On the start page of this website all kind of actual information is given on a regular base. If you want to read what has happened in the past weeks of this year, you can read it on this page.

The news of week 1 of 2014
The moment I write this it's 30 December, only two days away from new years day of 2014. It's a tradition to look back on the almost past year with its climaxes and its lows. For the preparation of this text I read all the texts of 'The news of ...' of 2013 and I checked the pictures I took in 2013.

All together, 2013 was a beautyfull year, with as climax the botanical trip to the South African province East Cape in the last week of January - first week of February. I have traveled together with two friends under guidance of Cameron McMaster a week throughout a part of the province East Cape. With start and end in East London we have driven 1,600 kilometers by Morgan's Bay, Stutterheim area (Catchcart, Hogsback), Somerset East, Stutterheim area again and King William's Town. Click here or a photo impression of the trip.

In the heated greenhouse some climaxes on flowering plants, with Clivia gardenii, Cryptostephanus vansonii, Gilliesia graminae, Habranthus Mary, Scadoxus puniceus, Massonia depressa, Veltheimia bracteata, Watsonia aethiopica and various Lachenialias. The year 2013 had a cold start en we had a cold and late Spring. All planst flowered almasot two weeks later than normal, but they did very well. The plants grew prosperously and flowered well. At the end I harvested lot of bulbs, especially with the Camassias and the tulips. The Summer flowering bulbs grew less prosperous, especially the lilies and the Eucomis plants. I hope there's no relation between the weather in Winter and Spring and the harvest next Summer. If there's a relation I fear for the crop next year.

The news of week 6 of 2014
In the cold as well as in the heated greenhouse plants have started to grpw and to flower. One of the plants flowering in the heated greenhouse is Scadoxus puniceus, strictly according to the schedule. I call it according to a schedule, because the plants flower in the same period each year. In the past years I have donated plants of Scadoxus multiflorus ssp. katherinae to various people. The plants flower in the same period, with only some days difference.

In the cold greenhouse various plants start to flower. Some plants flower each year these weeks, like Colchicum soboliferum, others are very early. Various Muscari species are in bud. Others are flowering, like Scilla miczenkoana (right) and Anemone caucasica (left). The bulbs planted in the garden are stll growing. As far I can observe, I see no damage of the cold nights with frost we have had in the past week.

We have decided on the holiday destination this Summer: it's South East England, with some days the London area. We have chosen an hotel in the neighbourhood of Kew Gardens. That's one garden we will visit. Based on our travelling scheme I have checked which gardens we can visit. When I tell this to my wife, she looks at me and she asks me: we will visit also other things than only gardens.

The news of week 10 of 2014
It cannot be denied any longer: it's spring. On a sunny day you see the musquito's flying around, as well as the first ladybirds. The leaves of all spring flowering bulbous plants are visible above the surface of the soil. Today I saw that the first open flowers Ornithogalum sintenissii. Iris reticulata 'George' has already gone flowering. In the non heated greenhouse various Muscari species, Anemone ranunculoides and Hyacinthella dalmatica are in flower. Below an impression of the flowering plants

Muscari racemosum	Anemone ranunculoides'	Hyacinthella dalmatica

The news of week 17 of 2014
The Hortus Bulborum in Limmen, a small town just south of Alkmaar, is open from 6 April until 16 May. You can see here a lot of 'antique' tulips as well as hyacinths and daffodils. De Hortus is open on Monday till Saterday from 10.00 till 17.00 hours and on Sunday from 12.00 till 17.00 hours. I can recommend a visit to this lovely Hortus. On the right a nice impression of flowering bulbs with the small church on the background. For more info check 'the information page of the Hortus Bulborum'. 'Click here' for some of the species and varieties that grow and flower in the Hortus.

Tulipa cretica	Tulipa Victoria

The news of week 22 of 2014
The period end of May till June is an interbellum between the flowering of the Spring flowering bulbs and the Summer growing plants. The garden with the bulbous plants is a mix of the fresh green colour of the leaves of the Summer growers and the brown-green of the dying leaves of the Summer growers. Between this there are some plants in flower, like Iris sintenissi and I. hookeri, as well as Allium mairei, Allium heldreichii and A. ochotense and the small American Alliums A. falcifolium and A. crenulatum. It remains strange, to harvest the seeds of Ornithogalum sintenissii next to these flowering plants. The main tasks the next weeks will be the harvesting of seeds and placing the pots of the Spring flowering bulbs in the greenhouse. This way I try to copy the Summer in the growing regions of Southestern Europe and Turkey. I do this already for some years and it leads to good results. At least I think so. It has not been proven.

In the greenhouse with the South African bulbous plants various Albuca species and Haemanthus coccineus are in flower.

Iris sintenissii	Haemanthus coccineus	Allium heldreichii

The news of week 29 of 2014
For most people the Summer holiday has started or will start soon. For me the holiday is allready past for more than a week. It may sound a little bit sad, but you don't have to feel soory for me. I have had a beautyfull and relaxed, but most of all a green, holiday in England. We have spent two weeks in various places: Cambridge, Richmond (London) and Hollingbourne (Kent). On each location we have visited gardens, with as highlight the visit to Royal Botanical Gardens Kew Gardens. Below an impression of the visit. If you ever visit London, I can recommend a visit to Kew Gardens.

Kew Palace	Alliums and Hostas	The Davies Alpine House
Succulent collection	Triteleia laxa	Scadoxus cinnabarinus

The news of week 37 of 2014
Nature is 3-4 weeks earlier than normal, caused by the weather in the past months. It's the first week of September and it's becoming Autumn. The strat of Autumn stand for me for the flowering of the autumn flowering specialty bulbs. At first there were only the Colchicums. Nowadays I also have various late flowering Alliums, Acis nicaeense and Scilla autumnalis. The flowering period is short, so it's over before you notice.

Colchicum lusitanicum	Colchicum pannonicum	Scilla autumnalis

The news of week 38 of 2014
I almost forgot my own jubilee. By coincidence I noticed that I rent an allotment since August 2004, so already for one decade. The reason I wanted an allotment back the was that the space in my back yard became more and more limited. I had to share the back yard with the other members of my family. Furthermore the circumstances were not optimal for the bulbs I grew in pots. I was looking for a place which suited better for my specialty bulbs. My wife pointed out to me that in our neighbourhood there were allotments for rent. At the alloment I could also grow bulbous plants in the soil. This was the first step in the growth of the collection. The next step was influenced by placing a greenhouse on the allotment. I use this greenhouse to keep the bulbous plants in pots during Autumn and Winter. I can control the circumstances which benefits the quality and growth of the plants. The result is a pretty large collection of autumn and spring flowering specialty bulbous plants which grows and flowers prosperously. The collection keeps on increasing by exchanging plants and seeds.

Scilla bifolia 'Alba'	Allium heldreichii	Ornithogalum montanum

The news of week 42 of 2014
Also this autumn the weater is exceptional, it remains warm. Most plants react on this weather: the roses still flower and one of my Camellias is in full flower. I think this Camellia won't flower next Spring. I'm used to the fact that some Muscari and Ornithogalum species start to grow in Autumn. Last week I noticed that one of my Tulipa species had started to grow. All I can do I just wait untill next Spring what affect this has on the growth and development of the plants and the bulbs.

In oktober bloeiende Camellia

Enough complained about the weather. This Autumn offers all kind of beautifull things. Cyclamen africanum flowered for the first time and we have traveled for two weeks in New England to see the Indian Summer with the green, red and yellow colors of the forests. Really beautiful. I can recommend to go to New England in Autumn to see al this.

Cyclamen africanum	Indian Summer seen from Mount Washington	Indian Summer in The White Mountains

The news of week 47 of 2014
The winter growing bulbous plants grow prosperously in the heated greenhouse and the first Lachenalias hav started to flower. Two years obtained Lachenalia bulbifera flowers for the first time. Clivia gardenii and Veltheimia bracteata are in bud and wil flower in a couple of weeks. This is just a tip of the iceberg of the plants that will flower this winter.

I have placed the spring flowering bulbs I grow in pots in the greenhouse on my allotment. My collections has grown in the past years. Two years ago I could place all the pots on the surface in the greenhouse. Now I have to place some crates on top of each other. I don't think this will give any problems.

Lachenalia bulbifera	Spring flowering bulbs in the greenhouse