Sunday, April 23, 2006

Arab's Eye

Melbourne's weather has been getting cold lately and its not even winter yet. Usually we get this sort of weather from May onwards but somehow winter decides to come early this year.

So much so that some of my bulbous plants are starting to sprout like these Ornithogalum Arabicum or commonly known as Arab's Eye. Usually I'll plant these out in mid May but I don't think they'll be able to wait till then.

So what better way to spend my Sunday afternoon than to plant out these excellent spring flowering plants. Last year I did a post on planting petunia, today I'll show you how to plant flowering bulbs in containers. I used a plastic pot for this occasion and premium quality potting mix (always use premium quality mix if you want good quality results). I mixed in some fertiliser for bulbs which is high in potassium to encourage better flowers.

Place the bulbs on top of the mix leaving some spaces between them for growth. Some people might think this is too close but I've never had any problem and it will give a more compact display of the flowers later in Spring.

Simply back fill to cover the bulbs but not all the way to the rim of the pot so that when you water the pot it will create a reservoir of water, soaking the soil as the water drains away. Keep the pot in a sunny position to get some warmth during the winter months. Only water when the mix is looking rather dry. And that's it!


Come spring time in October they will reward you with beautiful long lasting white flowers with black centers giving them the name of Arab's Eye! This picture was taken 2 years back but they are from the bulbs I've just shown you.

19 comments:

5xmom.com said...

Mr Greenfinger, good luck and look forward to the blooms!

FooDcrazEE said...

wow !

Alex Allied said...

I missed melbourne berry march!! The air, the people, the cool Sunday morning. I shall be back for you one day.

Wuching, please, take more pictures of Melbourne, especially St. Kilda :) your frequent location! Thanks!

Cocka Doodle said...

Now yours became a farmers' blog ah? LOL

Anonymous said...

Mmm...I wonder what other bulbous things also sprouting, ya...wuching?? (wink...wink!)

Anonymous said...

Ohh pretty pretty pretty.

Wuching said...

5xmom: thank you

foodcrazee: double wow!

alex aliied: why r u away for so long? who's looking after milo? come back for yum cha with alex/ajay & i lah!

cocka: old mcdonald's blog

STP: la sak nau!

che-cheh: thank you

Anonymous said...

Takes two to tango, buddy...otherwise, u wouldn't know what I'm talking about. Well, as they say, "birds" of the same feather flock together!!!

Anonymous said...

haha, looks like my high school biology experimentation!

Wuching said...

STP: i can't tangle with u lah..1st, u r not female..2nd, i can't reach around ur waist..3rd, u may crush me to death if u miss a step & fall on me!

laksa: yes, biology 101 but not the chapter about the reproductive organs of humans har!

Anonymous said...

OK...1st reason accepted without question, 2nd reason...well, you can find something, a handle of something to hold on to...and 3rd reason, no need for me to fall - if I hold u close to me, sure something will get crushed already!!! Shall we dance...???

Wuching said...

STP: i'm getting nightmare now...

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha ha ha...!!! Here comes...nope, not Freddy Kruger, but SUITUAPUI!!!

Anonymous said...

aiyo..STP...so gay...(wow!! one of my shortest comment to date)

Wuching said...

STP: please lah, i sked of u liao!

QV: he's ur cousin, maybe it runs in the genes! hehe

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHA..Defective Genes...should do a DNA test and see which side it came from......:P

Wuching said...

QV: aiya does it matter which side? u still love him don't u? :P

Anonymous said...

Well, QV...for people my age, "gay" means happy! And whatever it means to u, wuching's hinting that u exactly the same - half kati, 8 tahil!! U so thick, can get the sacarsm meh???

Wuching said...

STP: nolah, u twist my words!