September 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

If it were not for the hat and the sunny smile, I'd have said that was me, lined up there with 3 deserts at once. She looks happy though.

[Anthony Darby]

Which deserts would they be Lesley? Gobi, Sahara and Kalahari?

[Anthony Darby]

Here is a Lachenalia I grew from seed. I'm underwhelmed with this one. Scilla vicentina just beginning to open.

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps the Shoe Pixie should be renamed the Pudding Pixie ? Beyond me how a Pixie can remain pixie sized alongside a love of puddings - must be pixie magic.

[fermi de Sousa]

In Otto's alpine house:
Ophrys tenthredisifera
Dionysia...

In his garden:
a view of some of the bulb beds
a close up of the clump of Fritillaria thunbergia in the pic above,
Anemone blanda

cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Also in Otto's garden:

Ornithogalum bungei x2
Some of the Narcissus cyclamineus self-seeding in Otto's garden

cheers
fermi

[johnw]

Some of the Narcissus cyclamineus self-seeding in Otto's garden :ocheers fermi

White ones?

[Lesley Cox]

Which deserts would they be Lesley? Gobi, Sahara and Kalahari?

Probably a bit dry for my tastes actually Anthony. Though maybe with cream?

[Lesley Cox]

I suspect the obviously white seedlings are hybrids with something white or bicoloured. We do have quite a few of these in various gardens in NZ too and they're all lovely, differing in form somewhat. I seem to remember that Mini-daff (Graham) has shown us what seem to be pure cyclamineus but white. Maybe he would comment? Here is one that came from the late Alistair Blee's garden in Southland, and to me from Hokonui Alpines. It starts quite yellow, though pale, then whitens as it ages. I have seedlings from it too but not flowered yet.

[johnw]

Lovely Lesley.  As I look at the photo at Otto's again I was sure there was a white one in the left fore corner with what appears to be N. cyclamineus itself.   Now I wonder if it might not be something white on that rock.

I'm headed off to the Narcissus thread!

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Well there are a lot of birds in Otto's garden.

[Lesley Cox]

Here's something to terrify iris lovers! I just had an email from Russia, a name I don't know, and I'm usually wary of opening such emails but then I noticed the word iris in the heading so risked it. It's the results of a study by various people, and says, in its conclusion "The present study clearly justifies the splitting of Iris s.l. into at least 23 genera....."

If anyone would like a copy I could forward the email.

[Hillview croconut]

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside .... its back! The Revenge of the Splitters!

I think Mini daff has a lovely creamy white going to white cyclamineus registered as "Second Fiddle". I know I sold it long before I knew who and what Keira was!

Cheers, Marcus

[Anthony Darby]

My Scilla may be Fessia greilhuberi? Here is Moraea setifolia with a flower not much bigger than my thumb nail (seed sown July 2011) and a tall dwarf Watsonia.

[Lesley Cox]

Marcus, does Frit. sibthorpiana vary much in colour? I've had a couple of different seed clones bright yellow but one from you, flowering for the first time, (a bulb, not seedling) is a browny/greeny combo. I'll take its picture shortly. The leaves look about right.