July (winter) in the Southern hemisphere, 2008

[Paul T]

Beautiful, Lesley.  Must chase that down one of these years, if it is here in Australia of course?  Very nice flower.

[fermi de Sousa]

Yes, it is , Paul.
Remind me when you get here!
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Cool Fermi.  Thanks.  I have vague bells ringing somewhere in the back of my head that I actually bought this one year and lost it.  I'm guessing Marcus.  Or was that 'Treble Chance'?  Actually, it may have been that one instead.  Thanks for the offer Fermi, I'll definitely take you up on that.  Nice to see a good and early strong yellow disk type.  Lovely!!

[Paul T]

Some pics taken today.....

The lovely clean double Helleborus 'Mrs Betty Ranicar'.  So pristine.

Then a few Narcs...... Narcissus pachybulbus which looks quite large in this pic, actually has flowers around 1cm wide.  Flowerheads will get larger (i.e more flowers) as this settles in over the next few years.  Narcissus tazetta ssp laticolor is apparently called the "Chinese Sacred Lily", or so I have been told.  And lastly, the one I mentioned elsewhere recently because of the name, and I'll always grow it for that at the very least... Narcissus romieuxii ssp albidus var zaianicus forma lutescens has just opened it's first flower for the year.  it will end up much paler than this, opening lemon and fading to almost white.

I'll also post a pic of Crocus pestalozzae var caerulea down in my crocus garden thread.

Enjoy!!

P.S.  When did I get to 2000 posts?    I obviously spend WAY too much time up here. 

[olegKon]

Congratulations, Paul. More than 2000 posts is cool. So are your wonderful Narcissis. I wish I could grow them in the open garden here, but it's too cold for these delicate creatures

[Maggi Young]

P.S.  When did I get to 2000 posts?    I obviously spend WAY too much time up here.

...on July 8th, Paul, but who's counting?!!! 

[Gerdk]

Beautiful daffodils Paul. Your pictures shows us what we can expect some months later - so we enjoy a never ending season here.

Gerd

[hadacekf]

Beautiful daffodils Paul.
I follow the opinion of Gerd

[fermi de Sousa]

We were wondering why we'd bothered growing this metre tall Salvia purpurea as the flowers didn't appear to be much.

Then when we had a broken piece sitting in water inside where it was warm, the actual flowers started to open!

The first dwarf bearded iris to open is this dark purple one for which I have no name.

And the first flower open on the rather stunning hoop petticoat daff, Narcissus "Mondieu"

And, yes, we've had a littlerain over the last few days.
cheers
fermi

[David Lyttle]

Well I am back posting after a quiet period - I had a computer meltdown so I rebuilt my computer as one does, recovered my files, and last but not least finally remembered my password to log on to the Forum.

First a picture of Helleborus niger ' White Magic ' a favorite in this part of the word flourishing as it does every winter.

Second Cyclamen coum very cheerful at this time of year.

Finally two pictures of a snowdrop that was the first to flower for me this season. I would be grateful if someone could name it for me.

[Maggi Young]

Well I am back posting after a quiet period - I had a computer meltdown so I rebuilt my computer as one does, recovered my files, and last but not least finally remembered my password to log on to the Forum.

Ah! So that is what you have been doing, David...we thought you had gone into early hibernation!

[David Lyttle]

Not quite in hibernation yet Maggi, though considering the amount of firewood I am going through at the moment it would possibly be a better option.

A quick wander round my garden this afternoon shows things are moving; Hellebores of course prominent. My own modest collection has its own charm.

First a dark form that my grandmother grew

Second Helleborus foetidus

Third various forms of lividus/ argutifolius;the first two I call lividus and the third came from a seed exchange as viridis which it is not. Apart from being entirely green I presume it is argutifolius.

Fourth the little bulb Iphieon uniflorum

For our Australian friends Grevillea

Hebe speciosa - I cannot get the colour true This appears more red than it actually is.

Eranthis hyemalis has just appeared in the last couple of days.

Not to be out done by anyone in the Northern Hemisphere  - a rose

[Paul T]

David,

Could your green Helleborus be H. corsicus?  Can't quite see what the leaves look like.  Would likely be larger than an argutifolius though.  Flowers look about right to my eye, but I'm no expert on them.   Nice pics!!

[David Lyttle]

Hi Paul

You could well be right. It is a very large plant - I will take some more pictures and post I was going to say tomorrow but it already is tomorrow

[Lvandelft]

Not to be out done by anyone in the Northern Hemisphere  - a rose

That is the kind of winter we would like David.
Flowering roses together with Eranthis