Part Two of the Container Series

And so it goes with gardening, you blink and it’s September.  Spring and summer are like a frenetic blur of planting, weeding and watering.  And now, finally, a brief moment to take it all in before the tasks of fall begin. 

This time of year the gardens are looking full and exuberant, an impressive culmination of so much work. As well, our potted collection has also grown, its edges having crept ever so slightly outward from week to week as we add and edit, giving the impression that if you sit for long enough the display might envelop you. 

Perhaps a reflection of many hours spent watering, but I imagine the plants lamenting their brief time outside coming to a close. Although, like any truly restorative vacation they are looking all the better for it. New growth, rinsed clean leaves, and birds and insects having kept pests at bay.  

Accompanying our greenhouse plants are a rotating variety of annuals and summer blooming bulbs. Pineapple Lilies, Calla Lilies, Spider Lilies, Gladiolus, Gloriosa Lilies and Oxalis are just a fraction of the many different bulbs available to either pot up or plant in your garden starting in spring. Hailing from the Southern Hemisphere, these bulbs require warmer temperatures and longer days than the spring bulbs that we are accustomed to growing in this part of the world. 

Here at Blithewold, in late winter we take a brief moment to pour over summer bulb catalogues. We pick new varieties to try and order more of our reliable favorites, in part to account for any loss with overwintering. Generally, we pot many of these new bulbs in late spring alongside any stored bulbs that we determine are alive and well.  At this point in the season many of the bulbs will be showing small signs of growth, which is their cue to tell you to begin watering. 

At the end of summer or early fall many of our potted bulbs come inside and sit under our propagation bench where they are happily neglected. When the bulb’s growth has fully died back we tip the pot on its side where it stays, receiving no water and allowing it to go fully dormant.  If all goes well, there is enough stored moisture and nutrients to survive this period, and put on a show the following year.  

Here are some of our favorites.

Like a beautiful stranger at a party you ask yourself, who is that? Scadoxus multiflorus of course! With its large perfectly round, red lollipop flower heads, it demands attention like the candy colored queen that she is. 

Name: Scadoxus multiflorus

Common Name: Blood Lily

Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis Family)

Etymology: Genus name comes from the Greek words skiadion meaning parasol or umbel and doxa meaning glory; specific epithet means many-flowered. 

Native Habitat: Tropical, Sub-Saharan Africa growing in a wide range of habitats such as forests, woodlands and grasslands.

Habit: Bulbous perennial up to 1 ft., stalks bearing clusters of red flowers emerging first, followed by strappy wide foliage. 

Culture: Grows best in part-sun in a well-draining soil mix, giving it moderate moisture when in growth. 

Seen here scrambling over this obliging Cordyline is the gloriously dramatic Gloriosa Lily that we love to grow, year after year.  Descending like delicately painted spaceships, these striking flowers put on a lengthy show on this twining, climbing, scrambling beauty.

Name: Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschildiana’

Common Name: Gloriosa Lily

Family: Colchicaceae (Crocus Family)

Etymology: Gloriosa comes from Latin, gloriosus meaning glorious, superba meaning superb. ‘Rothschildiana’ was named after British banker, politician and zoologist Lionel Walter Rothschild, who first introduced the flower to Europe from Africa.  

Native Habitat: Southern Africa, growing in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal dunes to woodlands and grasslands.

Habit: A climbing, scrambling plant of up to 6ft tall, using the tendrils formed at its leaf tips to climb and using other plants to help support it.

Culture: Grow in sun/part sun in soil with plenty of organic matter for better flowering. Water well when in growth, and when foliage begins to yellow, gradually stop watering. Note that all parts of this plant are poisonous. 

Like a bright white beacon, the star shaped flowers of the lovely Rain Lily (Zephranthes candida) stand out amongst the vibrant late-summer colors. 

Name: Zephranthes candida

Common Name: Rain Lily

Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis Family)

Etymology: Zephranthes derived from Greek zephyros “the west wind” and anthos meaning flower; candida meaning white.

Native Habitat: Argentina and Uruguay in rivers and marshes, where it blooms after rainfall. 

Habit: Pure white flowers bloom atop 1ft tall slender stalks accompanied by grasslike foliage.

Culture: Bulbs can be planted in soil rich with organic matter and when in growth can be kept moist. 

There is more to Oxalis than a few species considered weedy, or those commonly sold as annuals or houseplants. In fact, there are five hundred and eighty three currently accepted species, coming in an incredible array of unexpected shapes and sizes. While not all are commercially available, there are still many interesting varieties that can make lovely, relatively low maintenance potted companions.

Name: Oxalis lasiandra

Common Name: Palm Tree Oxalis

Family: Oxalidaceae

Etymology: Oxalis derived from Greek, meaning sour or acidic.

Native Habitat: Oaxaca, Mexico, where it grows in mountainous forests.

Habit: Bulbous perennial up to 8” tall with palm like foliage and clusters of small pink flowers born on the end of long slender stalks. 

Culture: Grow in sun/part-sun in a soil with some added organic matter and grit for good drainage. When in growth they should be watered regularly, gradually stopping when foliage begins to yellow.

All this talk of summer bulbs and I would be remiss if I did not mention the beautiful Lycoris or Surprise Lilies that have naturalized across the property – a few of which are still blooming along the front drive, giving you yet another reason to come and visit.