October 2007 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

It's definitely NOT early spring anymore (the first snakes have been seen!), so I figure it's time for a new topic.
To start it off here's Allium crispum.




cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Here's a leucocoryne in flower in the Rock garden, not sure if it's a hybrid.


And a first flowering on Dichelostemma capitatum grown from NARGS Seedex seed, 2004, I think.


And another look at Dianthus "Whatfield Wisp" which is looking very floriferous this year!


cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Nice Dianthus.  Rather delicate flowers to it by the look of it, and as you say it is looking very floriferous.  Nice one I haven't come across before (then again that applies to a LOT of Dianthus!!  )

Do you propagate your Dianthus regularly?  I'm finding here that we have a definite use-by date on some of the Dianthus and they drop dead eventually in our climate.  I am making efforts to create "backups" of the majority of mine after losing a couple last year like 'Highland Fraser' which I really liked.  D. 'Becky Robinson' is doing fantastically this year and should be in flower within a couple of weeks.  Lots of buds on lots of them at the moment.

Leucocoryne are starting into flower here as well.  The only Dichelostemma I grow is ida-maia (or however it is spelt) and despite it being reputed to be difficult it grows well and tends to flower most years.  Nice to see your capitata flowering for you, particularly as a first time from seed which is always a thrill. 

[Lesley Cox]

I have a very nice seedling from `Whatfield Wisp.' It's just starting so I'll do a pic in a week or so.


Tropaeolum azureum. This one is for Paul. I took 17 images before getting one that is in any way usable. The angle and the surrounding leaves put everything out of focus and I couldn't move the pot as the Tropaeolum has twined itself around everything around it. It's quite a bit darker than some I've seen, as you can see by the deep shade of the buds. This is the 3rd year it's flowered and there are 2 from seed, in the pot. No seed so far.





Fritillaria recurva. I don't find this difficult in a pot so I might plant the bigger ones in the garden come the summer time.

[fermi de Sousa]

I like that Frit recurva, Lesley; I've yet to get it past the seedling stage myself.

Here's the very lovely Narcissus "Flo May" which did much better last year with some double headed scapes, but this year, "just the one" and only one flowering scape!


but at least you can see the pale pink colouring of the cup better than in the pic I posted last year.


Also in bloom, the lovely Ranunculus gramineus,


and the first flowers on the tiny Dianthus echidiformis which apparently was an invalid name once used for D. anatolicus. Shown here growing in a crevice, having been put in as cuttings 2 years ago! The two plants have grown into each other which is why it looks a bit "bumpy"!

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Thank you for the Trop.  Lovely!!  That Frit recurva is darn impressive as well.  Like Fermi mine are still not to flowering size as yet, but at least they're still alive and on their way!! 

Fermi,

The dianthus is a cutie isn't it?  Not seen it before (this seems to be a standard thing now for me to say whenever you post).  Is the Narcissus a biflorus selection or hybrid?  Knowing that biflorus is so late and your commenting that it has twin flowered heads last year, I figured it might be.  I think I saw some buds on my biflorus the other day, which is the only reason I thought of it.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Paul,
"Flo May" is an Alec Gray hybrid jonquil. And in the books is only noted to have solitary flowers but last year must've been exceptional!
Here's the pic I posted last year, you can just see that each scape has a second flower bud yet to open.


They were also a couple of weeks earlier!
The dianthus is a favourite and one I got from Woodbank Nursery when Ken and Lesley Gillanders were still selling plants. It was listed as D. echidiformis which I could not find on any lists but last year Anthony Darby guessed rightly (I think) that it's a form of D. anatolicus. This year when I was at Kew I mentioned it to Tony Hall and he seemed to recollect that D. echidiformis was a name given to a collection from Turkey which seems to explain it all.
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

The 'Flo May' is really quite special.  Very nice.  I checked and my N. biflorus has it's only bud open today, although somewhat snail eaten (the other buds are completely gone due to the snails! <sigh>)

[Lesley Cox]

Fermi, does the little Dianthus produce seed? and if so would you like to swap some for the true D. erinaceus? I have a nice red form, a seedling from my original plant grown from seed of the ACW 1966 Turkish expedition so a grandchild of the one in the wild.

D. anatolicus is on our bio list OK

[Lesley Cox]

These two irises could go on the bearded iris pages but here will do as well.

The first is a Standard Dwarf Bearded with a lovely clear colour enhanced by a neat white beard. It is labelled but the plant has grown over it so I won't remember until I divide it at Christmas time.



Then this tiny one is `April Frost' but read October for southern hemisphere gardens.





I am thrilled by this beautiful fritillaria, the first of what will be hundreds from seed bought from (and given by) Marcus Harvey, in 2003, so about 3 and a half years from germination. It is Fritillaria pyrenaica in what Marcus calls a honey-brown form. The inside is especially delicately patterned. Happily there about 20 more to flower, hopefully next year.

[fermi de Sousa]

Paul,
remind me when it's time to dig them and we can trade.
Lesley,
I have a pink flowering D. erinaceus, so seed of your red one would be great! I still have a bit of viable seed to sort from the chaff (sent some off to AGS Seedex and will send some to NARGS this week). Late nights sorting seeds on the kitchen bench makes for bleary eyes in the morning!
Here's a little pale red tulip which I got as T. maximowicii,


And something which may not appear very exciting to anyone else but is to me: Genista lydia ssp lydia (ex Turkey) grown from Rocky Mountain Rare Plants seed, sown just 2 years ago, with its first (few) blooms.

 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Lesley,
your April frost is adorable (even if it's October  ) - beautiful shade of blue.  That Frit pyrenaeca also is very delicate !

Fermi,
That Tulipa maximowicii is a real cracker ! An explosion of red !

Thanks for sharing

[Otto Fauser]

Lesley, I too love your Frit. recurva, I'm not very successful with it, maybe I should give it a cooler ,slightly moister position over summer? so far I,ve been treating F. recurva like my  Rhinopetalum Section species.However a close relative F. gentneri is doing well, in flower just now. Can you please put me on the waiting list for seed of F.pyrenaica ,the honeycolored form-very desirable.Also got F. kotschyana & k.ssp. grandiflora in flower. 
    Tim will be flying to N.Z. on friday for the Trillium Conference ,sorry I can't be with you ,enjoy the weekend without me.

[Lesley Cox]

Otto I'll certainly let you have seed if the light pyrenaica as soon as there is some. Maybe not this year as there's just the one flower but there should be more to bloom next year. I have around 20 seedlings from Marcus's seed.  Recurva doesn't really dry out here. More because I've not thought about it much. If I had, I'd probably have dried it off thoroughly and perhaps lost it. These are from an Archibald collection but 2 others from Ratko are also both coming along nicely. But another small group given me locally as ricegrains, are still ricegrains - but more of them - after 4 years. Archibald's recurva flowered less than 3 years from germination, about 2 years and 10-11 months.

Can you do a picture of the F. kotschyana ssp grandiflora please? I have some seed of that from Frit Group of AGS. inspected and released by MAF even though kotschyana isn't on THE LIST.

I've had to tell Tim to bring his woolly hat as the weather forecast isn't good, cold and wet. Last year he had a very fetching model of merino and possum fur if I remember rightly. We'll have a lovely weekend without you (you know what I mean).

[fermi de Sousa]

Here are a few more offerings from our garden.
A Bergenia cultivar which I think is "Beethoven"


And a Phlox subulata which goes by the name "Brittonii Rosea"


The strangely sombre flowers of Salvia africana-lutea. Why anyone would think this is yellow (lutea) is beyond me! Unless it was a botanist working off a dried specimen who presumed it had dried to that colour from a yellow bloom when fresh! Maybe?


cheers
fermi