Calochortus unobtanium
 

The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 06/10/2014 21:31, Nick Maclaren wrote:
The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That's a bulb I've never come across before.
Look interesting
David @ a now damp side of Swansea Bay

Calochortus unobtanium
 

"David" wrote ..

Nick Maclaren wrote:
The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.

That's a bulb I've never come across before.
Look interesting

Certainly does, just what I need for my S. facing sandy front garden.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Calochortus unobtanium
 

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:
"David" wrote ..

The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.

That's a bulb I've never come across before.
Look interesting

Certainly does, just what I need for my S. facing sandy front garden.

It's very pretty, in a delicate way (like harebells). You can
get both C. superbus and C. venustus from de Jager, as well as
a yellow one and a couple of hybrids. But C. albus doesn't seem
to be sold in Europe, nor are most of the others. One Dutch
company does have a hybrid C. albus, but that is all.

And, yes, I saw them in the wild when walking in California :-)

Trieleia Queen Fabiola isn't far off the wild form, and is much
cheaper. That's worth looking at, too. Camassia goes off much
like daffodils, and I am no great fan of Eremeus. Erythronium
might be worth a go. All of those come from the same terrain,
and I saw all of them there.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Calochortus unobtanium
 

"Nick Maclaren" wrote ...

Bob Hobden wrote:
"David" wrote ..

The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.

That's a bulb I've never come across before.
Look interesting

Certainly does, just what I need for my S. facing sandy front garden.

It's very pretty, in a delicate way (like harebells). You can
get both C. superbus and C. venustus from de Jager, as well as
a yellow one and a couple of hybrids. But C. albus doesn't seem
to be sold in Europe, nor are most of the others. One Dutch
company does have a hybrid C. albus, but that is all.

And, yes, I saw them in the wild when walking in California :-)

Trieleia Queen Fabiola isn't far off the wild form, and is much
cheaper. That's worth looking at, too. Camassia goes off much
like daffodils, and I am no great fan of Eremeus. Erythronium
might be worth a go. All of those come from the same terrain,
and I saw all of them there.

Thanks Nick, when I get back from Bletchley Park tonight I'll do some
searching. Already have an Erythronium but it's suffered due to the taking
down of a large tree a few years ago, not that keen on Camassia, don't know
why.
I notice R V Rogers have some although not the one you are after...
http://www.rvroger.co.uk/index.php?linksource=frontpage
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 2014-10-06 21:10:49 +0000, David said:

On 06/10/2014 21:31, Nick Maclaren wrote:
The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That's a bulb I've never come across before.
Look interesting
David @ a now damp side of Swansea Bay

Have you got Gladiolus pulchella, David? There's something about those
- delicacy of colouring probably - that made me think of them when I
looked at the Calochortus.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Calochortus unobtanium
 

In article ,
Martin wrote:

The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.

It's very pretty, in a delicate way (like harebells). You can
get both C. superbus and C. venustus from de Jager, as well as
a yellow one and a couple of hybrids. But C. albus doesn't seem
to be sold in Europe, nor are most of the others. One Dutch
company does have a hybrid C. albus, but that is all.

And, yes, I saw them in the wild when walking in California :-)

http://www.greengardenflowerbulbs.nl...pe=catalog&p=1
www.csweijers.nl/...//Catalogus_najaar_2013.pdf
Have seven or eight Calochortus but not albus.

Weijers' current catalogue is at
http://www.csweijers.nl/web/Extra/Ca...oorjaar+2015+/

They all seem to be the same set of 2-3 species and 3-4 hybrids,
plus mixtures. It could be that the others are very tricky, or
it could be lack of initiative.

If they ARE tricky, I would assume that too much wet is the problem,
or possibly lack of summer heat. They grow naturally in very well-
drained, poor soil where the summer is almost waterless and the
sun is fairly hot.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 07/10/2014 09:18, sacha wrote:
Have you got Gladiolus pulchella, David? There's something about those -
delicacy of colouring probably - that made me think of them when I
looked at the Calochortus.


Don't know it Sacha, and cant find it on line, do you have the right name?
As for Calochortus, I was surprised to see quite a selection on E bay.
David

Calochortus unobtanium
 

In article ,
Martin wrote:
On Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:43:51 +0100, David wrote:

As for Calochortus, I was surprised to see quite a selection on E bay.

The biggest selection that I could find in NL was 8.

And, if it is the one I saw, a couple of those were mixtures of
the others and about half of the remainder were varieties of the
other half. There are 7 species native to the San Francisco Bay
area alone.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 06/10/2014 21:31, Nick Maclaren wrote:
The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

If you're wealthy you might be able to import them from the US. ($6 per
bulb, $100 minimum order, $60 phytosanitary certificate.)

http://www.telosrarebulbs.com/calochortus.html

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 2014-10-07 10:43:51 +0000, David said:

On 07/10/2014 09:18, sacha wrote:
Have you got Gladiolus pulchella, David? There's something about those -
delicacy of colouring probably - that made me think of them when I
looked at the Calochortus.


Don't know it Sacha, and cant find it on line, do you have the right name?
As for Calochortus, I was surprised to see quite a selection on E bay.
David

Der - senility must be setting in!! Gladiolus papilio!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 06/10/2014 21:31, Nick Maclaren wrote:
The main one I missed was Calochortus albus, but why are they so
unobtainable in Europe? Only 3-4 seem to be available at all,
and I did a Web search for Calochortus albus in both the UK and
Netherlands. But there are quite a few, and most are very nice
bulbs for dry locations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


No Calochortus albus, Nick, but have you seen RV Roger's range of
Calochortus?

http://www.rvroger.co.uk/index.php?l...arch&x=0 &y=0

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

Calochortus unobtanium
 

In article ,
Spider wrote:

No Calochortus albus, Nick, but have you seen RV Roger's range of
Calochortus?

http://www.rvroger.co.uk/index.php?l...arch&x=0 &y=0

Yes, though not on that site. That is more-or-less the standard one
(de Jager has "Burgundy" instead of "Cupido", but is otherwise the
same).

I don't know how many of them would grow outside in the UK, but I
suspect that many would on a raised bed or large pot of extremely
well-drained soil. There are apparently others that can take clay
meadows. And many of them are VERY attractive!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Calochortus unobtanium
 

On 08/10/2014 15:01, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Spider wrote:

No Calochortus albus, Nick, but have you seen RV Roger's range of
Calochortus?

http://www.rvroger.co.uk/index.php?l...arch&x=0 &y=0

Yes, though not on that site. That is more-or-less the standard one
(de Jager has "Burgundy" instead of "Cupido", but is otherwise the
same).

I don't know how many of them would grow outside in the UK, but I
suspect that many would on a raised bed or large pot of extremely
well-drained soil. There are apparently others that can take clay
meadows. And many of them are VERY attractive!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.




Oooh! They're gorgeous! Doubt I'd be able to grow them on my heavy
clay soil but I dream of an alpine cold frame (mainly to keep them dry),
and that would give me the impetus to try. You're right, though:
they're not seen for sale very often.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

Calochortus unobtanium
 

In article ,
Spider wrote:

No Calochortus albus, Nick, but have you seen RV Roger's range of
Calochortus?

http://www.rvroger.co.uk/index.php?l...arch&x=0 &y=0

Yes, though not on that site. That is more-or-less the standard one
(de Jager has "Burgundy" instead of "Cupido", but is otherwise the
same).

I don't know how many of them would grow outside in the UK, but I
suspect that many would on a raised bed or large pot of extremely
well-drained soil. There are apparently others that can take clay
meadows. And many of them are VERY attractive!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus

Oooh! They're gorgeous! Doubt I'd be able to grow them on my heavy
clay soil but I dream of an alpine cold frame (mainly to keep them dry),
and that would give me the impetus to try. You're right, though:
they're not seen for sale very often.

Apparently, some might handle it. They are reputed to be tricky,
which is probably why they aren't available, but a lot of such
plants are quite happy under some conditions. I discovered that
Cyclamen coum loves heavy rain shadow by accident!

http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pb...rowCalochortus

At best, they would be risky, but success would definitely pay that
back!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.