Gardening in February

Golden Weather Grass, Hypoxis hygrometrica Labill., in the Hypoxidaceae, is one of the lesser known and grown Australian bulbous plants. It occurs naturally in open woodlands in Eastern Australia preferring swampy areas or grassy forest clearings. Members of the genus also occur in Africa - the best known being H. hemerocallidea (African star grass, African potato), with reputed medicinal properties, and there are also two species recorded from Brazil.

I purchased my plant at the Open Garden Australia Plant Fair held at Huntly, a property near Canberra, last Autumn so I have had it almost a year. I am growing my plants in a pot along with a dwarf foxglove -. The soil mix includes water-holding crystals to reduce drying out, and over the summer the fox glove foliage has covered the area where the bulb is planted. The Golden Weather grass died down over winter and has been dormant for  most of the summer, and has comeup and flowered in the last few weeks. The plant seems to clump up, but I have not yet attempted to divide it. It seems to have set seed so it will be interesting to see if I can raise a second generation. While Golden Weather Grass might not win any awards for spectacular performance, it is a good addition to the garden - the summer dormancy being a particular asset in dry summers..

Tha National Library of Australia holds a watercolour painting of a group of the plants by Adam Forster, 1924.

Bulbine spp. Here in Canberra,  I have grown two species from seed - (B. bulbosa (Golden Rock Lily) and B. semi-barbata (Leek Lily) (which featured in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1832). The seeds of both species, and a third, B. glauca ( Rock Lily), are offered by Wild Seed Tasmania . I also grew B. bulbosa years ago, in Brisbane.

After my inital Canberra planting in 2004 (lots of seedlings emerged), I lost both species in the drought. Then a year or so later, a lone seedling of one species emerged in a pot. I kept it well-watered and it flowered and set seed. I raised more plants and now, I have lots and, it seems to spread around a bit in the garden - a sure sign that  a plant is happy! I also divided up the original plant and transplanted it into the garden where they are doing OK - but I am not sure which of the two species it is, but it's probably B. bulbosa. I have found that the plants like to be kept moist, and even tolerate some waterlogging. At the National Botanic Gardens, they grow at least two species in the rock garden where plants seem to like growing beside and amongst rocks.