December 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere

[jandals]

Jandals those are stunning bromeliads. I've always admired Puya but haven't tried growing them myself. I ought to, they would do well in our climate I think.

I think they would too Jamus . There are a few problems with them however:-

1- The leaves have spines that are bent backwards so that nothing escapes . Weeds that get in tend to stay there unless you have one of those steel mesh butchers glove as well as full arm protection

2- I'm not exactly sure but I think there was a 10-12 year wait from planting to flowering . It's definitely worth the wait because it doesn't look like it is finished yet

I hope to get plenty of seed for the SRGC seed exchange

[fixpix]

Wow, so nice to know December is not all that dark and cold everywhere.
Well, we have sun now, above freezing temperatures, which is kinda unusual.

I love lilies, my favorite bulb. And I'm more and more interested in the species... something not seen around here.
 
That Puya is  lovely. This is a nice color, but I got two P. berteroniana in pots. I think they are 2-3 years old now. They don't grow much, and in winter i keep them cool and dry. I wish they bloomed

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Guys, and the best Season's Greetings!

Concur with the previous lily boys but the Bellingham and Bullwood hybrids can throw identical plants.

Which leads me to an area that NO ONE will want to go to BUT the L." Lancon"situation is a prime example of the sort oc thing the EU bureaucrats, who want to "protect" consumer interests by regulating description and ensuring the correct product is in the market, would be rubbing their hands over. Right up their alley - thanks drongo marketing morons!! A case of money trumping commonsense. 

Maggi, maybe this issue can placed on/ at the Regulatory Threats to Plant Movements, etc. thread? This is one of the practices which MUST stop if the arguments for commonsense are to be listened to. Seems innocent enough to us but it is a form of dumping which destroys trust and credibility and plays right into the Commissions hands.
Maggi, on second thoughts maybe my comments can be moved there and a reference may from there to here for illustration?
Apologies on breaking the flow but it needs to said somewhere.

Cheers, Marcus
This rave may probably not mean a thing to southerners but maybe a few will be savvy to whats at stake.

[Maggi Young]

  Marcus, I have copied your post to that thread : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10845.0 

[Neil J]

Re 'Lankon'
Perhaps I can add something to the discussion on this lily.
Having seen many hundreds of these growing I can confirm that they range from almost white with just a few pale pink spots, to mostly covered in dark, red-purple spots, like in Rob's image.
Like many other early LA hybrids (whigh 'Lankon' is), and some Longiflorum lilies (Div. V), it has a tendency to split on one side.
Given the variability, it seems that more than one plant may have been included in the original material from which this "clone" was propagated.
In brief, it is a very robust & desirable plant, let down somewhat by less than perfect flowers. At it's best it is quite beautiful, but only occasionally appears to reach that standard.
Needs more work. A challenge for would-be hybridizers.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi guys,

My tablet froze up just when i was about to make an earlier post on this so I will make it quick.

This plant is clearly not a clone. Its not an improved gene line or strain, its a grex.

So which one is the real "Lancon"?

The launching agents either clearly doesn't understand the rules of nomenclature and they just want a maketing name. Or they deliberately dumped a series of clones onto the market under a single clonal name to make a quick return on investment. This plant appears not to have PBR (in which case it would already be breaking the law) but either way it's deceptive practice and thist is the sort of thing the EU Commission wants to stamp out.
On the face of it that seems great but the Commision wants to include nearly all plants that are sold or exchanged for commercial gain AND they want to include nearly EVERYBODY who is involved in these activites.

The upshot: nearly all plants will require a legal description and these are estimated will cost £800 each. EVERYBODY may include, small specialist nurseries, church fairs, and not for profit organizations like the SRGC and the AGS. There appears to no exemption for common usage plants and still seems unclear if species would be exempt.

Anyway, for those interested thats what at stake: those gardeners and enthusiasts right to gsrden and to exchange plant material. Check the thread Maggi and I are talking about. To quote a well known rock artist, "it seems a million miles away, but its getting a little closer every day".

Cheers, Marcus

[rob krejzl]

Marcus,

You may have the wrong end of this stick. Mak Breeding only gives one description at their site, whilst B&D Lilies (bdlilies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/lily-review-many-faces-of-lankon.html; good picture of the flower colour range by the way) report that the colour changes only appeared when growing-on field stock. Some of the blooms they show are clearly periclinal chimeras. I did not mean to imply anything other than that the stock was variable.

Neil, 

Yes, Lankon has the same tendency to become disordered in bloom as Triumphator. Doesn't seem as susceptible as the latter though. I eventually gave up on growing Triumphator - I got depressed every time I walked past it. Do you know whether VDQB have imported 3080-267, the longiflorum x pardalinum cross?

[Lesley Cox]

Otto, Thanks for the pictures of L. pardalinum. I'm happy with the naming of mine now but goodness knows where it came from. I don't think I ever had seeds as that name. Never mind, I like it very much.

Steve your Puyas are magnificent! May I go along there on Tuesday and have a look please, in the flesh, so to speak. You mention your son and daughter-in-law. Do you mean to tell me that that little lad Cory aka Corwin, is now MARRIED???

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Rob,

thanks for this. I didnt investigate that side of the argument. I wasn't implying that you led me to my conclusion.

If this is the case then either the marketing name needs to change as well as the description put out here in Australia because they now have this information. But they don't, so here is an example of what can happen in an unregulated market where "anything goes", and therefore an argument the EU Commission can use.

On the other hand, this example shows just how complex the situation can be and good reason for the EU to hold back, and they have .... currently. Under their mooted rule changes this company would have committed an offence, fined, the stock withdrawn and compensation paid to the whole chain of supply involved, ending with the consumer.

Cheers, M

[Hillview croconut]

PS Periclinal chimeras are the most stable of the class, ie, they are not likely to change. Therefore the stock listed under this name will probably not change, therefore it will remain substantively a mix of several clones. What to do? Is it "Lankon"? Or is a  "Dark Lankon" with "Lankon" or is it a mess?

[Lesley Cox]

Here are some things which have been in bloom over Christmas and still are, of course. You'll see what I mean by my patch becoming a "cottage" garden.   Irises first. There have been a number of others but I missed a few while away for a few days and some have not had enough water (in pots) so haven't opened properly. I've started a massive programme of planting out in hope of having many more than this year, in bloom for next year's Convention.

A Dwarf bearded form called 'Shamrock Fan,' almost 3 months later than the main plant but nice to have it so late. All the other bearded forms have finished.

Then two cultivars of Iris ensata. No idea what their names are and if anyone can oblige with those, I'd be happy. Christmas Eve was very hot here. I almost melted as I worked to fill a large tub with rocks and mix. But each time I walked past it, this second plant with about 10 flowers out, was so cool, almost limpid with its white and soft blue that I immediately felt able to do a bit more.

A horrible (seedling I presume) form or Papaver orientale which was supplied as 'Patty's Plum.' Will probably pull it out now it's had 2 years to settle down.

The first of the (almost) black poppies that I like so much. This one is 1.2 metres high!

[Lesley Cox]

This red Alstroemeria was here when we bought this place and I retain it not because I like it very much as I always think modern alstroemerias are so essentially garden centre plants and so obvious somehow. That only goes to emphasize my plant snobbery I suppose. But I must give it credit for having bloomed from November 13 to September 14 including right through winter, then had just a brief spell before starting all over again.

Gladiolus nanus 'Impressive' is just that. The only one of 6 forms I planted last year which came up at all though some of the others having missed a year, have come up now and will flower soon.

Dianthus 'Freckly Flake' has a silly name but is a really nice thing and well fragrant too. It's good for picking as well.

Senecio candicans has at last opened a flower which looks good on the white velvet foliage. It's planted against the base of the trough which follows.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Lesley,

That "black" poppy is sensational! Would love that. Are you ever hastled for growing them?

Cheers, Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

A really nice green Auricula, not named, just one of many seedlings raised by my mates at Hokonui. This is a second flowering since October, and the first gave me some seed.

Perhaps my most favourite thing at the moment, the flowers are so beautiful and the scent is fantastic. I literally dream the fragrance, sometimes waking with it in my nose and all around me. The plant is Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile.' I first saw it at Hillier's in England and wasn't happy until years later when I found it at the wonderful Blue Mountain Nursery, just an hour or so down the road.

The trough I mentioned above is one of two old double washtubs, rare now but still highly sought after and scavenged from house demolitions. This is near the back door and the other will go on the other side of the path, slightly set back due to the way the path is set out. It is perched on top of a calf drinking trough (I have 16!) so that the double outlet will drain into that and from there out to the soil. I've put in half a dozen rocks in each half partly to save on growing mix and partly to give a rocky base for the roots to find. The mix I've put in by now has been tamped down and well hosed a couple of times and then I've to place some crevice-type schist rocks for the inhabitants. I'll do that over the next few days depending on the weather which has suddenly become very hot. Dunedin was said yesterday to have reached 20 degC but here on the back verandah, in the shade, it was 39C at 2pm and still 35C by 6pm. Inside the house didn't go below 27C all through the night and sleeping was impossible. So barrowing rocks and potting compost isn't the best way to spend the day.  The trough looks a bit wonky but is, in fact, quite level. I promise!

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Marcus, no I'm never "hassled" as such though they are well away from the sight of any passers by who are in vehicles anyway but a lot of people would like the seed and we are not by law, permitted to buy, sell or in any way distribute seeds or plants of the opium poppy. We are allowed to grow them if we have them already though, and I've had this one for years. In a previous garden, after a "looking around" visit from a couple of guys, the whole lots were stolen that night, just pulled up by the roots and they weren't in flower yet so couldn't have been of much use to them. I doubt if the plants survived. They also took my good stainless steel spade and a radio I had left in my open air but under cover potting place. B......s!