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#1
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was
enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100 real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee) which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out. Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a better location where it might multiply. |
#2
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 4/13/2017 11:36 AM, John McGaw wrote:
On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100 real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee) which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out. Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a better location where it might multiply. Sunset's "Western Garden Book" mentions an 'Alba' variety of white-flowering H. non-scripta and also a 'Rosea' variety with pink flowers. -- David E. Ross Climate: California Mediterranean, see http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary |
#3
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 4/13/2017 3:06 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 4/13/2017 11:36 AM, John McGaw wrote: On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100 real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee) which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out. Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a better location where it might multiply. Sunset's "Western Garden Book" mentions an 'Alba' variety of white-flowering H. non-scripta and also a 'Rosea' variety with pink flowers. Dunno. All of them have been the normal blue shade for six years now. Or at least I never saw a white one until this Spring and it is unlikely that it would have been missed since it is beside the long drive down to the road where the mailbox is and I walk by there all the time. Guess I'll just wait and keep an eye out next year and see if anything odd shows up again and I'll either mark or move the freak. Thanks for the input. |
#4
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
John McGaw wrote:
.... Dunno. All of them have been the normal blue shade for six years now. Or at least I never saw a white one until this Spring and it is unlikely that it would have been missed since it is beside the long drive down to the road where the mailbox is and I walk by there all the time. Guess I'll just wait and keep an eye out next year and see if anything odd shows up again and I'll either mark or move the freak. Thanks for the input. mutations do happen... songbird |
#5
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 4/13/2017 2:13 PM, John McGaw wrote:
On 4/13/2017 3:06 PM, David E. Ross wrote: On 4/13/2017 11:36 AM, John McGaw wrote: On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100 real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee) which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out. Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a better location where it might multiply. Sunset's "Western Garden Book" mentions an 'Alba' variety of white-flowering H. non-scripta and also a 'Rosea' variety with pink flowers. Dunno. All of them have been the normal blue shade for six years now. Or at least I never saw a white one until this Spring and it is unlikely that it would have been missed since it is beside the long drive down to the road where the mailbox is and I walk by there all the time. Guess I'll just wait and keep an eye out next year and see if anything odd shows up again and I'll either mark or move the freak. Thanks for the input. It is possible that the bulbs you planted were hybrids and that some went to seed after blooming. If that happened, it could explain the presence of a white flower since hybrids often create even newer varieties when they go to seed. After all, that is how the 'Alba' and 'Rosea' varieties were developed. -- David E. Ross http://www.rossde.com Consider: * Most state mandate that drivers have liability insurance. * Employers are mandated to have worker's compensation insurance. * If you live in a flood zone, flood insurance is mandatory. * If your home has a mortgage, fire insurance is mandatory. Why then is mandatory health insurance so bad?? |
#6
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 4/13/2017 8:26 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
It is possible that the bulbs you planted were hybrids and that some went to seed after blooming. I guess that is possible. The supplier guaranteed that the bulbs were 'pure' but only to the extent that they were 'English' and not 'Spanish' or 'Spanish' hybrids which apparently are more aggressive and not so desirable. I'll try to remember to keep an eye on that patch to see what turns up next Spring. If I wasn't so lazy I'd consider digging up the bulbs in the Autumn after the foliage starts to die down and plant them in locations which have proven more amenable. The ones which wound up in the fern bed on the north side of the house have really exploded and are twice as tall. Somehow there are lily of the valley trying to take over there too although I don't recall ever planting any. |
#7
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 4/14/2017 7:03 AM, John McGaw wrote:
On 4/13/2017 8:26 PM, David E. Ross wrote: It is possible that the bulbs you planted were hybrids and that some went to seed after blooming. I guess that is possible. The supplier guaranteed that the bulbs were 'pure' but only to the extent that they were 'English' and not 'Spanish' or 'Spanish' hybrids which apparently are more aggressive and not so desirable. I'll try to remember to keep an eye on that patch to see what turns up next Spring. If I wasn't so lazy I'd consider digging up the bulbs in the Autumn after the foliage starts to die down and plant them in locations which have proven more amenable. The ones which wound up in the fern bed on the north side of the house have really exploded and are twice as tall. Somehow there are lily of the valley trying to take over there too although I don't recall ever planting any. It is good that none were Spanish bluebells. They would be more suited to my climate -- mild winters and hot summers -- than to your climate. I cannot grow English bluebells here in southern California. -- David E. Ross Climate: California Mediterranean, see http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary |
#8
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 4/14/2017 10:47 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
mild winters and hot summers That could pretty much apply to Eastern Tennessee for the past year or two -- getting down to freezing has been a rare occurrence and snow has been AWOL. Tomato farming has become a relatively big business around here and keeps becoming more so -- vaguely reminds me of driving through the Central Valley back when I lived in Silicon Valley. |
#9
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 14/04/17 15:47, David E. Ross wrote:
It is good that none were Spanish bluebells. If they are, get yourself a tankerful of glyphosate, and spray that plant a dozen times and for 100 yards around, just to make sure you got *all* of 'em! I'm still trying to eradicate it from the garden of the house we moved into nearly 5 years ago. I've found bulbs 10" down in the clay we have here, just above subsoil level. -- Jeff |
#10
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 13 Apr 2017 14:36, John McGaw wrote:
On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100 real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee) which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out. Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a better location where it might multiply. It happens in the UK amongst the wild plants. They also vary n the intensity of the blue. A walk in any UK bluebell wood would prove my point. -- Regards Bob Holden Runnymede, UK |
#11
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White English Bluebell -- Huh?
On 5/4/2017 1:56 PM, Bob Hobden wrote:
On 13 Apr 2017 14:36, John McGaw wrote: On a hike across the northern counties of England a while back I was enchanted by the sometimes-vast swathes of bluebells. I managed to get 100 real Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs and planted them in various places hoping to find somewhere that they would succeed in my climate (Tennessee) which is eminently not suitable for them. In places in dead shade they seem to be prospering but in what should be light shade under deciduous trees they don't do well since they come up well before the trees leaf out. Last week I noticed that one plant in the non-favored location was showing white flowers while all the others which were in bloom were the normal shade. Do I have some sort of exotic sport with white blooms or is this something that happens often? I failed to mark the odd plant but if it does the same next year and if it seems worthwhile I'll try to move it to a better location where it might multiply. It happens in the UK amongst the wild plants. They also vary n the intensity of the blue. A walk in any UK bluebell wood would prove my point. I guess I never studied the individual plants in detail being taken by the natural beauty of the mass display. I'm considering hunting up another hundred bulbs this Autumn for planting in areas that I now know are suitable. Oh, and I do hope to get back at least a few more times for walks. The Cleveland Way is the next destination. There are probably some bluebells there too in need of appreciation. |
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