Early February 2007

[Lesley Cox]

I like your Glasgow shots Ian. In fact, for a lassie whose ancestry is all Scottish, it would be great to see more of any and all parts of Scotland from posters who live north of the border.

I also like the hellebore seedling. It almost looks as if it would be a hybrid between hellebore and hepatica. Now there's a nice little project for someone.

[chris]

I to like the Hellebore with his open flower, Helleborus and Hepatica are both Ranunculacea but I dont think you can make crossings with both plants.
Lesley I like the marbled leaves to, Asarum maximum have also marbled leaves but the flower steals the show I think, it is not for nothing that they called it the panda flower, here a picture from a plant I sow 3 years ago

[Lesley Cox]

A lovely three-eyed panda Chris. Thanks for showing it. We don't have many Asarums here but I'll have to look for more I think.

The hellebore x hepatica comment was tongue-in-cheek but all the same, maybe it would be possible using chemicals to start off the process. Can't odd things like that be done with colchicine? But I'm no chemist or geneticist of course.

[John Forrest]

Ian, A very striking photo of Squinty Bridge and a testament to your 'old camera'. Also an interesting Hellebore, it's amazing what turns up in garden centres etc. these days.

[Mike Hopkins]

Thought you might like to see my first tulip of the year, Tulipa orthopoda. This is the first time of flowering of this species for me so I am not sure just how far ahead it is.

[biodiversite]

For me, in the garden, to make the link with your photos, it's the time of Helleborus atrorubens ex Slovenia, which replace H. purpurascens, finishing.
I love the Hyacinthellas you show Tony ! I don't know where it is possible to find seeds, but I have Scilla aristides, from Algeria, bought in dutch trade

[Ian Y]

Welcome to the forum Mike, hope this is the first of many plants.

There was an interesting variation in the heleborus niger on offer, £2.48 a plant and as I got 4 in the pot only 62pence each.

I have always been amazed by the quality I get from my first 1.3Mpixel digital camera John. I am about to by a new compact that will fit easily in my pocket and can be carried all the time but I will never part with the old Olympus Camedia C-960 not that any one would want to buy it any way.

[chris]

the Panda flower is 5 cm wide, Asarum asaroides wil also that big when it is open, Asarum kumugeanum is only 1.5cm wide

[Lesley Cox]

All so interesting Chris. Please show the A. asaroides when it's open.

[Paddy Tobin]

Fabulous flowers, Chris.

Maggi, Looking back to your posting of the 2nd, I am delighted to see you use so effectively a word which I had to now thought to be exclusively Irish -'eejit'. Brilliant word, perfectly expressive.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Paddy, we Scots may have all but lost our Gaelic, though, in truth, the vast majority of us never had it to lose, so  had no inkling as to your house name ( thanks for that, by the way!) but we use "eejit" a good deal... most likely on account of our (self) perceived superiority!

It's snowing again here, so not much chance this week of Aberdeen catching up with all you folks with so many flowers out !

[Lesley Cox]

Funny, I always thought "eejit" was an Australian word. I guess it's a case of wherever the cap fits. NOT suggesting it fits better on Aussies than on others, just that there are some, everywhere.

[fermi de Sousa]

We only know "eejit' from watching re-runs of "Father Ted" on TV....and other words which we won't mention here!
cheers
fermi

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,
You have then received a broad Irish education. 'Fr. Ted' will bring you up to speed with Irish expression.

And those other words which are unmentionable for you just add spice and variety to language.

Paddy

[David Nicholson]

Father Jack is one of my heroes.