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Author Topic: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere  (Read 72251 times)

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #300 on: September 29, 2007, 10:15:51 PM »
Well Gerd, I was relying on you and you're no help at all ;)

Does anyone have a pic of V. grisebachiana?

I'll make a note Luc. You're very welcome. I must also email to Ole Persson as I sent him seed last summer as V. dubyana.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2007, 10:35:35 PM by Lesley Cox »
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #301 on: September 29, 2007, 10:35:12 PM »
Just did a quick Google and there are plenty references to V. grisebachiana but precious few pictures. One small batch showed a lot of variation and the first at least had the shape and general colouring right for mine.

I asked because somewhere in the dim, dark depths of my memory, I have a vague idea that I bought this viola or maybe had it from a seedlist, as V. grisebachiana, and then someone said "oh no, that's V. dubyana." It must have been someone whose opinion I respected or I wouldn't have changed it, - usually no-one's opinion is better regarded than my own :D - so how about it? Anyone for V. grisebachiana?
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Gerdk

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #302 on: September 30, 2007, 09:08:48 PM »
Well Gerd, I was relying on you and you're no help at all ;)

Does anyone have a pic of V. grisebachiana?

I'll make a note Luc. You're very welcome. I must also email to Ole Persson as I sent him seed last summer as V. dubyana.

Lesley, sorry for being better again in telling you what it is not - but it will never be Viola grisebachiana. V. grisebachiana is a tiny alpine type of pansy, even smaller than V. dubyana (not the flowers).
I believe your plant is (or very near to) Viola corsica, syn. V. bertolonii.
I hope this will be at least a little bit helpful.  :)
Gerd
Gerd Knoche, Solingen
Germany

fermi de Sousa

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #303 on: October 01, 2007, 01:37:39 AM »
The first of the Tulipa hageri flowers opened on the weekend,
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And the T. clusiana "Cynthia" have just started.
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And probably the last decent pic of Paeonia cambessedessii, as the first flower has fallen!
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cheers
fermi
Mr Fermi de Sousa, Redesdale,
Victoria, Australia

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #304 on: October 01, 2007, 04:57:08 AM »
Sorry Gerd, I didn't mean to hassle you. :) Looks like I'm back to square one. I think you're right, I'd better forget about a name and just enjoy it. I'm doing that all right. It goes against the grain though as having a small nursery and trying always to be meticulous about names, not to know is bothering me though I've not lost sleep so far. :D
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #305 on: October 01, 2007, 10:59:16 PM »
I took some pics yesterday in between weeding spells but there was a good nor'west wind so not everything's as clear as it should be.

First up, an interesting pic of some wandering roots from a Phormium seedling, one I rescued from our gravel driveway a year ago as it was bright red coloured and seemed to be very dwarf. A year later it is still red and dwarf so I'll plant it somewhere soon. In the meantime it's in a pot in a polystyrene tray and it was these trays of pots that I was weeding. The roots had gone through the tray's base and along the weedmat underneath. I like the tartan effect and wonder could roots be trained to make a new fabric.

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A few yellows in flower now. The first, Anemone ranunculoides `Semi plena' will go under a little maple later today and replace the snowdrops which are finished now. I hope that next year they may mingle at least in part.

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Muscari macrocarpum was imported from Marcus Harvey in the late summer. It has a delicious perfume. I've had this previously, even growing to a big clump but never had a flower on it.

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This too, from Marcus, as Narcissus triandrus `Angel's Whisper.' It seems very like `Hawera,' 'Fairy Chimes,' `Mary Plumstead' and others. Very pretty though.

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Another little one is Narcissus cuatrecasasii. James S. Wells ("Modern Miniature Daffodils") doesn't think highly of it but mine is very good, flowering well and up to a month earlier than the similar N. rupicola. It also sets good seed.

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My Scoliopus bigelovii is fully out at last but quite a lot later than Paul's in Australia, maybe a month. Not quite yellow but yellowish :)

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Degenia velebitica I find is short-lived but it sets enough seed to keep in going. This one is about to go into a gritty trough which helps to keep it going.

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And two drabas, the first, D. bryoides imbricata is suffering from too much shade from a nearby tree and the second, D. longisiliqua is recovering from having leaves over it last winter (06), the resulting dead patch just filling out well, now.

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« Last Edit: October 02, 2007, 02:33:41 AM by Lesley Cox »
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Lesley Cox

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Re: Mid/Late spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #306 on: October 02, 2007, 12:07:32 AM »
Dianthus freynii is cute in a trough, just a little pad really.

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Morisia monanthos is in the same trough. Past its best now. Cabbage white caterpillars like this one.

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Three primulas. The first is my total crop of flowers on Primula minima. Last year I has 3 on the white form, none this year. I wish they'd flower as well as the two following.

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Primula x juliana `Snow White'

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And another of the closeup flowers on P. vulgaris `Lilacina Plena.' Because it's sterile, it flowers and looks good for a very long time, and again in the autumn if the summer hasn't dessicated it.

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Although it's common and very easy, I love this arabis which is so generous, flowering for several months and then all over again if it's cut back. It is Arabis alpina `Flore Pleno.'

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Here are the first noses, though today, on my favourite white.

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« Last Edit: October 02, 2007, 12:09:31 AM by Lesley Cox »
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Paul T

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #307 on: October 02, 2007, 12:30:22 AM »
Lesley,

Great pics.  I have to ask though..... your favourite white what?

The Anemone ranunculoides  `Semi plena' is a little gem isn't it?  Never grown that species myself, but I love the anemones and little Rununcs.  That little Narcissus cuatrecasasii is a cutie as well.... another species I've never come across before.  Love all your other pics too!!
Cheers.

Paul T.
Canberra, Australia.
Min winter temp -8 or -9°C. Max summer temp 40°C. Thankfully, maybe once or twice a year only.

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #308 on: October 02, 2007, 01:16:47 AM »
Weldenia candida of course :D
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #309 on: October 02, 2007, 01:44:02 AM »
Some fritillarias out now.

The first is F. affinis. I've grown several batches from seed and there is heaps of variation both in colour and form. I love them all.
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This little species is (I think) F. bithynica, another which varies from plain greeny yellow to this form with pink stripes. It has somehow got itself into a pot of F. acmopetala.
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F. mutabilis has always grown and flowered well for me as well as giving good seed each year. It's lovely outside but superb inside.
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I like F. whittallii for its understated elegance and quiet colour.
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and the last but FAR from least, this huge flowered species is F. grandiflora, sent by Marcus Harvey from a Rix collection. The flower is 4cms wide and 6 long. For now, the stem is very short, the 2 flowers resting on the pot surface but I expect it will lengthen with age. It seems quite vigorous, last year's single bulb having made 3 or 4 young ones by now, judging from the extra leaves.
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Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

fermi de Sousa

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #310 on: October 02, 2007, 02:03:13 AM »
Lovely frits, Lesley.
I can't grow many erythroniums but this E. helenae has been grown from seed and has flowered consistently the last couple of years though only about 6" (15cm) high. In a shade bed of course!
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Next is one of the last daffs to flower, and a bit of a mystery. I got it from a local grower as "Sydling" but can't find any reference to it anywhere.
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Serapias lingua has been in flower for a couple weeks in the Shadehouse, so I took it out for a photo op this morning.
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and then thought I'd try Paddy's trick of a blue sky background!
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Tulipa clusiana "Cynthia" was open this morning
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as was another T.hageri
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Finally, one of our Aussie natives favoured for rock hugging groundcover! Pultanea pedunculata in it's pure yellow form "Pyalong Gold".
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cheers
fermi






Mr Fermi de Sousa, Redesdale,
Victoria, Australia

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #311 on: October 02, 2007, 02:06:59 AM »
Now what?

A couple of small rhodies and a few more bulbs.

I'm sorry my little plants Of Rhododendron camtschaticum haven't flowered yet but they are certainly growing well. There are 3 in a little group in a cool raised bed and they are putting out quite long (20cm) underground runners from the central 12cm plants. Maybe flowers next year. An added bonus is that because they are deciduous they have lovely orangey autumn colour.
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One of my favourites is R. megeratum and it's flowering well this year (which it doesn't always) but most flowers are facing away from the path where I sit to take the pics because it's facing towards the sun.
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I think this must be Iris magnifica alba of which I have several different batches, all raised from seed as other species. This one came labelled I. rosenbachiana!
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My favourite grape hyacinth may possibly be Muscari mcbeathii but I'm not sure.
Although the pic looks out-of-focus, it isn't really, but the flowers seem to have an almost fluffy look to them. Did yours survive Mark?
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This pic from last year.
[attachthum=6]
« Last Edit: October 02, 2007, 02:32:16 AM by Lesley Cox »
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Lesley Cox

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #312 on: October 02, 2007, 02:29:45 AM »
Well, now I look at last year's muscari, the new one, above, IS out of focus. Sorry.

A couple of erythroniums here are E. revolutum in a form with superb dark bronze foliage only lightly marbled with green, and it has a deep pink flower to boot.
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and E. `Ruapuna Dawn,' a revolutum hybrid with softer pink flowers. It too has wonderful foliage, with even bronze and green marbelling. The other parent is almost certainly `White Beauty' as seedlings from `R D' flower identical to that one.
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Just 2 more for today, Trillium hibbersonii. Judging from last year's pics, I gave away the wrong one ;)
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and T. chloropetalum. I bought this plant just this last weekend. The parent which I saw, was almost black-flowered but I'm very happy with this seedling which has superb foliage in blotches of red, dark red, dark green and black.
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« Last Edit: October 02, 2007, 02:31:18 AM by Lesley Cox »
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Paul T

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #313 on: October 02, 2007, 02:53:18 AM »
Lesley,

Love those dark leaved Erythroniums.  Superb is definitely a good description of them.  Closest I have in markings to them would be the E. dens canis 'Snowflake' I got this year.  Your revolutum leaves just look amazing!!  I'd be pretty impressed with the Trillium leaves too.... way darker than anything I've ever seen, by many degrees. Fantastic!! The Muscari flowers remind me a bit of 'Vallerie Finnis', but the leaves look to be straight instead of having undulations along them.  I love the colour of VF so that one must be pretty speccy as well.

Great pics from both you and Fermi today.  Excellent stuff!!  8)
Cheers.

Paul T.
Canberra, Australia.
Min winter temp -8 or -9°C. Max summer temp 40°C. Thankfully, maybe once or twice a year only.

ranunculus

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Re: Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere
« Reply #314 on: October 02, 2007, 07:40:11 AM »
Super thread as usual....many thanks Lesley, Fermi and Paul.
Cliff Booker
Behind a camera in Whitworth. Lancashire. England.

 


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