous president of Mates of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a member of the Monterey Bay Space Cactus & Succulent Society, and a UC Grasp Gardener.