November 2007 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

I have half a dozen plants Gerd, all grown from seed from a generous American. But though they're grown close together, there's never any seed, not so far anyway. But they are very lovely flowers.

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, Viola pedata-I've tried twice from seed with nil germination both times.Any tips please including when best to sow here!

[Lesley Cox]

How sweet of you David to suggest I'd know how best for you to sow your seeds in the UK. Sure, I'm a goddess but not actually GOD, so probably you'd be better with advice from someone in your part of the world. BUT, for the record, I sowed my American seed on pure, deep sand, on the premise that it would need a very gritty position and maybe not like disturbance. I planned to leave the seedlings, if any, in the pot and just grow them on in situ, as it were. However, there were about 30 seedlings in a 4" pot so I divided the mass into half a dozen and potted some and planted the others in a raised gritty bed, gave some away. As to when, as soon as you get them. Mine took about 6 months before they started to germinate and they looked surprisingly ordinary when they did come up. Have a look at other viola/violet seedlings around the garden so you know what to expect. Small, and quite deep green.

If sowing another lot, I'd still go for a mixture with a very high grit/sand content with something humusy as well and then cover the seeds with a thin layer of grit. Leave the seedlings until well grown, say 3 cms in diameter leaf tip to leaf tip, then pot or plant them out individually but reasonably close, for company. Perfect drainage but otherwise, they don't seem to be difficult.

Be sure though, that when they germinate you do have the genuine thing. I grew several batches of V. pedatifida as pedata, before a kindly gentleman took pity on me and supplied the right thing. One sure way to tell, is the number of seeds in the packet. If there are more than a very few, you have V. pedatifida almost certainly. The same applies to Dicentra peregrina (I had over 100 seeds in a packet recently and they're NOT D. peregrina) and Olsynium douglasii or O.filifolium. When you get a lot in the packet, they're bound to be a weedy sisyrinchium. Sure as eggs is eggs!

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, as always very sound advice. Thank you very much.

[Lesley Cox]

But you won't really KNOW if it's sound advice David, until you get some seedlings up, will you?

[Lesley Cox]

Everything's working in slow, slow, (not at all quick, quick) slow time this morning. This with Broadband as supplied by Telecom New Zealand, who are THE PITS, by and large, for customer service and satisfaction (if this post finds its way onto someone's blog (as happened to a couple of others) and is read by Telecom staff, so much the better). The only advantage my Broadband has given me is that I can use the phone while my computer's on. I've tried to post twice to the Aroid thread and it just won't upload. I tried here, starting at 9.50am, put up 5 pics and that too has bombed out. Cannot find the website; have you typed in the correct address? Are you connected to the Internet? etc etc. It seems I can post text but not pictures. Very frustrating and I think I'll now retire to my bed for the day, with a stiff gin. Hell, it is 10.15am after all!

[Lesley Cox]

Well, some hours later I've managed to do the aroid post and will try again here. Things are a little quicker now and just for the record, I retired to the tunnel house to weed, rather than my bed.


Lathyrus nervosus which always gets a snicker when people ask the "common" name (Lord Anson's Blue Pea.) One of my favourite things and deeper coloured than the pic suggests, I'm not getting much seed lately. Used to get a good cupful each summer. About 1 in every 6 or 7 seedlings has a somewhat streaky look which is virus-like. Is that likely from seedlings? It's there right from germination.


John Forrest sent me seed of Silene hookeri Ingramii Group and it has grown well for two years now, and is setting seed for the second time. I potted up 50-odd a few days ago. Again, paler here than in real life.


This is closer to the true colour but still a little light.


The same is true of this Dianthus alpinus seedling whose foliage is dark red. The flowers are not so deep though, as in `Joan's Blood.'




A few days ago Fermi posted D. `Whatfield Wisp.' This is a seedling from it, rather bigger, deeper in colour and with a stunning perfume. It is called `Marybank' for the Nelson garden whence it came.

[Rogan]

I just had to share my little 'summer beauty' with you, Tigridia durangense, always the first Tigridia to flower in my collection and never disappointing:

[annew]

Those last 2 plants in particular are stunning, thanks folks.

[t00lie]

I have to agree with you Ann --a stunning Tigridia Rogan --it's a beauty all right.

Last few pics of Trilliums here--

Firstly --i've known and grown this one for a while now as T.cernuum --however i'm sure ,(after another look at Cases book) it's rugelii.Strong grower and quickly makes a good sized clump.

A couple of double T.grandiflorums --interesting that while i reviewed my pics for posting just now i see some  differences between the two separate plants.

Finally ---i counted 32 flowers on this robust Trillium sulcatum last weekend--It is placed in an open position--(well --as open a spot as can be in our forested garden) and normally wilts during the 'hottest' part of the day--no worries this year --really enjoying our wet cloudy conditions of the last couple of weeks.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great pix everyone !
Keeps our spirits up in these gloomy, windy autumn days.

[t00lie]

Thanks for the encouragement Luc.

The label beside the following Chionographis japonica raised from seed is a bit faded however i think i can just make out SRGC 98.

Currently looking a picture with ,(4), stems arising some 25 cm above the small Hosta like foliage.

I find whites and yellows difficult to photo with my basic compact digital during sunny days so please excuse the last pic.After some testing i found my hand provided the best background--at least you'll gain an idea of scale--smile.

Cheers Dave.

[Lesley Cox]

That's a very nice little thing Dave. The small one you gave to me a couple of years ago died unfortunately. And a stunning Tigridia Rogan. Really like that one, much more than the reds, yellows etc.

[Lesley Cox]

A few more from here, then some leafy things.

Still with pink flowers for the moment, Saponaria ocymoides is a good, basic plant for a wall or bank or any sunny place. It takes a good hard trim back after flowering.


Dianthus `Whitehill' is a tiny var, best in a trough or raised bed. Rather spiky foliage, very neat.




Not sure if this little double pink auricula has a name or not, but whatever, it's very pretty, rather formally shaped.


Ever reliable is Oxalis enneaphylla alba.


and to end this batch, Adonis brevistyla. I find this quite difficult to keep as it has no thick rootstock like, say, A. amurensis, but is a rather fragile herbaceous plant which is very sensitive to dryness at its roots. It sets reasonable seed though and this usually germinates well (what I sowed last summer hasn't, though).

[Lesley Cox]

These plants are sometimes grown just for their foliage, and sometimes it's a bonus along with flowers. They all look very good at this time of year when the leaves are quite young and not yet suffering from summer dryness. They are also best able, while still fresh and full of sap, to withstand the very strong, cold winds we've had, seemingly for weeks through this spring.




Clematis recta is an herbaceous species rather than a climber. This is a particulrly good form which keeps its purple colour right to the end of the season. Flowers are small and creamy white.


I keep coming back to Crambe maritima but it's such a good thing and I love it. I see that it's spreading from the root, probably sprouting wherever I've knocked it with a weeding fork.


Nearby the Crambe is Eryngium `Picos Blue.' The flowers are steely blue but as it makes buds, the leaves also take on a wonderful blue, metallic sheen.


Ligularia `Britt-Marie Crawford' is a stunning plant to use as ground cover if there's room but otherwise looks very good as an accent with gold foliage. She herself has yellowy/gold flowers typical of the Ligularia genus, daisy-like.


Another fine deep red/brown, is Euphorbia dulcis `Chameleon.' I couldn't do without this plant which seeds around a little but never as a problem and always comes true to colour.


What this peony seedling is, I don't know. It "just growed" like Topsy, but the foliage has promise of an attractive plant.