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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Fall turned to winter.


Harvesting some saffron.

Sorry for the absence. Busy times.
Thought I would drop a line and say happy holidays.

In case you wondered what it looks like here is a massive black cottonwood in a park to the north of the nursery along the banks of the Willamette river.




Already had one ice storm causing a power outage this season. Another potential ice storm in the forecast tonight.

Happy holidays!
Mark

Monday, September 8, 2014

The fat lady is warming up.


The colchicums are all go, go, go.

That means I'm closing up shop soon. I'll fill any orders that come in until 9:00 pm on Wednesday the 10th.

Cheers,

Mark

Thursday, August 21, 2014

2014 Bulb list-Shipping is finished for this year

Fall blooming Crocus

Updated 9/14/14
Thank you everyone, I am finished shipping for the year. I will leave this post up for reference for a bit.
A change in phytosanitary costs should be noted, It's now $40 per international order, I would encourage any international customers to group or combine orders to make it worth while, you can put as many bulbs as you want on one order so if you are thinking about ordering and are concerned with the added cost talk to friends, neighbors, garden club or plant society members and group an order, I would love to continue international shipping but it is really cost prohibitive for both me and the customer and time consuming, so I'll have to do a cost/benefit analysis at the end of this season to see if it's justified for the coming years.

SPECIALTY BULB LIST 2014

Greetings,
               
This list is a continuation of the bulb offerings that Jane McGary offered for many years. Jane has entrusted me to continue her offering and I do so here at the greatest pleasure. I owe a huge thanks to Jane for stock, advice on growing, the wonderful experience of working in her garden, moving rocks and pulling weeds, and imparting so much of her knowledge about specialty bulbs. This was a tough year, with record low temperatures in December of 2013, and a record hot summer for 2014. This year, I have relatively low numbers of each and every item so stop wasting your time reading the intro and place an order or you will likely miss out on what you want.

The Nursery: Illahe Nursery and Gardens is located in the South Salem hills of the Central Willamette Valley of Oregon at 600 feet in elevation. The Climate here has been described as Mediterranean, although it really is cooler and wetter. Rainfall occurs here primarily between the months of October and May and ranges between 40-80 inches. Temperatures in the winter rarely fall below 20 deg. F. in the winter, however the last few winters have seen temperatures as low as 9 deg. F inside an unheated greenhouse. Summers are generally dry. The Jory loam soil here is deep and extremely fertile. Agriculture in the immediate vicinity is mostly Christmas tree production, vineyards , nursery and grass seed production.

To see pictures of the bulbs, please visit the Illahe blog at www.illaherarebulbs.blogspot.com,  or try The Random House Book of Bulbs by Martyn Rix and Roger Phillips,  or the Pacific Bulb Society website.

Size of  bulbs: Bulbs have been selected for large size in hopes of providing flowering in the shortest period possible, some bulbs are available in smaller sizes and those are listed below. Often newly potted bulbs need a year to settle in before flowering. All bulbs are priced per single bulb, unless otherwise noted.

Hardiness: It is impossible precisely to predict the winter survival of bulbous plants in a given area. My garden is a notorious frost pocket although some of the bulbs are grown in an unheated, open ended greenhouse, many are grown out in the open in raised frames.  Refer to standard authors such as Martyn Rix and Brian Mathew for guidance, remembering that they refer to gardens in Britain, USDA Zones 8-9. It is wise to cultivate new (and expensive) bulbs under cover until you have enough to risk in the open garden, where not only weather but also predators threaten them. (For details, see Jane’s chapter on "Bulb and Alpine Frames" in Rock Garden Design and Construction, Timber Press, 2003.) Unless otherwise noted all these plants can survive at least a few degrees of frost, provided they have good drainage and the foliage is not wet. In areas with snow cover and/or dry winters, they can survive more cold.

Domestic customers:
Ordering: Please send a list by e-mail (preferable for quickest processing) or post to the address below. All orders are filled in the order received, so get your order to me as quickly as possible for the best selection. Send orders to illaherarebulbs@gmail.com
DO NOT FORGET TO TELL ME YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS.
Shipping: I will bill you for Priority Mail postage., and a small packaging fee. I will continue to send domestic orders until the end of September or whenever I run out of bulbs to sell you. I will ship some bulbs in a vermiculite carrier, please be aware that this is organic, and certified asbestos free.
Payment: DO NOT SEND PAYMENT WITH YOUR ORDER. All bulbs are available in limited quantities and you may not receive everything you want. You will be billed with your shipment. I would like to have everyone pay with pay-pal this year, so you will receive an invoice in the email and I will ship when you have paid, if the money is not deposited within three days of invoicing your bulbs will be returned to the inventory rack.
International Customers:
Ordering: Send your order via email.  All orders are filled in the order received, so get your order to me as quickly as possible for the best selection. Send orders to illaherarebulbs@gmail.com.
Shipping: I will bill you for first class postage, rate will be based on your order size. If you desire a faster postage rate please let me know this, and I will let you know the rate when your order is ready to be shipped. A small packaging fee will be included to help your bulbs arrive safely.  I will bill you for Phytosanitary certification, that cost is $40 per order. Due to inspection/phytosanitary scheduling I can only offer two weeks of international shipping so please place your order no later than September 5th 2014. I will ship some bulbs in a vermiculite carrier, please be aware that this is organic, and certified asbestos free.
Payment: International customers will be required to pay by Pay-Pal. Your order will be filled and inspected, you will be sent an email invoice with the Pay-Pal deposit information. When the money is deposited your order will be shipped. If you must cancel an order, please do so promptly, if the money is not deposited within 3 business days, you will be sent a notification email and your bulbs will be returned to the inventory rack. Your bulb order leaves here with Phytosanitary certificate stating that it is free from pest and disease and therefore not subject to quarantine, however I do not have any control over the receiving countries agricultural inspections, so I cannot offer any guarantee and the loss should your government hold your bulbs is on you. Please notify me immediately of any issues and I will do what I can.
Remember all bulbs are available in limited quantities so whether you are domestic or international please realize I sell out of some stuff very quickly so get your order in as soon as possible. Email is preferred for questions related to bulb purchases.
Please feel free to forward this list to anyone who might be interested.
Thank you,
Mark Akimoff
Illahe Nursery and Gardens
7645 Sunnyside Rd SE
Salem, Or 97306
503-799-2725
illaherarebulbs@gmail.com



Bulbs
Acis valentina (L. valentinum) Pure white flowers in fall, medium size. $5
Acis valentina

 


Allium textile Central United States; clusters of starry white flowers. $1
Allium scorzoneriifolium ssp. xericense N. Africa; bright yellow fls, 8” tall              $3
Allium platycaule Oregon/Ca. Superb NW species for the rock garden, purple flws. $4 sold out
Allium aff. bisceptrum California? If this is truly bisceptrum, it would be a good one to try in a wetter regime then I grow it, because I have always given this dainty, pretty, little onion alpine house type conditions. $2 Sold out
 


Arum byzantinum Balkans-Turkey; greenish white spathe with some purple. $5Sold Out
Arum concinnatum Eastern Himalaya-Burma White Spathes/yellow spadix large tubers $4
Arum dioscoridis Turkey; wonderful but bad-smelling inflorescence, greenish cream heavily spotted with black. Medium, $3
 


Bellvallia pycnantha Iraq/Iran; formerly Muscari. $3
 

Biarum tenuifolium

Biarum davisii Crete; Awesome pinkish-white spathes in the fall. $5
Biarum tenuifolium ssp. abbreviatum Blackish spathes, flowers late summer. $4
Biarum tenuifolium ssp. zelborii Crete, Very rare. $6
Biarum tenuifolium Stinky, but showy in pot, and a good increaser. $3
 


Brimeura amethystina Blue fls., late spring          $3
Brimeura fastigiata Tiny plants with bright lavender fls; hardy to at least 9 deg. F., for containers under protection from excess rain $4
 


Calochortus argillosus California; stunning! $6 Sold Out
Calochortus vestae California, Large Pinkish-White Flowers, striking markings, very showy. $7
 
Camassia cusickii Oregon, my own wild seed collection from the Imnaha river drainage on the east slopes of Oregons Wallowa Mts. has proven to be plenty tough and hardy, and has established nicely in the open garden. $5Sold Out

Colchicum bayoptopium Turkey, small species, great in pots. $5
Colchicum bivonae Sardinia-Turkey, large, tessellated pink flowers, dramatic. $5 Sold out
Colchicum montanum Syn. Merendera montana Spain/Portugal, fall bloomer, flowers set close to the soil surface. Nice for troughs/pots/raised beds $4 sold out
Colchicum hungaricum ‘Valentine’ Outstanding Feburary bloomer, larger than type, pink. 2 for $5 Sold out
C. hungaricum 'valentine'

 


Crocus cartwrightianus Greece/Crete, supposedly the wild precursor of the saffron crocus. $4
Crocus scepusiensis Spring. Lavender. Sometimes considered a form of C. vernus. $3
Crocus cancellatus ssp. cancellatus Lavender, spring      $3 sold out
Crocus kotschyanus fall; Pink fls. $3
Crocus kotschyanus

Crocus oreocreticus Crete; Fall, lilac fls. $4
Crocus imperati Italy, Mediterranian. Pink fls. $4
Crocus longiflorus Fall, Mediterranian; Lilac flowers, fragrant.  $4
Crocus biflorus ssp. pulchricolor Turkey, adaptable, easy species for the open garden. 2 for $3
Crocus kosaninii Serbia; lilac fls. $4
Crocus kotschyanus ssp. cappadocicus Anatolia. Leafless fall bloomer, lavender fls. $5 SOLD OUT
Crocus karduchorum Turkey, leafless fall bloomer, lavender/white fls. $5 sold out
Crocus kosanini

 


Chinodoxa ‘Valentines Day’ Blue-Starry shaped flowers, early, Pair with C. hungaricum ‘Valentine’, for a great early show in troughs, pots or rock garden $3
Chinodoxa 'valentines day'


Dichelostemma multiflorum Tight heads of purple-blue flowers on long stems, late spring. $3
 


Erythronium multiscapoideum From California. Stems branch below the surface so it appears to have multiple flowering scapes. White flowers. Drought-tolerant. $7sold out
 

Fritillaria hermonis ssp. amana

Fritillaria acmopetala ‘Dark Form’ Eastern Medd; $5
Fritillaria agrestis California, Stink Bells. Huge bulbs. $8 Sold out
Fritillaria affinis Oregon, my own wild seed collection from the Mule Creek Canyon area of Oregons Rogue River, read some Zane Grey books from his time at Winkle bar to get an idea of the area. So far has proven to bloom at fairly short 6-10" height, $4
Fritillaria biflora "grayana" A vigorous form, flowering in late spring. $5 Sold out
Fritillaria carica NS 2181 Small, yellow bell flowers, very show in a pot. $4
Fritillaria caucasica Caucas Mts; Dark bells. $5
Fritillaria collina Caucusus, Pale yellow, spotted flowers. $6 smaller offsets available $3
Fritillaria crassifolia spp. kurdica Iran, an all time favorite of mine for it’s cool, waxy, bluish, blooms. $8 SOLD OUT
Fritillaria davisii Short stems, dark pendent bells, increases well. Lg bulbs $6
Fritillaria elwesii Beautiful bells with a dusty bloom on the petals. $5Sold Out
Fritillaria glauca From wild-collected seed. A scree plant needing dry summer. $5Sold Out
Fritillaria glauca 'Goldilocks' deep yellow bells. $6 sold out

Fritillaria gracilis Balkans; $5
Fritillaria hermonis ssp. amana Turkey. $4
Fritillaria ionica Greek Isles; Brown bells. $6


Fritillaria latakiensis Syria/Turkery, Reminds me of  F. recurva but with brown/green bells. Very showy. $6 sold out

Fritillaria liliacea Calif., winter-growing, needs protection; Glossy, white flws.  Lg. bulbs $12 sold out, small offsets available $2.
Fritillaria obliqua Greece, rare; blackish bell flowers. $8
Fritillaria orientalis Caucasus, checkered pendant bells, easy grower. $4
Fritillaria pontica Tall, pale green/bronze, broad pendant bells, easy lg. $4Sold Out
Fritillaria pontica
Fritillaria pudica ‘Richard Britten’ Larger flowered form. $8 sold out
Fritillaria pudica large form from John Day River. Robust, golden bells. Sm bulbs $2Sold Out
Fritillaria pudica lovely, yellow, nodding bells, drought tolerant. Specify. I have small bulbs left, they are 3 years from rice grains, and starting to form offsets of there own,  so should get to blooming size quickly if you space them right. $2

Fritillaria recurva NW USA. Tall plants with reflexed scarlet flowers, hummingbirds love it. I have a few very large bulbs so please Specify Lg. $18/ sold out md $6.Sold out
Fritillaria rhodocanakis Greece; this selection was originally from Hoog and labeled: Fritillaria rhodocanakis ssp. argolica. Which is a very rare subspecies of an already rare plant, however that ssp. has been disputed and it may be natural variation or hybridization between F. graeca or F. spetsiotica Beautiful brown and yellow bells. $6 Sold Out
Fritillaria whitallii Nicely Checkered bells. $6
F. whitalii

Fritillaria X burnatii….Hmmm, don’t know about the name on this one. Take a chance. $3
Frtillaria stribyrnyi Balkans; Very rare and exceedingly beautiful $8

 
Fritillaria gracilis


Gladiolus illyricus Medditeranean. Pink. $4
 


Iris aucheri Juno from Turkey through Iran and Syria, pale blue with yellow flwrs. $4
Iris bucharica 'Conquest' Tough selection of bucharica, bright yellow flowers $6
Iris stolonifera 'Zwanenburg Beauty' Regelia section, coppery flowers with yellow and blue accents. $5
Iris hoogiana White Form. Regelia section. Turkestan. $6 sold out
 


Ipheion ‘Jessie’ Chile. Blue starry blooms, sweetly scented. $1
 


Luecojum aestivum? This is the questionable snow drop featured in the March blog entry, it’s a robust grower for the open garden, historical to the Illahe property. $4
 
Leucojum aestivum?


So Narcissus and Nemesis walk into a bar, Narcissus see's his reflection in the Mirror behind the bottom shelf and Nemesis gets distracted by the waitress.......There is punch line somewhere in that.




Narcissus calcicola Close to N. rupicola but produces up to 5 flowers per stem, rather late. A robust strain from Monocot seed. $5/ea
Narcissus cantabricus ssp. foliosus Midwinter, cream-white hoop fls     $3
Narcissus cantabricus X romieuxii Hybrid of two outstanding species. $4 Sold out
Narcissus wilkommii A deep yellow Jonquilla species with a large corona. $5
Narcissus assoanus Wild Seed Serrania de’ Ronde, Spain. Lemon yellow flowers with slight fragrance. $6
Narcissus bulbocodium ssp. praecox. Morocco, Primrose yellow petticoats. $5 
Narcissus jonquilla var. henriquesii Fragrant  yellow flowers with a long corona. $3
Narcissus romieuxii ‘Julia Jane’ Selected from an Archibald collection in North Africa, a pale yellow, vigorous form. $5
Narcissus romieuxii Pale yellow widely flared “hoop petticoat” flowers, early. $3
Narcissus watieri From the Atlas Mts. of Morocco, beautiful white flowers.  $8 Sold out

 
 
N. watieri


Ornithogalum oreoides  European, large starry white flowers. $2Sold Out
               
Tulipa ostrowskiana. It’s deep red with a small yellow center. $5Sold Out
Tulipa didieri Possibly extinct in the wild, or extremely rare. Crimson flowers with a dark center. $7 Sold Out

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Grading day


I'm really missing my bulb grader this week, she is pretty talented at turning piles like this into three categories, for sale, for show, and for bulking up.


Regardless, the potting on and cataloguing continues.



I've taken a renewed interest in the genus Primula....I guess I'm getting nostalgic about my days at the Rae Selling Berry Botanic Garden. Wish I would have paid attention to that collection at the time, although with Jacks Poffs help, I made valiant efforts on "cookie" and some of the other western species.


Thunder storms, little rain, some lightning fortunately no fires here just yet.

Cheers,

Mark

Monday, August 11, 2014

The Naked Lady says its time


Amaryllis belladonna

Yes, she told me its time to start harvesting. Summer vacation is over for me. I'll be hard at work this week and with all luck the list should be out the week of August 18th. Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested in the bulb catalog.



My bulb grader at the base of Mt. Rainier this past week. She is away at camp for this years harvest so you are stuck with me sorting bulbs this year.

Cheers,
Mark

Monday, July 7, 2014

The bulb list cometh


Sorry for my long absence, some home projects (kitchen remodel) and summer stuff (fishing) has kept me busy

Ling cod from the waters of the pacific off Newport, Oregon.

Regardless, I'm planning on starting harvest in the next couple of weeks, with all luck and godspeed that should put the list out sometime around the last of July or first of August.

Keep your eyes peeled for it because it cometh soon.

Cheers,

Mark

90 degrees in the shade but a nice breeze today.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Back from California


Iris kirkwoodii

Nice to find this surprise waiting for me.

Got to do a little botanizing in lake county.



Calochortus amabalis
On konocti mt. Growing in grass on the edge of chapparel bordered on walnut groves.



Fritillaria agrestis
Same location as above.



Anyone know what this is? Would be pretty cool in a rock garden.

Rainy, soggy, wet...that's the forecast.

Cheers,

Mark

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Easter on the horizon


Look at all the flowers on this F. Purdyi x F. Biflora hybrid!



This is a Fritillaria glauca, notice the cut stump treatment on the ripening seed pod on the left. This was fertilized by Fritillaria eastoodiae.

The cut stump treatment is supposed to help the pollen make it down the pollen tube better. I guess we will see could make an interesting hybrid.

Weird year much of the early stuff was really early and the late stuff hasn't showed up yet.

Rain, wind....temps in the 50's.

Cheers to warmer weather in California this weekend.

Mark

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Tax day


Fritillaria liliacea

What a beauty and a rarity from the bay area. I'm actually headed into its native range for the weekend for a family reunion. This one has just plodded along in the raised bed for years, never blooming and this year...Bam, a whole bunch of flowers what a treat.

Taxes and death my friends..taxes and death.

Warm and sunny the last week. Showers on the horizon.

Cheers,

Mark

Friday, April 4, 2014

Early April


Fritillaria agrestis

Someone wrote on the pbs email list wondering how long F. agrestis blooms last. I just noticed this one open today, although it appears to have been open for a bit...regardless, I'll count the days till it closes so the info is out there.



Fritillaria recurva

Doing its thang! Haven't seen any hummingbirds in the greenhouse but I've been using this pollen on a lot of other species.



Tulipa ostrwaskiana

Don't think I have the spelling right on that. Last year a nice fellow from the northern lands came by to take pictures of some of the tulips for an article he was writing for pacific horticulture. I never did hear if it was published.

Supposed to turn a weather corner with highs in the 70's next week! Working over time pulling trees off bridge footings for the city tomorrow so the weekend is shot but the pocketbook will be happier.

Cheers,

Mark