Oooo. I want!

Yes, that's it. Many virtues, no negatives.

"A wonderful, rodent and deer proof bulb which produces clusters of 10-16 fragrant, pink funnel-shaped flowers that can be seen across our field from August until frost; ours are planted in full sun and also in partial shade in rich, well-drained soil; this is not an instant gratification plant but when planted in the appropriate spot, will get better and better...like a good wine!"

The best bulb growers in the US are Brent and Becky Health. They live in Gloucester VA where their family has propagated a huge variety of wonderful plants for three, now four generations. Very kind, generous people.

Bulbs and other plants are HUGE and healthy.

Seeing your photos made me realize that I've spent all my time and energy on the veg garden and neglected the flowers. Need to find a better balance.

Thanks for sharing!

Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: Brent and Becky's Farm - Winter

Very pretty

It is crinum! I have some that were given to me by friends in Louisiana. I didn't think they live here, so I dug the hole really deep...now I couldn't dig those babies up if I wanted to! (I know, cause I tried)

It does look beautiful, Dorothy. I have that same variety and it has been especially floriferous this year. I have a different variety that blooms later. It's blooms are more of a pink shade. I planted the one that is blooming now in a drought year and it has taken it ages to attain a really good size. This is the first year that I have felt like it has bloomed to its full potential.

Lisa, I wouldn't even attempt to move a well-established crinum. I think it would require the use of a backhoe to dig it. Four o 'clocks are the same way. After several years, their tuber is so big that you cannot dig deeply enough to get it all. I know that there are crinums a in the neighborhood where I grew up that have been there at least 45 years. Can you imagine trying to move one of those?

Dawn

I tried to dig carefully around this clump to get a friend a start last winter, but was unsuccesful. The bulbs are just too big and too deep. (I gave her half a bulb; I don't know if it lived or not) I don't know how the commercial growers do it, but I won't try again.

Back hoe is right! I dug my patch up from her garden (without much trouble) and ended up with a larger grouping than I intended...but now I am happy I did! I ordered another bulb from ebay, it has done squat. I'm not sure why it was so much easier than here to dig...clay, probably!

I'm thinking it is "milk and wine"? Maybe? I posted over at the amaryllis forum one year asking about it.

Thanks for the tip. I am always looking for new plants. I put all my lilies in pots because voles eat them. Has anyone had trouble with rodents eating them?

Helen, yes, either voles or gophers ate my in ground lilies, so I put them in pots, where the cat laid on them this year and broke them off. Can't win some.

I was out taking some pics tonight for another thread...but look what I saw...the crinum that will never be dug up :)