The message
from Dave Poole contains these words:


Janet Baraclough.. wrote in message
Does anyone know if yellow nerines exist? I bought some bulbs-in-leaf
at a village plant sale, which look like nerines to me; the label said
"Irene's, yellow flowers in autumn". I've only eber seen pink white and
red nerines :-)

Janet, there are no pure yellow Nerines - the closest to that colour
are the salmon orange shade of some forms of N. sarniensis. Bob H's
suggestion about it being Sternbergia is probably correct, although
the flower is more crocus-like than anything else. If it has a
yellow, Nerine-like flower, then we have to be looking at Lycoris
africana (aurea) and hybrids relating to that species. Unfortunately,
few Lycoris are hardy away from the south of the UK since they require
mild, moist more or less frost free winters in order to develop their
foliage properly.

Thanks both..after Dave's comment I've only just found Bob's replies
on google.
Whatever it is, it's definitely hardy here (Isle of Arran); the bulbs
were a great boxful obviously dug straight from someone's garden. The
biggest bulbs are the size of my clenched fist, which I think is too big
for Sternbergia?


Maybe the label was referring to the donor at the sale - meaning
Irene's (bulbs) yellow flowers in autumn.

I'm coming round to the idea that they could just be Irene's nerines,
handed in by a forgetful friend :-)


Bob's other nameless-plant ID, argyranthemum Chelsea Girl, is spot on;
supposedly will take several degrees of frost and grows to 4x4 ft, white
flowers. I've got a couple of other argyranthemums which came through
winter well, so I'm hoping CG will turn out to be as tough; worth it for
the bluey foliage alone.

Janet.