My acidanthera, also new this year, did not bloom but made nice foliage, so I'm hoping for next year. Those blossoms are lovely!

I can never settle on just one 'fav' among so many, but I really like crocosmia and so do the butterflies. Crinums are lovely, especially when you catch their fragrant opening at night and then see them in the daylight the next day, too. My fav summer foliage is cannas. They hold up the crocosmia, which tends to flop.

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Crocosmia, Canna and Crinum

Nell

I think my favorite summer bulb is the gladiola. (Is that considered a bulb?) i just love their big, colorful blooms right in the middle of summer. Even though I usually have to dig them every year, I do have one that is the most gorgeous pink and white that I have never dug but comes back every year. I accidentally unearthed it this spring when planting a new rose bush and I was so excited to see all of the babies it has produced. I replanted them and although they didn't bloom this year, their foliage still looks nice and green! Can't wait until they finally do bloom, though. it's going to be a spectacular show.

The bulbs that do grow here bloom very early as a rule, the tuberose bloomed in February. Glads have bloomed and have gone dormant. Peruvinia is dormant, bloodlily has bloomed and now has foliage, acidanthera bloomed in March-it usually blooms again around Sept. October. Watsonia bloomed in April. Paperwhites are dormant. Naked ladies are dormant. One of the amaryllis is blooming but about 1/2 of them are dormant also.
So I guess I'd have to say my favorite summer bulbs (even though they don't go dormant) are the crinums and hymenocallis as they are both blooming now.
I did put in a couple of new S. African bulbs but they haven't bloomed yet.
Oh, crocosmia! They are in bloom right now too.
Tally HO!

glad you pictured acidanthera - love that bulb. I got it years ago quite by accident. My nephew was pushing plants on me as a Boy Scout fundraiser and I grudgingly bought some bulbs. Boy was I surprised. I think the scent is enhanced if the soil is a bit dry and you plant the full 4" they recommend. I could smell mine from 20 feet away, they were wonderful. This spring Costco had a bag of 100 for $8.49 - enough to add them in all the dahlia pots, have a giant pot full of about 40 for the deck and tucked in all over the garden.

not really bulbs technically but patio dahlias. I have several of them. Only grow about 2 feet high and are doing wonderfully in pots on my deck. The names I remember are "Claudette" which is a more on the purple side than the picture suggested and I love it even more. Another is "Gallary Sisley" They have been flowering since late June and are nice compact plants. Again not a bulb but bletila or hardy ground orchids. They dont really contribute to the garden bed they are in but are so unique and special that they stop me every time I walk by. I also grow acidanthera. Some bulbs I have had for 3 years. Just leaves the first year but flowered last year and are almost ready again. I bought some more this year and they are flowering now. I dig after the first frost and keep them in a cool place but basically ignore them.

I really fell in love with the pineapple lilies, both the white and the burgandy. Took a couple of years for them to put on blooms, but once they do, they are spectacular. And as a cut flower - fabulous. I took one to work and put it in a small, but tall glass vase, and it has stayed perfect for 3 weeks now.

Susan

I too tried the Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy' this year and fell in love. Gorgeous burgundy-green foliage and then, as Susan noted, the blooms are so long lasting. Mine is in tall clay container on patio and I enjoyed watching the bloom for a couple of weeks outdoors, then cut stem for inside. It has been 3 weeks. While the flowers have softened to a paler color the stem is still sturdy and the florets (?) still hold shape. I'm just amazed.

josh

my fave summer bulb is haemanthus blah blah...uhhh, i forgot hehehe. anyways in simple term, people call it "ball of fire" or "bloodlily" :)
bloodlily 5/11/07