I think my biggest autumn treat is when my Nerines bloom.  These bulbs are originally from South Africa, and the plainest pink form (Nerine bowdenii) is hardy in Vancouver. If you drive down Dunbar Street in Sept/Oct , (around West 20th and Dunbar), you’ll see them in a couple of  yards .  Lots of them ! Several years ago, one of the residents of the main ‘nerine house ‘ gave me some of his bulbs. I struck up a friendship with ‘ Mr. Gallagher’ , and also bought his cut nerines for my florist shop. They last 3 weeks as cut flowers and his  were unusually tall .
                  Being a mad hybridizer (orchids,clivia,daylilies,amaryllis…..), I immediately started breeding nerines. I had acquired a white one, a cherry red one, a peachy one and an ivory one . My goal was to possibly introduce some nice colours that could be grown outdoors all year (in zone 8).  That was ten years ago . Now, each autumn I look forward to seeing my seedlings flower. Some have taken five years to bloom, some longer.  I am thrilled by the range of patterns and colours in my seedlings. Each one is unique in foliage width, flower colour, foliage colour, bulb size and bloom time. I doubt if any are hardy…. and I am afraid to risk leaving them out all winter. So, I grow them in pots . Nerines like, no, demand a ‘summer bake’. This means they appear dormant (no leaves or blooms) and sit in the sun curing. The bulbs position themselves at least 1/3 up and above the ground anyway.( They rot if planted too deeply).
                 They can be quite dry all summer. I water occasionally , to keep them plump.  I watch for the flower spikes in September, and by October they are in full glory.  Just when our weather gets cool/near freezing, the show is over and my pots of nerines go into a cool greenhouse (but heated to about 50 degrees fehrenheit) and sit there all winter looking half dead. I keep them dry.  When the weather warms up in May, out they go and I repeat the bake cycle, knowing that autumn will awaken my sleeping beauties.
                I will be selling these nerines at Southlands. The best time to divide is in summer, so this is when I expect to make them available.  If you love them and can care for them, put your name on our ‘wish list’ and we’ll let you know when they are ready !