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Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Post Number: 618
Registered: 10-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 2:34 am: |    |
Anne suggested a late winter thread for down here but being my usual optimistic self, I'm going for early spring instead. It's probably a classic case of the triumph of hope over experience but there are a few early lambs about after all.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 3:13 am: | |
And so.... (just as the rain starts to fall and a southerly gale gathers strength), a few crocuses which are starting now. I took these yesterday and they are not the best. I'll have to use a tripod I think, among other things in order to get sharper pics.
Crocus corsicus has lovely colour and is so reliable.
Crocus sieberi comes in many forms and I especially love this snowy form called `Bowles' White'
Presumably this is the type form, Crocus sieberi ssp. sieberi. It varies in the depth of colour and the extent of the markings.
I love the rich egg yolk colour (free range egg) of Crocus cvijicii though it pales slightly towards the centre of the flower. Three years ago I sowed some seed from my own corms and when they flowered last year they were all pale yellow flushed with varying amounts of lilac. C. sieberi `Firefly' was their neighbour in the trough. Very pretty but definitely hybrids.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Post Number: 620
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 3:21 am: | |
I should probably leave Crocus pestolozzae until later when more are out. One pale blue flower on its own isn't up to much.
And a final crocus for today, one of my favourites for its pure blue colour, Crocus abantensis. I find it impossible to capture the colour accurately on either film or digital camera.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 3:35 am: | |
Two forms of Narcissus romieuxii out now are what I have as `Rifanus' (above) though it looks like most others, and `Atlas Gold' (below) from an Archibald collection.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 4:01 am: | |
Can you bear some more?
A better pic of Asphodelus acaulis than the one I posted a couple of months ago.
And the first Hepatica nobilis for the year. Paul, this is the plant from which I sent you some seed. Actually, no it's not. It's an older brother/sister of the plant....
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 4:15 am: | |
And to end, a few of my favourite irises. I must apologise that all of these are in nursery pots (little plastic bags actually) rather than in the garden, where the bulbs are a bit later. First up, Iris histrioides `Major' x winogradowii `Katharine Hodgkin.'
Iris reticulata x histrioides `Major' `Harmony'
 }
Iris reticulata `Pauline'
And last for the day, Iris reticulata x bakeriana `Gordon.'
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 11:13 am: | |
Lesley,
Do you also realise that there is a Crocus thread in the Crocus section dedicated to Southern hemisphere crocus flowerings? Might be worthwhile posting those in there as well (or maybe a moderator can copy them across?).
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 12:54 pm: | |
Lesley,
And I love the pics. Your Iris retics are all ahead of mine, although mine already have points up.... no colour as yet. Some of your Crocus are ahead of mine as well..... although was going to post some similar ones as well.
That Hepatica is a lovely colour..... I look forward to it's brethren flowering one day in my garden. So how long do they take to get to flowering size?
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Ian McEnery (Ianmcenery)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 1:42 pm: | |
Great piccies Lesley keep em coming
Ian McEnery Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands |
Thomas Huber (Hubi1)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 3:31 pm: | |
Beautiful, Lesley!
Please show us you cvijicii x Firefly hybrids, too!
Thomas Huber, Neustadt/Hessen, Germany |
J.Ian Young (Iyoung)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 6:32 pm: | |
It is wonderful to see the spring bulbs in flower at the same time as i am repotting the bulbs in Scotland - keep them coming.
I am ok with the crocus pics in this thread but if you lot down there have a heap more crocus pics to come may be we will start a new southern crocus thread then.
I repotted C cvijicii today and it had the early devolpment of roots and shoots already so they needed careful handling.
Ian Young, Aberdeen, North Eastern Scotland. |
John Forrest (Jof)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 8:59 pm: | |
Like Ian I have been repotting bulbs and its just like instant gardening seeing some of them in full bloom on the same day. I like your Asphodelus, many of the ones bought out of flower turn out to be really squinney things with poor colour. Did you use a tripod for the last lot or lay off the booze. 'grin'. Do post more as your season unfolds.
John Forrest, Blackpool, North West England, UK |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 1:19 am: | |
Paul, the hepaticas take exactly 2 years to flower. The self-sown seed (the stuff I didn't manage to catch before it dropped) is starting to germinate now, just as the buds on the parents are developing. They won't bloom a year from now but will in 2007. A most kindly Swedish gentleman sent me a heap of seed in June 2004 (more this year as well) and that too, is starting to germinate now, so it's a matter of season and temperature rather than age of the seed. His seed was very fresh when he sent it.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 1:33 am: | |
Thomas, I'll do a pic of the hybrids when they're out, perhaps a week away.
John, me lay off the booze? Fat chance. But no, I didn't use a tripod either. In fact, an odd thing happened in that the day before (Tuesday) when I did the crocus pics, as I turned off the camera, I accidentally knocked (gently) the lens which comes out of the camera when it's turned on, and retracts when turned off. Although the lens was on its way back into the camera, it seemed to be shoved in, and made a small click sound. I turned on the camera but the lens didn't come out so thought I'd have to take it into town to be fixed. I was still able to view the pics in replay and to upload them to computer. Next morning I went out to do the Narcissus `Atlas Gold' before the sun hit it and forgot about the lens problem but then realized that the lens had still worked even though not extending. Then I realized that the pics were much sharper than the previous ones. So I did the irises and the same thing - sharper pics.
Perhaps it was co-incidence but now the lens has starting coming out again - without my doing anything to it - and again, slightly fuzzy pics. No doubt someone can explain this to me.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
John Forrest (Jof)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 11:05 pm: | |
Lesley Just knock the camera again and hope for the best. Seriously though it may well be to do with the focal length of the lens and the distance away from the subject. Try doing some test shots of a subject from very close and then keep moving back a cm at a time. When you review those pics you will find the nearest that your camera will focus at. Its always worth doing a few shots of each subject and picking the best.
John Forrest, Blackpool, North West England, UK |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 10:30 am: | |
Lesley,
I've been meaning to mention that your Crocus sieberi ssp sieberi you posted above is just lovely. Definitely different to the basic one we have over here. Yours almost looks like it could fall into the Huffelianus group with it's lovely tipping. Now if THAT sets seed and you can spare some.... and even one of the seedlings ended up marked like that.... then I would be most happy. *cheeky grin* That is definitely one to be proud of!! Beautiful.
I have posted a couple of pics of mine in the Crocus area, but here is a copy of the side view of mine....
.... shows you how different it is. If you are able to work out the camera and get down to it, I woud love to see a similar side view to show the markings on your plant.
That Crocus abatensis is pretty special too by the look of it... another species I haven't come across before, although I am sure I have seen it mentioned prior to this. Lovely!!
I have also been posting a bunch of Snowdrop pics in the General area as well, just in case anyone is interested who hasn't been in there to look.
So now to add something to this thread as well...
Narcissus romieuxii 'Julia Jane' is a beautiful flower, but a bit paler by the look of it than you posted above Lesley. I do have to ask though.... how are you growing 'Atlas Gold' when it is from a seed collection? Are you meaning that you grew it from seed collected from that, or do you mean that Atlas Gold itself originated from an Archibald's seed collection?
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 5:14 am: | |
Paul, I do have Crocus heuffelianus and I know what you mean about the tip markings. But they are quite distinct, the same colour, but a deeper shade than the main petal colour whereas the one above is lilac on a white ground, but does vary as you say. I'll try for a sideways pic. That will mean that I have to get sideways too. Will have to lay off the Chardonnay - or perhaps have more of it.
`Julia Jane' which grows well here and `Atlas Gold' along with `Joy Bishop,' `Treble Chance' and perhaps others, are all selections named from a particular Archibald collection, JCA 805Y. All set seed and I have a lot of seedlings growing on but none flowered yet except from `Treble Chance' and these are absolutely true to their parent. However, all that I grow under the clonal names, are natural vegetative increase from my original named imports, from Potterton and Martin, in 1993. This year `Atlas Gold' is better than ever with about 70 buds on a clump that is only 6" across and the flowers are larger than usual. Some individual bulbs have 6 buds emerging from them. It is my favourite. Of all that I have, `JJ' is the palest and no larger than `TC' which has the added great advantage of producing 2 or 3 extra flowers from the single spathe, in succession, hence its name. It has excellent weather-proof texture too, as has `AG.'
I get lots - masses - of seed on Crocus heuffelianus and will certainly send some later in the year. It has threatened to swamp the more delicate C. baytopiorum which I've had to move to a different trough for its own sake.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 7:52 am: | |
Lesley,
I didn't realise that all those romieuxii were from a single access of Archibald seed. Makes it even more amazing that 'Treble Chance' seeds true. I have never seen TC, or 'Atlas Gold' other than here on the SRGC. Both look lovely. I do have 'Joy Bishop' though. Glad to hear that you keep clonal names only for divisions of the originals.
Would love to see pics of the C. huffelianus and C. baytopiorum when you have them out in flower. I would love to see which combinations your huffelianus come in as I realise that they can be quite variable. Thomas was generous to me recently and sent me some seed of that so hopefully they'll do well, but would love a few seed of yours as well which I assume are of some different genetics?
So nice to see your lovely pics. So many are well ahead of us here, while others (such as sieberi ssp sieberi are out at the same time. No signs here at all of cvijicii as yet and none of the Iris reticulata are actually in flower as yet.
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
dave toole (T00lie)
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Post Number: 57
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 12:22 pm: | |
Hi all -One or two interesting items flowering at the moment.
Crocus gargaricus ssps. herbertii.Dug up in full bloom last year ,by a good friend and hasn't missed a beat.
Crocus sieberi(i think)
Narcissus cantabricus
Another shot of Narcissus atlas gold which has a wonderfull strong scent
Cyclamen coum
Of course i couldn't finish without a couple of photos. of N.Z. natives
Foliage shot of Aciphylla pinnatifida
Ranunculus buchananii seedlings
Raoulia exima
Dave Toole.Invercargill.Bottom of the South Island New Zealand .Zone 8/9. |
Lyn Buchanan (Lyn)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 10:57 pm: | |
Hi Dave
Have to ask - how old are the Ranunculus buchanani seedlings, they look second year or
did they germinate earlier this year? |
dave toole (T00lie)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 12:01 am: | |
Hello Lyn .
How are things up your way?.
As far as i can remember i collected seed in march 03 ,however unable to confirm when germination occurred but pretty sure they are second year seedlings .
Label is missing----wifes damn cats have stopped scratching the fish boxes troughs -now gone on to flicking (and chewing) my plant labels all over the place!!!!!.
These have been in growth all through winter ,in a well lite ,sheltered but cool enough position, with no green fly (aphid) attacks.
Dave
Dave Toole.Invercargill.Bottom of the South Island New Zealand .Zone 8. |
Lyn Buchanan (Lyn)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 10:04 am: | |
Hi,
Up this way, spring is coming. If my USB port would work I'd show you - adonis, & crocus including the classy Crocus sieberi sieberi Lesley has posted, good to see it doing so well for you Lesley. Plus always pleased to see Iris danfordiae repeating its annual flowering performance, marvellous early season plant seems too much maligned.
Of my Ranunculus buchanani one has come forth & multiplied its growing shoots quietly over winter never actually stopping growth & the other's been dying down but not in the way I had thought & is now in remedying mode with placement of stone to allow air all around neck down to the top of the thong roots. It had that soft pythium/pytopthora rot, I think its on way out but hope. Still I'll be able to see if root cuttings work if top dies completely as the roots are lovely and strong 
I'll post some pictures one day.
Go easy on your wife, if not her cats then it'd be the neighbour's or blackbirds.
Waiting for a sign from Ranunculus haastii but suspect that'll be closer to October - a 10C germinator.
Lyn (45 south) Zone 1-10 - depends on the day. |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 9:59 pm: | |
All this talk of Ranunculus buchananii reminds me that yet again, R. semiverticillatus is not going to flower. In spite of that I think I'd better take a photo of the foliage now emerging, or otherwise, Cliff will not believe I even have it here.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 - 2:31 am: | |
I took the following this morning, in thick drizzle. Weather forecast wrong as usual.
Crocus sieberi ssp sieberi, side view for Paul. It's the same flower as before but there will be more soon and I may be able to get a better pic.
The first saxifrage is well out. I've lost a great many over recent summers through drought and they are VERY difficult to replace. Very few are being propagated and those few are frequently wrongly named. This is x Megasaeflora `Robin Hood.'
Iris histrioides `George' is closer to a deep red than the pic shows. Note the almost non-existent foliage at bloom time, typical of histrioides forms. In fact, the two leaves that are visible are probably of rice-sized bulblets rather than the flowering bulb.
Iris x Sindpers which has always for me, been by far the earliest of the Juno irises but was beaten this year by the new Iris rosenbachiana. Sindpers (aucheri {syn. sindjarensis} x persica) is reliable and vigorous, a good open garden plant in a sunny place. Lovely scent too.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 - 2:53 am: | |
One of the best winter/early spring things in the garden is this Helleborus which I bought as H. lividus but is certainly a hybrid, probably of x Sternii persuasion. It makes masses of seed which varies in the amount of dentation and marbling of the foliage, but all are fine plants. As with everything else this year, it is late, just beginning now whereas usually it is in flower by mid June.
In closeup the flowers are a lovely jade green and are flushed pink on the outsides. They come in heads of 30 or more, each head the size of a football - the round kind. (Paul, that was tough on Saturday night in South Africa. Poor Aussies - and worse to come!)
I bought this un-named hellebore about 3 years ago at an NZAGS show. Deepest red with a blue-black over-bloom. First batch of seedlings will flower soon. I think it must have some H. torquatus in it, judging from the foliage.
This competition is called "Hunt the Bellbirds." There are 7 in this pic and a couple of tiny wax-eyes, all lined up for a snack of sugar and water syrup which we put out daily. We've had up to 9 bellbirds, 50+ waxeyes and 6 tuis (harder to photograph but I'll keep trying) this year, and since the feeder is just about 3 metres from the kitchen window, the frenzy is quite exciting while I'm cooking. Pic is taken through the window, specially cleaned in and out for the purpose. Bellbirds and tuis have superb songs - flutes, clarinets and bells mostly - and the noise is head-ringing at times.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 - 5:07 am: | |
Great pics Lesley. That Crocus sieberi ssp seiberi that you got from Lyn B is as gorgeous from the side as it is from above. Just wonderful markings!!!
Love the Bird shot.... except I can count 10 birds not 9..... so I guess I must have been drinking or something? Not good as it is only 2pm in the afternoon and I can't remember having anything? LOL Am I seeing things or are there 10 not 9?
Glorious day here today with 16'C expected which is VERY warm for the middle of winter. Sunshine opening up any flowers that are up and about and just making being outside so wonderful!! So it is back out for a bit more gardening for me......
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Thomas Huber (Hubi1)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 - 12:16 pm: | |
Hello to all the southies!
Wonderfull flowers indeed, don't stop posting!
Dave, your Crocus sieberi looks like "Firefly"!
Thomas Huber, Neustadt/Hessen, Germany |
Margaret Young (Myoung)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 - 12:43 pm: | |
Ian and I have been studying the birds... we think there are ten, too!
That dark red hellebore is very nice.
What a pity, Lesley, that Roger has not posted a photo of YOU taking the sideways Crocus shot... that would have been worth seeing!!
Paul, if it makes 16 degrees here today... and remember this is our summer... we will be amazed! It's perishing cold... on Saturday I had five layers of clothes on, and that was inside the house! The weather girl on TV says we might make 14... if we're lucky... optimistic soul that she is! Fat Chance... it's midday now, the temp is 13degrees. BRRR! Luckily, we have fabulous possum socks from Bronwyn McCone in NZ to keep toes from freezing! Thanks, Bron! |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 - 2:04 pm: | |
Maggi,
14'C in the middle of summer sound heavenly. We'd like a few of those interspersed with the 35+'c days we get so regularly in summer. Gosh it would be SO nice. LOL 30+'C for 3 weeks or so (which we usually get around January/February, with night maybe down to 16 or 17'C if we're lucky does tend to wear at you. We obviously get lots more 30s + than that, but there is usually a solid 2 or 3 week patch in the middle.... the rest of them tend to be interspersed with cooler weather (cooler being low to mid 20s if we're lucky..... teens if there is a good low pressure system move through with storms). Oh the differences of climate eh?
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 12:16 am: | |
Yup, you're right, 10 birds. There's a waxeye I hadn't noticed, behind the drinking bellbird, both with their beaks in the bottle. The pic was taken with flash, it was such a dull day but today is better and I'll trot out and do a pic of the source of your socks Maggi.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 12:47 am: | |
I'm really getting this down to a fine art. Just took the photo 5 mins ago. I hope it doesn't offend anyone. The fact is, possums are a real pest in NZ (Australian natives) and destroy large tracts of our native forests, spread tuberulosis into herds of cattle and are generally a pain in the neck. In the garden they eat every kind of fruit, roses and many other flowers. This one was trapped last night with an apple in the trap. We knew he was there because every morning the larger syrup bowl which we fill for the birds, was empty.
His bushy black tail is prehensile. I have no regrets about his demise.
The fur from the pelt is used with merino wool to make beautifully soft garments and socks and a possum skin rug is wonderfully luxurious.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 1:20 am: | |
Lesley,
I realise that to a NZer the only good possum is a dead one. Given you have no natural mammals except for bats there are just no predators for the possums. It is dreadful the damage they have done and still do, sending some of your bird species to the edge of extinction and beyond.
We get them here as well, but we have enough predators around that they are kept down, although they creed well in human areas. I would like to kill off a couple of them in the local area.... they are so bleedin' noisy when they start their grunting calls and they sound like some sort of demon in the trees. Plus they eat the buds off our magnolias!! (Eeek!) Then again the Cockatoos and parrots can do a good job of that too!
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Margaret Young (Myoung)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 9:03 am: | |
OOPs! What have I started? I am sure that there will be someone horrified by my socks and Lesley's possum but I am am old fashioned sort of person who reckons that if one eats meat... and I do... then one must face the reality of that and I don't see that the speedy demise of a possum to provide socks is a great departure from that theory. Especially since said critter is on a pest list; if he must be killed, then why not use his pelt? I am sorry if this is ghastly to you out there... it is just how I feel about such things. I do believe that modern life, so dominated by cities and supermarkets, removes people from the age-old facts of our existence. C'est la vie... et la morte!
|
Carol Shaw (Carol)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 6:17 pm: | |
Maggi
Couldn't agree more. I can never understand these 'humane' mouse traps that catch said bestie alive so you can let it out a miledown the road -really!
Carol Shaw, Forres, Scotland |
Margaret Young (Myoung)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 7:49 pm: | |
Carol's mention of humane mouse traps leads me to tell you this story... Ian's Dad was annoyed by all the mice stealing his birds' seed so he got a humane mousetrap after he had a nasty experience of killing a bird in an ordinary trap by mistake (He should have put the trap under little mesh cage or flower pot, as I do) Anyway... he gets humane trap, sets it and next day goes to see what has happened. Picks up trap, feels heavy...he's pleased, he's caught a mouse. What to do with it, though?It's a nice day, he feels it would be nice to have a little walk by the sea and watch the ships pass... he'll take the mouse to the beach and release it there for a happy life among the dunes...only to find, down at the beach, as he gingerly opens the trap and expects to have furious mouse leap off into freedom, that he has just given an enormous black slug a nice run in the car and an outing to the sea-side! At least he didn't buy it an icecream! |
Heather Smith (Peridot44)
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Username: Peridot44
Post Number: 43
Registered: 6-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 8:05 pm: | |
I've now found humane live-capture mousetraps are self-defeating. Eventually many mice will have been captured and released somewhere else. Other people will release their mice in your vicinity. This means for everyone many of the mice that manage to get in in late autumn know all about humane traps and either avoid them altogether, or know how to 'steal' the bait and escape. I had to revert to a powerful spring trap until I found out where the mice were getting in.
Heather |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Post Number: 643
Registered: 10-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 4:29 am: | |
Had a nice email - subject - Hello Possum.
Which reminds me that Homoglossum priorii (or it might be huttonii) is in flower. It used to be included in Gladiolus but I doubt if Dame Edna would have been interested in this one.
Omigod! where did that hose and bucket come from. Swear they weren't there when I took the pic.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Post Number: 623
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 4:34 am: | |
Howdy All,
I just thought I'd post a few of the helleborus that I have in flower at the moment. These are as well as the double white, double burgundy and cut leaf torquatus pics that I posted in the last SH thread...
This is a nice dark red seedling.
The best of my whites. Good round flowers and pristine white on the outside of the flower as well. which makes it effective even with the flowers nodding a bit.
This is a newly purchased mauvey-pink anemone centre. Rather pretty I would have to say.
A pink anemone centre with spotting. Has produced lots of seedlings around it this year so looking forward to them flowering in a few years! *grin*
A much nicer red in real life than in this picture. Very much a facing outward flower too, rather than the traditional nodding flower.
This is a rather pretty spotted pink. The backs of the petals are pure pink and virtually make a perfect round cup. Looks rather effective even with the nodding flowers as they are such a perfect half sphere.
This is a slightly mangey white anemone centre which has a distorted petal. I'll post another pic later on of a better flower, but this gives you the idea.
Interesting to note that whereas I normally do a fair bit of pollination of flowers to try particular crosses I can barely find any free pollen this year. No idae why but I assume I am just missing them when they ARE available. Have never struck this before.
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Post Number: 624
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 4:39 am: | |
Also flowering now are the winter colchicums....
Colchicum kesselringii has a lovely purple stripe on the back of each petal, which obviously can't be seen with the flower open like this.
Colchicum luteum is such a bright golden yellow. You catch the colour from quite some way off as it is so obvious.
The luteum only opened today so I am keeping an eye out for pollen to try to do the cross between them. Unfortunately by then the kesselringii will likely have already self-pollinated but it is still worth a try, and there might be more flowers to put pollen onto that are a bit fresher.
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Post Number: 644
Registered: 10-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 5:03 am: | |
Hi Paul, you're posting yours at the same time I'm posting mine. I should be in the garden, it is such a beautiful, mild afternoon. Good luck with the Colchicum cross. It's SO desirable.
A few crocuses but first, Narcissus romieuxii `Julia Jane'
Crocus sieberi form which may be `Violet Queen?' This is the other parent of the cvijicii sddlings and I thought it was `Firefly' but if Dave's above is `Firefly,' then this isn't. It may not even be a sieberi form. Help me Thomas or Tony.
This one is therefore probably `Firefly'
Here is a pot of differing seedlings, the progeny of a single pod from Cr. cvijicii, the pollen parent being the first of these crocus pics.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Lesley Isabel Cox (Lcox)
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Post Number: 645
Registered: 10-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 5:11 am: | |
Another of Cr. sieberi `Bowles' White.
This seedling from Cr sieberi var. sublimis f. tricolor has a less obvious white band and is a bigger, fatter flower. The others need a day or two.
And to end with, another Crocus abantensis.
Lesley Cox, Lower South Island, New Zealand |
Thomas Huber (Hubi1)
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Username: Hubi1
Post Number: 158
Registered: 8-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 7:31 am: | |
Lesley, Crocus sieberi always has a yellow centre, your mystery Crocus could be C. veluchensis, which is in the same section as C. cvijicii.
Thomas Huber, Neustadt/Hessen, Germany |
Paul Tyerman (Tyerman)
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Post Number: 625
Registered: 10-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 9:21 am: | |
Lesley,
Do you already have the Colchicum cross? I have heard it is a blend of the colours?
That abatenesis is definitely different isn't it. are they really as cute and squat as that? The rest of the pics are great..... you obviously get way more seed than I do. Do you hand pollinate everything or do you just have a lot of seed set? You often mention seed grown crocus which is why I ask..... I rarely see any crocus seedpods, only on C. laevigatus and tommasinianus most years. The pot of the cvijicii cross look great.... would love to see more pics of that to show the differences within them. That species is something I wish would set seed for me but I just have 2 bulbs and it is SO slow to multiply and every year I am paranoid that there is going to be nothing there when I repot. LOL
Paul T. Canberra, Australia. |
Thomas Huber (Hubi1)
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Username: Hubi1
Post Number: 159
Registered: 8-2004
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 9:35 am: | |
Paul, I saw a picture of the Colchicum cross in the Bulblog.
Ian, can you post it again here, please?
Thomas Huber, Neustadt/Hessen, Germany |
Margaret Young (Myoung)
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Post Number: 517
Registered: 3-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 10:57 am: | |
Thomas |
Flowers and Foliage Now