GIGANTIC Crinum Bulbs and A Surprise Visitor

Crinum bulbs are a wonderful pest proof rewarding bulb I grow in my garden. Earlier this year I found that I had done a poor job of planting these wonderful bulbs because they were just too spread out amongst my gardens. I decided then and there to consolidate and put all the crinums where I could enjoy them up close. 

This particular bulb had been in its spot about four years and was doing well. Nonetheless I decided I had to move it. Trying to dig it out of its spot was a difficult job due to its size and the fact it had settled in for the long haul. Crinum bulbs resent being disturbed but it just had to be moved. When I finally got this bulb out of its spot I could not believe its size. The ruler does not do it justice so I'll explain how big it is by saying this. Put both of your fists together facing each other in front of you and then you can see the size of this bulb.

This is a white crinum that blooms in the June/July time frame for me. I have found crinums to be very reliable and very easy to grow. When I first began growing crinums it was upon a whim. While visiting the Nashville Lawn and Garden show there was a vendor selling these giant bulbs that are related to amaryllis. I thought the idea of growing such huge bulbs was challenging so I bought one. I knew nothing of the growth requirements of crinums but did try to plant the bulbs (in March) in sunny areas. Some of these areas are not well drained and some are well drained. I've found the bulbs don't care either way but they do need room to spread. The area I consolidated the crinums is in the Sunny Perennial Border at the front of the border. I can hardly wait to see them all in bloom next summer. 


Many people are afraid to buy and plant these bulbs in my experience. They can hardly believe an amaryllis would grow and flourish in our Zone 6B area. Not to mention the fact that the size of the bulb scares them away. They sometimes think the larger the bulb the larger the snack for chipmunks and other burrowing critters Not so with these bulbs.  Pests tend to leave them alone. I have no issues with losing these bulbs in my garden and they are reliable bloomers.

When you order crinums online they can be quite pricey ranging from $10-$20 per bulb. That is much too much for me to spend. At the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show the vendor sells them for about $3-$5 per bulb and I will personally vouch for the quality of these bulbs. I am not sure of the vendor's name but I will say that every year I've been going to the show the vendor has been there as well. So, if you are local and want a good buy give the huge crinum a try in your garden.

I had to share my little frog with you all. Since I've been busy in the garden moving and dividing and digging plants I've gotten quite a bit accomplished. One such thing was to dig several beauty berries for the Montgomery County Master Gardener sale scheduled for October 8th. This particular beauty berry found a home early when I took it to a fellow master gardener. Just as I was about to put it in my car I happened to find this little frog. Do you recognize it? It is not the pickerel frog I posted about two years ago though it looks similar. I believe this is a leopard frog (Rana pipiens). We have two that frequent the bathtub pond. The other one is a seasonal resident of the pond and is quite a large frog. It peacefully lives with my one and only goldfish in the pond. One day I came out by the pond and found this little cutie resting on the spout. It was so funny it really looked like it wanted a spa day. By the time I got my camera it had disappeared only to reappear in this plant pot. I had to shoo it out prior to loading the beauty berry plant. Leopard frogs are the frogs usually used in dissection and their population is on the decline in the United States, though that is controversial. Here in my garden they are doing well....


in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Plant of the Month-June 2010-Reds, Whites and Blues

From In the Garden

This month's Plant of the Month sees three plants as all stars-and appropriately enough their colors are: red, white and blue. The red, white, and blue theme colors not only showcase my patriotism (a favorite color scheme) but allow me to highlight three top plants for the past month and continuing this month. The three plants are: hardy amaryllis (Hippeastrum x johnsonii), oak leaf hydrangea, and mophead hydrangeas.

The hardy amaryllis pictured above was given to me a very experienced gardener here in my small town of Woodlawn. Each time I look at it I think of her and her generosity. It is to these experienced and generous gardeners that I owe a big thanks to for a good many of my most special plants; plants that may be hard to find in nurseries and plant catalogs. Most know these hardy amaryllis as passalong plants so you almost have to know someone to get some. If you ever acquire a hardy amaryllis you might ask "Is it hardy?" Yes indeed! I grow mine in partial shade in a couple of spots. There is a fabulous stand of them near the road that is paired with Verbena 'Homestead'. This soil is fairly poor but those flowers shine for more than a month in the tough conditions. I don't do anything special for them-although I do try not to plant over them! Each year these bulbs multiply and the flowers just shine even more in their bright red colors. Hardy amaryllis come in other colors too and I think I like them all.

From In the Garden

My white plant can be no other than the oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia). This year has been an excellent year for all hydrangeas in my garden. We did not have that typical late freeze to come and kill all the flower buds. To say the show is stunning is an understatement. My mother's blue hydrangea in the first picture is simply a taste of what is to come. We'll save the other hydrangeas for a later post because today's post belongs to the oakleafs. There are several cultivars you might chose from when choosing an oakleaf hydrangea; which makes them even more interesting. I grow 'Alice', 'Snow Queen', and 'Vaughn's Lillie'. All of the oakleafs make a stunning white when in full in bloom. They need acid soil that is well drained, can take sun or shade, and are drought tolerant once established. This is a super hydrangea-er-white plant of the month.

From In the Garden

Following along with my patriotic theme my blue plant is the hydrangea. The hydrangea pictured above is my mother's hydrangea and a miracle plant if ever there was one. This hydrangea started life as one of three cuttings I took in December 2003 when I visited my mother in Maine. I left her home and forgot the cuttings in her refrigerator. My mother then mailed them to me in Tennessee. One of the three cuttings was rotten but I tried to start the other two and was successful with this lovely. It is now a ripe old age of 6.5 years and has finally reached a glorious stage. It is a beautiful blue that goes right along with my red white and blue these for this month's Plant of the Month. Or should I say Plants of the Month?

Okay, now that I have highlighted my three Plants of the Month I bet you are thinking I'm cheating a bit-huh? Yes, just a bit, but blogging is like that-we set our own rules. The true top Plant of the Month for June is, appropriately enough since it comes first in the patriotic colors, the hardy amaryllis-the reds!

What is your choice for Plant of the Month in your garden?

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden