Book about specialty bulbs
In May 1999 the former publisher Balkema International Publishers published my 'Bulb book' . In this book bulbous plants are described which can be grown indoors or in a greenhouse. In a practical way I have explained which species can be grown and how they are tended. Up till now I have heard and read only positive reactions. Click 'here' for more information about this most interesting book.
Now and then people ask me by e-mail if I sell certain specialty bulbs. I don't sell bulbs, I'm just an enthousiastic amateur grower of these bulbs. On this site you can find some links to some suppliers.
If you are interested in South African bulbs and growing them, then join the IBSA; The Indigenous Bulb Association of South Africa. The costs are about 20 Euro/US $ a year. You can apply as a member on P.O. Box 12265, N1 City 7463, South Africa or on sa.da@mweb.co.za. IBSA also has its own website: www.safricanbulbs.org.za.
The Indigenous Bulb Society of South Africa (IBSA) organised for the second time a Bulb and Corm Symposium at the Goudini Spa, near Worcester, which was heldfrom Monday 28 August to Friday 1 September 2006. The first two days of the Symposium consisted of lectures, slide shows and talks covering cultivation, morphology and identification of South African bulbs and corms. On the next three days there were visits around the Worcester area where it was be possible to see some of the exquisite bulbs and corms. Just like in 2003 I got the opportunity to visit the symposium. After the sympsoium I have spent some days in Nieuoudtville. For the first time in 4 years the North and West Cape area got the normal amounts of rainfall. This year it rained earler than normal, so they had an early spring. When we arrived, the Romulea species had already flowered. But there was still more than enough to see. It was just fantastic! I have been to places I visited 6 years ago as well. In 2000 it had hardly rained and very few plants flowered. Nw it was completey different. Fot the first time in 4 years the area, or better West and North Cape, got the normal amounts of rainfall. What I have seen is undescribable. So click on the links below to get an impression of what I have seen.
Terrain near Swellendam
Lachenalia orchioides
Boophone disticha
South Africa 2006 pictures 2
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| Massonia depressa | Veltheimia bracteata |
The news of week 22 of 2010
What else is there to read at this site
The technical problems with my computer have been solved, at least everything functions agains. I like the May month the best, as it concerns the flowering of specialty bulbs. In this month a lot of bulbous plants flower, like Allium, Scilla, Muscari and Ornithogalum. After 'all' spring flowering bulbs have long gone, there are some late flowering plants: Scilla verna and Allium crenulatum. The last one will be Iris latifolia at the end of June. Last years I have grown plants like Muscari pallens, Scilla verna and Ornithogalum tenuifolium in containers. I grow them in the open for the first time this year. The plants grow very well. I hope I will be able to harvest the small bulbs. Well, it's something I don't have to make a fuss about. That's something for next month.
Allium fistulosum
Arisarum proboscideum
Paeonia emodi
Allium falcifolium
Allium ochotense
Scilla litardieri
Iris babadagica
Ornithogalum tenuifolium
Muscari pallens
At the beginning of 2002 I started with a weekly chancing start page with actual information on growing specialty bulbs. 'The news of week ..' is changed weekly and you can read the news of the past weeks in
In volume 55 of Herbertia, the annual of The International Bulb Society, an article of me about propagation of specialty bulbs has been published. Finally an article with detailled technical information about partitioning and scaling of specialty bulbs. The results show a lot of possibilities with these techniques. If you want to know more, let me know by sending me a message .