April 2019 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

April is full autumn here and the "autumn bulbs" are out in force!
Firstly - not a bulb! Monsonia emarginata - originally from Viv and now self seeding around the rock garden - this one in the space between two rock steps;
pink Rhodophiala bifida (x 2 pics) from seed from forumist Santiago;
Cyclamen rohlfsianum from Otto in 2014 is flowering well this year;
Sternbergia sicula -originally from seed from Rannweig Wallis;
cheers
fermi

[Gerdk]

Wow,
What a sturdy (I hope this is the correct term) Cyclamen rohlfsianum!

Gerd

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Gerd,
Sturdy is a good description 
My friend Otto Fauser raised it from seed and after 20 years without a flower he gave it to me in 2014. His garden is in the Dandenongs so is much cooler than here so it has flowered each year but this is the best flowering so far. He warned me that the problem with this species is that as the corm/tuber gets older it develops a concave surface and if water collects in it that can cause it to rot 
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, a super Cyc rolfsianum Fermi. I only have out Cyc hederifolium, cilicium (5 pots and already covered with seed pods) and a rather nice graecum which came to me as pseudibericum but that flowers in spring. The graecum has never flowered before and I guess it's going so now because of the very warm and prolonged summer we've had, day after week after week of day temps in the mid 30s. Still not flowers though (after 6 autumns in this garden and in spite of he warm summer, on Sternbergia lutea. It's in the hottest spot I have, at the base of a concrete wall and I really can't understand why it won't flower. Also out now are the first crocuces; pulchellus, kotschyanus, robertianus and vallicola which DOES seem to like it here.

The smaller nerines which I have are coming into bud even though (probably because) they've seen or felt no water for at least 4 months. I really must get some decent photos of their different colours. Acis autumnalis and rosea have come and gone and daily I'm picking a seed pod from rosea with one or two seeds in it. No question of over-supply there! Zephyranthes flavissima, new to me, is flowering well because I'm watering it. Flowers after a couple of days of a good soak then nothing more until it gets another dose. The name "rain lily" is well chosen for this little species especially. Oxalis lobata is out but most of the other species I have apparently are not getting enough heat to flower. I need a little glasshouse. 

[Lesley Cox]

I forgot to mention Gladiolus carmineus which I forget about every year until suddenly there are tufts in several places of their lovely pink flowers, quite large (about 6 cms diameter) for the height (about 15-16 cms) of the plant. The paler creamy markings are very pretty too.

[Anthony Darby]

I have an over-supply of Acis autumnalis seed. I seem to have flowers in lots of pots where they are no supposed to be and loads of seeds. No rosea though. My rohlfsianum has flowered and now has leaves. The 5 cm diam corm is at a jaunty angle, so hopefully won't rot. Cyclamen mirabile is also flowering well.

[fermi de Sousa]

A few more from our garden:
Acis rosea from seed sown in 2013 (thank you to Roland!) first flower and looking less pink as it fully opens
A mislabelled autumn crocus - what is it?
Narcissus viridiflorus about to open
Oxalis lobata - this one does best because it's in full sun
Ipheion or Tristagma felipponei?
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Hi Fermi, did you buy Oxalis lobata or grow it from seed? You have quite a good collection of Oxalis don't you?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Jamus,
This clump of Oxalis lobata originated from my friend Margaret who was originally from Adelaide 
It's the only South American species I can grow - the others need much cooler conditions and are virtually unknown in Australia.
All the others I grow are from South Africa - I don't have the Australian one 
I'll send you a PM (not Scomo)
cheers
fermi

[t00lie]

 The intricately designed orchid-like flowers of Tricyrtis this afternoon.

[Jupiter]

I posted this on the Crocus page but I'll put it here too, to make sure Otto sees it!

Crocus cartwrightianus has produced three flowers together, and there should be more to come. It's a beauty don't you think?

[t00lie]

I posted this on the Crocus page but I'll put it here too, to make sure Otto sees it!

Crocus cartwrightianus has produced three flowers together, and there should be more to come. It's a beauty don't you think?

Very nice Jamus .

I had C.cartwrightianus ,( UKCG seedex), flowering for the first time a few days ago....well that's until a slug found it.

[Jupiter]

Oh b*****! Well there are certainly not many slugs around here at the moment, it's as dry as chips!

A few more Crocus and things, just mobile phone photos.

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Jamus, Are you able to put your phone photos directly onto the Forum? If you are, how do you do it please.

I have a Sternbergia out today. The first in 6 years in this garden! Cyclamen hederifolium and cilicium are flowering their socks off but there's not really a lot else.

Anthony I can lift an Acis roseum for you. Still working on the Cyc. coum. They are so down among the magnolia roots now that it takes and axe to find them - and doesn't do the tree any good.

[Jupiter]

Hi Lesley, I use google photos to back up from my phone. If you have a gmail account you already have a google photos account, even if you don't use it. You download the app onto your phone and in the settings tell it to back up your camera folder to your web album. From there they are easily accessed for sharing on social media, or on the forum, or email etc.