Attached is a photo of V95-4-8. It is a cross of N. cyclamineus x N. calcicola. This Selection is as early as the Narcissus cyclamineus parent. Most of the siblings bloom much later.
This is the exact same cross that Alec Gray made and which yielded ‘Stella Turk’. I love ‘Stella Turk’ but have GREAT difficulty keeping it alive. I used a refined form of N. cyclamineus developed here and crossed it with a second generation N. calcicola developed here. Both species parents are unusually well formed.
A serious strategy that I have pursued has been to re-make many of Alec Gray’s excellent crosses. These “re-makes” are done if (and only if) I feel that I have much improved species forms. Using carefully selected (improved??) species forms seems to give progeny that is much improved in form. Conversely, in hybridizing, garbage in equals garbage out. My belief/experience has been that really well formed species seems to me to be a key in getting better formed Miniature progeny.
These seem to be growing on well and have displayed none of the health and vigor issues that I have experienced with ‘Stella Turk’.
Steve
Nice, Steve. I also have trouble keeping ‘Stella Turk’.
I agree with your comment in an earlier posting about it being desirable to have the bloom of the bulbocodium/cantabricus hybrids up above the foliage. I know those I grow don’t get enough light in the garage from the fluorescent lights, and things get taller than they should, but it would be nice to have the blooms top the foliage.
Mary Lou